> Folk Music > Songs > The Flower of Corby Mill / The Blooming Rose of Antrim

The Flower of Corby Mill / The Blooming Rose of Antrim

[ Roud 2928 ; Henry H612 ; Ballad Index HHH612 ; Mudcat 172139 ; John and William Brownlee]

Gale Huntington: Sam Henry’s Songs of the People

Sam Henry collected The Flower of Corby Mill from John Smylie of Clough, Co. Antrim, on 24 August 1935. This version was printed in Gale Huntington’s 1990 book Sam Henry’s Songs of the People. Huntington noted that “according to a note found in Sam Henry’s papers this song was made by John and William Brownlee of Clough, Co. Antrim”.

Eddie Butcher of Magilligan, Co. Derry, sang The Flower of Corby Mill in March 1975 to Hugh Shields. This recording was included on the 3 CD set that accompanied Shields’ 2011 book on Eddie Butcher, All the Days of His Life.

Kevin Mitchell sang The Flower of Corby’s Mill, “another song from the Inishowen tradition”, in 1996 on his Greentrax album I Sang That Sweet Refrain.

The phrase “She’s the blooming rose of —” appeared also in Swansea Barracks [Roud 1416] as sung by Phil Tanner in a 1949 BBC recording, and first known from an earlier than 1842 broadside in the Bodleian collection.

Lyrics

Eddie Butcher sings The Flower of Corby Mill

Oh, come all you tender-hearted chaps, I pray you lend an ear
And likewise pay attention to those few lines I’ve here;
It’s all in aid of a lovely maid I mean to use my quill,
She’s the blooming star of Antrim, she’s the flower of Corby Mill.

It was on the first of January I was going to Buteler’s fair;
It was there I spied this damsel, she was combing down her hair,
And as I gazed upon her my heart with love did fill
For she’s the blooming star of Antrim, she’s the flower of Corby Mill.

It was all for recreation, sure, I went to the fair that day,
I didn’t intend to tarry long when I crossed McMullan’s brae;
But meeting with some comerades as I arrived there,
Oh it’s kindly they saluted me, You’re welcome to the fair.

We went in to Mrs Buteler’s where there we did sit down,
The jugs of punch came tumbling in and our hearts went burling round;
The silver it was plenty and we drank our hearty fill
As we toasted a drink to the bonny wee lass that works in Corby Mill.

Now her real name I won’t mention, no, I darenae name her name,
Her parents they would be angery and I would be much to blame;
She’s a mill-girl to her trade and she has the best of skill,
For she’s the blooming star of Antrim, she’s the flower of Corby Mill.

I have travelled this country o’er and o’er and part of England too,
I have travelled Scotland far and near, believe me, lads, it’s true;
I have travelled England far and near o’er many’s a hollow and hill
But her equal yet I never met, the flower of Corby Mill.

Kevin Mitchell sings The Flower of Corby’s Mill

Come all you tender-hearted chaps, I hope you’ll lend an ear
And likewise pay attention to those few lines I have here.
It’s all in praise of a pretty maid I’m going to use my quill,
She’s the blooming Rose of Antrim and the Flower of Corby’s Mill.

It was on the first of June, my boys, I was going to the Fair,
I met this pretty fair maid, she was combing down her hair.
And as I gazed upon her my heart with joy did fill,
She’s the blooming Rose of Antrim and the Flower of Corby’s Mill.

It was all for recreation I went to the fair that day,
I didn’t intend to tarry until I reached McMullen’s Brae.
But meeting with some comrades as I arrived there;
They kindly saluted me, saying, “You’re welcome to the fair.”

We went into Mrs Butler’s, it’s there we did sit down,
The jugs of punch came tumbling and the toasts went merrily round.
The silver it was plenty and we drank with a right good will,
And we toasted a glass to the bonny wee lass that works in Corby’s Mill.

Now this fair maid to make mention I will not name her name,
Her parents might be angry and I myself to blame.
She’s a mill girl to her trade and she’s got the best of skill,
She’s the blooming Rose of Antrim and the Flower of Corby’s Mill.

I have travelled this country o’er and o’er, and part of England too,
I’ve travelled Scotland far and near, believe me, friends, it’s true.
I’ve travelled this country o’er and o’er, crossed many a hollow and hill,
But equal yet I have never met of the Flower of Corby’s Mill.