The Cambridgeshire Researcher, Mary Humphreys – Transcribed Manuscripts
Mary Humphreys (www.maryhumphreys.co.uk) has spent several years transcribing many of Vaughan Williams’ collections from Cambridgeshire and we are indebted to her for her knowledge and sharing of her research. Mary has also published a wonderful Tune Book of Folksongs Collected in Cambridgeshire which includes some of Vaughan Williams’ collections as well as songs collected by Ella Leather and Cecil Sharp.
Ralph and Adeline Vaughan Williams holidayed in Meldreth, Cambs in the summers of 1906 and 1907 and most of the folksongs collected by him were done so during these two vacations. He visited Orwell, Cambs in 1908 whilst staying in Cambridge where he was conductor for a concert at the University.
49 song tunes were notated during 3 visits to Cambridgeshire over a period of 3 consecutive years. A total of 12 days over these three years involved visiting 11 singers in 9 villages.
You can find both lyric and sheet music on Mary’s website for the majority of the following songs. Please follow the links below to hear the songs performed.
1906
Little Shelford:
Singer: Jim Austin, 20th August
Songs: The Keeper, God Rest You and The Sheffield Apprentice
Fen Ditton:
Singer: Llewelyn Mallion, 22nd August
Songs: Abroad as I was Walking, Rosemary Lane and John Barleycorn
Singer: Mr Pampling, 27th August
Songs: Georgie, The Little Lowland Maid, Cruel Slavery Days, O Mother, Mother Make My Bed (text only), John Riley in America
Singer: Harry Mallion, 27th August
Songs: A Cold Winter’s Night, Irish Molly, Maria Martin, Van Dieman’s Land, The Plains of Waterloo, The Cobbler, As I Walked Out & Willy of the Waggon Train. Although undated, also a version of Gilderoy
Wilburton:
Singer: Mr Gothard, 25th August & 31st August
Songs: The Lousy Tailor, The Lost Lady, Bobbing Around, The Gay Ploughboy, As I Walked Out and Twankydillo
1907
Fowlmere:
Singer: ‘Hoppy’ (Charles) Flack, 21st July & 10th August
Songs: Lord Ellenwater, May Song, The Lost Lady, The Yorkshire Bite, Three days before Easter, Golden Glove, The Red Barn, Shannon Side. Rolling in the Dew (although the date is missing on the manuscript page). The song Geordie may also have been from Mr Flack.
Meldreth:
Singer: ‘Ginger’ Clayton, 22nd July
Song: The Trees They Do Grow High
Bassingbourne:
Singer: John Harmon, 30th July
Songs: Lakes of Cold Fen, Adieu my Lovely Nancy
Royston Workhouse:
Singer: Mr Wiltshire of Fowlmere, 31st July
Songs: Green bushes, God Rest You, May Song, Nine Joys of Mary
Cottenham:
Singer: Charlotte Dann, 3rd August
Songs: One tune marked with a ? ( which Mary marks as Lucy Wan), The Cuckoo and the Nightingale with the text for the first verse and There is an Alehouse.
1908
Orwell:
Singer: Billy Waggs (William Wagstaff), 13th June
Songs: The Lady Looked Out , When I was a Young Man and The Red Running Rue
For the full list of Cambridgeshire folksongs (which includes alternative song titles and Roud numbers) collected between 1906 and 1908 see HERE.
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