Crantock Games / Gwaryow Carantok / Willie Coombe
WordsEnglish REFERENCES
Old Cornwall
Winter 1939
Communicated by A O Crowle
Baring Gould
Folk Songs Of the West X
No source Given
Inglis Gundry
Canow Kernow, Soundpost Publications, 1966 (see Bibliography) p 48
Racca 2, Calstock, 1997 (see Bibliography) No 245
NOTES
" The melody was printed in So Fa notation which it is hoped has been
interpreted correctly (there appeared to be inaccuracies). A NOTES was added "the
above is supposed to have been written by a local song writer between 1750 and 1800.It has never been published and I think mine is the only copy of it. The
games are supposed to have been held at the ship inn - part of which is now a
dwelling house in the centre of the village’. Baring Gould, however, took
versions of this song down a ‘score of times’ and states that it is
known throughout the length and breadth of Cornwall. In Songs of the West he
published a tune from Tredethy with a composite version of the ballad. Our Words are
similar to this but the melody bears only a faint resemblance, Baring Gould
quotes an entry into the Parish register at Crantock in 1721 "William Coomb
of St Agnes, a youth about 20 years of age who att the feast at this Parish rec.dhis death of a shot; buried May17" The Feast Day at Crantock is May16th"
(Canow Kernow, Soundpost Publications, 1966 (see Bibliography))
As Willie Coombe, this song was known to Brenda Wooton, well known performer and recording artist of the 70s and 80s who knew it from
living tradition.
(Merv Davey) 
