> Folk Music > Songs > The (Poor Old) Weaver's Daughter
The (Poor Old) Weaver's Daughter
[
Roud 1277
; Master title: The Poor Old Weaver's Daughter
; TYG 48
; Ballad Index RcWeaDau
; Bodleian
Roud 1277
; GlosTrad
Roud 1277
; Wiltshire
237
; Mudcat 62296
, 139692
; trad.]
George ‘Pop’ Maynard sang The Weaver's Daughter on 3 December 1955 in his home in Copthorne, Sussex, in a recording made by Peter Kennedy. This was included in 1976 on Maynard's Topic LP of traditional songs from Sussex, Ye Subjects of England, and in 1998 on the Topic anthology Come All My Lads That Follow the Plough (The Voice of the People Volume 5). Another version recorded by Brian Matthews on 18 May 1960 at The Cherry Tree in Copthorne was included in 2000 on Maynard's Musical Traditions anthology Down the Cherry Tree. Mike Yates commented in the original album's notes:
Several of Pop's other songs belonged to the “rustic-idyll” class, and suggest an urban, rather than rural origin. The Weaver's Daughter was described as “once popular” by Alfred Williams who noted it once in the Thames Valley some time prior to the Great War. Other collectors seem to have ignored the piece.
Frank Hinchliffe sang The Poor Old Weaver's Daughter in 1977 on his Topic LP og traditional songs from South Yorkshire, In Sheffield Park. The sleeve notes commented:
Most of the early collectors appear to have either overlooked or ignored this song. It was printed on broadsides by Pearson of Manchester, Fordyce of Newcastle and Harkness of Preston and is listed in the Catnach 1832 catalogue. Alfred Williams published a version in Folk-Songs of the Upper Thames. Its theme is an unusual one. Rarely does it happen in folksong that a young girl refuses a young man for the sake of her old father. George Maynard of Copthorne also knew the song.
The Muckram Wakes sang The Poor Old Weaver's Daughter in 1980 on their LP Warbles, Jangles and Reeds.
Will Noble sang Poor Weaver's Daughter in a recording made by John Howson at Oxspring, Yorkshire in 1992. It was released in the same year on his Veteran album In That Beautiful Dale, and was included in 2006 on the Veteran anthology It Was on a Market Day—Two where Mike Yates noted:
There can be few English folksongs where a young girl refuses to marry a suitor for the sake of her old father. Alfred Williams, who heard it being sung in the Thames Valley in the early 1900s, called it a “pleasant old song”. The song predates 1832 (when it was listed in James Catnach's catalogue of song sheets) and was also printed on sheets by Pitts of London, Williams of Portsea, Harkness of Preston, Wigens of Bath and Taylor of Bristol. The song has been collected only occasionally in England and, to my knowledge, has never turned up elsewhere. Will learnt it from Frank Hinchliffe of Lodgemoor, near Sheffield.
Peter and Barbara Snape sang Poor Old Weaver's Daughter on their 2011 CD Revel & Rally. Barbara Snape noted:
From the singing of Pop Maynard, a wonderful singer born in the village of Smithfield, Surrey in 1872. Pop Maynard was a singer all his life and a real character who died in 1962 aged 90. We have altered the rhythm of the song to that of waltz time.
Jon Boden sang The Weaver's Daughter as the 10 March 2011 entry of his project A Folk Song a Day. He noted in the blog:
After setting this lyric from Folk-Songs of the Upper Thames I then heard Will Noble sing a Yorkshire version with a not entirely dissimilar tune. Fay [Hield] has now taken this on and improved my melody somewhat.
Fay Hield sang The Weaver's Daughter in 2012 on her CD with the Hurricane Party, Orfeo. She commented in her sleeve notes:
Jon happened upon this song in Alfred Williams' Folk-Songs of the Upper Thames (1923) and put a tune to it. Williams cites it as “a pleasant old song, formerly popular in the villages between Cricklade and Cirencester. Obtained of Joseph Bartlett, Down Ampney.” When Jon proudly sang me his newly discovered gem, I rather offhandedly said, oh, Will Noble sings that. It turns out so do a number of other Yorkshire singers, including Roger Hinchliffe, nephew of Frank who recorded a version on his In Sheffield Park LP (1977). Peter Kennedy also recorded George ‘Pop’ Maynard singing it in 1955, subsequently released on Topic's Voice of the People set. I took these several strands and mashed them around a bit. A lovely romantic song, this is rare for its theme of a young girl refusing a young man for the sake of her old father. Or maybe she just didn't fancy him.
This video shows Fay Hield singing The Weaver's Daughter at Bristol Folk Festival on the May Day holiday weekend of 2011:
Andy Turner sang this song as The Woodman's Daughter as the 5 May 2013 entry of his project A Folk Song a Week. Cecil Sharp collected this version at Warehorne in Kent on 23 September 1908, from James Beale.
Peter and Barbara Snape sang The Poor Old Weaver's Daughter in 2016 on their CD Upward Onward. Barbara Snape noted:
A few years ago we learnt a lovely version of this song from the singing of George ‘Pop’ Maynard, a traditional singer from Sussex (and champion marble player). Recently we found a Yorkshire version, printed as a broadside and published by Harkness of Preston as well as many other printers throughout England. That fine gentleman and singer Will Noble also sings a version which he got from Frank Hinchliffe of Fulwood, Sheffield, and is very similar to this one.
Matt Quinn learned The Poor Weaver's Daughter from the singing of Pop Maynard and recorded it for his 2017 CD The Brighton Line. He noted:
A song most commonly found in Yorkshire, Peter Kennedy collected this in 1955 when Pop Maynard was 83 years old. It's a refreshing change to find a female character in a song who doesn't just say “oh, all right then” when a man tries to seduce her.
Lyrics
Pop Maynard sings The Weaver's Daughter | Muckram Wakes sing The Poor Old Weaver's Daughter |
---|---|
As I walked out one May morning, |
Oh, as I walked out one May morning |
I said, “Fair maid, if you'll be mine,”— |
I said, “My pretty maid, where art thou going?” |
“Oh, may I go with you my pretty maid? | |
“My poor old mother that's dead and gone |
“My mother she is dead and in her grave, |
“My poor old father that's nearly blind |
“My father he is old and almost blind |
“So part from me she'll never, never be — |
“So parted from him I never shall be |
“Fare thee well, fare thee well sweet maid,” I cried, | |
For friendship's sake this gold ring take.” | |
Fay Hield sings The Weaver's Daughter | |
As I walked out one morning fair I said, “Fair maid, what brings you here?” Her hair was black, her eyes were blue, “My mother she's not long been dead, “My father he is almost blind I turned around to go my way I'll ne'er forget the day we met |