{"id":13381,"date":"2021-11-02T10:16:50","date_gmt":"2021-11-02T10:16:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=13381"},"modified":"2025-12-09T22:22:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T22:22:11","slug":"down-by-the-old-mill-stream","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/down-by-the-old-mill-stream\/","title":{"rendered":"Down by the old mill stream"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Old mill stream
You must know that my uncle is a farmer<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1874<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>John Read<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN18684<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Fred Coyne<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
Godwin, William Charles; England : Oxfordshire; c1916<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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DOWN BY THE OLD MILL STREAM\n\nYou must know that my uncle is a farmer,\nKeeps a large farm in the west;\nWhile staying these I met a little charmer,\nAnd many's the time I caressed\nThat girl so fair with the nut-brown hair,\nHer equal ne'er was seen,\nAnd where I met this charming little pet,\nWas down by the old mill stream - Ah!\n            \nDown by the old mill stream,\nThere many happy hours I've been seen,\nStrolling day by day, we passed the time away,\nDown by the old mill stream.<\/em>\n\nHer father was the owner of a dairy,\nHer brother worked the plough,\nAnd while I used to walk with little Mary,\nHer mother would  milk the cow,\nBut her father said we should not wed,\nWhich I thought rather mean,\nAs she could not be my wife, she said she'd end her life\nBy drowning in the old mill steam.\n\nNow the old man laughed at his daughter,\nSaying \"I don't believe a word that you say,\"\nBut when he saw her struggling in the water,\nHe exclaimed \"Do save her pray!\"\nBut it was too late; she had met her fate,\nOh, what a terrible scene!\nThe old man cried, as the neighbours tried,\nTo pull her out of the stream.\n\nAt last they got her out of the water,\nAnd some of the neighbours said,\nOh Browne you've been the ruin of your daughter,\nFor the girl is really dead!\nHe tore his hair, gave way to despair\nRan away, never more was seen,\nAnd now I'm told that the dairy is sold,\nThat stood by the old mill stream.<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
There are a number of songs called The Old Mill Stream <\/em>(some others are listed below). The most commonly remembered song of this title is an early 20th century sentimental song written by Tell Taylor in 1908 –  sung by Uncle Dave Macon,  Riley Puckett and other early country\/traditional singers in the States but not the song we’re talking about here..<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This Down by the Old Mill Stream<\/em> was a hit in the halls of the 1870s, later collected from the singing of William Godwin by early 20th century collector Alfred Williams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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This version was originally written, composed and performed by John Read<\/a>, who was reported to be singing it as early as November 1873, in his role as Chairman at Sam Collins’s<\/em>. Hopwood and Crew first advertised their sheet music for the song in January 1874. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The song was sold to Fred Coyne, and a second edition of the sheet music (shown here, published by J Bath) was on sale in March 1874. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A third edition of the sheet music was also published in America in 1875, which credited the song to Warren Wilson – given the state of copyright laws at the time such pirating was relatively common.  The rapid re-publication suggests it was a popular song on both sides of the Atlantic!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
The 19th century versions and I can find all end miserably as shown above, but the version printed in the modern book Songs of the Good Old Days<\/em> has been given a happy ending – replacing the last three lines with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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While my love I pulled from the stream;
And now we await, and it is well said,
Two happier ne’er was seen<\/p>\n from Ken Tate, Janice Tate (2004) <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Here are some of the other songs of this title (with Roud Index numbers):<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n