{"id":10336,"date":"2026-04-13T09:50:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T09:50:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=10336"},"modified":"2026-06-10T06:43:47","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T06:43:47","slug":"ill-ask-my-mother-and-let-you-know-next-sunday-afternoon","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/ill-ask-my-mother-and-let-you-know-next-sunday-afternoon\/","title":{"rendered":"I\u2019ll Ask My Mother and Let You Know Next Sunday Afternoon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Sarah Broome
Sarah Bloom<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1867<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writer\/composer<\/td>Tom Bournley \/ George Earnshaw<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN12611<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Charles Stanley<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
William Morse ; England : Gloucestershire ; 1916
unknown singer ; collected by Cecil Sharp
<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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I'll Ask my Mother.<\/strong>
UK Sheet Music Published by Hopwood and Crew [1867]

Words by Tom Bournley, Music by George Ernshaw. Sung by Charles Stanley


A pretty little girl came courting me, her name was Sarah Broome,
She wanted me to marry her, and thought I was a loon....
She said \"I was a nice young man and we might be well off soon,\"
But I'll ask my mother and I'll let you know next Sunday afternoon.

The kindness of this pretty little girl, I never can forget ....
That wanted me to marry her, but I cannot see that yet.<\/em>

<\/em>One afternoon Miss Sarah Broome took me out for a walk,
She kiss'd me and caress'd me,and so lovingly did talk ;
She wanted me to fly with her, that night by the light of the moon,
But I'll ask my mother and I'll let you know next Sunday afternoon.
<\/em>
She made me a present of a watch and chain, likewise a bran new hat,
For Sundays when I walked with her that I might cut it fat ;
But when she found I would not fly with her, she wanted the presents back soon,
But I'll ask my mother and I'll let you know next Sunday afternoon?

Out of revenge, with one she knew, she ran away that night,
They both came back for the watch and chain, and wanted me to fight;
He said, in a field if he had me that he would kill me soon!
But I'll ask my mother and I'll let you know next Sunday afternoon?

If there's any young girl, that's here tonight, would like to be my wife,
Let her step forward and I will do the best for her through life;
And if she's in a hurry, why, we might be married soon;
But I'll ask my mother and I'll let you know next Sunday afternoon?<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>
\n
A big hit published in sheet music, songsters and broadsides throughout the English-speaking world, the earliest evidence for a song of this title being sung on the British Music Hall stage appears to be this newspaper advert from August 1866, which promotes twice nightly appearances by Harry Wingett <\/a>in Glasgow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
The Era – Sunday 19 August 1866<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Later British newspaper notices suggest the song was a hit for the comic singer Charles Stanley (see notes for a brief biography below). Stanley’s version of the song was published by Hopwood and Crew in 1867 with words credited to Tom Bournley<\/a> and music credited to George Ernshaw:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
The Era – Sunday 10 February 1867<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The song seems to have rapidly become popular throughout the English-speaking word, widely performed by both professional and amateur singers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n