Cathy Shaw

[ Roud - ; Mudcat 66677 ; Roger Watson]

Helen Watson sang Roger Watson’s song Cathy Shaw in 1973 on Muckram Wakes’ Trailer album A Map of Derbyshire. Roger Watson noted:

After the laws had been passed which banned women and children from working in the mines, many superstitions arose among the colliers of the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries about women down the pit; for instance, if a man saw an image of his wife while he was below ground, he believed she was being unfaithful to him at the time. Cathy Shaw was not an image, she was a female collier, to join the ranks of transvestite drummers, highwaymen and cabin boys, which abound in the imaginations of our predecessors. Catherine docs not dress up as a man to follow or test her true love; she becomes a collier purely in search of “equal career opportunity”… The song was written in 1972.

Pat Ryan sang Cathy Shaw in 1977 on her Folk Heritage album Leaboy’s Lassie.

Hannah James sang Katie Shaw, “a song by Roger Watson written in the 1970s for The Muckram Wakes”, in 2008 on Kerfuffle’s RootBeat album To the Ground.

Sarah Matthews sang Cathy Shaw in 2012 on her Coth album As I Was Walking and with the title Catherine Shaw in 2016 on the WildGoose anthology of songs by Roger Watson, All in Due Course, on which Watson noted:

With its story of the female disguising herself as a man to gain admittance to an exclusively male occupation, this song joins the countless Female Cabin Boys and Female Drummers of the traditional canon. This track is dedicated to the memory of Jo Day.

Lyrics

Helen Watson sings Cathy Shaw

Come all of you young females that likes to sit at home
With your parents by the fireside and have no wish to roam.
I was brought up in Staffordshire but there I dwell no more;
I’ll tell you the adventures of pretty Catherine Shaw.

I was taken into service at just thirteen years of age
And as a lady’s chambermaid I firstly did engage.
And how my mistress treated me I am ashamed to say
But scarce twelve months I stayed with her before I ran away.

I wandered north, I wandered south, and around the country round
Until I came to Derbyshire where there’s coal beneath the ground.
Where the men they earn good wages, have lots of gold in store,
And so I got to thinking that’s the life for Cathy Shaw.

So I bought me a pair of moleskin pants, and a pair of boots beside,
With my jacket tightly buttoned up, my female charms to hide.
Then I cut off my yellow hair and to the pit did go,
And enlisted as a soldier in the ranks of down below.

So many’s the day I’ve hewed away, with shovel, pick and blade
And I’ve worked as hard as any man though I was but a maid.
I’ve worked in seams as hot as hell or Egypt’s burning drought
But I daresn’t take me waistcoat off for fear they’d find me out.

But then one day, a fall of stones had pinned me to the ground
And all the lads came rushing up, aye, and quickly gathered round.
And as they tried to pull me clear, well, you should have heard ’em shout
For my pit shirt was all ripped away, and so they found me out.

Then they took me to the deputy and he did laugh and smile
To think of how this collier lass had fooled ’em all the while.
Then they brought me to the gaffer and he made it very clear
That as far as mining was concerned, ’twas the end of my career.

But the gaffer’s son he fancied me and he married me out of hand
And now I live in luxury with servants, house and land.
And there’s many a collier shakes his head as he passes by my door
And he thinks of the time he used to work with pretty Catherine Shaw.

Hannah James sings Katie Shaw

Come all you fair young maidens that like to sit at home
With your parents by the fireside and have no wish to roam
I was brought up in Staffordshire but there I’ll dwell no more
I’ll tell you the adventures of pretty Katherine Shaw.

I was taken into service at just thirteen years of age,
And as a lady’s chambermaid I firstly did engage,
But how my mistress treated me I am ashamed to say
And it’s scarce twelve months that I’d been there before I ran away.

I wandered north, I wandered south, I roamed the country round,
Until I came to Derbyshire where there’s coal beneath the ground,
The men they earn good wages and there’s lots of gold in store,
So I got into thinking that’s the life for Katie Shaw.

So I bought myself some moleskin pants and a pair of boots beside,
And I pulled my waistcoat tightly round my female charms to hide,
And I cut off my yellow hair and to the pit did go,
And enlisted as a soldier in the ranks of down below.

So there’s many a day I’ve hewed out coal with shovel, pick and spade,
And I’ve worked as hard as any man, though I was just a maid.
I’ve worked in seams as hot as hell or Egypt’s burning drought,
But I dare not take my waistcoat off for fear they’d find me out.

But then one day a fall of stones they pinned me to the ground,
And all the men came rushing in and quickly gathered round,
And as they tried to pull me clear you should have heard them shout,
For my pit shirt was all torn away and so they found me out.

Well they took me to the deputy and he did laugh and smile,
For to think that this young collier lass had fooled them all the while,
And he took me to the gaffer and he made it very clear,
As far as mining was concerned, ’twas the end of my career.

But the gaffer’s son he fancied me and he married out of hand,
And now I live in luxury with servants, house and land,
And there’s many a collier shakes his head as he goes by my door.
And he thinks of the time he used to work with pretty Katherine Shaw.