Folk and Traditional Song Lyrics:
Beggars of Coudingham Fair

Beggars of Coudingham Fair

Beggars of Coudingham Fair

The first time that I gaed to Coudingham fair,
I there fell in with a jolly beggare;
The beggar's name, O, it was Harry,
And he had a wife, and they ca'd her Mary;
   O Mary and Harry, and Harry and Mary,
   And Janet and John;
   That's the beggars one by one;
   But now I will gie you them pair by pair,
   All the brave beggars of Coudingham fair.

The next time that I gaed to Coudingham fair,
I there fell in with another beggare;
The beggar's name, O, it was Willie,
And he had a wife, and they ca'd her Lillie;
   And Harry and Mary, and Willie and Lillie,
   And Janet and John,
   That's the beggars one by one;
   Now I will gie you them pair by pair,
   All the brave beggars of Coudingham fair.

The next time that I gaed to Coudingham fair,
I fell in with another beggare;
The beggar's name, O, it was Wilkin,
And he had a wife, and they ca'd her Gilkin;
   And Harry and Mary, and Willie and Lillie,
   And Wilkin and Gilkin, and Janet and John;
   That's the beggars all one by one;
   Now I will gie you them pair by pair,
   All the brave beggars of Coudingham fair.
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Chambers PRS (1847), 197; (1870), 40, from Tait's
Magazine, x.121; Montgomerie SNR (1946), 113 (No. 142).
Cf. Dean-Smith, s.v. Donnybrook: refs. to FSJ 1941, 77-
8; pt. 33, 132-4.

MS