X:620160
T:GB/6b/16 It's of a Farmer All in this Town
T:[The Suffolk Miracle]
C:Sung by Mr. Smith, Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire, September 1907
C:Collected by FW Jekyll & GSK Butterworth
F:http://archives.vwml.org/record/GB/6b/16
Z:Transcribed by Simon Furey and Lewis Jones
L:1/4
M:3/2
Q:"(Editorial suggestion)" 1/2=60
K:Daeo
(D/E/) | F G F2 A, A, | C D C3 G |G E C2 F3/2 G/ | A G A3 C |
w:It's_|of a farm-er all in this town; His name was up through the|count-ry round. He
 F E F2 F G |A G (A d-) d d | (A/G/) A F2 D3/2 E/ | D D D3 |]
w: had a daugh-ter, a beaut-y bright,__ And she_ a-lone was his heart's de-light.|
%%wordsfont Serif 10
W:
W:1. It's of a farmer all in this town,
W: His name was up through the country round;
W: He had a daughter, a beauty bright,
W: And she alone was his heart's delight.
W:
W: 2. Many a noble lord came this dame to see,
W: But still she could fancy none of these;
W: But of late came one of low degree,
W: He came of late, so she fancied he.
W:
W: 3. When her father came of this to hear,
W: He separated her from her dear;
W: Three score miles he did her send,
W: To her uncle's house, to her discontent.
W:
W: 4. One night as she was for her bed bound,
W: She heard a noise and a dismal sound;
W: Saying, "Mary dear, rise from your bed,
W: ...............................
W:
W: 5. "Here is a token, my heart's delight,
W: "Your father's steed to ride home this night;
W: "Another token I've brought to you,
W: "Your mother's cloak, and her silk coat too."
W:
W: 
W: 6. They rode more quickly than the wind,
W: But still he minded his love behind;
W: He heaved a sigh and thus did say,
W: "Oh my dearest dear, how my head does ache."
W:
W: 7. At length they came to her father's gate,
W: And these few words to his love he said,
W: "Alight, my love, and go to your bed,
W: "Your father's steed I'll see combed and fed."
W:
W: 8. A white holland handkerchief she drew,
W: And bound it round his head, and tightly too;
W: She went up to her father's hall,
W: Loudly for her father she did call.
W:
W: 9. "Oh father dear, did you send for me,
W: "By my loved Jimmy, kind sir?" said she;
W: It's well he knew this young man was dead,
W: Which made every hair stand up on his head.
W: 
W: 10. This young man's darling cried more and more,
W: Thus young man was dead just nine months or more
W: The grave was opened where he was laid,
W: With his love's holland handkerchief bound round his head.
W:
%%text Editorial notes: No suitable replacement for the missing line has been found in Child, Bronson 
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%%text or the Oxford Book of Ballads. However, the text '"And come with me," her true love said.' 
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%%text will fit perfectly well for performance.
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%%text The following authorities have added notes to the MS of this tune. They are:
%%text
%%text George Butterworth: Mrs Whiting also sang this tune, practically without variation. The words printed
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%%text consist of fragments given by the singers. They should be compared with 'The Suffolk Miracle'.
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%%text (Oxford Book of Ballads). -GSKB
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%%text Anne Gilchrist: See Child's Popular Ballads, under 'The Suffolk Miracle', 
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%%text for full notes on this ballad, "the representative in England of one of the most remarkable
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%%text tales and one of the most impressive and beautiful ballads of the European continent".-AGG