From Children at Trosley
Collected by Cecil Sharp, 29 July 1908
Cecil Sharp MSS, Folk Tunes CJS2/10/1731
Children’s game.
See the VWML Archive Catalogue for a description of the game: https://archives.vwml.org/records/CJS2/10/1731
Cock Robin
From Children at Trosley
Collected by Cecil Sharp, (29 July 1908 ?)
Cecil Sharp MSS, Folk Tunes CJS2/10/1732
Children’s game.
See the VWML Archive Catalogue for a description of the game: https://archives.vwml.org/records/CJS2/10/1732
Two Pigeons
From Children at Trosley
Collected by Cecil Sharp, 29 July 1908
Cecil Sharp MSS, Folk Tunes CJS2/10/1733
Children’s game.
See the VWML Archive Catalogue for a description of the game: https://archives.vwml.org/records/CJS2/10/1733
I’m A Navvy
From Children at Trosley
Collected by Cecil Sharp, 29 July 1908
Cecil Sharp MSS, Folk Tunes CJS2/10/1730
Children’s game.
See the VWML Archive Catalogue for a description of the game: https://archives.vwml.org/records/CJS2/10/1730
Poor Mary Sits A Weeping
From Children at Trosley
Collected by Cecil Sharp, (29 July 1908 ?)
Cecil Sharp MSS, Folk Tunes CJS2/10/1734
Children’s game.
See the VWML Archive Catalogue for a description of the game: https://archives.vwml.org/records/CJS2/10/1734
Children at Trosley (Trottiscliffe)
On 29th July 1908 Cecil Sharp noted down six children’s singing games at the primary school in ‘Trosley’. This is in fact the local pronunciation of the village officially known as Trottiscliffe – although it has been referred to as both Trosley and Trotterscliffe.
The following description is from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland, 1868, quoted from https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/KEN/Trottiscliffe
TROTTISCLIFFE, (or Trotterscliffe or Trosley), a parish in the hundred of Larkfield, lathe of Aylesford, county Kent, 9 miles W. of Maidstone, its post town, and 2 N.E. of Rotham. The village, situated at the foot of the chalk hills, was given by King Offa to Rochester Priory in 788, and subsequently came to the Bishops of Rochester, whose palace was built here in 1185 by Bishop Granville. The land is partly in hop-grounds. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Canterbury, value £332, in the patronage of the lord chancellor. The church, dedicated to SS. Peter and Paul, has been restored and modernised. There is an endowed National school. At a farm in the vicinity Druidical stones, British coins, copper swords, and other relics of antiquity have been discovered.
The name ‘Trosley’ survives today in nearby Trosley Country Park.
Songs
- Cobbler cobbler mend my shoe (Roud 12749)
- Cock Robin (Roud 797)
- I’m a navvy (Roud 13310)
- Jew from Spain (Roud 8251)
- Poor Mary sits a-weeping (Roud 2118)
- Two pigeons (Roud 13170)