The Two Sisters- Morris, McAllister and Bruce (Va) 1935; Wilkinson A
[My title. From Winston Wilkinson's manuscript book, version D (Bronson 28). Arthur Kyle Davis, Jr. hired Wilkinson briefly in 1934 to transcribe recorded music for the Virginia Folklore Society. His transcriptions appear in Davis' book, More Traditional Ballads. At least 7 of Wilkinson's transcriptions appear in Bronson "The Traditional Tunes," some the texts were probably collected by John Stone.
The three singers (Jane Morris, Lucy McAllister and Alice Bruce) are from the Brown's Cove in Virginia (Shenandoah area) that later collector George Foss wrote about in his excellent article (see online): From White Hall to Bacon Hollow. There are extensive interviews with informant Lucy McAllister.
R. Matteson 2014]
The Two Sisters- Morris (Va) 1935; Wilkinson A
1. There was an old woman in Nothern 'try[1],
Bow her down
There was an old woman in Nothern 'try,
The bough has bent to me
There was an old woman in Nothern 'try,
She had some daughters, two or three,
Love will be true, true to my love,
Love if my love will be true to me.
2. There went a young man went a-courting there,
He choose the youngest one was there[2].
3. He gave her a beaver hat,
The oldest one thought hard of that.
4. O sister, O sister, let's we walk out,
To see the ships go sailing about.
5. Across the brook they both did walk,
The oldest pushed the youngest off.
6. "O sister, O sister, O lend me your hand,
And you may have my house and land.
7. "I want neither your house or land,
For your true love I'm going to have."
8. Away she sunk and away she swum,
She swum on down to the miller's mill pond.
9. O miller, O miller, yonder swims a swan,
A-swimming about in your mill pond.
10. The miller ran out with his fish hook,
To fish the swan out of the brook.
11. "O[3] miller, O miller, here's five gold rings,
If you'll return me home again."
12. Off of her fingers he taken those rings,
And pushed her in the brook again.
13. The miller was hung at his own mill gate,
For drownding of his[4] sister Kate.
Footnotes:
1. country
2. so fair
3. they sing "Brother"
4. usually "my"