Jone o Grinfilt

"Jone o Grinfilt" is a poem in the Oldham dialect of English. It was written by a man named Joseph Lees from the Glodwick area of the town in 1805. [Alan Crosby, "The Lancashire Dictionary of Dialect, Tradition and Folklore", pp.119-120] "Grinfilt" is a dialect pronunciation of Greenfield, a village in the neighbouring parish of Saddleworth. The poem was intended to ridicule country folk for their simplicity. The main character believes that the historic county boundary between Lancashire and Yorkshire is a boundary between nations, and he prepares to set off to Oldham in the belief that this is where the French live. At the time of writing, the Napoleonic Wars were under way and Jone is eager to take part. The poem was very popular, and was widely imitated across the country.

Says Jone to his woife on a whot summers day,

"Awm resolvt I Grinfilt no lunger to stay;

For awll goo to Owdham os fast os aw can,

So fare thee weel Grinfilt, an fare thee weel Nan;

For a sodger awll be, an brave Owdham awll see,

An awll hae a battle wi th French."

"Dear Jone," said eawr Nan, un hoo bitterly cried,

"Wilt be one o th foote, or theaw means for t ride?"

"Ods eawns! wench awll ride oather ass or a mule,

Ere awll keawr i Grinfilt os black os th owd dule

Booath clemmin, un starvin, un never a fardin,

It ud welly drive ony mon mad."

"Ay, Jone, sin we coom I Grinfilt for t dwell,

Weyn had mony a bare meal, aw con vara weel tell."

"Bare meal, ecod! ay, that aw vara weel know,

Theres bin two days this wick ot weyn had nowt at o;

Awm vara near sided, afore awll abide it,

Awll feight oather Spanish or French."

Then says my Noant Margit, "Ah! Jone, theawrt so whot,

Awd neer go to Owdham, boh I England awd stop."

"It matters nowt, Madge, for to Owdham awll goo,

Awst neer clem to deeoth, boh sumbry shall know:

Furst Frenchmon aw find, awll tell him meh mind,

Un if hell naw feight, he shall run."

Then deawn th broo aw coom, for weh livent at top,

Aw thowt awd raich Owdham ere ever aw stop;

Ecod! heaw they staret when aw getten to th Mumps,

Meh owd hat I my hont,unmeh clogs full o stumps;

Boh aw soon towd um, awre gooin to Owdham

Un awd hae a battle wi th French.

Aw kept eendway thro th lone, un to Owdham aw went,

Aw axd a recruit if theyd made up their keawnt?

"Nowe, nowe, honest lad" (for he tawked like a king),

"Goo iw meh thro th street, un thee aw will bring

Wheere, if theawrt willin, theaw may hae a shillin."

Ecod! aw thowt this wur rare news.

He browt meh to th pleck, where they measurn their height,

Un if they bin th height they sen nowt abeawt weight;

Aw ratche meh un stretchd meh, un never did flinch:

Says th mon, "Aw believe theawrt meh lad to an inch."

Aw thowt thisll do; awst hae guineas enoo.

Ecod! Owdham, brave Owdham for me.

So fare thee weel, Grinfilt, a soger awm made:

Awve getten new shoon, un a rare nice cockade;

Awll feight for Owd Englond os hard os aw con,

Oather French, Dutch, or Spanish, to me its o one;

Awll mak em to stare, like a new started hare,

Un awll tell em fro Owdham aw coom.

ee also

*Lancashire dialect and accent
*John Collier (caricaturist)

References