Green, Thomas

Singer

Collection date: Aug 1908

Area: Somerset - Mendips (Harptree & Priddy)

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Thomas Green at Wells Union Workhouse (1848-1919): age 59, 1 song ‘Dilly song’ 26 Aug 1908: Sharp collected 7 versions of this song in Somerset – it’s sometimes known as ‘Green grow the rushes o’. Sharp published the version by Mrs Jane Chapman of East Harptree. Thomas Green’s version was published in Still Growing (EFDSS 2003 p107).

He was baptised George Thomas Green at Wells St Cuthbert church on 2/2/1848, 3rd of 10 children of George Green, labourer and his wife Elizabeth. Although George Green died in 1874, his wife Elizabeth lived at the same address 23, Southover, Wells for 40 years. In 1881 she was a widow, aged 50, supported by 6 working sons, all bachelors. Thomas was the eldest and was a shoemaker in each census. He never married and was in the Union workhouse at the 1901 census, aged 56 (RG13/2316 f101 p2). He died April qr 1919 (Wells 5c 511).