Mally Humbug

Old fashioned Humbug making machine found in Uncle Joe’s Mint Ball Factory, Wigan
Credit: Wigan Today

"Street cries were common in the 19th century and also the 20th up to the First World War. One that I remember was that of Old Mally, the Humbug Seller.
His cry which could be heard afar off, was a jumble of “Mally- Dally- Tally-Plenty- Twenty,” with several bawdy words thrown in if trade was bad. I have tried to keep the chorus as near as possible to the original cry.
The verses are my own work, the subject matter being taken from tales I have heard about the old character. As there were no rules of hygiene in those days, cakes, sweets, etc. were often made in old sheds and cellars."
Original note by Tommy Daniel.

1. A bearded old man with donkey and cart,
Known by the name of old Mally.
Hawking his humbugs in village and town,
His cry can be heard down the valley.

Chorus

Humbug Buyers, Humbug Buyers,
Come boys and girls don’t dally
Humbugs a plenty, a ha'penny for twenty.
So come patronise Old Mally.

2. Sometimes he puts a few herbs in the boil,
And works it up to a jelly,
He knows that old ladies get indigestion,
And mint is so good for the belly.

3. Those extra strong mints they suck in the church,
They keep old Mally busy,
The whole congregation when singing a hymn
The' makes the poor preacher go dizzy.

4. He’s never seen in the old village inn,
But often he gets quite frisky.
For after he’s distilled his mint for the sweets,
He distils a gallon of whisky.

5. Old Mally Humbug has been heard to boast,
He uses ingredients pure,
Now and again the old donkey will stop,
Humbugs get mixed with manure.

6. He never wraps up his humbugs in bags,
But uses old newspaper dirty,
Ofttimes the print will be stuck to the sweets,
We get the Newmarket Two-Thirty.

7. Sometimes he thinks he’ll retire from work,
He knows what he wants precisely
A nice little widow with plenty o' brass,
A thousand a year would do nicely.

Tommy Daniel

Old fashioned hand made black and white striped humbugs

Humbugs are a traditional peppermint flavoured hard-boiled sweet, that originated in the North of England in the early 19th century.

They were originally hand made in small batches using an hand operated humbug making machine, sometimes known as a ‘pillow former’.

About Mick

Mick Haywood is a traditional folk singer & folk song collector who has run and organised folk clubs and festivals for many years. He now lives in Whitby, North Yorkshire.

Poverty, Poverty Knocks

The life and songs of Tommy Daniel of Batley

Mally Humbug

About Mick

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