British & other versions 3A. Constant Farmer's Son
Taylor Broadside (London) c. 1832 attributed to G. Brown
[According to Belden[1], the Taylor broadside, titled "The Merchant's Daughter and Constant Farmer's Son," (see above) is the earliest broadside and was dated 1830-1840. Belden did not place much significance of G. Brown's authorship although his name appears at the end of the ballad text[2]. Not much is known about George Brown. According to James Hepburn, this is one of over 20 broadsides George Brown of London wrote. Hepburn give the date of Brown's ballads for Taylor as 1833-1838 with circa 1837 as the likely date. According to Steve Roud, the date should be about 1832, but before 1837 which are the approximate dates Taylor printed at 16 Waterloo Road.
Brown used a similar theme and a few particulars from "The Bramble Briar" and suggested the tune be sung to "Young Edwin in the Lowlands." Brown's broadside was widely printed. Perhaps the next print was The Pitts broadside which I've dated 1832-1844 and has the imprint: "Pitts Printer and Toy Warehouse 6 Great St Andrew Street Seven Dials." The Pitts broadside text is identified by the spelling of crystal: "chrystal." Another broadside dated c. 1840 with the imprint: "W. & T. Fordyce, Printers, Dean Street, Newcastle. To be had also at No. 43, Myton Gate, Hull" is identical to the Taylor broadside except "hopes was vain" was corrected (hopes were vain).
Because Brown's text from the 6th stanza to the 8th is clearly based on "The Bramble Briar" it raises the question of where Brown obtained his knowledge of the ballad in the 1830s. The Bramble Briar is thought to have been a broadside based on a translation (1620 or 1702) of one of Boccaccio's stories written about 1353. Since no version from print has survived and no traditional version was collected until 1904, Brown either had a print copy or heard the ballad sung in oral circulation. A recently discovered version[3] of Bramble Briar was published in London in 1838 so the ballad was being sung at that time.
The Constant Farmer's Son broadside text is nearly identical to the first "traditional" UK version[4] collected by Lucy Broadwood which was sung by Mr. Henry Burstow in 1893. This traditional version differs from the Pitts broadside in the last line of the first stanza: "For only a farmer's son. . ." whereas Burstow sings, "For only one, a farmer's son. . .", hyphenated words (Lov'd etc.) and the spelling of "crystal" in the fifth stanza which is spelled "chrystal."
For other broadsides see headnotes (main page) and also Johnson Ballads 1223, Harding B 16(148a), Firth c.18(183), Johnson Ballads 1947, Harding B 11(2402), "The Merchant's Daughter and Constant Farmer's Son"; Johnson Ballads 2675, "Merchant's Daughter" or "Constant Farmer's Son" ("It's of a merchant's daughter in London town did dwell"); and 2806 b.9(265), "The Constant Farmer's Son."
The broadside ballad entered tradition by the mid to late 1800s and (as mentioned above) was collected in Horsham in 1893. Traditional versions have been collected mainly in southern England in the early 1900s. Versions were also sung in Ireland[5] in the early 1900s where the ballad has recently been collected-- indicating an active tradition even today.
The last stanza of the Irish versions, beginning with John Maguire's (c. 1920s), has the brothers' bodies being given to doctors "for to practice by" "but Mary's thoughts both night and day, On her dead love did run; In the madhouse cell poor Mary dwells, For her constant farmer's son." The ending is usually corrupt and many of these last stanzas have only three lines. Here is a four-line ending similar to Maguire's as learned from William Quigley:
These villains they were found guilty and for that same did die,
The doctors got their bodies all for to practice by,
But Mary’s thoughts both night and day on her true love they do run,
In a madhouse cell young Mary dwells for her constant farmer's son.
R. Matteson 2016]
Footnotes:
1. Boccaccio, Hans Sachs, and the Bramble Briar by H. M. Belden published in PMLA, Vol. 33, No. 3 (1918), pp. 327-395.
2. Belden says in his Boccaccio article: "Taylor of Waterloo Road, who printed ballads about 1830-40, issued a copy to which is appended the name of G. Brown; and worthless as such signatures to printed ballads generally are, he may have been the fashioner of this version."
3. Stanzas of The Bramble Briar ballad, collected in the early 1900s, was discovered in 2016 printed in Tales About Christmas by Peter Parley (Samuel Griswold Goodrich), London, 1838.
4. Baring-Gould's version by John Woolrich was published with entirely different text as "Country Farmer's Son" in 1892 (Songs of the West)-- it is not a version. In Baring-Gould's MS, three different texts, all variants of Constant Farmer's Son, are all attributed to Woolrich-- one is dated 1888 and another 1898. If authentic, the 1888 text of Constant (Contented) Farmer's Son was collected at an earlier date that Broadwood's.
5. Besides John Maguire's (Co Fermanagh) version circa 1920, the notes about a 1949 version from NY say: "The fuller one, which follows, was sung to me by an old Irishman, who learned it in Ireland many years ago." Lomax also collected a version from an Irishman who lived in Michigan in 1938.
CONTENTS: (To access individual versions click on the highlighted blue title below or on the title attached to this page on left hand column- see green border)
1) Merchant's Daughter- G. Brown (Lon) c.1832 Taylor Broadside
2) Constant Farmer's Son- Maurice Cardy (Ess) c.1870 Dr. Wood
3) Contended Farmer's Son- J. Woolrich (Devon) 1888 Baring-Gould MS
4) Merchant's Daughter- Henry Burstow (Sus) 1893 Broadwood
5) Constant Farmer's Son- W. Nott (Dev) 1904 Sharp MS
6) Constant Farmer's Son- Eliza Small (Som) 1905 Sharp MS
7) Constant Farmer's Son- Henry Larcom (Som) 1905 Sharp MS
8) Constant Farmer's Son- G. Bowditch (Dor) 1906
Constant Farmer's Son- George Digweed (Ham) 1906
Constant Farmer's Son- Jack Barnard (Som) 1907
Constant Farmer's Son- J. Channon (Hamp) 1907
Constant Farmer's Son- Mrs. Barnes (Hamp) c.1908
Constant Farmer's Son- Eliz Nation (Som)1908 Blunt
Constant Farmer's Son- Eliz Edbrook (Som) 1908
Constant Farmer's Son- Harry James (Devon) 1908
Constant Farmer's Son- James Lovell (Som) 1908
Merchant's Daughter- (Wilt) c.1917 Alfred Williams
Constant Farmer's Son- John Maguire (Ferm) c.1920
Constant Farmer's Son- Josie Connors (Wick) c.1973
Constant Farmer's Son- Tom Lenihan (Knock) 1977
Constant Farmer’s Son- John Lyons (Cork) 1978
Constant Farmer's Son- J. McDermott (Ferm) 1980
Constant Farmer’s Son- Jimmy Doherty (Don) 1984
Constant Farmer's Son- McDaid/Houten (Don) 1988
Constant Farmer’s Son- Grace Toland (Don) 1990
Constant Farmer's Son- Theresa Houten (Don) 1991
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Merchant's Daughter and Constant Farmer's Son- Printed by Taylor, 16, Waterloo Road, near the Victoria Theatre, London c. 1832-1837, signed G. Brown.
It's of a merchant's daughter in London town did dwell,
So modest, fair and handsome, her parents lov'd her well.
She was admired by lord and squire, but all their thoughts were vain,
For only a farmer's son, young Mary's heart did gain.
Long time young William courted her, and fixed their wedding day,
Their parents all consented, but her brothers both did say
There lives a lord who pledged his word, and him she shall not shun;
We will betray and then we'll slay her constant farmer's son.
A fair was held not far from town these brothers went straightway,
And asked young William's company with them to pass the day;
But mark-- returning home again they swore his race was run,
Then with a stake the life did take of her constant farmer's son.
These villains then returning home, oh sister they did say,
Pray think no more of your false love, but let him go his way,
For it's truth we tell, in love he fell, and with some other one,
Therefore we come to tell the same of the constant farmer's son.
As on her pillow Mary lay, she had a dreadful dream,
She dreamt she saw his body lay down by a crystal stream,
Then she arose; put on her clothes-- to seek her love she run,
When dead and cold, she did behold her constant farmer's son.
The salt tear stood upon his cheeks, all mingled with his gore,
She shriek'd in vain, to ease her pain, and kiss'd him ten times o'er,
She gathered green leaves from the trees, to keep him from the sun,
One night and day she pass'd away with her constant farmer's son.
But hunger it came creeping on, poor girl she shriek'd with woe;
To try and find his murderer she straightway home did go,
Saying parents dear, you soon shall hear, a dreadful deed is done,
In yonder vale lies dead and pale my constant farmer's son.
Up came her eldest brother and said it is not me,
The same replied the younger one, and swore most bitterly,
But young Mary said don't turn so red, nor try the laws to shun,
You've done the deed, & you shall bleed for my constant farmer's son
Those villains soon they owned the guilt, and for the same did die;
Young Mary fair in deep despair, she never ceased to cry.
The parents they did fade away, the glass of life was run,
And Mary cried, in sorrow died for her constant farmer's son.
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Lucy Broadwood, 1908, English Traditional Songs and Carols, London, Boosey
Lucy Broadwood wrote:
The words are on ballad-sheets by Such and other printers. They should be compared with those of `Bruton Town " (Folk Songs from Somerset, Series i.).Both ballads have for their plot a story strangely like that in Boccaccio's Decameron, which, though versified in delightful and homely fashion by Hans Sachs, is chiefly familiar to English readers through Keats' poem °` Isabella and the Pot of Basil." "Bruton Town" has many more points of likeness to Boccaccio's story than has the foregoing ballad ; but it is possible that both the Somerset and Sussex versions are based on the old tale, seeing that Boccaccio's " Story of Patient Grisilda" survives in doggerel form on a broadside of the 17th century (see Roxburghe Coll.), and that the classics provided much material for the early ballad-makers.
The Merchant's Daughter- Sung by Mr. H. Burstow, 1893
It's of a merchant's daughter in London town did dwell,
So modest, fair and handsome, her parents loved her well.
She was admired by lord and squire, but all their thoughts were vain,
For only one, a farmer's son. young Mary's heart did gain.
Long time young William courted her, and fixed their wedding day,
Their parents all consented, but her brothers both did say
"There lives a lord who pledged his word, and him she shall not shun;
We will betray and then we'll slay her constant farmer's son."
A fair was held not far from town; these brothers went straightway,
And asked young William;s company with them to pass the day;
But mark - returning home again they swore his race was run,
Then, with a stake, the life did take of her constant farmer's son.
These villians then returning home "O sister," they did say,
"Pray think no more of your false love, but let him go his way,
For it's truth we tell, in love he fell, and with some other one;
Therefore we come to tell the same of the constant farmer's son."
As on her pillow Mary lay, she had a dreadful dream,
She dreamt she saw his body lay down by a crystal stream,
Then she arose, put on her clothes, to seek her love did run ,
When dead and cold, she did behold her constant farmer's son.
The salt tear stood upon his cheeks, all mingled with his gore,
She shrieked in vain, to ease her pain, and kiss'd him ten times o'er,
She gathered green leaves from the trees, to keep him from the sun,
One night and day she passed away with her constant farmer's son.
But hunger it came creeping on; poor girl she shrieked with woe;
To try and find his murderer she straightway home did go,
Saying "Parents dear, you soon shall hear, a dreadful deed is done,
In yonder vale lies, dead and pale, my constant farmer's son."
Up came her eldest brother and said "It is not me,"
The same replied the younger one, and swore most bitterly,
But young Mary said "Don;t turn so red, nor try the laws to shun,
You've done the deed and you shall bleed for my constant farmer's son!"
Those villains soon they owned the guilt, and for the same did die;
Young Mary fair, in deep despair, she never ceased to cry;
The parents they did fade away, the glass of life was run,
And Mary cried, in sorrow died for her constant farmer's son.
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Notes from Sharp's 100 English Folk Songs mention Constant Farmer's Son; No. 12. BRUTON TOWN. Also Folk songs from Somerset gathered and edited with pianoforte accompaniment; edited by Cecil James Sharp, Charles Latimer Marson, 1904
"A rather similar story is printed on a ballad-sheet by Such, called 'The Constant, Farmer's Son.' A merchant has sons, and one daughter, who is courted by a farmer's son. The brothers wishing their sister to marry a lord invite the farmer's son to spend the day at a fair with them, and kill him with a stake. The sister, Mary, dreams that she sees her lover dead down by a crystal stream, and going there finds his corpse. She sees her brothers' guilty faces, and brings them to justice. They are punished with death; their parents fade away, and so does Mary 'for her Constant Farmer's Son.' The words of 'Bruton Town,' however, suggest Boccaccio more strongly than the former ballad. See Folk-Song Journal, Vol. I, p. 160."
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Constant Farmer's Son- version 5 from Mudcat, no source given or found online. Has modern ending similar to Irish versions.
Once a rich farmer's daughter, in Limerick Town did dwell,
She was modest, meek, and handsome, and her parents loved her well,
She was admired by lords and squires, but their love was all in vain,
There was but one, a farmer's son, that Mary's heart would gain.
A long time Willie courted her, and appointed their wedding day,
Her parents they consented, but her brothers had this to say,
There is a squire who pledged his word, and him you shall not shun,
For we will betray, and we will slay, your constant farmer's son.
There was a fair held near the town, and her brothers they went there,
They asked young Willie's company, with them to spend the day,
The day went on, the fair was gone, they said your race is run,
'Twas with a knife, they took the life, of her constant farmer's son.
As Mary on her pillow lay, she had an awful dream,
She dream't she saw young Willie, lying dead all in a stream,
Up Mary rose, put on her clothes, in search of her love did run,
'Twas pale and cold, she did behold, her constant farmer's son.
The tears ran down her rosy cheeks, and mingled with his gore,
And to relieve her troubled heart, she kissed him o'er and o'er,
She gathered green leaves from the trees, to shade him from the sun,
That night and day, she passed away, with her constant farmer's son.
As the hunger it came creeping on, poor Mary wept with woe,
Then home to find those murderers, she straight away did go,
Saying parents dear, you soon shall hear, of the dreadful deed that's done,
In yonder vale, lies cold and pale, my constant farmer's son.
Up stepped the youngest brother, and said it was not me,
The same replied the others, but swore more bitterly,
Oh brothers dear, don't lie severe, don't try the law to shun,
You've done the deed, and you shall bleed, for my constant farmer's son.
The brothers they were taken, and sent away to jail,
bound down for by strong irons, their sins for to prevail,
The jury found them guilty, and the Judge to them did say,
For the murdering of young Willie, your lives in forfeit pay.
The brothers soon the death did own, and for the same did die,
And where they were beheaded, their bodies still do lie,
The thoughts of her own true love, still in her mind do run,
In a mad house cell, poor Mary does dwell, for her constant farmers son.
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Around the Hills of Clare (Review)
Musical Traditions Records MTCD331-2
This, however, is a very minor point in comparison to the notes on the seventh song, The Constant Farmer's Son. The authors first refer to the age of its subject matter before noting that its tale of 'social misalliance and murder' also appears in the form of the song Bruton Town (or The Bramble Briar) 'which F J Child rejected when compiling his ballad collection'.
Since Jim and Pat do not tell us the grounds for Child's rejection it is difficult to understand why they have chosen to include the point in relation to The Constant Farmer's Son which, considering the antiquity of the tale and its popularity around Europe, might have sprung from a completely different source. However, since they have raised the issue, let us delve a little further.
The crux is not only whether Child 'rejected' the ballad Bruton Town, but whether the collector was even aware of its existence. Cecil Sharp, for instance, states categorically that it was one of the few ballads which Child missed.One Hundred English Folksongs, Oliver Ditson Co. Boston, 1916, p. xvii.20 while, writing some sixty years later, Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger remark that 'it is somewhat surprising that the ballad does not appear to have been reported from tradition until the present century'.Travellers’ Songs from England and Scotland, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1977, p.106).21
Steve Roud's Folksong and Broadsheet indexes more than one hundred references for the song Bruton Town, twenty of which do not specify a date of collection. All but one of the remainder was collected in the twentieth century and the exception (and, therefore, the only one prior to Child's death in 1896) comes from Harold Thompson's A Pioneer SongsterHarold Thompson A Pioneer Songster: Texts from the Stevens-Douglass Manuscript of Western New York, 1841-1856, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, 1958.22 which was edited from the Stevens-Douglass manuscript compiled in the 1840s. However, the fact that the manuscript was not discovered until 1937 almost certainly precludes any possibility that Child was aware of its existence.
Consequently, if Jim and Pat have any evidence to support their contention, then they should have supplied it (and a supportive reference). If they have no such evidence, then they should not have included their assertion.
One striking omission is the absence of John Maguire's singing of The Constant Farmer's Son from the discographical references Come Day, Go Day, God Send Sunday (Leader LEE 4062).23, seemingly the only Irish recording prior to the one from Josie Connors which is cited.
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Missing versions:
George Belton of Madehurst, Arundel, Sussex, sang The Constant Farmer’s Son to Sean Davies and Tony Wales on January 29, 1967. This recording was included in the same year on his EFDSS album All Jolly Fellows …. Tony Wales commented in the sleeve notes:
This is a classic love story, as used by Boccaccio, Keats and Hans Sachs. (The same story is also found in the song Bruton Town.) Although fairly well known, it does not appear in the Child collection of English and Scottish Ballads. Versions were printed in Broadwood: English Traditional Songs and Ballads; and the Folk Song Society Journal.
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