Shooter’s Hill version

From George O. Howell (ed.), The Kentish Note Book Vol. 1, 1891, pp26-27.
Reprinted from Gravesend and Dartford Reporter, 29^th December 1888.

Contributed by “GEO.” (George Owen Howell), Shooter’s Hill, Kent.

Roud 700

Christmas Carol.—The other evening, I heard a Christmas carol, under my window, sung by some children. The words, as nearly as I can remember, are as follow :-

1. As I sat on a sunny bank,
   On Christmas Day in the morning,
2. I saw a ship come sailing by,
   On Christmas day in the morning ;
3. And who d’ye think was in the ship,
   On Christmas day in the morning ?
4. Joseph and his lady fair,
   On Christmas day in the morning.
5. He did whistle and she did sing,
   And all the bells on the earth did ring,
   On Christmas day in the morning.

Some years ago, I heard a similar carol at Gravesend, but cannot say for certain whether the above is the correct version. Perhaps some reader will be able to enlighten me. I should imagine the verses in question have reference to the flight of the “Holy family into Egypt.” In Hone’s “Every Day Book,” there is an engraving from a curious painting by an Italian—” Lucca Giordano” – of the Holy Family in a boat with the ass, whereon the Virgin had rode, held by an angel, while cherubs company them in the sky.”

Shooters’ Hill                                                                                                GEO.

Gravesend version

From George O. Howell (ed.), The Kentish Note Book Vol. 1, 1891, pp31.
Reprinted from Gravesend and Dartford Reporter, 12^th January 1889.

Contributed by C. Knight.

Christmas Carol (December 29th, 1888).—The quaint Christmas Carol mentioned by “Geo,” is still sung in Gravesend at Yule-tide. The following is the Gravesend version, which, however, differs but slightly from that given by your correspondent for Shooters’ Hill : –

THE SUNNY BANK

1. As I sat on a sunny bank,
   A sunny bank, a sunny bank,
   As I sat on a sunny bank,
   On Christmas day in the morning.
2. I spied three ships come sailing by,
   Come sailing by, come sailing by,
   I spied three ships come sailing by,
   On Christmas day ill the morning.
3. And who should be with these three ships,
   With these three ships, with these three ships,
   And who should be with these three ships,
   But Joseph and his fair lady.
4. Oh, he did whistle, she did sing,
   And all the bells on earth did ring,
   For joy that our Saviour was born,
   On Christmas day in the morning.

C. KNIGHT.