Excerpt from English Folk-Rhymes: A Collection of Traditional Verses, Relating to Places and Persons, Customs, Superstitions, Etc Couch (T.Q.), East Cornwall Words. V.Courtney (M.A.), West Cornwall Glossary, W.Darlington (T.), Folkspeech of South Cheshire. X.Dickinson (W.), Dialect of Cumberland. Y.Easther (A.) and Lees (T.), Gloss, of Dialects of Almondbury and Huddersfield.25. Elworthy (F.T.), West Somerset and East Devon. A A. Evans (A.B. andS.) Leicestershire Words and Phrases. Ab. Holland (R.), Cheshire Glossary. Ac. Lawson (R.), Upton-on-Severn Words and Phrases. Ad. Lowsley (B.)Berkshire Words and Phrases. Ae. Parish (W.D.) and Shaw (W.F.), Kentish Dialect. Af. Parker (Mrs.), Oxfordshire Words (suppl.). Ag. Peacock (E.), Gloss. Wapentakes of Manley and Corringham, Lincolns. Pegge (S.), Alphabet of Kenticisms. Al Robinson (F.K.), Whitby Glossary. Aj. Ross (T.), Stead (R.), and Holderness (T.), Holdemess Glossary. Att. Smith (H.and C.R), Isle of Wight Glossary. AJj. Swainson (C), Provincial Names and Folklore of British Birds. Am. William (R.), Gloss. Mountainous District West Riding, Yorks. Folklore Societys Publications. Ah. Aubrey (J.), Remaines of Gentilisme and Judaisme (1686-7), edited and annotated by James Britten, 8 vo. 1881. Ao. Black (Vv. G.), Folk Medicine, 8 vo. 1883. Ap. Burne and Jackson (C.S. and G.F.), Shropshire Folklore, 8 vo. 1883. Aq, Folklore Record, v., 8vo. Ab. Folklore Journal, v., 8vo. As. Henderson (W.), Folklore of the Northern Counties, 8 vo. 1879.At. Fuller (T.), Worthies of England, iii., 8 vo. Reprint, 1840. Au. Grose (F.), Provincial Glossary, with supplement by Pge, ii., 8 vo. 1811-14-Av. Halliwell (J.O.), Popular Rhymes and Nursery Tales, duo.1849. Aw. Halliwell (J.O.), Nursery Rhymes of England (Percy Soc, vol. iv.), 8 vo. 1842.Ax. Halliwell (J.O.), Nursery Rhymes of England, 2 nd edit., 8 vo 1843.Ay. Halliwell (J.O.), Nursery Rhymes of England, 5 th ed., duo. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

One of the Spectator's Books of the Year 2012 'Farewell and adieu to you fair Spanish ladies Farewell and adieu to you ladies of Spain For we've received orders for to sail for old England But we hope in a short while to see you again' One of the great English popular art forms, the folk song can be painful, satirical, erotic, dramatic, rueful or funny. They have thrived when sung on a whim to a handful of friends in a pub; they have bewitched generations of English composers who have set them for everything from solo violin to full orchestra; they are sung in concerts, festivals, weddings, funerals and with nobody to hear but the singer. This magical new collection brings together all the classic folk songs as well as many lesser-known discoveries, complete with music and annotations on their original sources and meaning. Published in cooperation with the English Folk Dance and Song Society, it is a worthy successor to Ralph Vaughan Williams and A.L.Lloyd's original Penguin Book of English Folk Songs. 'Her keen eye did glitter like the bright stars by night The robe she was wearing was costly and white Her bare neck was shaded with her long raven hair And they called her pretty Susan, the pride of Kildare' In association with EFDSS, the English Folk Dance and Song Society

In Victorian times, England was famously dubbed the land without music - but one of the great musical discoveries of the early twentieth century was that England had a vital heritage of folk song and music which was easily good enough to stand comparison with those of other parts of Britain and overseas. Cecil Sharp, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Percy Grainger, and a number of other enthusiasts gathered a huge harvest of songs and tunes which we can study and enjoy at our leisure. But after over a century of collection and discussion, publication and performance, there are still many things we don't know about traditional song - Where did the songs come from? Who sang them, where, when and why? What part did singing play in the lives of the communities in which the songs thrived? More importantly, have the pioneer collectors' restricted definitions and narrow focus hindered or helped our understanding? This is the first book for many years to investigate the wider social history of traditional song in England, and draws on a wide range of sources to answer these questions and many more.

Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.