TOM THE BARBER
Appears on the Bare Bones album

Tom the Barber led anti-Irish riots in London in the 1730s.

Irish Folklore
11 JOHNNY BARDEN Sara Grey: vocals & banjo, Jeff Davis: fiddle
Song by Mrs Mary McCrath of Bridgetown, Co. Wexford in 1974. The recording is in the archive of the Department of Irish Folklore, University College Dublin Learnt when Mary was "about five from an oul travlin' man of Wexford he's dead years" This appears to be the only version of "Willie of Winsbury" (Child no. 108) or "The Laird o' the Windy Wa" recorded in the Southern Irish tradition. I got it from a tape called "Songs of the Irish Travellers" A version is in "Songs of the People" John Milden's selection from the Sam Henry Henry collection where it is called "The Rich Ship Owners Daughter" It is also known as "John Barbour", Tom The Barber" or "Tom Barbary". It is a song about a pregnant girl although this version only hints at this in the second and third verses. Other versions finish the second verse "or has lain with some young man". Another often found feature in these songs is the pour suitor who turns out to be rich, here he is again.

LOVELY NYMPH
Appears in: