A Famous Farmer- Digweed (Hants) 1906 Hammond
[From: Hammond Collection (Vaughan Williams online). This version was covered by Tony Rose with minor textual changes.
R. Matteson 2016]
A Famous Farmer - Sung by George Digweed, of Micheldever, Hampshire in March 1906. Collected by H.E.D. Hammond.
A famous farmer, as you shall hear,
He had two sons, one daughter dear
By a servant man was much admired,
None in the world she loved so dear.
One of these brothers said to the other:
"We see how our sister means to wed.
Let all such courtship soon be ended:
We'll hoist him to some silent grave."
They asked of him to go a-hunting.
He went without any fear or strife.
These two jewels[1] proved so cruel:
They took away that young man's life.
It was near the creek where there was no water,
Nothing but bushes and briars grew.
All for to hide their cruel slaughter
Into the bushes his body threw.
When they returned from the field of hunting,
She inquired for the servant man:
"Come, brothers, tell me, because you whisper:
Come, brothers, tell me if you can."
"Why, sister, we are so much amazed,
To see you look so much at we.
We left him in the field of hunting
No more of him then did we see."
And she lay musing all on her pillow.
She dreamed she saw her true love stand,
By her bedside, he stood lamenting,
All covered with some bloody stream.
"Pray, Nancy dear, don't you weep for me,
Pray Nancy, dear, don't weep nor pine,
In that creek where there is no water,
Go there you may my body find."
Then she rose early the very next morning,
With many a sigh and bitter groan.
In that creek where her true love told her,
There she found his body thrown.
The blood all on his lips was drying,
His tears were salter than any brine.
Then she kissed him and then she cried:
"Here lies a bosom friend of mine."
Three nights and days she stayed lamenting
Till her poor heart was filled with woe.
Until sharp hunger came creeping on her,
Then homeward she was forced to go.
"Sister, we are so much amaz-ed
To see you look so pale and wan."
"Brothers, I know you knows the reason,
And for the same you shall be hung."
Then these two brothers both were taken,
And bound all down in some prison strong.
One was tried, found out as guilty,
And for the same they both was hung.
1.brothers