Bull€tin P€ak District Mines HistoricalSocioty.
Vol.6.No.1,pp.6-ll.
May 1975.
SONGS OF THE DERBYSHIBE LEAD.MINERS
by Rob Kay
F.om DERAYSHIRE COURIER
H
S.
c
om
Prompred by Prof€cror Sarie.m,s t€tter {Bultstin Vot.5. No.3. p.31S}, lhavs b€en auemprinsto
trace surviving €xamples ot songs, balleds and po€ms otthr t€ad-min€B in Dsrbyshire. tn thisartict€ thope
to supply ths enthusi6st with some materiattor di3eussidn, att€mptingto ks6pro th€ cat€gory oJ tongs and
balladJ, and in a laterarticlo ir is hoped to pros€nt some oJ th€ po€try and aurat€pic oJ thl unsung vari€ty.
Natural ly, th6 dividins line is a Iino ons, and perhaps some r€rdors wi fe€t I have b€sn oveqensrous in
ascribing the tag of tong'to .ppar€rtty unperformabts work3. k iswelt.to remernberthat as rccsntty as
two hundred years agoaural poetry wasalmon inovitabty .ccompaniod by some sort.of musicat instrument,
The frostispieceto Llewsllyn Jewitt's'Sonts and Ba ads of Derbyrhire,(t86?) ,hows an erchins c.1760 ot
'Sjnoing Sam of Derbyshire', iust such a poet, wieldirB a ringle.strirE instrument.mptifi€d by tha infiated
stomach of a large animal, perhap! a cow.
Th€ lirst ballad;'Y6 l\Iiners Near to Worksworth,. k the besr evidonce we have that the mining
community in Dsrbyshire wascapable of producing fhst-ctass originat songswithout retying upon,,improved,,
v€rsions of €xternal origin. lt dates trom a diQute in 1742, and se€m to be written rsasonabty close to the
€vents it describes. Tha 1740swere of cource the heyday of tead-minins in Delbyshire,and perh.psthii song
is one oI the tuw remmnts of a liviog folk{utture which has in most other respects vanished:
1878. Ret782 No57g.
Ye miners nEar to Wirkswonh,
I beg you l€nd an ear;
'Tis ol . lamou s contest
The truth I now d€clare.
'Tis of an ancient groov€ tads,
Call€d "Blobber" ithose days;
The other n€w €ltablished was
And calt6d th€ "lrl/indmi L€ase,,.
fro
m
w
w
To thk ancisnt mine citted Etobber
Its agent onc€ came down,
Found ev€ry man on duty,
And said "l now make one.,,
B€fore we lose our rights, lads,
We'llwork for nights and days,
And in the end we will contend
Wirh this mine calted ,$rindmi Lsase,,'
w
.P
D
M
Dorbyshire lilins., Sollg.
nl
oa
d
Our agent, he sunk €ast,lads;
Down by theWindmill shaft,
While underground by west, tads,
He drov€ amazing fastTill Windmill Lease being ov€rtoppsd,
ln less than rwenty days,
They drsw their toots, went off like foots,
From this minacall€d "Windmitt L€ase.,'
Suc.sss to our employers
D
ow
With the courage stout and botd,
And lortheir good €ndeavors
MaV thev reao a hundredfold.
And may we ms€r in heaven ar tast,
[hen numbered are our days;
And whils we live, may cod forgivs,
Ths men of the "Windmi Lease.,,
{A nolr ey. -Th€ 6boE sfte, ovidsn! ty r.r.r to om. dirput. betw..n th€ two m in6i, Btobbor .nd windmi rr6s,
riiEt€d i. tho[bp.nt.k€ ofwirk orth,snd ir tsni nor unt6q6ntty 3unqwh.. nam6n.ar too.rh o; eirtr.. .r t h€a r
yeny holid.y, th€i club le.n, or th€ b.rd..reB coon dinm
This song is in therrue genre ofthe printed broadshsst ba ad, and wa can iudge fromthe footnote
that it wasrtill in currency ov€r a hundred and thirty y€arc after the €vsnt took ptace, ; very r€spectabte
pedigree for any broadsh€et. Rog3r Ftinda was kind enough to reiearch this song. rinaing
i ualujOr"
relerence to the events described in the r€cords of the Wirksworth Barmoot, Wooley Mss. Vol.6680, p.137
{lower numberins) 1742}. Some parts of th6 document are illesiblo. His and my not€s in br.cksts.
@ Ed H'Osot @ hh Growf.lk ror @ r.. tound.r m*rt
of Works: (Wirk@rth) @ al.o ally. tdk€. m€s6th.F!.to b6lon0i.g yt
sr€ dispos3n by y. B.rht. (B6fioot)@ 24 (24 mn Jory) y. l4th Ap, (14ih April,1742) @ lor sot I th.roln @ c.rry
aMy 4ldr of ye pltfs. Lad 016 (4loadrofthe plaintiltsor€ @nh!5) @ro.d ol@to Dofts, own u*to pltt demo. @
or e5@ r gill'.
"BillMr, Jn StoerJo Elrm
ol Od. i. ye Windmill
@
Wd Polt€r Comp iComplaln.nt)
Lss wthin y. libty,
"Which & to pltl. ye ioonder m*B of G.d i. ye VMndmrll L@€ @ ys takor Me€E to 14 Apr in msns lor {?) @'Iheretor6
@ D6tu ye gbovomd 2 tounder mee6 @ taker meere as in sd Sill arm.nc.nd ln.ntionsd) @ yt V. Bamr lA.rmst€rl
d.ni6
them p6sn thereotr@ord @"
Fos.rFlin&llwrir$:'Th€sono3usE6n3ihatth€alobb.rhin€r.d€[email protected]
so provod it to be on one ol the Blobbor'! sins,snd hld ths hino dhpsrdsdr! th€kt ms
the yo(noertltle, Evidemly $€ Windmill minerswore compl.i.irl! toth6 coun.bout th. di!p.i6sr!lon, Althoush
Blobb€r k not m.mioned,thas evidantly refeFroihedl pute in qu.*ion as tho workir's ljt olth.Wndmirl L6!emust
havs beon
om
Wndmill LE$ Min6 and
Ery lhort ind€od.'
D
M
H
S.
c
Th6 nen song stil I puzzles me great ly. The constant shifting of tsnse past, present and future;
tho obscu re r€forenc€s to dstai k of mi ning hhtory going back to the lnq uisition of I 288; the appa.ont
shifts of stanc€ (we are never sure who is speaking to Lrs in the song); the archaic grammar 6nd probl6matic
structure combine to mystify the interpreter. There are some cluos. N6lli€ Kirkham (1968, p.110) described
the disputos over tith€s around 1625. involving the pres€nt.tion of a 'Bill to Abolhh Tithes'to thg
Commons. Thethird and founh v€rses s€ems to refer to this disput€, and the last line would be v6ry
relevant to the impending political crisis that led to the Civil Wars, So I will stick my neck out and haz.rd
a dating ofthe long at around 162530. There is. of course, no €asy way oltolling wh€th€r or not the texl
has bssn int€rfared with since that date. Readen who wkh to pursue this subiect, beyond tho scopsofthis
article, Mll b€ pleased to note that Nellie Kirkham refsrr€d (1965)to thjs sons in her article 'Lead Ore
'rthe.'
w
.P
THE RELIOUANY, 1885. P.I27
w
Five ofthe sons of Levi
An agr€emeni thoy did lnake,
For to do their bed endsavor
Their Parkhioners for to break.
For in our Parish we do know
Sev€ral men into the earth 90
w
,SONG HESPECTING THE CLERGY AND MINERS.'
m
Which grieves us sore
fro
But we'll have a part on't.
"You may mark the end." the minor
says,
You shall have no more you Levitos
Than was in Edward's dayr.
nl
oa
d
That law was made most firmly
ln that same Prince! time
And was sent out very comely
To the Body of the Mino
Pay the Kingthe Thirt€enth Dish we $y
Forthat dig and delve and make your way.
Never stand nor stay, the I\linersays,
D
ow
Butturn up ground
Miners be noi daunt€d
For l'llb€ar you out on't
No moro
you"t
paY
-
Turn up in any man'! ground,
And freely make yourway.
And more for to encourage
You forto get Lead Ore,
Go to the Waste forforage
Take enough and doe not sp6re
For to Timber up yoLi. Shafts in time
That th€y fall not in and stop the lvline.
Pay the King hisdue; the ren k thine
But th€ House often thcirgriev.ncd have
And for that they Perition the King and Parli.ment.
7
Let th€ King live for ev€r
Our l\riners still will pray
And whil€ ths Mine, €ndur€
willor/r duty pay
Itth€ Clergy bear a part
Wo
They.hall have a Tenth with all our Leart
But of hh orace he comes far short
He'll nothingsive
Not a Pound oI Powdor
As he will allow for
(lvlS.
om
To sink a Groov€;
Judgs whdher King or Country
For you's the gr€stest love.
then in the possession ot Ll. Jewitt.)
H
S.
c
Note (Sons ol Lsyil S€€ D€uteronomy, Chapter 18.
brd,
With true old Hucklow Raks.
w
Winster, with all their flourishing pipes,
And likewis€ Wirkswonh wapentake,
ldo declare, cannot compare,
w
Your drooping spiritr now revivo
That are true Hish P€ak born and
Old Hucklow Rake is now alive,
Which long time hath been dead.
lnust conf€ss, for spurns and starts,
Some time they have us quit€ o'ardone,
Wth buying, and with selling parts,
And then away have run.
fro
m
I
oa
d
But ours have true antiquitv,
What man alive that doth it know,
Excellins th6irs from hoirs to heirs.
Successively doth go.
Fortwo whole miles not one
w
.P
A FINE SONG OF HUCKLOW EDGE, OERBYSHIRE
dead meer
nl
That ever any man did know,
Bosides both veins and pipesappear,
Like roots from tre€s that grow.
D
ow
And yot the root, the bulk, the bole,
Both form a tree, both still remain
Ar doth app€ar from meer to meer
A rich and spacious vein.
We at the hand of God may think,
Who doth all stranEe and wonderous th ings,
Having a hundred yardsto sink,
Through boothers, shale, and sprinss,
And yet the only instrument
Was our renowned and nobl€ rquir€,
Bravs squire h6th honour won
Abov€ all Debyehire.
D
M
The next sons, 'A Hucklow Minins Sons'. thank{ully provides less problems. Th6 history ol
Watsrgrovq Crosslow Rake, Hucklow VEin, and Sank Grov€ lVins is a lorE and complex story, and this song
migttt shed some light on contemporary altitudestothat story. This t€xt isan improvement on th€ one
cited byrhe pres€nr suthdr {Kay 1974). lt seems that 'Peak Skstches' (Anon. 1882) pirated thair vorsion
from ths six year older version here ured wjthout cr6dit, making reveral typogl?phical €rrols in the process.
This has rais€d the question of whether similar €rort have not occurred in other texts h€re printed; the
answE|to that isthat half a.on! i3 bmer than no song at all.
At Crosilow Rake and Water Grove
Thero several hundreds he has sp€nt.
Enough h;s tancy to remove
Add mak. him discontent.
But like a min€r brave and bold,
He nobly have at all P'rrsues,
Which waslhe k€Yt opened the w?Ys
To all our ioyfull news.
And now some hundredsat the last
But now our hoPes begin to sPring
From the baflk srove on Grindlow side,
where we consent we'll pav our rent
And duties lay aside.
{T.h
lrom sn onid€niified newspaper cotrins, dated 1876, c@rt€sv ot Paul Smith )
H
S.
c
om
Receive advantage great thereby,
F€lievins msny sore oppressed
With gi€f and mkery.
r€corded ina b.ier preliminary nota.s havingb66n collected bv th€ aev Di Pagso ti ths Cr@n lnn, Holborn
Baorh €v Wm. spencer (d€r€ndant) Ths judsement ws d€risr'd on th'
ot s.wdl witnelses i n the@s€
1o$ M;y;1746, i n westm' nster Hall, ror ihe Detendants. Sl nce th. sons @s 'qiv€'' io rhe wonhv P€sss, wt 6n ssum'
it Msor;b.blv Drim.d asa broa&ida ballad,andwas written not lohs beforetha
Ti€,onsis
D
M
s
thrl;;n!s
'5s€washdrd'
We have dealt
w
.P
in doubt'
Som€ pafrs ol ihe e nq pde problsms, fh€ idantitv of the ren@n€d sq lire who w.s the onlv i nlt ruh€nt' ir
Mv e.niendd€ lo.it $an astablhhd mine i! tT3l hiohlv
NelrieKlrkhadwntesi'M€nvosopledevalopedWaterGrcw.
pdbabl. it w! worked lons befora fiat,' Willi6m Soresbt and pann€E @re rhe owns6 sround 1746 Hinorv, ala, h'3
prop€r plt€sl
a tradition of r.<tucins the fiour* of poputar im.sinatio., liko oor r€nowned sqoire,to ih6ir
r{ith three examples ofhome{rown songs. Now I would like to movo on lo mor6
nl
oa
d
fro
m
w
w
contentious territorv, wherethe evidence is lsss obviou!. W€ knowthat th€rowasa certainamou'tof
contact with minins €ommun;ties in areas such asCornwalland Wales. Th€ first Cornish N€wcomen engin€
w?s installed in a Winner mine bY 1717 (Kirkham, 1968, pp.91'92). Would it be surprising iffolksongs
popular in oth€r mining areas were grafted into local poPular culture to produc€ hvbridt?
Similarly, other asPects of Derbyshire culture independent of mining must have made themsslvoi
felt in th€ mininq commuoity. Jewitt meniions minerssingingsnatches ofrhe common bal'ad of'King
Hsnry V.' Other local songs the miners almost certajnlv knew probablv includ€d such evergreens as 'The
D€rby Bam', The Blink-Eyed Cobbler' and 'The Detuvshire [Iiller', amongst a hon of otherc' The Castlston
carols in Shawcross' 'A Garland of Cattleton Carols' {1903) were sung bv a hoftv cho.us of minels amongst
the more conventional congregations.
Here. then, are reproduced two songs, obviou$v related in som€ way, which seern to have drifted
into the mining community trom the mobilitY of certain tvpes of labour' 'Three Jovial [Iiner'' is recordsd
that
ar having been sung by the miners in a footnote, whilst the onlY excuse to include 'Six Jolly Miners'is
Collier
Lad'
sons'Me
v€rsion
ofthe
mentionthat
anorher
lt
is
onlvfairto
Derbvln
theten.
it menti;ns
from 'Doon The Waqon Wav' (DawneY 1973. p 36) refers to the coal mlninq industrY l would sussest,
however, that this song is a latertext. There are two other versions ofthh songcited in'Doon The Wagon
Way'though I can find not a silEl€ example in tho extensive Firth collection of Mining Broadshed in th€
Sh€ffield University Library. Thisishelpful for it becomes clear that th€se t\ivo songs are ofa ditfer"t
category tothe previous three. lt willbe seenthatlhevare far less self_consciouslv literarythtn what h'3
sonebefore, are subject to gr€ater changes, and are regionallv well dinributed.
D
ow
SIX JOLLY MINERS
It's of six jolly miners, six miners vou shall hear'
And they had been a_mining for manv a long vear,
So th€y travelled old Ensland, lreland & Scotland all round;
And all of their delisht wa. a working undersround.
There was one cam€ from Cornwall, and two from Derbv town
The otherthree from Williamsbridge, Young l€ds of high renown,
And all of their deliqht was to split those rocks in twine,
And itt all for the treasure, mv boys, aswe do undelmine.
The Hunlsmansdelighl is in blowing of hi5 horn
And all the Farmer's d€light i5 in housing of his corn,
8ut all of our delight h to split lhose rocks in twine,
And ltt all torthe treasure, mv bovs, atwe do ihdermine.
Somstimss we have money, boys, somotimes \,l€,va non€ at all,
8ut wecan have good cr€dir. my boys, !rh6n on it w. do calt.
We c5ll for liquors merrily, and drink our h€atth att round;
Hor€'s a he.lth to all iolly min€ls that work att und€rground.
..
Twas down by a crystal river str€am h€ard a tair maid sing,'
"Oh havont you seen my minsr, or hain.t he bsen thh wayz
Oh havent you !€en my mjnar?"
sd sweetty sanq she
For all ofrherrad€s in England ittthe miner,s for me.
-
(Text collscted from Mr. Stan G€e, otrh€ Dolby*rire evins Ctub.)
'-
say?
thrby3hir. Coud.r 1878. R.L
780
om
Note
No.571
H
S.
c
THREE JOVIAL MINERS'SONG
We are th ree jovia I m i ners,
That wander up and down,
no seltt€d ptacs. my boys.
ln counrry or in town.
We have
We travelWales and Engtand,
D
M
As many have dono befor6;
of money, tads,
Eutspend
it all-€nd mors.
,
We get a dsal
fatds rat-
Sing
w
.P
Some lay there's peace in Pads,
Sins
w
Th€ min€.alleniovs.
w
But I doubt there's no suc-h thing;
Whidr k tho most conrented, boys,
A miner or a king?
lf l,thon. now must t€ll you.
! ihich is most cont€nt€d, boys,
ll war brcaks ourthe kins soes mad,
fald€ ral-
m
Th€ rail0r3they ar€sailing
With many. h6avy h€art,
W€ minsrs sink in plarry
fro
{W€'ll call for a noth€r qu.rt).
Our whimsiss ar6 all €gged.
8ut sorh€y mu* not stay,
oa
d
For whimsies rake ourmoney, boys,
And money w6 must h.€.
Snng fat ds rat-
not. @ord. rhai thir so.e @3,,oft.. of old sung.t ctub f6n3 6ltt
it has.ppdr€d in rrint,)
1A
p.y{ish
3upp€ro',.nd th6r rhi. i3
rh.,irn rim.
D
ow
nl
Thes€ songs mamion betwd€n thsm every corner ofthe British kl€5. Echoes of rh6ir form and
content can b3 found anywher€. From tryat€s comet ,Th€ Cardig.nshir€ Miners, Drjnking Song, (Morris).
It was popular in ths middte ofthe 18th c€ntury. Th€ first tinecomainsth€ sarn€ pun a; thaifound inth€
third vsrse in'Thrse Jovial Minerr,':
'Come boys let us drink, ws mun tiv€ tho,we sink,
Herc's a h€alth to
alliolly botd mineB.....
Lastly among our samptes is a sixline fragmont Irom ltbodt Tat6sand Traditions of th6 p€ak,
p.47. According to Wood ir islh.song lung by th€ miners inthe inn 6t Castteton b€forsthey
murdered
Allen and Clara in th€ Winnats Pass, tt mightwe bea fr.gm.nt of a genuina fotk*ong popuiar at rha time,
'Com€ lellows drink-drink, drink your
,
'Full soon we must gang up the hitt,
Wh€rc Odin rich in shining 016,
Shallgive us gl.sses+ undreds mor6:
Then luck to Odin - goldin mine:
With m€t.tbright tike th, sun doth shine,.
fi
l0
AC
KI{ot{L EDdEMENTS
ln corclqrion I would ti k6 10 ih.nl €ll lh* wh9 h.v9 p.riently lsittd dv .nqui d4. I n p6nacul.r, N.lli.
Klrkham, MilG Dsn.y, Ptol. S6lc6it, Srt. Go6, Ros.r Flin(bll, Nom.n Rhod€..nd th. tunv Loc.l Llb6ftnt,who
h!v. pro6d 3o holpful. I !n.lse6t.lulto mycolleluer ln th€ Enclilh D.tt..t Sh.fii€ld Un{wriiv.ndin gr€4tl.ld
Uni;6hv sp.l@losical Socioty, [email protected] P.ul Smlih ad Joh n Plck n..for rhok coml nu.d oncouBa.m.it tnd
REFEREI{CE6
i842, Prk sk tcliG: A Hlckl@
Minlnc
rorErtpS&go,
L.
F,
Knkh.D. N.
Jmin,
Kri,
S@-
t968. !t rbyrhiro L..d Mi.l.g, B6dtord B.don, Trurc'
1859, Tsl*.ndTEdhionr ol th. P..k.
R. Kat,
R€eiv€d Doccmbsr 1974
H
S.
c
Mli6ll.*out 6rl&tions r.ldim to ltbl..,
1903, a C.isid orC.nltton Gioh,
4 Khanoum Rosd.
D
ow
nl
oa
d
fro
m
w
w
w
.P
D
M
Sheffield 11.
11
om
1973, ttoon rh. Wa€on w'y. Pnihld is.dby G.lli.rd an as@latlonsthth.
qgncl & sotrs soP.
Englich Folk
1867. Eellidi and sonsaoJ DotbyltiE.
1074. L..d ni'iirl. ronli frctn o.rbiclk . Jour. sh€ff€ld U.iv.r.ity sD€ls. :bc.
vol. 2, No,3, pDt16.
1g€9. Lqd oE tith€. Suppi.mant Nq-g. Llcal HitorySodidr Dotbv!. Ar.lr4o.