Wiltshire Community History

Folk Song Information

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Book Title

Author

Date

Notes

Song Title	Dick Turpin
Roud No.	621
Collected From	Trowbridge, Thomas
Location	Wilton
County	Wiltshire
Collected By	Street, A G
Alternative Title
Tune
Date
Source Primary	Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre: Pamela Street Archive 3219 Box 16107: Typescript: Farmer’s glory p 40, 41
Source Secondary	Street, A G: Farmer’s glory OUP 1932 p 52, 53
Recording

Song Lyrics
Verse 1 As I was a-ridin’ along on the moor I seed the lawyer on before I steps up to ‘im, these words I did say Hast thee seed Turpin pass this way? Chorus Tibby Hi Ho Turpin Hero Tibby Hi Ho Turpin O Verse 2 No, said the lawyer, an’t seed him this way Neither do I want to see him this long day For he robbed my wife all ov ten poun’ A silver snuff box and a new gown Chorus Verse 3 O, says Turpin, I’ll play cute I’ll put me money down in my boot O. says the lawyer, ‘ee can’t have mine Fer mine’s sewn up in the cape behind Chorus Verse 4 As I were a gwaine up Bradbury ‘ill I bid the lawyer to stand still Fer the cape of his cwoat I mus’ cut off For me ‘oss ‘ee want a new saddle cloth Chorus Verse 5 I robbed the lawyer of all his store And bid him go to law for more And if my name he is questioned in He can tell ‘em my name is Dick Turpin Chorus Verse 6 I am the last of Turpin’s gang And I am sure that I shall be hanged Here’s fifty poun’ before I die To gie Jack Ketch for hanging I Chorus

Print Song Lyrics

Notes
Note 1: OUP Street says, p 53, “Next came the toast of the visitors, which was always placed in the skilled hands of Thomas Trowbridge. He had whiskers all round his face in a fringe, giving him the appearance of a very genial monkey. The visitors usually consisted of the parson, schoolmaster, blacksmith, harness maker, a keeper or two, and a sailor, retired on pension, who used to measure the men’s hoeing each year. The toast went something like this, ‘Chaps, thease be our yearly jollifications, zno, and we can’t ‘ave ‘ee proper wi’out some visitors. And tudn be perlite not to drink their jolly good health. We do know ‘em all; fact we keep the main on ‘em, specially parson, and they do know we. And I says we be dom glad to see ‘em here thease evenin’. Dom glad we be, and I fears no man when I say that, zno.’ And the old fellow would glare around the company with his whisker fringe all a-bristle with defiance. ‘But I bain’t no speechifier, ‘cepting to say as ow they be truly welcome. Zo I asks ‘ee to rise and drink their jolly good health.’ This done the old man would say: ‘Now sit down, all ov ‘ee, and I’ll sing to ‘ee. There would be loud cries for ‘Dick Turpin’, and when silence reigned, we would hesar the following: [text given above] Note 2: Typescript Page 3: Dick Turpin was another name on the payroll. This was Thomas Trowbridge, who used to sing a song about Dick Turpin at the harvest suppers in the big barn. I never heard it anywhere else; the last verse went something like this: I am the last of Turpin’s gang And I am sure I shall be hanged Here’s fifty pound before I die To gie Jack Ketch for hanging I Tibby Hi Ho Turpin Hero Tibby Ho Ho Turpin Ho Dick Turpin was a jolly old boy, an ex-shepherd, who had become a day labourer, and helped with the flock at busy times. He found some of the piece work, especially hoeing, rather hard, as he had not been accustomed to it all his life. Transcribed and edited by Chris Wildridge, 2013.

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Wiltshire Community History

Folk Song Information

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