February 1812: Song "The Cropper's Song", Huddersfield area

The Cropper’s Song

Come, cropper lads of high renown,
Who love to drink good ale that’s brown,
And strike each haughty tyrant down,
With hatchet, pike, and gun!
Oh, the cropper lads for me,
The gallant lads for me,
Who with lusty stroke,
The shear frames broke,
The cropper lads for me!

What though the specials still advance,
And soldiers nightly round us prance;
The cropper lads still lead the dance,
With hatchet, pike, and gun!
Oh, the cropper lads for me,
The gallant lads for me,
Who with lusty stroke
The shear frames broke,
The cropper lads for me!

And night by night when all is still
And the moon is hid behind the hill,
We forward march to do our will
With hatchet, pike, and gun!
Oh, the cropper lads for me,
The gallant lads for me,
Who with lusty stroke
The shear frames broke,
The cropper lads for me!

Great Enoch still shall lead the van.
Stop him who dare! stop him who can!
Press forward every gallant man
With hatchet, pike, and gun!
Oh, the cropper lads for me,
The gallant lads for me,
Who with lusty stroke
The shear frames broke,
The cropper lads for me!

According to the Folklorist & Journalist Frank Peel, this song was written by the Luddite John Walker, who first sung it at a meeting of the Liversedge and Huddersfield Croppers at the Shears Inn in Liversedge some time in February 1812, just prior to the commencement of direct action in the area.

There are many versions of the Cropper Lads available on the internet. Here are a selection of the best:

Simon Vaughan for Trad2Mad 2010:



Ruth Price & Sadie Greenwood (daughters of Bill Price, see below) at Whitby Folk Week 2008:



A barnstorming version by Mawkin Causley at Kirkby Fleetham Big Birthday Bash 2009



Blackstone Edge's version in Dewsbury from last year:



Bill Price's version from his 1972 LP 'The Fine Old Yorkshire Gentleman':