{"id":3850,"date":"2020-06-22T12:48:54","date_gmt":"2020-06-22T12:48:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=3850"},"modified":"2026-06-21T06:27:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T06:27:11","slug":"watercresses","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/watercresses\/","title":{"rendered":"Watercresses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Bunch of Watercresses
The dairy farmer<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td> 1863<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Lyrics<\/strong><\/td>Harry Clifton<\/td>Music<\/strong><\/td>Harry Clifton<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN1653<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n
Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Harry Clifton<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Source Singers<\/strong>
Jesse Kydd, no date, Lincolnshire England
Mr Brebner, no date, Aberdeen Scotland
Will Noble, no date, Derbyshire England
George Lovett, 1906, Hampshire England
James Ewen, 1906 Scotland
James Brebner, 1910, Scotland
Gordon Connelly, 1950 Nova Scotia Canada
Willie Mathieson, 1952, Aberdeenshire Scotland
Ned Stewart, 1955, Perthshire Scotland
Lucy Stuart, 1955, Aberdeenshire Scotland
OJ Abbott, 1957, Qu\u00e9bec Canada
Everett Bennett, 1958, Newfoundland Canada
Fred Smith, 1958, Arkansas USA
Andrew Robbie, 1960, Aberdeenshire Scotland
Stanley Trimm, 1960, Labrador Canada
Wilmot Macdonald, 1960, New Brunswick, Canada
Joseph Estey, 1962, New Brunswick Canada
Modern performances<\/strong>
(Josh White)
Will Noble<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
As printed in The Garret near the sky songster<\/a>.

WATER-CRESSES
Music published by Hopwood and Crew, 42 New Bond St<\/em>
Written, composed and sung by <\/em>HARRY CLIFTON

I am a jolly farmer, from Bedfordshire I came,
To see some friends at Camberwell, and Morgan is my name;
At a dairy farm, near Dunstable, I live when I'm at home,
And if I get safe back again, from there I'll never roam.
But if you'll give attention, I will tell without delay,
How a buxom little damsel my affections led astray,
And promised for to marry me upon the first of May,
And left me with a bunch of Water-cresses.

'Twas on the first of April when I arrived in town.
And being quite a stranger, I wandered up and down.
Until I lost myself entirely, I cannot tell you where,
But 'twas in a very quiet street, the corner of a square;
A neatly dressed young woman came walking down the way -
As long as I remember, I shall ne'er forget the day;
For she promis'd then to marry me upon the first of May,
And she left me with a bunch of Water-cresses.

Politely I address'd her, and thus to her did say:
\"I wish to go to Camberwell, can you direct the way?\"
\"Oh, yes Sir! oh, yes Sir!\" she speedily replied,
\"Take the turning on the left, then go down the other side;\"
Her voice it was the sweetest I ever yet did hear,
In her hands - which like the lily, were so very white and clear.
She'd a bunch of early onions, a half a pint of beer,
Some pickles, and a bunch of Water-cresses.

I bow'd and I thank'd her, and walk'd by her side,
And thought how well she'd look as a dairy farmer's bride;
I gather'd resolution, half in earnest half in joke,
I hinted matrimony, these very words I spoke:
\"I've a farm of forty acres, I've horses, cows and geese,
Besides I have a dairy fill'd with butter, milk and cheese,
Will you marry me and mistress be, fair lady, of all these?
And we'll pass our days on love and Water-cresses.\"


She replied with a smile (or a leer, if you choose),
\"You are so very generous I cannot well refuse,
So give me your direction, and I will without delay,
Prepare for matrimony, to love, honor, and obey.
I've a wedding dress to buy, and some little bills to pay,\"
I handed her a sovereign, expenses to defray,
And she promised for to marry me upon the first of May,
When she left me with a bunch of Water-cresses.

Next day a letter I received, and read there with surprise
\u00ad\"Dear sir, For disappointing you I must apologize'
But when you next ask a stranger into partnership for life,
Be sure she is a Maiden, or a Widow - not a Wife.
I've a husband of my own, and his name is Willie Grey;
And when I can afford it the money I'll pay;
To think that I should marry you upon the first of May,
Why, you must have been as green as Water-cresses.<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>
\n
Harry Clifton wrote the song Watercresses <\/em>in approximately 1863, the year it was published as sheet music. The song has also occasionally been referred to as “The Watercress Girl”<\/em>. A different song also called “The Watercress Girl”<\/em>seems to have been popular in the late 1880s. Both songs have had a significant impact on the traditional repertoire. The similarity between the two titles has caused confusion, and my attempt to unravel this using contemporary newspaper sources is outlined on the page for The Watercress Girl<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On 12 July 1963 in a review of his performance at the Middlesex (Drury Lane) The Era <\/em>announced that Harry Clifton has added another quaint ditty to his already varied budget : “The Watercress Girl”<\/em>. I think we can be certain that this is actually “Watercresses<\/em>” as one month later what appears to be the first advert posted by Clifton for the song appeared.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The advert is dated August 1963 giving it the title Water-cresses <\/em>and quoting the lyrics, removing any possibility of confusion with the other song:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
The Era\u00a0–\u00a0Sunday 09 August 1863<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Watercresses <\/em>was sung both by Clifton and featured in the repertoire of Christy’s Minstrels: it appears in Christy’s Bones & Banjo Melodist<\/em> (c1865).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This song was widely published in broadsides and songbooks of the late 19th century, and appears in the repertoire of source singers throughout the 20th century on both sides of the Atlantic. The lyrics as might be expected, tend to vary across locations. The first line usually features Bedfordshire, but can be :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • I am a dairy farmer and frae Forfarshire I came<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • I am a jolly farmer, from New Jersey I came<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • I am a dairy farmer from Dumfriesshire I came<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Oh I am a dairy farmer, from Belveshire I came<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Oh I am a dairy farmer from Dunstanshire I came<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • I am a dairy farmer, and from Yorkshire I came<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    Its almost certain that Clifton varied the song according to where he sang it, just as the folk singers have …<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    Josh White recorded a heavily modified version, you might even argue it’s a different song. On the other hand in 2017 Will Noble recorded a version pretty much true to the original Clifton lyrics …<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    Will Noble sings it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    \n