John Appleby

DESCRIPTION: John Appleby drinks with the women in the alehouse; his wife Joan drinks with the men in the tavern. At home John throws a mutton shoulder at Joan; she throws a plate. To end the quarrel they open a barrel of home-brew and invite all the neighbors.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1805 (broadside, Johnson Ballads fol. 75)
KEYWORDS: fight drink husband wife
FOUND IN: Britain(England(Lond,South))
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Gardham-EarliestVersions, "JOHN APPLEBY"
Broadwood/Maitland-EnglishCountySongs, pp. 132-133, "John Appleby" (1 text, 1 tune)
Williams-FolkSongsOfTheUpperThames, pp. 225-226, "John Appleby" (1 text) (also Williams-Wiltshire-WSRO Gl 92)
Purslow-MarrowBones, p. 46, "John Appleby" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #1292
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Johnson Ballads fol. 75, "John Appleby" ("John Appleby was a mans name, and he liv'd near the sign of the kettle"), Laurie and Whittle (London), 1805
NOTES [88 words]: Broadside Bodleian Johnson Ballads fol. 75 says "a whimsical ballad sung by Mr Fawcett."
Broadwood/Maitland-EnglishCountySongs: "This is not improbably a political song, directed against Oliver Cromwell; Kent produced many squibs upon him in which, besides being called a brewer, he was frequently described as a drunkard, together with his wife, who was nicknamed Joan." - BS
This would seem a lot more believable if a copy could be found from before the nineteenth century, considering that Oliver Cromwell died in 1658! - RBW
Last updated in version 6.8
File: BrMa132

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