Annotation:Maltman (1) (The)
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MALTMAN (COMES A/ON MONDAY), THE. AKA and see "Sir Roger de Coverley," "Old Roger a Coverdill," "Old Sir Roger a Coverdill." Scottish, English; Country Dance Tune (9/8 time). G Major (Bremner, Gow): D Major (Johnson): B Flat Major (Knowles). Standard or Scordatura (ADae) tuning (fiddle). AABBCC (Bremner, Gow): AABBCCDDEEFFGGHH (Knowles): AABBCCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJKKLL--- MMNNOOPPQQRRSSTTUU (Johnson {theme and variations}). A version of the seventeenth century country dance "Sir Roger de Coverly." The title comes from the first line of Allan Ramsay's words to the tune, published in his Tea-Table Miscellany (vol. 3, 1723); a maltman is one whose trade is to make malts e.g. for brewing. Robert Dauney (Ancient Melodies of Scotland, 1838, p. 260) says that the "Maltman" title appears in a Scottish manuscript dated 1706, in the possession of a Mr. Laing.
The tune appears in the Drummond Castle Manuscript (in the possession of the Earl of Ancaster at Drummond Castle), inscribed "A Collection of Country Dances written for the use of his Grace the Duke of Perth by Dav. Young, 1734," and in Robert Bremner's 1757 collection (p. 47). James Oswald included "The Malt-Man Comes on Monday" in his Caledonian Pocket Companion, book 9 (p. 9), printed in London in 1760. It was also included in the 1840 music manuscript of Waverton, Cumbria, musician John Rook (p. 189). "Malt Man" was published in A. Reinagle's A Selection of the Most Favorite Scot Tunes, published in Philadelphia in 1787 (p. 9), and in Johnson's Scots Musical Museum, vol. 5 (Edinburgh, 1797, p. 445).
Source for notated version: Bremner's 1759 Scots Tunes, p. 18 [Johnson].
Printed sources: Bremner (Scots Reels), c. 1757; p. 47. Carlin (Gow Collection), 1986; No. 462. Gow (Complete Repository), Part 2, 1802; p. 17. Johnson (Scottish Fiddle Music in the 18th Century), 1984; No. 33, pp. 89-91. Knowles (A Northern Lass), 1995; p. 22. Wilson (Companion to the Ball Room), 1816; p. 23.
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