Johnny Barbour- Delorme (NY) 1941 Flanders
[From Flanders, Ancient Ballads, version A, 1963. Their (Coffin's) notes follow. First printed in Ballads Migrant in New England, Flanders/Olney, 1953.
R. Matteson 2012, 2015]
Willie o Winsbury
(Child 100)
"Willie o Winsbury" is to be found once in a while in the New World, but except in Newfoundland it enjoys little currency. Josiah Combs recorded an incomplete text from West Virginia in his Folk-Songs des Etats-Unis (Paris, 1926), 140. and Barry lists a questionable fragment lodged in Child 99 "Johnny Scot." Otherwise, one must go to the Flanders archives or to a book like Elisabeth B. Greenleaf and Grace Mansfield, Ballads and Sea Songs of Newfoundland, (Cambridge, Mass., 1924), 28, for versions. The A and B texts beloware somewhat different from the Newfoundland tradition, although the hero is named Barbour in both an English rather than a Scottish trait. Flanders B, where the hero is first down rather than last and where the King's
version is unmotivated, is somewhat worn, but Flanders A is a particularly full example. Flanders C1 and C2 are much like Child D from the Percy Papers. Jean-Smith, 117 (English), and Greig and Keith, 75-77 English), give further listings for this ballad.
All three of the tunes for Child 100 are related. Analogues in other collections are rare and seem largely confined to Northeast of the continent. For melodic relationship to the entire group, see GN, 28, 30, 32.
JOHNNY BARBOUR- As sung by Mrs. Lily M. Delorme of Cadyville, New York. M. Obey, Marjorie Porter, Collectors December 8, 1941
This lady was seated in her father's castle hall,
A-viewing the ships coming in;
"O daughter, dear!" her father said,
"Your cheeks look pale and thin,
Your cheeks look pale and thin.
"Is it any sickness you have got,
Or in love with a young man?"
"It is not sickness I have got,
But in love with a young man,
But in love with a young man."
"Is he a lord or is he a duke,
Or a man of honor and fame?"
"No, he's neither lord nor duke nor a man of honor and fame,
But he is one of your bold sea-boys,
John Barbour is his name."
"Then I'll call together my merry-men all,
By one, by two and by three,
And tomorrow morning at ten o'clock,
High hang-ed he shall be,
High hang-ed he shall be."
"O say not so, dear father," she said,
"O say not so unto me,
For if you hang John Barbour," she said,
"No good you'll get of me,
No good you'll get of me."
Then he calls together his merrymen all,
By one, by two and by three,
John Barbour being the very first man,
O the very last man was he,
O the very last man was he.
And when John Barbour he came out,
His suit was of the green,
With his coal black eyes a-rolling in his head
And his skin as fair as a queen,
And his skin as fair as a queen.
"I blame you not, dear daughter," he said,
"I blame you not," said he,
"For if I were one of the female sex,
His companion I would be,
His companion I would be."
"Will you marry my daughter, John Barbour," he said,
"And take her by the hand,
And walk and talk and sit with her,
Be an heir to my houses and lands,
Be an heir to my houses and lands?"
"Yes, I'll marry your daughter," John Barbour said,
"And take her by the hand,
I will walk and talk and sit with her,
But a fig for your houses and lands,
But a fig for your houses and lands.
"Although I'm called John Barbour here,
I'm the Duke of New Cumberland;
And before you can give her one guinea,
I can give her five hundred pounds,
I can give her five hundred pounds."