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"A Bumper of Warrington Ale"


Tracey Bennett

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Since downloading the Kindle software onto my laptop I've been merrily downloading all kinds of obscure books from archive.org  - all free as they're out of copyright. Today's find is by John Harland. "Ballads & songs of Lancashire: chiefly older than the 19th century", published in 1882, a collection of popular folk songs from Lancashire. It also includes Warrikin Fair (which Algy posted on here some months ago) and the Ballad of Sir John Boetler. This one is called Warrington Ale, the shortest and easiest to follow!

 

"The following song, by a deceased author, we believe, has never before been printed. It is a favourite in Warrington, especially with those by whom the beverage it celebrates is preferred.

 

Your doctors may boast of their lotions,

And ladies may talk of their tea; But I envy them none of their potions : •

A glass of good stingo for me. The doctor may sneer if he pleases,

But my recipe never will fail; For the physic that cures all diseases

Is a bumper of Warrington ale.

D'ye mind me, I once was a sailor. And in different countries IVe been ;

If I lie, may I go for a tailor, But a thousand fine sights I have seen.

IVe been crammed with good things like a wallet,

And I've guzzled more drink than, a whale ; But the very best stuff to my palate

Is a glass of your Warrington ale.

When my trade was upon the salt ocean,

Why, there I got plenty of grog, And I liked it, because I'd a notion

It set one's good spirits agog. But since upon land I've been steering,

Experience has alter'd my tale; For nothing on earth is so cheering

As a bumper of Warrington ale. Into France I have oftentimes follow'd,

And once took a trip into Spain; And all kinds of liquor I've swallow'd,

From spring-water up to champagne. But the richest of wines, to my thinking,

Compared with good stingo is stale; For there's nothing in life that's worth drinking,

like a bumper of Warrington ale"

 

John Harland. Ballads & songs of Lancashire: chiefly older than the 19th century (Kindle Locations 2290-2314). Whittaker and co.. 

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Slightly frustrating that it's undated. Has anyone heard of 'stingo' used to mean beer before? Wonder if it's a variety of ale or something. 

 

EDIT.

Just answered my own question with wikipedia;

 

"The Yorkshire Stingo was a public house in MaryleboneLondon which was a significant landmark outside central London in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Located on the south side of the Marylebone Road, it was a rural location when first built. An admittance charge was made, redeemable with the waiters, as a method of preventing those with no money from enjoying the facilities. Its name comes from a fashionable slang word of the 18th century for strong or old ale. The name possible comes from the sharp, or "stinging" flavour of a well-matured beer."

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I've found some interesting reading in the Lancashire and Cheshire Historical Society publications on archive.org. You have probably found the one about Warrington's Roman remains...

 

Welcome to the forum Totty :D

 

I just had a look on that site and it looks really good.  How do you search for just the Lancashire and Cheshire Historical Society publications ?

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I found the searching a bit odd. I tend to Google the title of the book and follow any links starting with archive.org. I then download the kindle version but it must be a weird format as it'll download and open on the laptop but won't sync across to my phone. Not sure why. And the features within the book are different to normal kindle books too. Still, can't complain for nowt!

 

Hello Totty by the way, I cross posted with you and didn't see your earlier reply. Nice to have you here!

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Afternoon all! Tracey, in archive.org I just put Warrington in the search box, then Text in the qualifying box and have a lucky dip in whatever comes up. If you find something that looks interesting, click on the link and over on the left hand column you will get a choice of files to download; PDF, Kindle, ePub etc. 

 

https://archive.org/details/profileswarring00kendgoog Profiles of Warrington Worthies

https://archive.org/details/warringtonsroman00mayt  Warrington's Roman Remains

 

Putting "Lancashire and Cheshire" into the search box + Text will bring up the Historical Society papers amongst other interesting stuff.

 
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Welcome to the forum Totty :D

 

I just had a look on that site and it looks really good.  How do you search for just the Lancashire and Cheshire Historical Society publications ?

Thank you Dizzy; I've been lurking around for years! Put "Lancashire and Cheshire" into the search box + Text in the qualifying box.

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Totty - is your version of Warrington Worthies almost unreadable? OCR gone mad it seems  :blink:

 

EDIT

Interesting, I downloaded the pdf version in the Google Play Store and that was a perfect facsimile copy, the kindle version was insane, eg  "JOHN TAYLORi D.D. Bom at Lancaster, in the year 1004. A dis-sontiiig divine, tlieological writer, and celebrated classical scholar.". 

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Totty - is your version of Warrington Worthies almost unreadable? OCR gone mad it seems  :blink:

 

EDIT

Interesting, I downloaded the pdf version in the Google Play Store and that was a perfect facsimile copy, the kindle version was insane, eg  "JOHN TAYLORi D.D. Bom at Lancaster, in the year 1004. A dis-sontiiig divine, tlieological writer, and celebrated classical scholar.". 

I read a lot of them on line rather than download them. I think you see the actual scan, not the OCR version, because the search facility turns up some strange strangulations; such as the one you quoted for example... when you follow the link, it is as it should be....John Taylor DD born at Lancaster 1694....

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The format seems to vary quite a lot. There are lots that I've looked at that don't have the pdf or e-book option. Even those that do, some go through Google Play and some just open up as a bog standard pdf. I guess they were digitised by lots of different places and been done in different ways. 

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