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Title
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Seeds of love
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Singer
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Goodfield, Prudence Mrs.
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Notes
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Note 1
Williams, Alfred: Ms: 'Unheard of otherwhere in this valley. A Mrs Habergam who lived in Lancashire and died in 1703, is said to have been the author of this song. It is suggested that she founded it upon an earlier piece. The earlier piece was probably the one preceding this.'
Williams, Alfred: WGS: 'Obtained of Mrs Goodfield, Crudwell. Unheard of otherwise in the valley. A Mrs Habergam who lived in Lancashire and died in 1708, is said to have been the author of this song. It is suggested that she founded it upon an earlier piece. The earlier piece was probably the one preceding this. [I once had plenty of thyme]'
Williams, Alfred: FSUT: 'Version obtained of Mrs Goodfield, Crudwell.'
Note 2
In addition to the fair copy there is another manuscript in pencil which is dated.
In Verse 2 the original text read:
And the garden was well planted
With seeds of every kind
But I had not the liberty for choosing for myself,
For my gardener was standing by.
In Verse 3 the original text read:
I asked him to choose for me,
He chose me the violet, the lily and the pink,
And it's them I refused all three.
In Verse 4 the original text read:
For a violet I did not like,
Because it does so soon fade away,
And the lily and the pink I did overlook,
And resolved to tarry till June.
In Verse 6 Line 6 the original text read:
That stole away this heart of mine.
But this was amended to:
That once stole away this heart of mine.
In Verse 7 Lines 1 and 2 the original text read:
A bunch of blue I'll wear,
That no one can not touch,
This sheet is located and dated as, 'Crudwell, June 1915
Note 3
There is a further typescript sheet which contains an abbreviated text of Seeds of love and Derby Ram. In Williams' hand is a note:
At this lecture I deal with [persons]
Wassail Harvey [not]
Pillinger
Gramps
Dan Morgan
The Kings
Potter
Billy and Betty
Isaac ????
Sawyer
C Tanner
Tramp
Watkins etc.
The typed text is:
I sowed the seeds of love, And I sowed them in the spring,
In April, May and June likewise, When the sm bda sweetly sg.
My garden was well planted, With flowers everywhere;
But I had not the lib. etc, The flower I loved most dear
My gardener was standing by, I asked him to choose for me;
He chose for me the lily, violet, pink, And its them I refused; etc
The violet I do not like, Because it do fade away so soon
The lily and the pink I did overlook, Ires. To tarry till Jne.
In June there's a red rose bud, and that ia the flower for me
But I ofttimes plucked at the r.r-b, Till I gained the W-tre
[The willow tree will twist, And the willow tree will twine,
And I wish I was in the young man's, That stole away etc]
Then a bunch of rue I'll wear, That no one can ever touch,
And I'll let the world so plainly see That I loved one f. too much.
Transcribed and edited by Chris Wildridge, 2010.
