The Lancashire Miller
The Lancashire Miller
Vocal and Whistle Larry Kearns; Guitar Gerry Kearns
Owd Jeremy Gigg, a miller was he,
In Lancashire born and bred;
The mill was all he depended on,
To earn him his daily bread.
Owd Jeremy he was growing owd,
His latter end it was near;
He had three sons, and it puzzled him sore
Which of ‘em should be his heir.
Now he call’d to him his eldest son,-
“An answer give to me:
What way would theaw tak thy bread to mak’,
If my mill I left to thee?”
“Oh if the mill were mine,” said he,
“I’ll plainly tell to yeaw,
Out of every seck I’d tak’ a peck,
As yeaw’ve been used to do.”
Now he call’d to him his second son--
“An answer give to me:
What way would theaw tak thy bread to mak’
If my mill were given to thee?”
“Oh, if the mill were mine,” said he,
“As sure as my name’s Rafe,
Instead of a peck out of every seck,
I’m sure I’d tak one-hawf.”
Now he call’d to him his youngest son;
His youngest son was Will;
“On the answer theaw does give to me,
Depends who gets the mill.”
“Oh, if the mine,” said he,
“A living I would mek;
Instead o’ one-hawf I’d tek it all,
And cheat ‘em out o’ th’ seck.”
Then owd Jeremy he rose up in bed,
To hear him talk so smart;
Saying, “Well done, Will! Theaw’s won the mill;
Theaw’rt the lad o’ meh heart!”
The other two look’d rather blue,
An’ swore it wur too bad;
But little Will, he won the mill,
And the Devil he got his dad.
Traditional,
Arrangement © Oldham Tinkers.
Vocal and Whistle Larry Kearns; Guitar Gerry Kearns
Owd Jeremy Gigg, a miller was he,
In Lancashire born and bred;
The mill was all he depended on,
To earn him his daily bread.
Owd Jeremy he was growing owd,
His latter end it was near;
He had three sons, and it puzzled him sore
Which of ‘em should be his heir.
Now he call’d to him his eldest son,-
“An answer give to me:
What way would theaw tak thy bread to mak’,
If my mill I left to thee?”
“Oh if the mill were mine,” said he,
“I’ll plainly tell to yeaw,
Out of every seck I’d tak’ a peck,
As yeaw’ve been used to do.”
Now he call’d to him his second son--
“An answer give to me:
What way would theaw tak thy bread to mak’
If my mill were given to thee?”
“Oh, if the mill were mine,” said he,
“As sure as my name’s Rafe,
Instead of a peck out of every seck,
I’m sure I’d tak one-hawf.”
Now he call’d to him his youngest son;
His youngest son was Will;
“On the answer theaw does give to me,
Depends who gets the mill.”
“Oh, if the mine,” said he,
“A living I would mek;
Instead o’ one-hawf I’d tek it all,
And cheat ‘em out o’ th’ seck.”
Then owd Jeremy he rose up in bed,
To hear him talk so smart;
Saying, “Well done, Will! Theaw’s won the mill;
Theaw’rt the lad o’ meh heart!”
The other two look’d rather blue,
An’ swore it wur too bad;
But little Will, he won the mill,
And the Devil he got his dad.
Traditional,
Arrangement © Oldham Tinkers.
Since Chaucer’s time, millers have been given a bad name for dirty dealing. A London broadside of c. 1730 called “The Miller’s Advice to his Three Sons,” is the oldest version of our song. England, Scotland, Ireland and the United States have all known the piece, and every singer seems to locate the rascally old miller and his reprobate boys in a different spot. The tune here is a variant of the well known “Miller of the Dee” that became widespread after it appeared in a ballad opera around 1750.
Chaucer, in his Prologue to the Canterbury Tales tells us of a Miller; huge in stature, ruddy of complexion, with a remarkable facility with doors. He could knock them down with his head. He sported a hairy wart on his nose and combined the unusual hobbies of bagpiping and wrestling. He was a man of the world and most adept at stealing corn. In short he was a character and a rogue. Millers by tradition are characters. “The Miller of the Dee” was one. He had his own ideas on life and wished to be left alone with them. Jeremy Gigg, the Lancashire Miller, is in the same mould. A villain himself, he expects whichever of his sons succeeds him to have the same roguish ideals as himself. He maintains his villainous attitude to life even on his death-bed.
Chaucer, in his Prologue to the Canterbury Tales tells us of a Miller; huge in stature, ruddy of complexion, with a remarkable facility with doors. He could knock them down with his head. He sported a hairy wart on his nose and combined the unusual hobbies of bagpiping and wrestling. He was a man of the world and most adept at stealing corn. In short he was a character and a rogue. Millers by tradition are characters. “The Miller of the Dee” was one. He had his own ideas on life and wished to be left alone with them. Jeremy Gigg, the Lancashire Miller, is in the same mould. A villain himself, he expects whichever of his sons succeeds him to have the same roguish ideals as himself. He maintains his villainous attitude to life even on his death-bed.
First published by Topic 1971Oldham’s Burning Sands TOPIC TSDL206 STEREO
The Oldham Tinkers
Ballads, Songs & Daft Ditties
First published by Topic 1971
Recorded at TPA (Tin Pan Ally) Studios 1971
Produced by A L Lloyd
Sleeve design Humphrey Weightman
Photography by Benny Kearns
Re-released on C.D. by Pier Records in 2006 under licence from Topic Records Ltd, England.
The C.D. The Oldham Tinkers, ‘For Old Time’s Sake’ PIERCD 507
A classic Lancashire folk album, available for the first time on CD, with four bonus tracks and full song notes by the band and A. L. Lloyd.
The Oldham Tinkers
Ballads, Songs & Daft Ditties
First published by Topic 1971
Recorded at TPA (Tin Pan Ally) Studios 1971
Produced by A L Lloyd
Sleeve design Humphrey Weightman
Photography by Benny Kearns
Re-released on C.D. by Pier Records in 2006 under licence from Topic Records Ltd, England.
The C.D. The Oldham Tinkers, ‘For Old Time’s Sake’ PIERCD 507
A classic Lancashire folk album, available for the first time on CD, with four bonus tracks and full song notes by the band and A. L. Lloyd.