Henry's Songbook

Here's a health tae the sauters and the white gowd they make
Here's a health tae the sauters that drink in the Land o' Cakes

In the village o' Saut Preston whaur the maister's auld Cadell
For he owns five branders on the Forth and the coal to fire them as well
My faither's ta'en his oancoast shin just to feed his bairn and wife
Ay, and when that bloody deed was done Ah was thirled for a' my life

Noo a' the sauters ken me for they cry me Puddock Wull
Ah was boo-leggit when Ah was born and by God, Ah'm that way still
Ay but Ah can swim like ony fish that sair come oot the sea
Ay tae fetch the buckets the furthest oot there is nane as good as me

Ah've manned these brands these last ten years, Ah've worked as fast as Ah can
For every box a sauter fills there's copper in his hand
But the grieve he is a dowsie raif, he hates us every yin
He wad make your level drop so ye maun dae anither rin

Here's luck tae the sautwork smugglers, ay an' keep them frae the gaugers' hands
For they only tak' what they can spread tae the puir folk that hae nane
For they tax the saut a' heavy, and it shouldnae be taxed at a'
No it shouldnae be just for the rich, there's enough here for us a'

(as sung by Ceolbeg)

Land o' Cakes - local salters' pub and bakery (owned by an ex-salter)
Cadell - a family in Prestonpans who owned salt works and mine
brander - in its time an innovative type of salt pan with its own furnace built in
oancoast shin - When someone signed on or was taken on at the saltworks (or coalmine) he was given a pair of shoes. This meant he belonged to the master.
thirled - Offspring of men and women who had accepted oancoast shin automatically belonged to the master. People who left these jobs without permission were charged with stealing themselves and either imprisoned or transported.
puddock - frog
grieve - overseer, foreman, ex-worker, now boss's man
dowsie raif - uneducated illiterate fool