Gently, Jinny, Fair Rosemary- Grover (ME) pre1953; Bronson No. 23
[From A Heritage of Songs - Page 68 by Carrie B. Grover - 1953 republished 1973. Mrs. Grover and her parents came from Nova Scotia, and she had English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh forebears. Grover’s book A Heritage of Songs was circulated as an undated mimeographed manuscript privately printed by the Bethel Academy in Maine (1953), until it was formally published in 1973. The date for this ballad is much older than 1953 since Grover was born in 1879. Linscott wrote that, “One of the prolific singers was Mrs. Carrie B. Grover of Gorham, Maine. What she didn't sing, she played on a fiddle from a repertoire of more than 400 family songs."
R. Matteson 2013]
Here's an article from Wiki:
Carrie Grover (nee Spinney) was born in 1879 in Black River, Nova Scotia. She was a fiddler and singer who passed down a significant collection of British and Irish-based songs from the early 1800’s, both in written and recorded form. Carrie was raised in a family and village with a strong oral and instrumental musical tradition. The songs shared through Carrie’s extended family and Black River neighbors were certainly augmented by her great grandfather’s business (Public House owner near Windsor, NS) and father’s profession (sea captain). Carrie moved to Bethel, Maine at the age of twelve and later attended the Gould Academy in Bethel. She eventually settled in Gorham with her husband Almon and in her later years moved to Berwyn, PA. Throughout her life, Carrie maintained a life-long desire in preserving her ancestors’ music. Mrs. Grover has 2 collections of recordings in the Library of Congress (Archive of Folk Culture) in Washington, DC – the first was recorded in April, 1941 by Alan Lomax in Washington, DC (1) and the second by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Teaneck, NJ during May, 1941 (2). She also appears in other collections (music recordings and photos), such as one recorded by Eloise Hubbard Linscott (3). During the early 1950’s, Carrie was asked to work with staff at Gould Academy (primarily Ann Griggs) to transcribe many of the songs she knew. The resulting book “A Heritage of Songs” (4) was completed in 1953. It includes 140 songs, as well as many written accounts of her childhood and life in Black River and Bethel. The lyrics to the Irish folk song “Arthur McBride” included verses which were not previously widely documented, and are the ones sung in Paul Brady’s recorded version of the song. “Heritage of Songs” continues to be a significant source of historical songs used by many contemporary folk musicians. Carrie also appeared at a number of Folk Festivals during that time, appearing in Philadelphia and at the Boston Garden. Mrs. Grover died in 1959 in Berwyn, PA and is buried in West Gorham, Maine with her husband.
Footnotes: (1) 17 12” disks – AFC 1941/023 (2) 9 12” disks – AFC 1941/033 (3) Eloise Hubbard Linscott Collection, AFS 1042/002; AFS 28, 143 A1-2 (4) Published in 1953 by Gould Academy Press. Re-printed in 1973 by Norwood Editions.
"Gently, Jinny, Fair Rosemary"- Grover, n.d., p. 68. Sung by Carrie B. Grover; learned from her cousin, Bessie Long.
1. I married a wife, I took her home,
Gently Jinny, fair Rosemary.
But I think I married a little too soon,
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
z. My wife would neither card nor spin,
Gently Jinnie, fair Rosemary;
She was afraid of soiling her delicate skin
As the dew fies over the mulberry tree.
3. Mv wife would neither bake nor brew,
Gently Jinnie, fair Rosemary;
She was afraid of soiling her high-heeled shoe
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
4. When I came in from holding the plow,
Gently Jinnie, fair Rosemary;
I said, "Dear wife, is my dinner ready now?"
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
5. "There is some cold johnny bread on the shelf,"
Gently Jinnie, fair Rosemary.
"If you want any more you can get it yourself,"
As the dew fies over the mulberry tree.
6. I went straightway unto my field,
Gendy Jinnie, fair Rosemary;
I cut two little willows so green
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
7. I went straightway unto my barn,
Gently Jinnie, fair Rosemary;
And there I took my old sheepskin down,
As the dew fies over the mulberry tree.
8. I placed the sheepskin on her back,
Gently Jinnie, fair Rosemary;
And the two little twigs went whickety-whack
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
9. "Go tell your friends, go tell your kin,"
Gently Jinnie, fair Rosemary,
"I was only tanning my old sheepskin."
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
10. Now when I come in from holding the plow.
Gently Jinnie, fair Rosemary,
It is, "Yes sir, and no sir, and how do you do!"
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.