Brisk Young Butcher, The

DESCRIPTION: A (butcher) stays at an inn; he offers a serving girl money to lay with him. She does. Given his bill, he says he gave the girl the money and didn't get change. A year later, he comes back. She shows him her child and says it is his change
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: before 1839 (broadside, Bodleian Johnson Ballads 216)
KEYWORDS: money trick sex pregnancy travel
FOUND IN: Britain(England(North),Scotland(Aber))
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Greig-FolkSongInBuchan-FolkSongOfTheNorthEast #152, p. 2, ("It's of a brisk young butcher"); "Folk-Song in Buchan," p. 25, ("It was a brisk young butcher lad") (4 fragments)
Greig/Duncan7 1466, "The Butcher and the Chambermaid" (12 texts, 8 tunes)
Ord-BothySongsAndBallads, pp. 158-159, "The Butcher and Chamber Maid" (1 text)
Palmer-EnglishCountrySongbook, #38, "The Brisk Young Butcher" (1 text, 1 tune)
DT, XMASGOOS XMASGOO2*
Roud #167
RECORDINGS:
A. L. Lloyd, "The Butcher and the Chambermaid" (on Lloyd5, Lloyd12)
Harvey Nicholson, "The Copshawholm Butcher" (on Voice10)
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Johnson Ballads 216, "The Leicester Chambermaid" ("Its of a brisk young butcher as I have heard 'em say"), J. Catnach (London), 1813-1838; also Harding B 11(2105), Firth b.28(25a) View 2 of 2[some words illegible], Harding B 11(2103), Firth c.18(304), Harding B 11(2104), Harding B 11(2654), "The Leicester Chambermaid"; 2806 c.17(232), "London Butcher"; 2806 c.17(68), "The Chambermaid"
Murray, Mu23-y1:040, "The Butcher and the Chamber Maid," unknown, 19C
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Basket of Eggs" (plot) and references there
cf. "The Banks of Sweet Dundee" (tune, per Greig/Duncan7)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
The Christmas Goose
The Ten Dollar Bill
The Jolly Flesher
Aikey Fair
File: DTxmasgo

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography