Sweet William and Gentle Jenny [The Ballad of Sweet William and Gentle Jenny]- Nichols (MA) early 1800s Child; JOAFL 1894
[My title, the long title being, The Ballad of Sweet William and Gentle Jenny. This is probably the earliest US or Canadian version dating back to the early 1800s. It was collected by William Wells Newell and printed in Child's Additions and Corrections and before that in the JOAFL in 1894. Below is Child's text and info-- at the bottom of the page are William Wells Newell's notes and text from the 1894 JOAFL.
Elsewhere in the JOAFL editor Newell's says, "I now print for the first time a version obtained by myself, many years ago, from the recitation of Miss Lydia R. Nichols of Salem, Mass., at the time aged 88 years, who retained the words as a reminiscence of her earliest infancy; the date of the rhyme therefore goes back to about 1800."
We can then assume this was collected circa 1880s by Newell and that a similar date of c. 1800 is the date.
R. Matteson 2013]
P. 104. From the recitation of Miss Lydia R. Nichols, Salem, Massachusetts, as heard in the early years of this century. Sung by a New England country fellow on ship-board: Journal of American Folk-Lore, VII, 253 ff., 1894.
As to "drew her table," [stanza] 13, the following information is given: "I have often heard a mother tell her daughter to 'draw the table.' Forty years ago it was not uncommon to see in farmhouses a large round table, the body of which was made to serve as an armchair. When the table was not in use the top was tipped back against the wall. Under the chair-seat was a drawer in which the table linen was kept. When meal-time came the table was drawn away from the wall, the top brought down on the arms of the chair, and the cloth, which had been fished out of the drawer, spread over it."
1 Sweet William he married a wife,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree
To be the sweet comfort of his life.
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
2 Jenny couldnt in the kitchen to go,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree
For fear of dirting her white-heeled shoes.
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
3 Jenny couldnt wash, and Jenny couldnt bake,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree
For fear of dirting her white apurn tape.
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
4 Jenny couldnt card, and Jenny couldnt spin,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree
For fear of hurting her gay gold ring.
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
5 Sweet William came whistling in from plaow,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree
Says, 'O my dear wife, is my dinner ready naow?'
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
6 She called him a dirty paltry whelp:
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree
'If you want any dinner, go get it yourself.'
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
7 Sweet William went aout unto the sheep-fold,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree
And aout a fat wether he did pull.
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
8 And daown on his knees he began for to stick,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree
And quicklie its skin he thereof did strip.
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
9 He took the skin and laid on his wife's back,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree
And with a good stick went whikety whack.
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
10 'I'll tell my father and all my kin
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree
How still a quarrel you've begun.'
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
11 'You may tell your father and all your kin
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree
How I have thrashed my fat wether's skin.'
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
12 Sweet William came whistling in from plaow,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree
Says, 'Oh my dear wife, is my dinner ready naow?'
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
13 She drew her table and spread her board,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree
And, ' Oh my dear husband,' was every word.
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
14 And naow they live free from all care and strife,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree
And naow she makes William a very good wife.
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
---------------------------
The Ballad of Sweet William and Gentle Jenny
by W. W. N.
The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 7, No. 26 (Jul. - Sep., 1894), pp. 253-255
THE BALLAD OF SWEET WILLIAM AND GENTLE JENNY. - The following lines, two generations ago, were sung by a New England country fellow on shipboard; sometimes, when the vessel was becalmed, he would be called up in the night in order to give this song, to which he would keep accompaniment by beating time with hands and feet:-
[Sweet William and Gentle Jenny]
Sweet William he married a wife,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree,
To be the sweet comfort of his life,
As the dew [1] flies over the mulberry tree.
Jenny could n't in the kitchen to go,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree,
For fear of dirting her white-heeled shoes,
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
Jenny could n't wash, and Jenny could n't bake,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree,
For fear of dirting her white apurn tape,
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
Jenny could n't card, and Jenny could n't spin,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree,
For fear of hurting her gay gold ring,
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
Sweet William came whistling in from plaow,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree,
Says, "O my dear wife, is my dinner ready naow,"
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
She called him a dirty paltry whelp,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree,
"If you want any dinner, go get it yourself,"
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
Sweet William went aout unto the sheep-fold,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree,
And aout a fat wether he did pull,
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
And daown on his knees he began for to stick,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree,
And quicklie its skin he thereof did strip,
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
He took the skin and laid on his wife's back,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree,
And with a good stick went whikety whack,
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
I'll tell my father and all my kin,"
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree,
"How still a quarrel you've begun,"
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
"You may tell your father and all your kin,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree,
How I have thrashed my fat wether's skin,"
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
Sweet William came whistling in from plaow,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree,
Says, " Oh my dear wife, is my dinner ready naow?"
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
She drew her table and spread her board,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree,
And, "Oh my dear husband," was every word,
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
And naow they live free from all care and strife,
Gentle Jenny cried rosemaree,
And naow she makes William a very good wife,
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
1 Pronounced with a nasal twang, deu.
From the recitation of Miss Lydia R. Nichols, Salem, Mass., as heard in the early years of the century.
NOTE. - This amusing ballad, so curious in its Yankee dialect, if not belonging to the most ancient class of English ballads, still bears evidence of a respectable age. Striking is the appeal of the wife to her father and kindred, before whom the husband is expected to justify his conduct in "beginning a quarrel;" in a sense, the wife still is considered to belong to her father's clan, in so far that her relatives are expected to espouse her cause. The whole story is inspired by the time-honored idea that a woman, like a child, is improved by the exercise of judicious severity. The jest is in the popular style; the husband pleads that he has done nothing except prepare for use the sheepskin he has removed. With regard to the phrase, "She drew her table," a friend furnishes the following information:
"I have often heard a mother tell her daughter to 'Draw the table.' Forty years ago it was not uncommon to see in farmhouses a large round table, the body of which was made to serve as an armchair. When the table was not in use the top was tipped back against the wall. Under the chair-seat was a drawer in which the table linen was kept. When mealtime came the table was drawn away from the wall, the top brought down on the arms of the chair, and the cloth, which had been fished out of the
drawer, spread over it. Six or seven persons could sit around this table."
For the original form of the refrain see the ballad of the "Elfin Knight."
W. W. N.