Roger and Dolly

AKA Roger!
First Published 1824
Writer/composer Thomas Hudson / unknown Roud RN1592 (was RN12889)

Music Hall Performers Thomas Hudson
Folk performances Collected from the singing of:
Unknown singer; Isle of Wight; before 1886
Knight, Bessie; England : Sussex; 1912
Messenger, Charles; England ; Gloucestershire; 1914-16
Modern performances
The Dollymopps 2011		 

From Thomas Hudson's 6th Collection of Comic Songs p20 (1824) 
TUNE- Calder Fair

Down in our village lived a Parson and his wife.
Who led a very decent sort o' comfortable life;
They kept a serving man and maid as tidy as could be,
The maid was fond of Roger! and Roger fond of she!

The Parson's wife kept Dolly so very close to work.
She might as well been bred and born a Hottentot or Turk ;
But tho' she was employed all day, as close as close could be.
Her thoughts were fix'd on Roger — and Roger's fix'd on she.

The Parson was an old man, and would have done amiss.
For he got her in a corner, and ax'd her for a kiss;
But she answer'd to him, as plain as plain could be,
She wanted Roger! — and Roger wanted she!

Cupid, that blind little god, had got so in her head.
That every night, as sure as ever she went up to bed.
Before she went to sleep, she, as pious as could be.
Would pray she might have Roger ! — and Roger prayed for she!

By love and work together she was taken very ill,
The Doctor he was sent for, and tried his best of skill ;
But she would not take his stuff, though bad as bad could be.
She only wanted Roger! - and Roger wanted she!

When the Parson found 'twas only love that made her bad.
He very kindly said, that she had better have the lad;
The sight of him soon made her well, as well as well could be ;
They married — she had Roger! — and Roger, he had she!


[NB: “Hottentot” is a racist term first used by the Dutch and later adopted in Britain. It refers to the clicking sound which features in the language of Southern African Khoisan peoples.]

This song was written and performed by Thomas Hudson (1791- 1844) a song-writer and performer active in the singing taverns and supper rooms that influenced the early Music Hall in London. Like many of Hudson’s songs this one survived in several 19th century broadsheets and songbooks.

Several of Hudson’s songs were remembered by traditional singers whose songs were picked up by folk song collectors in the late 19th and early 20th century. For example, this song was collected by Alfred Williams from the singing of Charles Messenger, and published in the Wiltshire and Gloucestershire Standard in summer 1916. The song was originally written to be sung to a tune called Calder Fair – a traditional tune very similar to Sing a song of Sixpence.

Alfred Williams noted:

A plain old ditty that used to be sung at Latton and Down Ampney. Both these villages were once famed for music and Morris dancing, and were full of choice old songs which have disappeared now however. Obtained of Charles Messenger, Cerney Wick.’

Alfred Williams, Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard, 26th February, 1916.

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