English & Other 221. Katharine Jaffray
A British broadside ballad, titled The Squire Of Edinburgh, is a variant of Katharine Jaffray usually found in the US and Canada. It was was published by H. Such (London) sometime between 1849 and 1862, and archived at the Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads, shelfmark: Harding B 11(2364). This variant was mention in Child's Narrative, but not the broadside which Child must have not seen. This or a similar broadside was reported by Phillips Barry as found in the Williams Collection of Irish broadsides in the Providence Public Library. 'The Squire of Edinburgh' was also printed by Harkness of Preston, stock no. 396 (Cambridge University Library, Madden Collection).
CONTENTS:
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Broadside text:
THE SQUIRE OF EDINBURGH.
There was a squire in Edinburgh, and a squire of high degree,
And he courted a country girl, and a country girl was she,
But when her parents came to hear it, they unto her did say,
Still begging of their daughter dear to keep out of his way.
There was a farmer lived in the north, he had an only son,
And he courted this girl till he thought he had her won,
He got consent from her friends, her father and mother likewise,
But still she cried I am undone, and the tears fell from her eyes.
She wrote a letter to the squire, and sealed it with her hand,
That the was going for to he wed unto a farmer's son,
The very first line he looked on, he smiled and this did say,
I might deprive him of his bride all on the wedding day.
He wrote her back an answer that was both sharp and Leen,
Come dress yourself in green, and I'll dress in the same,
Come dress yourself in green, and I the same will wear,
And I will wed with you my dear in spite of all that's there.
He looked east, he looked west, he looked all o'er his land,
Until he picked out eight score all of the Scottish clan,
He mounted them on milk white steeds most beautiful to see,
And they're away to the wedding house, and a single man was he
When he came to the wedding house the company welcomed him there,
Saying have you seen the gentleman that rode along this way,
He laughed at them, he scoffed at them, and unto them did say,
They must have been some fairy troop that rode along this way.
They handed him a glass of wine, he drank to the company round,
Saying happy is the man, the man they call the groom,
But happier is the man he said, the man that will enjoy the bride,
Another might like her as well as him, and take her from his side.
Out bespoke the groom himself, and an angry man was he,
If it be for to fight you came, I am the man for thee,
It is not for to fight I came, but company for to show,
ive me one kiss from your lovely bride, and away from you I'll go
He took her by the middle so small, and by the grass green sleeve
He brought her out of the wedding house, of the company be asked no leave,
The drums did beat the trumpets sounded most glorious to be seen
And she's away to Edinburgh town, with the company dressed in green.
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KATHERINE JAFFRY (Lochnagar) Collected by Grieg, 1860.
Note: one version of the song on which Lochinvar was based.
Lochnagar cam frae the west
Into the low countrie;
An' he's coorted Kath'rine Jaffray,
An' stole her heart away.
Hame he cam, ane Amosdale,
Cam fae the north countrie,
An' he has gained her father's heart,
But an' her mother's tee.
A bridal day it then was set,
An' the bridal day cam on,
An' who appeared among the guests
But Lochnagar himsel?
A glass was filled o good red wine,
Weel drunk betwwen them twa;
Said he," I'll drink wi' you, bridegroom,
An' syne boun me awa.
A few words wi your bridesmaiden
I hope you'll grant me then.
I'm sure before her wedding day
I would have gotten ten."
Out spoke then the first groomsman,
An' an angry man was he,
Says, "I will keep my bonnie bride
Until the sun gae tee."
"Until the sun gae tee"' he said,
"Until the sun gae tee,
An' deliver her ower to her bridegroom,
Which is my duty to dee."
But he's taen her by the middle jimp,
An' never stoppit to ca',
He's taen her by the milk-white han'
An' led her through the ha'.
He leaned him ower his saiddle-bow,
An' kissed her cheek an' chin,
An' then he wissed them a' good nicht,
An' hoised her on ahin.
He drew a trumpet fae his breist,
An' blew baith loud an' shrill;
A hunner o well-airmed men
Cam Lochnagar until.
A hunner o weel-airmed men,
Wi milk-white steeds an' grey,
A hunner o weel-airmed men
Upon his wedding day.
Horsemen rode, an' bridesmen ran,
An' ladies in full speed,
But you wadna hae seen his yellow locks
For the dust o his horse's feet.
She turned in the saiddle-bow
Addressed her late bridegroom,
Says, "The compliments I got fae you,
I'll return them back again"
So Katharine Jaffray was marriet at morn,
An' she was marriet at noon;
She was twice marriet in ae day,
Ere she keest aff her goon.
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An Old Song
Collected by: Peggy Josephine Padden.
Carrowkerribla, Attymass, Ballina, Co. Mayo.
Collected from: John Gilboy (Farmer aged 77 yrs)
Drom Scoba, Foxford, Co. Mayo.
Bonnifinglas NS
There was a squire in Eddenburg town
And a squire of high degree
He courted a country girl
And a comely girl was she
When her father came to hear of it
An angry man was he
And he requested his daughter dear
To shun his company.
There was a farmer in the East
He had one only son
He courted a country girl
Till he thought he had her, one and all
He got consent from father and mother
From young and old likewise
But still she cried I am undone
As the tears rolled down her eyes.
She wrote her true loves love letters
And cealed it with her hand
And told him she was going to get wed
Unto a farmers son
The very first line that he looked oer
He smiled and this did say
I might deprive him off his bride.
Then he looked East and he looked West
And looked all round his land
Mounted up a score of men
All of a Scottish Clann
He mounted them on white steeds
And a single man rode he
And off to the wedding house he did go
With his company dressed in green.
You are welcome, you are welcome
What kept you out so late
Or did you see the gentleman
That passed along this way
He laughed at them, he scoffed at them
He smiled and this did say
The full of my glass of new port wine
And drank to the company’s play
Happy is the man he says that calls him the groom
Far happier is the man he says that would enjoy a bride
Another might like her as well as he
And take her from his side
Then up steps the intended groom
An angry man was he
If it’s for fight that you came here
It’s not for fight that I came
But friendship for to show
If you give me one kiss from your bonny, bonny bride
And away from you I’ll go
He took her by the lilly white-hand
And by the grass-green sleeve
And brought her out of the wedding house
Didn’t ask the company’s leave
The drums did beat the bugles sound
Most glorious to be seen
And off to Eddenburg he did go
With his company dressed in green
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"Folk Songs from Somerset" Cecil James Sharp, (Fifth Series) 1909
One Hundred English Folksongs
edited by Cecil James Sharp 1916
No. 16. The Green Wedding
The words of this ballad were sung to me to a very poor tune. I have, therefore, taken the liberty of mating them to a fine air which was sung to me to some very boisterous, unprintable words, called "The Boatsman and the Tailor." The occasional substitution of a minor for the major third in a Mixolydian tune is quite a common habit with English folksingers, and several examples of this may be seen in this volume (see Nos.46,47,and 53 [second version]); but for the major interval to follow the minor almost immediately is both curious and unusual. Miss Gilchrist has pointed out the close connection between "The Green Wedding" and the Scottish ballad "Katherine Janfarie," or "Jaffray," upon which Scott founded his ballad of "Lochinvar" in Marmion (see Child's English and Scottish Ballads; Motherwell's Minstrelsy; Sidgwick's Popular Ballads of the Olden 'Time; and Scott's Minstrelsy, 1st and 3d editions).
In the Scottish ballad, Katherine is wooed first by the Laird of Lauderdale, who wins her consent, and secondly by Lord Lochinvar "out frae the English border," who, however, omitted to avow his love to Katherine "till on her wedding e'en." The rivals meet at the "wedding house" and, in the fight that ensues, Katherine is carried off by her Scottish lover.
Whether our ballad is a corrupt and incomplete version of the Scottish one, it is difficult to say. Although the two have several lines in common, there is something in the plot of "The Green Wedding" which, despite its obscurity,
seems to indicate a motive which is absent from "Katherine Janfarie." The scheme of our story seems to turn upon the dressing in green of both hero and heroine at the wedding feast, but the purpose of their device is not clear.This, however, presented no difficulty to my singer, who, when I asked him why the hero dressed in green, said, "Because, you see, he had told his true-love to dress in green also;" and when I further inquired why he told her to do this, he said, "Because, of course, he was going to put on a green dress himself" — and there was clearly nothing more to be said!
It is just possible, as Miss Gilchrist observes, that the reference to the green dress may be a reminiscence of "Robin Hood and Allan-aDale;" or perhaps it has been suggested by the following stanza which occurs in "Katherine Janfarie:"
He's ta'en her by the milk-white hand,
And by the grass-green sleeve;
He's mounted her hie behind himself,
At her kinsmen speir'd na leave.
THE GREEN WEDDING.
1. There was a Squire lived in the East, a Squire of high degree,
Who went courting of a country girl, a comely maid was she;
But when her father heard of it, an angry man was he,
He requested of his daughter dear to shun his company.
[: To my rally, dally, dido,
Rally, dally, day. ;]
2. There was a farmer lived close by, he had an only son,
Who came courting of this girl until her love he thought he'd won ;
Her mother gave him her consent, her father his likewise,
Until she cried: I am undone! and tears fell from her eyes.
3. She wrote the Squire a letter, and sealed it with her hand,
And she said : This day I'm to be wed unto another man.
The first few lines he looked upon he smiled and thus did say:
O I may deprive him of his bride all on his wedding day.
4. He wrote her back another : Go dress yourself in green;
In a suit all of the same at your wedding I'll be seen ;
In a suit all of the same to your wedding Til repair,
O, my dearest dear, I'll have you yet in spite of all that's there.
5. He look-ed East, he look-ed West, he looked all o'er his land,
And there came to him full eight score men all of a Scottish band.
He mounted them on milk-white steeds, a single man rode he;
Then all the way to the wedding-hall went the company dressed in green.
6. When he came to the wedding-hall, they unto him did say:
You are welcome, Sir, you're welcome. Sir, where have you spent the day ?
He laughed at them, he scorned at them, and unto them did say :
You may have seen my merry men come riding by this way.
7. The Squire he took a glass of wine and filled it to the brim:
Here is health unto the man, said he, the man they call the groom;
Here's health unto the man, said he, who may enjoy his bride —
Though another man may love her too, and take her from his side.
8 Then up and spoke the farmer's son, an angry man was he:
If it is to fight that you come here, 'tis I'm the man for thee!
It's not to fight that I am here, but friendship for to show;
So let me kiss your bonny bride, and away from thee I'll go.
9 He took her by the waist so small, and by the grass-green sleeve,
And he led from the wedding-hall, of no one asking leave.
The band did play, the bugles sound, most glorious to be seen,
And all the way to Headingbourne Town went the company dressed in green.