Henry's Songbook

Chorus:
Wi' Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer
Peter Gurney, Peter Davey
Dan'l Whiddon, Harry Hawke
Old Uncle Tom Cobleigh and all
Old Uncle Tom Cobleigh and all

Tom Pearce, Tom Pearce, lend me your grey mare
All along down along out along lee
Us wants to go to Widdecombe Fair

Why, when again will I see my grey mare
All along down along out along lee
By Friday noon or Saturday soon

Friday came and Saturday soon
All along down along out along lee
Tom's grey mare she ne'er did come home

So Tom he went up to the top of the hill
All along down along out along lee
And there he sees his mare making her will

Tom's grey mare she up sick and died
All along down along out along lee
And Tom sat down on a stone and he cried

And all the night long there'd be skirling and groans
All along down along out along lee
Of Tom's grey mare and the rattling bones of

When the wind whistles cold on the moors at night
All along down along out along lee
Tom's grey mare doth appear ghastly white

(as sung by The Spinners)

[1912:] This is the most popular of Devonshire songs, and is distinctly local, not to say historical. The names are all known to natives of the country. (Johnson, Ballads xxii)

[1979:] Perhaps the best known of all fair songs is Widdecombe Fair, which can be dated from its reference to Uncle Tom Cobleigh, who died in 1794. However, the song is neither confined to Devon, nor did it necessarily originate there. Indeed, its essential feature is neither the fair, nor Uncle Tom Cobleigh and all, but the death of a mare. I believe that this death has a deeper significance as a sort of fertility sacrifice. (Compare The Derby Tup or The Old Horse ...) Such meaning has long since been lost at the conscious level, and almost all that remains is boisterous broad humour. (Palmer, Country 188)

See also http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=6186
http://pluto.beseen.com/boardroom/k/48454/View?n=00109a00111