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Hello.  

 

I was wondering whether anybody might have come across the phrase "lay in
fold" in regard to clothing (except for its occurrence in the lyric
sometimes called "Bridal Morn" or "The Cries of Durham").  The only source I
came across online-an 18th century dictionary-suggested that it could be
used to mean pleat, as women do with their headdresses, which I suppose
suggests that it is related to wearing an object. But  I also came across a
will (which I have subsequently irritatingly misplaced) that might have
implied that it meant placed in storage, with items lying in fold being
granted to somebody within the will.  

 

The song lyric itself reads "Silver is white, red is the gold / The robes
they lay in fold" (although the two lines may be separated by other lyrics
in the original and complete song, as only the soprano part survives).

 

Thanks for any assistance.

 

Thomas Larque.