Piggott, Harry

Singer

Collection date:

Area: Cornwall

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Harry Edward Piggott of Dartmouth, Devon (1878-1966): Harry Piggott did not have a direct connection with Sharp but his collaboration with fellow intermediary Tom Miners brought him to Sharp's attention. Harry was a schoolteacher like Tom Miners and they teamed up occasionally as collectors (notably for James Thomas’ ‘Cherry Tree Carol’ in the Journal of the Folk-Song Society 1916). In Sept 1909 Piggott wrote a letter to Lucy Broadwood (LEB/6/30) about ‘The Dilly Song’ (Come and I will sing to you, what is your One O etc). He enclosed a version he had collected from James Alexander Osborne (1837-1912), a railway platelayer from Kenwyn, nr Truro. That song appears in Canow Kernow ed. Gundry 1966 (p37). Piggott also collected 9 sea shanties from John Perring (1855-1938), who joined the Merchant Navy in 1873 and was living in Dartmouth in 1901 (RG13/2069 f64 p30). All these shanties were published in the Journal of the Folk-Song Society.

Harry Piggott was born 18/11/1878 at Alton, Hants, son of Henry Piggott, professor of music, and his wife Emily. He was an only child. In 1911 he was listed as aged 32, schoolmaster, living at Rosewarne house, Dartmouth with wife Margaret and only child Audrey, aged 5 plus 2 servants. The 1939 Register shows him as a retired schoolmaster but on the staff of the BBC. He died on 25/7/1966 at Bournemouth.