Taffy was a Welshman
Encyclopedia
"Taffy was a Welshman" is an English language
nursery rhyme
with anti-Welsh
lyrics, which was popular in England between the eighteenth and twentieth centuries. It has a Roud Folk Song Index
number of 19237.
is built, and seems to have been in use by the mid-eighteenth century. The rhyme may be related to one published in Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book, printed in London around 1744, which had the lyrics:
The earliest record we have of the better known rhyme is from Nancy Cock's Pretty Song Book, printed in London about 1780, which had one verse:
Similar versions were printed in collections in the late eighteenth century, however, in Songs for the Nursery printed in 1805, the first signs of violence were evident, ending with:
In the 1840s James Orchard Halliwell collected a two verse version that followed this with:
This version seems to have been particularly popular in the English counties that bordered Wales, where it was sung on Saint David's Day
(1 March) complete with leek-wearing effigies of Welshmen. The image of thieving Welshmen seems to have begun to die down by the mid-twentieth century, although the insulting rhyme was, still sometimes used along with the name "Taffy" for any Welshman.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
nursery rhyme
Nursery rhyme
The term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems for young children in Britain and many other countries, but usage only dates from the 19th century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used.-Lullabies:...
with anti-Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
lyrics, which was popular in England between the eighteenth and twentieth centuries. It has a Roud Folk Song Index
Roud Folk Song Index
The Roud Folk Song Index is a database of 300,000 references to over 21,600 songs that have been collected from oral tradition in the English language from all over the world...
number of 19237.
Lyrics
Versions of this rhyme vary. Some common versions are:- Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief;
- Taffy came to my house and stole a piece of beef;
- I went to Taffy's house, Taffy wasn't in;
- I jumped upon his Sunday hat and poked it with a pin.
- Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a sham;
- Taffy came to my house and stole a piece of lamb;
- I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was away,
- I stuffed his socks with sawdust and filled his shoes with clay.
- Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a cheat,
- Taffy came to my house, and stole a piece of meat;
- I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was not there,
- I hung his coat and trousers to roast before a fire.
Origins and history
The term "Taffy" may be a merging of the common Welsh name "Dafydd" and the Welsh river "Taff" on which CardiffCardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
is built, and seems to have been in use by the mid-eighteenth century. The rhyme may be related to one published in Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book, printed in London around 1744, which had the lyrics:
- Taffy was born
- On a Moon Shiny Night,
- His head in the Pipkin,
- His Heels upright.
The earliest record we have of the better known rhyme is from Nancy Cock's Pretty Song Book, printed in London about 1780, which had one verse:
- Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief;
- Taffy came to my house and stole a piece of beef;
- I went to Taffy's house, Taffy wasn't home;
- Taffy came to my house and stole a marrow-bone.
Similar versions were printed in collections in the late eighteenth century, however, in Songs for the Nursery printed in 1805, the first signs of violence were evident, ending with:
- I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was in bed,
- I took the marrow bone and beat about his head.
In the 1840s James Orchard Halliwell collected a two verse version that followed this with:
- I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was not in;
- Taffy came to my house and stole a silver pin.
- I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was in bed;
- I took up a poker and threw it at his head.
This version seems to have been particularly popular in the English counties that bordered Wales, where it was sung on Saint David's Day
Saint David's Day
Saint David's Day is the feast day of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales, and falls on 1 March each year. The date of 1 March was chosen in remembrance of the death of Saint David. Tradition holds that he died on that day in 589...
(1 March) complete with leek-wearing effigies of Welshmen. The image of thieving Welshmen seems to have begun to die down by the mid-twentieth century, although the insulting rhyme was, still sometimes used along with the name "Taffy" for any Welshman.