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Title
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Cricklade Wassailers' song
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Singer
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Harvey, Henry [Wassail]
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Notes
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Note 1
Alfred Williams – 'I have named the 'Thames Head Wassailers' song' because I have not heard it except around the Thames' source. It has been called the 'Gloucestershire Wassailing song' though it seems to have been quite as popular in north Wiltshire as in Gloucestershire, especially at Brinkworth, Somerford, Oaksey, Ashton Keynes and Cricklade. The bowl is variously said to have been made of a sycamore, maplin and maypole-ing tree, and there are other minor differences in the current versions. Copy obtained of 'Wassail' Harvey, Cricklade and E Smart, Oaksey, Wiltshire.'
Note 2
The manuscript Wt 367 includes two songs, one identified as the 'Thames Head Wassailers Song', is in Williams’ own hand. The second is a typescript which uses the same number but is identified as the 'Cricklade Wassail Song'. The Thames Head version lacks Verse 9 in the published edition on pages 116, 117 while the Cricklade version lacks Verse 5.
While Williams does not identify the contributions of the two singers, Harvey and Smart, it may not be unreasonable to infer that the 'Cricklade' version came from Harvey and the 'Thames Head' version from Smart.
There is a further complication in that on the reverse of Mi 588 'Hard Times come again no more' there is a further version of the song which is not listed in the Bathe Clissold Index. This has textual differences with verses in the published version and Wt 367.
Note 3
The text reproduced in the Wiltshire Gazette contains minor textual differences from that appearing in FSUT, and this follows.
Verse 1
Wassail, wassail, all over the town,
Our toast is white and our ale it is brown,
Our bowl is made of a sycamore tree,
And so is good beer of the best barley.
Verse 2
Here's to ox, and to his long horn;
May God send our maester a good crap o' corn;
A good crap o’ corn, and another o' hay,
To pass the cold wintry winds away.
Verse 3
Here's to the ox, and to his right ear,
May God send our maester a happy New Year,
A happy New Year, as we all may see,
With our wassailing bowl we will drink unto thee.
Verse 4
Here's to old Jerry, and to her right eye,
May God send our mistress a good Christmas pie,
A good Christmas pie, as we all may see,
And a wassailing bowl we will drink unto thee.
Verse 5
Come, pretty maidens, I suppose there are some,
Never let us poor men stand on the cold stone;
The stones they are cold, and our shoes they are thin,
The fairest maid in the house let us come in,
Let us come in, and see how you do.
Maid
Yes, if you will, and welcome, too.
Verse 6
Here's to the maid, and the rosemary tree,
The ribbons are wanted, and that you can see;
The ribbons are wanted, and that you can see,
With our wassailing bowl we will drink unto thee.
Verse 7
Now, boteler, come fill us a bowl o' the best,
And we hope that thy soul in heaven will rest;
But if you do bring us a bowl o' the small,
Then down shall go boteler, bowl and all,
Then down shall go boteler, bowl and all.
Verse 8
Now, maester and mistress, if you are within,
Send down some of your merry, merry men,
That we may eat and drink before the clock strikes ten,
Our jolly wassail;
When joy comes unto our jolly wassail.
Transcribed and edited by Chris Wildridge, 2011.
