No. 210: Bonnie James Campbell
[Several traditional versions have been collected in the US:
Listen: Bascom Lamar Lunsford- Bonnie George Campbell
Listen: Frank Profitt- James Campbell
For texts: see US and Canada Versions.
Barry (BBM, 1929) presents a two-stanza (which equals four stanzas in Child A) Scottish version from R.A. Smith in his c.1823 Scottish Minstrel.
R. Matteson 2012, 2016]
CONTENTS:
1. Child's Narrative
2. Footnotes (There are no footnotes for this ballad)
3. Brief (Kittredge)
4. Child's Ballad Texts A-D
5. End-notes
ATTACHED PAGES (see left hand column):
1. Recordings & Info: 210. Bonnie James Campbell
A. Roud No. 338: Bonnie James Campbell (41 Listings)
2. Sheet Music: 210. Bonnie James Campbell (Bronson's music examples and texts)
3. US & Canadian Versions
4. English and Other Versions (Including Child versions A-D with additional notes)]
Child's Narrative: 210. Bonnie James Campbell
A. Herd's Manuscripts, I, 40, II, 184.
B. Finlay's Scottish Ballads, 1808, I, xxxiii.
C. 'Bonnie George Campbell,' Smith's Scotish Minstrel, V, 42.
D. Cunningham's Songs of Scotland, III, 2.
A was copied by Sir Walter Scott (with slight variations) into a Manuscript at Abbotsford, 'Scottish Songs,' fol. 68 (1795-1806). The first half is printed from notes of Scott in Laing's edition of Sharpe's Ballad Book, pp. 143, 156 f, and to these two stanzas, nearly as here printed, there are added in the second case, p. 157, the following verses, which are evidently modern, with the exception of the last:
His hawk and his hounds they are wandered and gane,
His lady sits dowie and weary her lane,
His bairns wi greetin hae blinded their een,
His croft is unshorn, and his meadow grows green.
Scott subjoins, "I never heard more of this." He was familiar with Herd's Manuscripts.
C, like many things in the Scotish Minstrel, has passed through editorial hands, whence the 'never return' of st. 4, and 'A plume in his helmet, a sword at his knee,' st. 5. This copy furnished the starting point for Allan Cunningham, III, 1, who, however, substitutes Finlay's 'wife' for the Minstrel's 'bryde,' and presents her with three bairns.
Motherwell made up his 'Bonnie George Campbell' (Minstrelsy, p. 44) from B, C, D. In a manuscript copied out by a granddaughter of Lord Woodhouselee (1840-50), D is combined with Cunningham's ballad.
Motherwell says that this ballad "is probably a lament for one of the adherents of the house of Argyle who fell in the battle of Glenlivet, stricken on Thursday, the third day of October, 1594." Sir Robert Gordon observes that Argyle lost in this battle his two cousins, Archibald and James Campbell: Genealogical History of Sutherland, p. 229. Maidment, Scotish Ballads, 1868, I, 240, chooses to think that "there can be little doubt" that the ballad refers to the murder of Sir John Campbell of Calder by one of his own surname, in 1591, and alters the title accord ingly to 'Bonnie John Campbell.' Motherwell has at least a name to favor his supposition. But Campbells enow were killed, in battle or feud, before and after 1590, to forbid a guess as to an individual James or George grounded upon the slight data afforded by the ballad.
Motherwell's ballad is translated by Wolff, Halle der Völker, I, 79, Hausschatz, p. 226.
Brief Description by George Lyman Kittredge
The James Campbell of this ballad cannot be identified. C, like many things in the Scotish Minstrel, has passed through editorial hands.
Child's Ballad Texts
'Bonie James Campbell'- Version A; Child 210 Bonnie James Campbell
Herd's Manuscripts, I, 40, II, 184.
1 O it's up in the Highlands,
and along the sweet Tay,
Did bonie James Campbell
ride monie a day.
2 Sadled and bridled,
and bonie rode he;
Hame came horse, hame came sadle,
but neer hame cam he.
3 And doun cam his sweet sisters,
greeting sae sair,
And down cam his bonie wife,
tearing her hair.
4 'My house is unbigged,
my barn's unbeen,
My corn's unshorn,
my meadow grows green.'
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[Saddled and briddled] Version B; Child 210 Bonnie James Campbell
Finlay's Scottish Ballads, 1808, 1, xxxiii.
1 Saddled and briddled
and booted rade he;
Toom hame cam the saddle,
but never cam he.
2 Down cam his auld mither,
greetin fu sair,
And down cam his bonny wife,
wringin her hair.
3 Saddled and briddled
and booted rade he;
Toom hame cam the saddle,
but never cam he.
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'Bonnie George Campbell'- Version C; Child 210 Bonnie James Campbell
Smith's Scottish Minstrel, V, 42.
1 Hie upon Hielands,
and laigh upon Tay,
Bonnie George Campbell
rode out on a day.
2 He saddled, he bridled,
and gallant rode he,
And hame cam his guid horse,
but never cam he.
3 Out cam his mother dear,
greeting fu sair,
And out cam his bonnie bryde,
riving her hair.
4 'The meadow lies green,
the corn is unshorn,
But bonnie George Campbell
will never return.'
5 Saddled and bridled
and booted rode he,
A plume in his helmet,
a sword at his knee.
6 But toom cam his saddle,
all bloody to see,
Oh, hame cam his guid horse,
but never cam he!
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'Bonnie George Campbell'- Version D; Child 210 Bonnie James Campbell
Cunningham's Songs of Scotland, III, 2, communicated by Mr. Yellowlees.
1 High upon Highlands,
and low upon Tay,
Bonnie George Campbell
rode out on a day.
2 'My meadow lies green,
and my corn is unshorn,
My barn is to build,
and my babe is unborn.
End-Notes
A is written, and C printed, in stanzas of four long lines.
A. 11. Sharpe, 143, O wanting.
12. Scottish Songs and Sharpe, and wanting.
22. Scottish Songs, and gallant, as in C.
24. Sharpe, but hame cam na he.
44. Scottish Songs, meadows grow green.