Williams, Alfred
Back to collectorsAlfred Williams was born in South Marston Wiltshire in 1877 and died in 1930. Although he lacked formal education, he was very well-read and wrote several books of poetry. He collected the words of over 800 songs in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire, a selection of which were published in Folk Songs of the Upper Thames. A fuller account of his life can be found here.
Although Williams collected the words of over 800 songs, including nearly 200 in Gloucestershire, he lacked the ability to note the tunes. Note that all the songs and biographical notes are available on the Wiltshire County website, and so the songs and performer notes link through to that site.
Songs Collected:
- Mice and the Crumbs, The
- Wind Across the Wild Moor, The
- William and Mary (Quenington)
- William and Mary (Gosling)
- Will the Weaver (Messenger)
- Will the Weaver (Unknown)
- When We are Homeward Bound
- When Shall We get Married? (Russell)
- When Shall We get Married? (Unknown)
- When Morning Stands on Tiptoe
- What Can a Young Lassie?
- We’ll Chase the Buffalo (Unknown)
- Valentine’s Day Song
- Union Jack of Old England, The
- Unfortunate Tailor, The
- Umbrella Courtship, The
- Twas on an Easter Monday
- Twas of Three Jolly Welshmen
- Twas of a Broom Dasher
- Turpin and the Lawyer
- Turmot Hower
- To Holland we were Bound
- Three Maidens a-Milking Would Go
- Three Jolly Huntsmen, The
- Three Flies
- There was a Little Man (Bond)
- Tetbury Mop
- Sweet Molly O’Mog
- Spanish Cavalier, The
- Sower’s Song, The
- So Early in the Morning
- Snail, The
- Slave’s Dream, The
- Silvery Tide, The
- Shepherds are the Best of Men (Puffet)
- Shepherd’s Daughter, The
- Shepherd on the Plain, The
- Shepherd come home to thy Breakfast (Unknown)
- Shepherd come home to thy Breakfast (Hicks)
- Sheep Crook and Black Dog
- She laid these Babes across her Lap
- Sarah Bloom
- Sailor Boy, The
- Sailor and the Farmer’s Daughter, The
- Rover, The
- Rosy May
- Roger
- Robin Hood and Little John
- Richat and Robet
- Rich Gentleman’s Daughter
- Remember, Love, Remember
- Recruiting Sergeant, The
- Prop of the Land, The
- Pretty Ploughing Boy, The (Carpenter)
- Poor Tradesmen’s Lamentation, The
- Poor Tom Brown, of Nottingham Town
- Poor Old Horse, The
- Poor Drunkard, The
- Ploughman, The
- Paul Jones
- Parson and the Butcher Boy, The
- Weaver’s Daughter, The
- Old Mother Hooligan
- Old Grey Man, The
- Old Farmer and his Young Wife, The
- Old Dorrington
- Old Church Bells, The
- Old Bob Ridley O
- Old Ann Tucker
- Old Age
- Off to Flanders
- Of all the Brave Birds (Bond)
- Of all the Brave Birds (Unknown)
- O Then, O Then
- Now we’ve met let’s Merry Merry be
- Now so Merry we have Met
- Nothing Else to Do
- North American Rebels, The
- No Money and Plenty
- Never cut your Toe Nails on a Sunday
- Needle Cases (Dawes)
- My Love is like the Sun
- My Dashing Little Hunter
- Music and Wine
- Men don’t Grumble at your Wives
- Meet me by Moonlight Alone
- Maid’s Wager, The
- Lover’s Ghost, The
- Love Farewell
- Lord Ullin’s Daughter
- Lord Thomas and Fair Eleanor
- Lord Lovel (Unknown)
- London Prentice Boy, The
- Leather Breeches, The
- Leather Bottel, The (Unknown)
- Jolly Miller, The
- Johnny, the Ship’s Carpenter
- Johnny Sands
- John Peel
- John Barleycorn (Unknown)
- John Appleby (Griffin)
- John Appleby (Betterton)
- Joe, the Collier’s Son
- Jock of Hazledean
- Jobbing Mason, The
- Jim the Carter Lad
- Jeannie and Jamie
- Jeanette
- Jack and Nancy
- Isle of Wight (Timbrel)
- Isle of Wight (Barnes)
- Isle of France
- Isle of Beauty, Fare Thee Well
- In the City of Limerick
- If You will Walk with Me
- I’m Yorkshire though in London
- Husbandman and the Servingman, The (Messenger)
- How Happy is the Man
- Home to Dinner
- Here’s Away to the Downs
- Here’s a Health to King George
- Henry Martin
- Haymakers, The (Unknown)
- Haymakers, The (Luker)
- Hawkesbury Volunteers, The
- Happy Country Lass, The
- Green Broom (Unknown)
- Gossiping Wife, The
- Good Company
- Gloucester Volunteers, The
- Gipsy King, The
- George Ridler’s Oven (Unknown)
- Genius
- Gallant Hussar, The
- Four Seasons
- Football Match
- Follow the Drum
- Follow Me
- Fly and the Grasshopper, The
- Ferry Hinksey Town
- Farewell to Mary Ann
- Fair Eleanor and the Brown Girl (Harris)
- Ere around the Huge Oak (Gosling)
- Ere around the Huge Oak (Cook)
- Emigrant Ship, The
- Duke of Marlborough, The
- Downhill of Life (Herbert)
- Downhill of Life (Couling)
- Deserter, The
- Cuckoo, The (Barnett)
- Cot where I was Born, The
- Congreve Man, The
- Come tell me when, come tell me where
- Cold blows the Wind (Bradshaw)
- Clowdy Banks
- Christmas Carol
- Christ Church Bells
- Cease Ye Stormy Winds
- Carpenter’s Boy, The
- Captain Brooks and his Gallant Crew
- By thy Sweet, Silver Light, Bonny Moon
- Bunch of Nuts
- Bryan O’Lynn
- Broom Dasher
- British Man of War, A (Mills)
- Boys of Kilkenny
- Bonny Labouring Boy
- Bold Reynolds
- Bold General Wolfe
- Bold Champions
- Billy and Nancy
- Betsy of the Moor
- Barbara Allen (Mills)
- Banks of Green Willow, The
- Banker, The
- Baker’s Oven, The
- Arthur O’Bradley O (Unknown)
- Arthur O’Bradley O (Newman)
- Arthur O’Bradley O (Grubb)
- Around the Grove as I was Walking
- It’s my Delight of a Shiny Night