Print This Page#01631 Print This Page
A rich merchant's daughter in Plymouth town did dwell,
She courted a squire and she loved him full well;
All for to get married it was their intent,
When their friends and relations they all gave consent.
The time being appointed all for the wedding day,
When the squire went a-choosing his bride-boys to be;
And when she saw the farmer, "My charmer," she cried,
"Oh my joy, oh my joy, oh my charmer," she cried.
She turned from the squire and nothing more was said,
And instead of getting married she went to her bed;
The thoughts of the farmer run strong in her mind,
And a way for to gain him she quickly did find.
Waistcoat and britches this fair girl put on,
And as she went a-hunting with her dog and her gun,
She hunted all 'round where the farmer did dwell,
Because in her heart that she loved him so well.
Often did she fire but nothing did she kill,
Till at length the young farmer stepped into the field;
All for to discourse with him it was her intent,
With her dog and her gun up to meet him she went.
Up she did go wih her heart full of love,
Saying, "Here is a glove that is flowered with gold."
Saying, "Here is a glove that I found coming along
As I was a-hunting with my dog and my gun."
Home she did go with her heart full of love,
She put up a public notice that she had lost the glove;
"The man that can find it and bring it safe to me,
The very same night now his bride I will be."
The farmer being glad at hearing this great news,
He went straight unto the lady and he begged to be excused.
"My honourable fair one, I have picked up your glove,
And I humbly beseech you to grant me your love."
"'Tis already granted," this fair lady cried,
"For I love the sweet breath of a farmer," she said,
"I'll manage my own dairy and I'll milk my own cow,
And the jolly young farmer will follow the plough."
After they were married she told him all the fun,
How she hunted the field with her dog and her gun;
"So now I have got you right safe in my snare,
Will I ever enjoy you, you pretty litte dear."
Collected in 1958 from Everett Bennett of St. Paul's, NL, by Kenneth Peacock and published in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Volume 2, pp.340-341, by the National Museum of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved. A variant was collected in 1950 from Ned Martin (b.1873) of Cape Broyle, NL, and published as The Squire Of Bristol in MacEdward Leach And The Songs Of Atlantic Canada © 2004 Memorial University of Newfoundland Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA). Another variant was collected in 1951 from Leo Halleran of Trepassey, NL, and published as The Farmer in MacEdward Leach And The Songs Of Atlantic Canada © 2004 Memorial University of Newfoundland Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA).
Kenneth Peacock noted that other members of the Bennett family called this The Young Farmer and Waistcoat And Britches. In Nova Scotia it is known as The Dog And The Gun and has been collected by Helen Creighton [1899-1989]. It has also appeared in American collections.
A sound recording of a variant was collected as The Dog And Gun in 1957 from Esau Fudge of Louisburg, Nova Scotia, by Helen Creighton (1899-1999).
