Ballads- 1905 Kidson, Sharp, Broadwood, Vaughn Williams

Ballads
by Frank Kidson, Cecil J. Sharp, Lucy E. Broadwood, Ralph Vaughan Williams
Journal of the Folk-Song Society, Vol. 2, No. 7 (1905), pp. 105-114

BALLADS

20.-LORD THOMAS AND FAIR ELEANOR
SUNG BY MRS. MARY ROWSELL (AGED 8o).
Tuuten otedib y H. E. D. HammttontMd, lay,1 905. OF GREENWAYR OAD, TAUNTON, SOMERSET.
A'ta,er s/ow.
Lord Tho mas he was a bold fo- res ter, The cha - se ner of the King's
.-141 __~~~~17_
deer. Fair E - leanor she was a fair wo-man, Lord Thomas h bey - ed her dear
0 riddle. 0 riddle, dear mother," he said,
"0 riddle it both as one,
Whether I shall marry fair Ellen, or not,
And leave the brown girl alone."
"The brown girl, she've a-got houses and land,
Fair Ellen, she've a-got none;
Therefore I charge thee to my blessing,
The brown girl bring safe t' home."
Lord Thomas, he went to fair Eleanor's bower,
He knocked so loud on the ring;
There is none so ready as fair Eleanor's self
To let Lord Thomas in.
"What news, what news, Lord Thomas? " she said,
What news has thou brought unto me?"
"I'm come to invite thee to my wedding,
And that is bad news for thee."
"0, God forbid, Lord Thomas," she cried, 0 That any such thing should be done!
I thought to have been the bride myself,
And you to have been the bride-groom!"
" 0 riddle, 0 riddle, dear mother," she said,
"0 riddle it both as one,
Whether I shall go to Lord Thomas' wedding,
Or whether I tarry at home?"
"There's many that are thy friends, daughter,
And many that are thy foe;
Betide thy life, or betide thy death,
To Lord Thomas' wedding don't go.'
105
There's many that are my friends, mother,
And many more are my foe;
Betide my life, or betide my death,
To Lord Thomas' wedding I'll go!"
She dressed herself all in her 'tire,
And merry men all in green;
And every town that she went through,
They took her to be some queen.
0, when she came to Lord Thomas' tower,
She knocked so loud on the ring,
There was none so ready as Lord Thomas himself,
To let the fair Eleanor in.
The brown girl, she had a little pen-knife,
Which was both long and sharp;
Between the long ribs and the short
She pricked fair Eleanor's heart.
And so the three lovers did meet together,
And asunder they did part.
The ballad is certainly old. Ritson speaks of it as a minstrel song. Versions are
to be found in many ballad-books, including Old Ballads, I723, and it is found on
broadsides of early and of late date.
Compare the tune here given with "To-morrow is St. Valentine's Day," in
Chappell's edition.-F. K.
SECOND VERSION.
SUNG BY MRS. CHIDELL,
Tune noted by R. Vaughan Willianms. AT BOURNEMOUTH, 1902.
The above tune was noted from the singing of Mrs. Chidell, lately deceased, at
an advanced age. Her sister, Miss Thrupp, writes as follows: "1W e learnt this
ballad and others (" Long Lankin, etc."), words and music, from hearing MIrs. H.
Waring sing them at Lyme Regis. I believe she came from Somersetshire, but it
does not necessarily follow that they were obtained from Somersetshire people."
io6
THIRD VERSION.
SUNGB Y MR. F. WHEELER(G ROOM),
Tutnten oted by Annie Webb. NEAR WEOBLEY, HEREFORDSHIRE,1 904
dl___ ---- --zzIIz
Lord Thomas, he was a bold fo res- ter, A keep-ing of the King's deer. Fair
_ _ _ k _ _ _ . s_~ ~ - _ __ _ __._
El - i - nor she was the fair - est wo - man,Lord Thomas he lov id her dear.
Las. Ve-se.
And ev - er so soon they part .'......... Oh, you who dig my
grave, Pray dig it both wide and deep ....... And bu- ry fair E li nor
. L
at my right hand, And the lit - tle brown girl at my feet ......... That if
> > ~~~~WWt ,^ .?i-l ' Ffi JJw .
ev er my moth -er she do pass by, She may sit down and weep."
FOURTH VERSION.
SUNG BY MRS. COCKRAM,
Tune tnoted b) Cecil . Sharp. AT MESHAW, N. DEVON. JAN. 9TH, 1904.
Mod6-ato.
Lord Tho -mas he was a...... fur -est er bold, And
_- -M=~~~~~~~~~~~~W--
keep - er of our King's deer .F......... Fair El- ean . our she was the
fair est young la- dy, Lord Tho- mas he loved her dear.
107
NIrs. Cockram's version of the words is nearly identical with Mrs. Rowsell's up to
-he eleventh verse. The last lines of verse five runs however:
" I'm come to bid thee to my weddiDg,
Beneath the sycamore tree."
After the eleventh verse Mrs. Cockram sang as follows:
He taketh her by the lily-white hand,
And led her through the hall,
And sat her in the noblest chair,
Amongst the ladies all.
"Is this your bride, Lord Thomas? " she said,
1'M ethinkss he looks wonderfullyb rown;
When you used to have the fairest young lady
That ever the sun shone on."
"Despise her not," Lord Thomas then said,
i Despise her not unto me;
For more do I love thy little finger
Than all her whole body."
The brown girl had a little pen-knife,
Which was both long and sharp;
'Twixt the small ribs and the short,-she pricked
Fair Eleanor to the heart.
0, what is the matter? " Lord Thomas then said,
"0 O, can you not very well see?
0, can you not see my own heart's blood
Come trickling down my knee? "
Lord Thomas, he had a sword by his side,
As he walked through the hall;
He cut his own bride's head off her shoulders,
And threw it against the wall.
He plut the handle to the grouna,
The sword into his heart.
No sooner did three lovers meet,
No sooner did they part.
(Spoken.) '" Make me a grave, both long and wide,
And lay fair Eleanor by my side,
And the brown girl at my feet."
(Sung.) Lord Thomas was buried in the church,
Fair Eleanor in the choir;
And out from her bosom there grew a red rose,
And out of Lord Thomas the briar.
It grew till it reached the church tip top,
Where it could grow no higher;
And then it entwined like a true lover's knot,
For all true loves to admire.
io8
FIFTH VERSION.
Tune noted by Cecil 7. Sharp. SUNG BY MRS. POND,
MIXOLYDIAN. AT SHEPTON BEAUCHAMP, SOM., SEPT. 3RD, 1904.
"A hun - dred of thy friends dear child, A
hun - dred of tly foes, Be - fore I beg thee with
p 5 _ .~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~all my bless - ina For Lord Thom-as his wedd-ing don't go.
Mrs. Pond's words consisted of nine verses only, for the most part like the corresponding
verses in the previous version. Verses seventeen and eighteen were given
by Mrs. Pond as follows:
Lord Thomas, he walked up and down in the room,
With his sword hung by his side;
He took off the brown girl's head from her shoulders,
And flung it against the wall.
"There's one towards the brown girl," he cried,
"There's another towards my heart; "
There is never three lovers should meet together C. J. S.
Whatever shall soon depart.
Cf. " Lord Thomas and Fair Ellinor, or The Nutbrown Bride," and "Fair Alargaret
and Swveet\ W'illiam" in Percy's Reliqtes, and the many versions with notes
thereon, in Child's English, anid Scottish Ballads.
The -words given above follow very closely the broadside version (Catnach). For
other, and quite distin(', tunes, see Engollish CouniztyS ongs, and " Lord Thomas and
Fair Annet" in Smiiitlh'Ss cottish Minstrel, Ritson's Scottish Sontgs, and Johnson's
Scots MuIsicail Muiseuw. Also Sandy's Christmaits Carols (i833), Chappell's Poptllar
MuIsic, Kidson's Traditionial Tunles, and Christie's Traditionial Ballad Airs (see
"Sweet WVilliaen d Annie, or the Nut Brown Bride," and " Fair Annet.")-L. E. B.
21.-THE CRUEL MOTHER.
SUNG BY MRS. A. R. MARTIN,
Tunie noted by, MlissEsther [Vhite, Neuw7 erset , U.S.A. OF ANCORAGE,K ENTuCKYU, .S.A.
"My dear lit tle child-ren, if you were mine, All a-lone, and a lo - ney 0! I'd
dres you up in silk so fine, Down by the green-wood-y si dey, 0 1
109
In Child's English and Scottish Ballads there are many versions of this ballad.
The plot is that of a young woman who stabs and buries her twin infants. She one
day sees two children playing near her father's castle, and addresses them in the
words here given. The children say that they are hers, upbraid her for her cruelty,
and tell her that they are preparing a place in hell for her. A Danish ballad on the
same subjedi is curiously like the Scottish and English versions, and "a ballad
spread all over Germany is probably a variation of ' The Cruel Mother,' though the
resemblance is rather in the general chara6ler than in the details " (Child).
Mliss Esther White, who communicates this song, writes that Mrs. A. R. Martin
learned it as a child from the singing of her great-aunt, and that "lately she heard
it again, sung by a poor ' mountain white' child in the North Carolina Mountains."
Mrs. MIartin was unable to send more than the verse here printed. It corresponds
most closely with one in a version quoted by Child from the "' MIotherwell MS." and
which Motherwell "noted from Agnes Laird, Kilbarchan, in I825."
Mrs. Mlartin'st une should be compared with that of " Brave Earl Brand ". in Reay
and Stokoe's Songs of Northern England, and "Hynde Horne" in Motherwell's
Minstrelsv. In the later colle6ion there is a version of the " Cruel Mother" words,
with a different refrain however. For other tunes with words see "1 Fine Flowers of
the Valley ' in Smith's Scotish Minstrel, and " The Cruel Mother " in Child's
Ballads and Shropshire Folk-Lore.-L. E. B.
22.-GIL MORICE.
Learxed as a child, and noted by her grandson, SUNG BY MRS. GRANT.
the late Alfred 7. Hifkinis, F.S.A. (I77O-I838 )
Very, slow.
Gil Mo - rice sat in good green-wood, he whist -led and he sung "Oh,
-0-
-
-0
what means all these peo - ple comi-ing ? My mo ther tar - ries long-"
For versions of the words of this ballad see Percy's Reliques, and the colle6ions
of Motherwell, Jamieson and many others, under the title of " Gill Morice," " Childe
Maurice," "Child Norice," " Bob (Babe) Norice," etc. Consult also Child's
English and Scottish Popular Ballads for full information as to its history. In
Johnson's Museun, Smith's Scotish Minstrel, Ritson's Scottish Songs, and Christie's
ILO
Traditional Ballad A irs of Scotland, tunes are given to this ballad, but they have
no likeness to the air here printed.
Of the latter, the late Mr. Hipkins wrote: " This is not the recorded ' Gil Morice.'
I believe it was sung to this pathetic air by my great grandmother, Mary Fraser, and
if so it will be of Scottish origin, from Inverness, or Edinburgh possibly."
The story is of a jealous husband called " Lord Barnard, Bernard or Barnet"
(which, as Aytoun points out, is a name quite foreign to Scotland), or, in -one version
"John Steward." Lord Barnard, learning that his wife has planned a meeting with
Gil Morice in the greenwood, dresses himself in her clothes and rides thither. He
stabs Gil Morice whilst the youth is lifting him from horseback, cuts off lhis head,
and returning home, flings it with taunting words into Lady Barnard's lap, to learn
with horror that he has murdered his wife's son. The verse given by Mr. Hipkins
describes Gil Mlorice waiting for his mother.-L. E. B.
Judged by the first phrase the above tune is in the Phrygian mode; but this impression
is destroyed by the E natural in the cadence, which suggests a tune in the
2Eolian mode. The Phrygian mode is exceedingly rare in British folk-song. For a
note on this subje(t see "1 The trees they do grow high," first version, No. I5, in this
journal.-R. V. W.
23.-LONG LANKIN; OR, YOUNG LAMBKIN.
SUNG BY MRS. CHIDELL,
Ttuze notcd by Miss Chidell, and R. Vau(ghan Williams. AT BOURNEMOUTH, 1902.
Said my Lord to my La- dy, as he mount et' his
---1 --- r M-4 - I
i1_____i a * zzz _ _-
horse "Be - ware of Long Lan * kin that lives in the moss"V
Variantot f firstp hrase.
Said my Lord unto my Lady, as he went away,
Beware of Long Lankin that lives in the clay !
Let the doors be all bolted, the windows all pinned,
And leave not a loop-hole for Long Lankin to creep in!"
So he mounted his horse, and he rode away,
And he was in London before the break of day.
I I I
And the doors were all bolted, the windows all pinned,
All but one little loophole, where Long Lankin crept in.
"Where is the Lord of this house? " said Long Lankin.
"He's away in fair London," said the false nurse to him.
Where is the Lady of this house? " said Long Lankin.
She's up in her chamber," said the false nurse to him.
"Where is the little Lord of this house? " said Long Lankin.
"He's asleep in this cradle," said the false nurse to him.
"Then we'll pnrck him all over and over with a pin,
And we'll make my Lady to come down to him! "
So they pricked him all over and over with a pin,
And the nurse held the bason for the blood to flow in.
" Oh, nurse, how you slumber! oh, nurse, how you sleep!
You leave my little son Johnson to cry and to weep! "
"Oh, nurse! how you slumber! oh, nurse! how you snore
You leave my little son Johnson to cry and to roar!"
" I've tried him with milk, and I've tried him with pap,
Come down, my fair Lady, and nurse him in your lap."
"1I 've tried him with onions, I've tried him with pears,
Come down, my fair lady, and nurse him in your chairs."
" How can 1 come down? 'tis so late in the night,
There's no candle burning, nor moon to give light."
" You have three silver mantles, as light as the sun,
Come down, my fair Lady, all by the light of one!
So my lady came down the stairs, fearing no harm,
Long Lankin stood ready, to catch her in his arm.
"I Oh, spare me, Long Lankin ! Oh, spare me till twelve o'clock!
You shall have as much gold as you can carry on your back!"
"1O h, spare me, Long Lankin! Oh, spare me one hour!
You shall have my daughter Betsy, she is a fair flower "
Where is your daughter Betsy ? She may do some good;
She can holddth e bason to catch your life's blood."
* * *
Lady Betsy sat up at her window so high,
She saw her dear father from Lujdon riding by.
"#O h, father! oh, father! don't lay the blame on me!
'Twas the false nurse and Lankin that killed your fair Lady!"
* * * *
So Long Lankin was hung on a gibbet so high,
The false nurse was burnt at a stake close by.
The singer altered the above tune occasionally, when introducing some of the
speakers in the ballad, but owing to her advanced age and delicate health her voice
tired, and I was unable to note the variants accurately enough to give. For the
source of Mrs. Chidell's ballads see note to "' Lord Thomas and Fair Eleanor,"
second version, in this Journal.-R. V. WV.
I I2
SECOND VERSION.
SUNG BY MR. THOMAS COLCONMBE,
Titune nioted bj' A. Webb. Al WEOBLEY, HEREFORDSHIRE, I905.
Saidl the lord to the la dy "I'm go ing from home,
Be - ware of false Lamb kin When I am far gone.
"Oh,what care I for Lamb - kin, Or an - y of his men? When the
w- -
doors arc fast bolt - ed, And the win - dows penned in.
For three different tunes, all distin(1 from the airs here given, and different versions
of the words, see Folk-Song, _5ournal, No. 4, p. 212 ("Bold Lankon "), Smith's
Scottish Minstrel, and Christie's Traditional Ballad Airs of Scotland.
The words here printed follow fairly closely those reprinted in Child's English and
Scottish Popuilar Ballads, from Notes atndI Qiueries, 1856, which are there stated to
have been " sung by a nurse nearly a century ago in Northumberland."
T here is still a tradition in Northumberland that Lankin and his tower were of that
county, but the ballad is widely-spread, and many neighbourhoods claim to own the
only true and original site of the tragedy.
The Surrey version (see Folk-Sonig Yournal) is, as far as I know, the only one recorded
which attributes Lankin's conduC to his suit for Betsy having been discouraged
by the Lord her father.-L. E. B.
24.-THE YARMOUTH TRAGEDY; OR, NANCY OF YARMOUTH.
Noted by Mrs. GrahaameS, t. Leoniard's-onz-SeaA, pril, 1904.
Lo - vers I pray lend an ear to my sto - ry,
Take ail ex - am- ple by this cQn - stant pair, How a young maid. en was
blast in her glo . ry, Beau - ti - ful Nan - cy of Yar - mouth, we hear.
7 113
She wasner tatters uni y LaUgnter,
Heiress to fifteen hundred a year;
A young man courted her, to be his jewel,
Son to a farmer who lived quite near.
Seven long years he courted this jewel,
For, when in infancy they had agreed,
And when of age the fair couple arrived,
Cupid betwixt them an arrow displayed.
Her father bade him give o'er his intentions,
For if against his consent she should wed,
For evermore he resolved to disown her,
Should she wed with one that was meanly bred.
* * *
Mrs. Grahame writes "' This is all that I have ever heard. There is, I believe, a
good deal more of it. I learned it from the singing of a Kentish squire's daughters,
the last of whom died at a great age in 1865."
The above fragment of ballad is part of one printed on a broadside by W. Wright
of Lichfield and Birmingham. It has forty-six verses and is called " Nancy of
Yarmouth."-L. E. B.
This story appears also as "1J emmy and Nancy of Yarmouth " on an early broadside
and in a " garland; " and as " The Yarmouth Tragedy or the Constant Lovers "
on a ballad-sheet by John Evans, circa 1795. It seems to have been a favourite (in
spite of its usual form of forty-six stanzas) in the i8th, and early years of the igth,
century. After the verses supplied by Mrs. Grahame, the rest of the ballad may be
thus epitomized:
The parents objed to Jemmy's suit. Nancy, however, is true to her lover, and
the father ultimately promises that if this young man will go on a voyage he shall,
on his return, have the lady. Then follows much poetic language as to her crystal
tears and the constancy of her lover. He sails in the famed " Mary Galley" for
Barbadoes where, on arrival, his manly charms attract a young lady of wealth who
offers him " robes of gold, pearls and jewels," besides a hundred slaves.
He replies that he is already " vow'd to a lady," and the Barbadoes lady after
raving at her ill-fortune gives him a jewel, and stabs herself.
Jemmy now sets sail for England, and Nancy's father having written a letter to the
boatswain of the vessel offering a handsome reward if Jemmy is murdered, the deed
is at once done by his being thrown overboard. On that same night Jemmy's ghost
appears to Nancy, and without knowing that he is dead she agrees to meet him at
the seaside. She goes, with her two maids, and embraces him, saying he is "1 cold as
clay." The ghost reminds her of a promise to follow him anywhere, dead or alive, and
she accordingly plunges into the water with him. The two bodies floating together
are seen by the boatswain, who confesses his crime and is hanged at the yard-arm.
The ballad concludes with a moral hope " that cruel parents will not do the same."
A tune for this ballad is printed in Christie's Traditional Ballad Airs, Vol. ii, p.
282. Christie noted it down in Buchan, but does not give the ballad itself.-F. K.