Brisk Young Miner- John Woodrich (Dev) 1896 Baring-Gould A
[From: Sabine Baring-Gould Manuscript Collection (SBG/1/2/251), his A version. John Woodrich was one of Baring-Gould's leading informants. It's curious that all of Baring Gould's versions have "Miner" but none of the other UK versions do. Baring Gould rewrote Woodrich's version calling it "The Miner's Bride" and adding 3 stanzas: Sabine Baring-Gould Manuscript Collection (SBG/2/1/64).
R. Matteson 2017]
A. The Brisk Young Miner- sung by John Woodrich probably Sept., 1896 or early as 1889. Woodrich was a blacksmith from Wollacot Moor, Thrushleton [sic], Devon.
1. A brisk young miner courted me
He stole away my liberty,
My liberty with free good will.
For all his faults I love him still.
2. There is a tavern in our town,
Where my false lover will sit him down,
Another maiden is on his knee
He never, never, now thinks on me.
3. A grief to me, I'll tell you why,
She has no more of show than I.
The show will waste, & beauty blast,
And poor she'll be as me at last
4. Once I could wear my apron low
He followed me through frost & snow.
But now 'tis risen to touch my chin,
My love passed by, but said nothing.
5. I wish, I wish, my babe were born
Sat smiling on its daddy's arm,
And I myself - cut short my span,
I would be free from that young man.
6. O dig my grave both wide & deep,
Put tombstones at my head & feet
And carve there on a turtledove,
To signify that I died of love.