Honest Ploughman, The (Ninety Years Ago)

DESCRIPTION: An old ploughman complains that he, his wife, father and mother worked hard; now wives wear "dandy veils" and daughters and sons don't milk or plough. He can no longer work and gets no respect; if on relief he will go to the "Whig Bastile."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: before 1839 (broadside, Bodleian Harding B 11(2125))
KEYWORDS: age poverty marriage farming nonballad father husband mother wife
FOUND IN: Britain(England(South))
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Gardham-EarliestVersions, "HONEST PLOUGHMAN, THE"
Williams-FolkSongsOfTheUpperThames, p. 294, "Ninety Years of Age" (1 fragment) (also Williams-Wiltshire-WSRO Ox 244)
Palmer-ThePainfulPlow, #9, "The Honest Ploughman" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #619
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 11(2125), "The Life of an Honest Ploughman" or "90 Years Ago" ("Come all you jolly husbandmen & listen to my song"), J.Russell (Birmingham), 1814-1838; also Firth c.16(297), Harding B 11(1571), Harding B 11(1570), 2806 c.13(48), "Honest Ploughman" or "90 Years Ago"; Johnson Ballads 2561, "Honset [sic] Ploughman" or "90, Years Ago"; Firth c.16(299), Harding B 11(3294), "The Honest Ploughman"
File: WT294

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