{"id":11434,"date":"2021-07-10T14:36:13","date_gmt":"2021-07-10T14:36:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=11434"},"modified":"2023-05-29T19:21:39","modified_gmt":"2023-05-29T19:21:39","slug":"sour-milk-cart-the","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/sour-milk-cart-the\/","title":{"rendered":"Sour Milk Cart, The"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Jogging up to Claudy (Clady)
The Soor Mulk Cairt<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1880s<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>Tom Johnstone<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN6336<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>JC Macdonald<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
Dunbar, Andrew; Scotland; 1910
Campbell, Geordie; Scotland; 1935
Toner, Mary N. Ireland : Co. Armagh 1952
MacBeath, James; Scotland : Banffshire; 1952
Mathieson, Willie; Scotland : Aberdeenshire 1952
Stewart, Belle Scotland : Perthshire : no date
Modern performances<\/strong>:
Adam McNaughtan
The Clutha
The Clydesiders
Rumgumption
Ruth Keggin
Many more!<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Broadside from National Library of Scotland<\/a>, dated 1880-1900\n\n\nDRIVIN' IN TAE GLESCA IN A SOUR MILK CAIRT.\nThis Popular Song can always be had at the Poet's Box.\n224 Qvergate, Dundee\n\nMy name is Jemie Broon, an' I'm servin' at Polnoon,\nA farmhoose near Eaglesham,that fine auld-fashioned toon-\nWhaur wi' the milk ilk mornin', a wee while after three,\nWe tak, the road richt merrily,the auld black horse and me.\nThe ither mornin' early, as the \" Borla\", I did pass,\nI chanced there to forgether wi' a winsome country lass;\nWhen says I, my bonnie lass, if you're gaun that airt,\nI'll drive ye in tae Glesca in a sour milk cairt.\n\nSpoken - When he was helpin' me intae the cairt, he gies me a bit squeeze in the ribs, Says I, \"My man keep yer remarks till ye're better acquainted\"\n\nI like the merry fellow wi' his een sae blue,\nI like tae see him follow up the harrow and the ploo;\nHe fairly won my fancy, and stole away my heart,\nDrivin' in tae Glesca in the sour milk cairt<\/em>.\n\nWe cracked awa' richt cauntily, as side by side we sat,\nAn' wi' a blush she tell't me that her name was Maggie Watt\nBut when passin' by the water-fit, whaur the burn rins loud and clear,\nI slipped my arm aroun' her waist an\" spoke love in her ear,\nI've heard of lords an' ladies makin' love in shady bowers,\nAn' hoo they wooed an' won among the roses an' the flowers\nBut I'll ne'er forget the morning that Cupid threw his dart,\nAn' made me pop the question in the sour milk cairt.\n\nNoo she has consented, sae gin term time comes roun',\nI mean tae buy the harness, plaid, an' braw new silken goon\nWe're settlin' tae get merrit jist about next August fair,\nAn' a' oor auld acquaintance, I hope tae see them there.\nI never got a hurl inside a carriage a' my days,\nSae, when that I proposed tae get a coach an' pair o' grays,\nNa, na, said she, oor siller's scarce, ye, ken we canna spare' t,\nLod, I'd rither hae the jilting o' the sour milk cairt\n\nSpoken - He was weighing out the butter, when the horse gien a bit stammer. Oh, my ! ye should hae seen me; I gaed richt head ower heels slap bang richt in amang the butter. \"Oh,\" Jemie, look at yer butter.\" \"Oh,\" says he, \"never mind the butter, Maggie; that's jist the way twa loving hearts should gae thegither. We're gane tae get merrit noo, we're gane tae get a gran' spree; ye can a' come an bring yer sin tea an' sugar.But for a' that-.         <\/pre>\n\n\n\n
A Scottish Music Hall song which has passed into traditional Irish and Scottish singing. Most sources suggest it was  written by Thomas (Tom) Johnstone for “Scotch comic” JC Macdonald.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have limited information about Johnstone  – its summarised in a Mudcat thread, quoting the sleevenotes of Scots Ballads Songs & Dance Tunes<\/em>, an LP by The Clutha<\/em> released in 1974:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The words of this song were written by Tom Johnstone (1850-1911), otherwise known as ‘The Calton Barber Poet’ or ‘Figaro’. Johnstone established a barber’s shop in Abercrombie Street, Calton, Glasgow, during the early 1870s, and about the same period he also became well-known as a songwriter. His shop became a mecca for music-hall artistes, who could rely on Tom to speedily manufacture a song on any subject which took their fancy. Tom had a house in Eaglesham, Renfrewshire, where he spent his week-ends. On Monday mornings he was in the habit of obtaining a lift into Glasgow on the milk-cart which left Eaglesham at 3 o’clock. The song was based on a real romance between Dan Steel, the cart driver, and Maggie Watt. The words were originally published in a Glasgow weekly periodical ‘The Professional and Authors’ Journal’ which printed many music-hall songs. The tune is an adaptation of the Irish The Garden where the praties grow.<\/p>\nSleevenotes, Topic 12TS242, quoted on Mudcat<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The existence of a song-writer called Thomas Johnstone writing for the Halls at that time is confirmed by a handful of mentions in The Era<\/em>, including: <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Feb. 3, 1878;  <\/strong>The Era<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Its possible that this is the same person as Tom Johnstone, a Music Hall comedian whose name first appears in The Era <\/em>in 1882. This Johnstone appears regularly in “provincial” Halls, in Ireland, Scotland and Northern England, at least until 1900.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
We know much  more about the person who sang the song. JC MacDonald (1850-1895) was a highly successful entertainer in the late 19th century Scottish Halls. He was a “Scotch character comedian” meaning he often performed dressed in character  – his most famous songs included: Fause Maggie Jardine<\/em> (V9579) and Sandy Saft a Wee<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was an early mentor of Harr<\/a>y Laude<\/a>r<\/a>, who wrote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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[MacDonald] was a fine type of Scotsman, with a good voice and an altogether remarkable insight into Caledonian character and customs which he made splendid use of in his comic songs and patter. His stage presence, either in costume or in ordinary clothes, was most impressive. He had personality. Added to it he had the unusual faculty of dominating an audience the moment he stepped from the wings. How I used to admire his entrance and his exits. The former were airily defiant; the latter left an atmosphere of graciousness and good humour all over the house. At the time of which I write J. C. MacDonald must have been a comparatively well-off man. He had been King of the Scots comics for many years. He had toured his own companies under the name of MacDonald\u2019s Merrymakers every summer visiting only the large cities and towns. The advent of MacDonald\u2019s Merrymakers was a red-letter day at the seaside resorts in particular. Everywhere he went he was certain of a full house and a tremendous reception for himself and his company.<\/p>\nHarry Lauder, Roamin’ in the Gloamin’ (1928)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
His career seems to have been built in the “provinces” – he very rarely performed in London but appeared all over Scotland, Northern England and Ireland. Like so many early stars of the Halls he died young:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Jan. 26, 1895; <\/strong>The Era <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Adam McNaughtan sings The Soor Mulk Cairt<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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