{"id":7095,"date":"2020-11-28T19:40:18","date_gmt":"2020-11-28T19:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=7095"},"modified":"2024-04-17T14:21:51","modified_gmt":"2024-04-17T14:21:51","slug":"martha-the-milkmans-daughter","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/martha-the-milkmans-daughter\/","title":{"rendered":"Martha the milkman’s daughter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Martha<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1866<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>GW Hunt<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN31150<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Fred French<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Source Singers<\/strong>
Tyson, John 1880 England : Cumberland<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Words from Poet's Box Microfiche Collection (Glasgow) (7 Oct 1865<\/strong>)\n\nThe object that you now behold \nOnce loved a darling fairy, \nIn the shape of a blue-eyed, fair-haired girl. \nWhose father kept a dairy. \nNot far from the middle of the Old Kent Road, \nHow well I knew it rather; \nShe lived with her daddy, a cross old buffer, \nAnd my loved one's name was Martha. \n\n[Spoken.-Sweet Martha.] \nAh, I was once as happy as a young cock robin, \nOr the pretty little fishes in the water; \nThose days are gone, for now I mourn \nFor Martha, the milkman's daughter. <\/em>\n\nShe served the milk in hap'orths and penn'orths, \nFrom the bottom of a block-tin pail; \nThe only cow that her father kept \nWas the one with an iron tail. \nAnd that was kept in the little back yard, \nUp against the white-washed wall, \nIt always yielded plenty of- \nWell, I mustn't tell you all. \n\n[Spoken.-So excuse me.]\n\nWhen the old boy used to \"walk his chalks,\" \n'Twas then I'd call on Martha; \nI loved the very ground she trod, \nBut I'd strong objections to her father. \nUnexpected he one day returned, \nAnd upon me placed a check; \nFor he nearly shook me inside out, \nAnd vowed he'd break my neck. \n\n[Spoken.-The brute!]\n\nThen I used to wander near the house \nIn hopes my love to see; \nShe'd take a survey from the second floor front, \nIn hopes that she'd see me. \nOne day she threw a \"billet doux,\" \nWhich made my blood turn cold, \nHer daddy demanded that she should wed \nAn old codger with lots of gold. \n\n[Spoken- The root of all evil.]\n\nIn time the wedding day arrived, \nWhen she was to be bound \nTo a rich old fool she couldn't love, \nBut the bride could not be found. \nThey searched the house and scoured the streets, \nWhen at last they did discover \nA note to say that she'd gone away, \nTo die for her true lover. \n\n[Spoken.-And that was me.]\n\nNext morning in the pure, bright Thame, \nHer lovely form was found, \nWith all her clothes in such a mess, \nHer darling self she'd drowned. \nFrom the horrible effects of sugar of lead \nHer daddy died that night, \nAnd the verdict the coroner's inquest found \nWas- \" It served the old fool right.\" \n\n[Spoken.-And so it did.]\n\nIn the middle of the night I jump upright\nFor I dream such dreams while sleeping; \nThat the ghost of Martha, dressed in white, \nComes to my bedside weeping. \nWithout that lovely sky-blue maid, \nI ne'er can be a liver; \nIf I knew how to swim, or wasn't afraid, \nI'd throw myself in the river. \n\n[Spoken.-Ah, that I would]<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
There is a record of this song being sung in the North East by traditional singer John Tyson, but other than this I cannot find any evidence that the song has impacted very much on traditional music in the English-speaking world, but I may be wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was written by GW Hunt<\/a> and sung in the halls by Fred French<\/a> (1830-99) it was also popular in the USA where it was sung by James Taylor at Tony Pastor’s Opera House.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n