Books before 1900

• Percy's Reliques of Ancient Poetry is described in Wikipedia See

The contents might well be catalogued here but in the meantime here's one song to be going on with - The Bailiff's Daughter of Islington

• Old English Songs as Now sung by the peasantry of the Weald of Surrey and Sussex, and collected by one who has learnt them by hearing them sung every Christmas from early childhood, by the country people, who go about to the Neighbouring Houses, singing, or “Wassailing” as it is called, at that season. The Airs are set to music exactly as they are now sung to rescue them from oblivion…. and to afford a specimen of genuine Old English melody, and the words are given in their original Rough state, with an occasional slight alteration to render the sense intelligible Arr G A Dusart (1843). Private publication - 1847 - of songs collected by John Broadwood.

• Old English Popular Music by William Chappell Ed. H.E.Wooldridge Additions by Frank Kidson

• Popular Music of the Olden Time by William Chappell (1809 -1888). In two volumes, this work has been an important reference for many years. It is now freely available for download. Volume 1 Volume 2

• The Ballads and Songs of Derbyshire - Llewellyn Jewitt - 1867 - Bemrose & Lothian (London & Derby)

• The Besom Maker & Other Country Folk Songs Heywood Sumner. Pub 1888

• Sussex Songs: Popular Songs of Sussex arranged by H F Birch Reynardson - undated- Leonard and Co, (London). (Edited in collaboration with Lucy Broadwood) (stated by Lucy Broadwood to have been published in 1889)

• English County Songs Ed. Lucy Broadwood & J A Fuller Maitland - 1893 - Leadenhall Press Ltd

• English Traditional Songs and Carols Ed. Lucy E. Broadwood - 1908

For the most part these were collected between 1893 and 1901. Very difficult to find and even when republished in 1974 EP Publishing (and Rowan and Littlefield in America) still not an easy acquisition.