Lord Randal My Son- Collected Christina Hole from a Birmingham washerwoman c. 1924
[My title changed to Henry My Son. Pronounced: Hen-er-y from the article, "Lord Randal, My Son" by Christina Hole
Folklore, Vol. 63, No. 3 (Sep., 1952), p. 181,
R. Matteson 2011, 2018]
To THE EDITOR OF Folk-Lore
SIR,--I read the version of Lord Randal, My Son, published in the March issue of Folk-Lore with great interest. It closely resembles a version which I heard about 1924 or 1925, but the ending, and also the source of the poison, is different. The tune also is slightly different.
The version I heard was collected from a Birmingham washerwoman exactly as she sang it, grammatical mistakes and all. She used to sing it whilst possing the clothes, and brought down the posser with a violent thump at the final curse. She told Miss Silver, who collected it from her, that she had first heard it from a man who came from Wales. I should perhaps add that this version was collected very shortly before I heard it. I enclose a copy of the verse in case you would like to see it and compare
it with Mr. Pafford's version.
Yours faithfully,
CHRISTINA HOLE
VERSION OF LORD RANDAL, MY SON
Where have you been all day, Henery my son?
Where have you been all day, my pretty one?
In the fields, dear mother,
In the fields, dear mother.
Make up my bed-I've a pain in my head,
And I want to lie down,
And I want to lie down.
What have you been eating, Henery my son?, etc.
Eels, dear mother, etc.
What colour were them eels, Henery my son?, etc.
Green and yaller, etc.
Who gave to you them eels, Henery my son?, etc.
My sister, dear mother, etc.
What will you leave your father, Henery my son?, etc.
My coach and horses, etc.
What will you leave your mother, Henery my son?, etc.
The Keys of Heaven, etc.
What will leave your sister, Henery my son?, etc.
My curse for ever, etc.