The Old Lady, Her Ass and the Cock

I learnt this song from a copy of a recording made by A.E. Green, of The Dialect and Folk Life Studies Department, Leeds University. He recorded the song in 1965 from Ernest Machin of Batley, while he was researching Songs of The Industrial West Riding of Yorkshire. I was loaned a copy of the original recording Tony made shortly after he recorded it. Tony (A.E.) Green was one of the resident singers at the Sunday Night Folk Club at the Royal Sovereign, Kirkstall Road, Leeds along with Bob and Carol Pegg, Phil Grenfell, John and Gill Hodkinson and myself. Mike Harding learnt the song from my singing of it, changed its title to ‘The cock and the ass’, and included the song on his 1972 album ‘A Lancashire Lad’ issued on Bill Leader’s Trailer Record Label.

'Taking in washing' was a traditional way for poorer families to earn a small amount of money to live on. They would receive the dirty clothes of others, wash dry, fold, and press them for little pay. An ass/donkey cart would be ideally suited for picking up dirty clothes and delivering the clean clothes back to their owners.