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Title
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Bold fisherman
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Singer
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Calcott, Sarah Mrs.
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Notes
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Note 1
Alfred Williams – ‘I have heard of this piece in several quarters of the Thames valley. I obtained my first copy of ‘Wassail’ Harvey, Cricklade, and a slightly better version, given below, of Mrs Sarah Calcott, Northmoor, Oxfordshire. Northmoor is a lonely little village on the banks of the Thames between Standlake and Oxford. The road is broken by the river which must be crossed by ferry to Babcock, Hythe and Appleton. The old woman, who lives alone, sang me several songs including Lord Bateman, while her pet jackdaw sat upon the arm of her chair in the fire light. At the same time, though extremely poor, she insisted upon my taking tea with her, and filled my pockets with choicest apples to eat on my way home.’
Note 2
In the original draft of the song in all instances the words young fisherman have been replaced by bold fisherman.
In verse 5 the original text was:
Then she fell on her bended knee
Saying – “Lord have mercy [illegible] I crave,
For calling you a young fisherman
Upon this briny sea.
In verse 6 Line 2 the original text was:
For I declare to thee
Note 3
The usual citation for this song is: WSHC: 2598/36 Packet 3 - Oxfordshire: Williams, A: MS collection No. Ox 282. The above text is taken from the original which is the citation given above.
Transcribed and edited by Chris Wildridge, 2014.
