In London There Did Dwell- Lewis (ME) 1948 Flanders H
[This version was not well remembered in places. Verse 3 should be omitted since it's verse 7. Flanders has 15 versions in her Ancient Ballads, many reprinted elsewhere. Coffin's notes are excellent.
R. Matteson 2014]
The Yorkshire Bite (Laws L 1, similar to Child 283)
"The Crafty Farmer," Child 283, is rare indeed in America, though J. Harrington Cox, Folk Songs of the South (Cambridge, Mass., 1925), 166, prints a text close to Child A. In this country, unusual songs of the thief outwitted belong to "The Yorkshire Bite" group. However, there are a number of ballads on the resourcefulness of simple folk in the face of robbery that circurated in the chapbooks and on the broadsheets of the last 250 years, and one called "The Maid of Rygate" (Laws L 2) has also been collected in the New World. Why Child chose one and excluded the others from his select circle is not really clear. In "The Crafty Farmer" the farmer throws an old saddle bag over a hedge and when the thief goes after it rides off on the highwayman's horse. In "The Yorkshire Bite" a boy spreads money on the grass and when the thief dismounts to get it rides off on the highwayman's horse. And in "The Maid of Rygate" a girl, stripped naked by a thief, outwits him and rides off on his horse. All three are much alike in age and quality, as well as in plot. For that matter, "The Yorkshire Bite" and "The Maid of Rygate" go back at least to 1769 when they appeared in Logan's Pedlar's pack, 131 and 133 respectively. "The Crafty Farmer" has not been traced before 1796.
A bite is a shrewd trick played on a dull-witted person like those tricks for which the Yorkshiremen were famous. Vermonters, see Flanders J, evidently felt New Hampshiremen were capable of similar shrewdness.
The Flanders versions are much of a kind and quite like other American texts. For a bibliography to "The Crafty Farmer," "The Yorkshire Bite," and "The Maid of Rygate" in America, see Coffin, 151-2. "The Crafty Farmer" is listed in Dean-Smith, 102 (English) and in Greig and Keith, 236-7 (Scottish). "The Yorkshire Bite" is in Dean-Smith, 55 (English), while that song, and "The Maid of Rygate" are in Laws ABBB, 165-6, under L 1 and L 2 (British and American). See also Child, V, 128-31, for a discussion.
On March 2, 1948, the following story, copied from The Farmer's Almanac for 1860, was sent to Mrs. Flanders by George E. Smith of Takoma Park, Maryland. It bears a striking resemblance to all three ballads and was evidently reprinted from a daily newspaper, The Pennsylvanian, once published in Philadelphia.
The Farmer's Daughter and the Robber
A farmer living a few miles from Easton, sent his daughter on horse back to that town, to procure from the bank smaller notes in exchange for one hundred dollars. When she arrived there, the bank was shut, and she endeavored to effect her object by offering at several stores, but could not get her note changed. She had not gone far on her return, when a stranger rode to the side of her horse and accosted her with so much politeness, that she had not the slightest suspicion of any evil intent on his part. After riding a mile or two, employed in very social conversation, they came to a very retired part of the road, and the gentleman commanded her to give him the bank note. It was with some difficulty that she could be made to believe him in earnest, as his demeanor had been very friendly; but the presentation of a pistol placed the matter beyond a doubt, and she yielded to necessity. Just as she held the note to him, a sudden puff of wind blew it into the road, and carried it gently several yards from them. The discourteous knight alighted to overtake it, and the lady whipped her horse to ger out of his power, and the orher horse which had been left standing by her side, started off with her. His owner fired a pistol, which only tended to increase the speed of all parties-and the lady arrived safely at home with the horse of the robber, on which was a pair of saddle bags. When these were opened, they were found to contain, besides a quantity of counterfeit bank notes, fifteen hundred dollars in good money! The horse was a good one, and when saddled and bridled was thought to be worth as much at least as the bank note that was stolen.
All of the tunes for Child 283 are related, and can be sub-divided into three groups: (1) Britton, Brooks, Flarvey, Davis, Moore, and Williams; (2) Edwards, Merrill; and (3) Moses. Related tunes, and, indeed, tunes for this ballad in any relationship, were extremely hard to find. For the Britton group, see FCB4 p. I19, No. 46, for general relationship.
H. As sung by Alonzo Lewis, who was born in the Agamenticus Section of York, Maine. He learned, this song as a young
boy. M. Olney, Collector; October I1, 1948
In London There Did Dwell
In London there liv-ed a mason by trade,
And for to do his work he'd a man and a maid.
A Yorkshire boy he had for his man
And his name it was John.
And it dol dol lol, addle-da-do.
He woke up one morning; he hollered for John.
Johnnie heard his master, and quickly did run.
"You take this cow and. you drive her to the fair
For she's in good order and all I have to spare."
And it dol dol lol, addle-da-do.
Johnnie took his leaf [1] and away he did go.
You'll rob a . . . .
Johnnie drove the cow just as far as he did run;
Before he got tired he met with a man
That paid him all the money, it was six pound and ten
And it dol dol addte and. the do.
He call-ed to the tavern to get him a drink;
He owed the old farmer and he paid him all the chink.
To the landlady crying, and this he did say,
"And what shall I do with my money, I pray?"
"I'll sew it to your coat lining," the fair maid did say,
"Although you may be robbed along the highway."
There sat the robber a-drinking of his wine,
Saying to himself, "Oh, that money is all mine"'
And Johnnie took his leaf[2] and away he did go,
The old robber followed after also.
He overtook him all on the highway.
" 'Tis well overtaken, young man," he did say.
" 'Tis won't you get on behind me and ride?"
"How far are you going?" the boy he replied.
"About four miles as for I do know,"
Johnnie he jumped on and away they did go.
They rode till they came to some narrow dark lane.
"Now," said the robber, "I'll tell you in plain,
Deliver up your money without stir or strife
Or in the lonesome valley I'll surely take your life."
Johnnie jumped right off without any doubt;
From his coat lining he pulled the money out.
From his coat lining he pulled the money out
And among the tall grass where he stood all about.
The old robber jumped right off, right off from his horse.
Little did he think it would be for his loss.
While picking up his money and putting in his purse,
Johnnie jumped right on and came off with his horse.
The old robber followed after him; he ordered him to stay.
Johnnie never minded; he still rode away.
Home to this master, he did bring
Horse and saddle and many fine things.
The maid seen Johnnie returning home,
She run to her master in the other room.
He come to the door, a-looking very cross,
"How the devil my cow has turned to a horse!"
"'Oh, yes, kind sir, your cow I've sold,
And I've been robbed by the highwayman bold;
While picking up his [3] money and putting [it] in his purse
To obey your commands, I come off with his horse.
"The bags I took off . . .[4]
Five hundred pounds in silver and gold
Beside a pile of pistols [5]
Master, I do think. . ." [6]
1. leave, this partial stanza is misplaced, see stanza 7
2. leave
3. my
4. . . as I have been told
5. pair of pistols, John says I vow
6. I've well sold your cow!