Context:

Location: Ormskirk, Lancashire, England (SD4107)
Year: Perf. 1930
Time of Occurrence: [Not given]
Collective Name: Pace-egging

Source:

Douglas Kennedy
Observations on the Sword-Dance and Mummers' Play
Journal of the English Folk Dance Society, 2nd Series, 1930, No.3, pp.35-36

Cast:

Text:

{The Pace-egging Song}

{As sung at the present time in Lathom and Burscough, Ormskirk District.}

[MIDI music sound file] [ABC music notation]
[Verse 1]
We're one or two jolly lads all in one mind,
We have come a pace-egging if you will prove kind,
With your eggs and strong beer we'll come no more here,
Till this time next year, when it's pace-egging time.
Fol the diddle ol-I-day, Fol the diddle ol-I-day.
[Verse 2]
The first that comes in is Lord Nelson you see,
He's a bunch of blue ribbons tied down to his knee,
He's a star on his breast like gold it doth shine,
I hope you'll remember it's pace-egging time.
Fol the diddle ol-, &c.
[Verse 3]
The next that comes in is our bold British Tar
He sailed with Lord Nelson enduring the war,
But now he's come back Old England to view,
He's come a pace-egging with our noble crew.
Fol the diddle ol-, &c.
[Verse 4]
The next that comes in is our Ladye do gay,
And from her own country she has run away,
With her red cap and feather she looks very fine,
And all her delight is in drinking red wine.
Fol the diddle ol-, &c.
[Verse 5]
The next that comes in is our Toss Pot you see,
He's a valiant old man in every degree,
He's a hump on his back and wears a pig-tail,
And all his delight is in drinking mulled ale.
Fol the diddle ol-, &c.
[Verse 6]
Good Master and Mistress, who sit by the fire,
Put your hand in your pocket and give our desire;
Put your hand in your pocket and pull out your purse,
And give us a trifle, you'll ne'er be no worse.
Fol the diddle ol-, &c.

Notes:

Kennedy's introduction:

"This fragment and the accompanying notes which were sent to me by Lord Hampton were collected by Mr. Wilfred Mahood, of Lathom Park, Ormskirk, as being of possible value to the E.F.D.S.:"

Peter Millington's Notes:

Kennedy's notes quote an undated article on the Cheshire hobby horse Old Hob, entitled "Cheshire Antiquities", from the "Altrincham Guardian".
It is not stated whether or not this song formed part of a play, but such verses are associated with plays at other locations.

File History:

2001-01-01 - Entered by Peter Millington
2004-06-14 - Missing music added by Peter Millington
2021-01-15 - TEI-encoded by Peter Millington

Extras:

TEI-encoded File

A TEI-encoded XML version of this text can be downloaded here.

Text Relatives Map

See how many of the lines in this text also appear in other plays:
  • As a histogram sorted by the number of shared lines
  • On a map with markers sized according to the number of shared lines

Other Information

There may be more about this text at:
https://folkplay.info/resources/texts-and-contexts/fragment-ormskirk-lancashire-pace-egging-song-1930.