Coulter's Candy

DESCRIPTION: "Ally, bally, ally bally bee, Sittin' on yer mammy's knee, Greetin' for anither bawbee, Tae buy mair Coulter's candy." The parents feed the slender boy on candy, say he will grow up to go to sea, or will later buy candy for them
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1948 (Montgomerie)
KEYWORDS: mother father food
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland)
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Montgomerie/Montgomerie-ScottishNurseryRhymes 154, "Colter's Candy" (1 short text)
DT, COULTR COULTR2
ADDITIONAL: _Sing Out_ magazine, Volume 32, #4 (1987), pp, 84, "Coulter's Candy" (1 text, 1 tune, supplied by Sam Hinton and with some unusual verses)
NOTES [121 words]: Murray Shoolbraid's notes in the Digital Tradition cite Buchan to the effect that "Coulter" was in fact a Scottish candy-seller named Robert Coltart who was active around 1900. Ewan McVicar reported on the Ballad-L mailing list that "Coulter's Candy was made and sold by Robert Coltart, a weaver in Galashiels. He stamped his name on every piece and flavoured it with aniseed. He sold it all round the Borders fairs, attracting customers by playing his tune on his penny whistle and singing out his song. An early advertising jingle. He died in 1880 aged 48." This is the most substantial description I've seen of who Coulter/Colter was -- but I've heard performers cite other sources. So I suppose it's not quite proved. - RBW
Last updated in version 3.3
File: MSNR154

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