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Title
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Thames Head 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
Williams, Alfred: Ms / WGS / FSUT: ‘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.’
* In place of ‘Yes, if you will, and welcome too!’ I have heard, ‘Merry boys all, and welcome too’.
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 song also appears in Round about the Upper Thames as indicated above. Only the first eight verses are printed and there are minor textual changes as follows:
Verse 1
Wassail, wassail, all over the town,
Our toast is white and our ale is brown,
Our bowl it is made of a maple tree,
And so is good beer of the best barley.
Verse 2
Here's to the ox and to his long horn,
May God send our maester a good crop o' corn!
A good crop o' corn and another o' hay,
To pass the cold wintry winds away.
Transcribed and edited by Chris Wildridge, 2011.
