Lord Bateman- Townsend (AR-OK) pre1930 Moores
[My date. From Ballads and Folksongs of the Southwest, Moores, 1964. Their notes follow.
The informant, O. S. Townsend (Oscar S. Townsend) was born Nov. 1889 in Arkansas and married Rosie Townsend. He learned the ballad while he lived in Arkansas. The family, with daughter Gladys and son Leroy, had moved to Burnett, Pottawatomie, Oklahoma by 1930.
R. Matteson 2014]
Young Beichan
The name "Susan Py" appears in one of the Young Beichan (Child, No.53) texts first recorded in Great Britain. It has been changed, invariably, to "Susan Pike," a name found rather frequently in songs of the California gold-rush era. The ballad seems to have a religious motive, of which Child writes (I, 457); "This story. . . agrees in general outline . . . with the well-known legend about Gilbert Beket, father of St. Thomas. . . . The legend nevertheless goes back to a date not much later than a century after the death of the saint, being found in a poetical narrative preserved in a manuscript of about 1300. . . . That our ballad has been affected by the legend of Gilbert Beket is altogether likely . . .but the ballad, for all that, is not derived from the legend'" For other references, see Barryr Eckstorm, and Smyth, 106-22; Chappell, 18-20; Cox, 36-41; Creighton and Senior, 26-34; Davis, 158-71; Gardner and Chickering, 143-45; Greenleaf and Mansfield, 17 ; Hudson, 75-76; Jamieson, ll, 117-26; Journal, Vol. XVIII,208 (Barry), Vol. X,251 Kittredge), Vol. XXII, 64-T8 (Barry), Vol. XXVI, 353 (Pound), Vol. XXVIII, 149 (Perrow), and 451 (Barry), Vol. XXX, 294, Kittredge) ; Mackenzie, No. 5 ; Mackenzie, Quest, 115 ; Morris , 259-62: Randolph, I, 80-88; Scarborough, song catcher, 2t0-I3; Sharp, I, 77-88; Thomas, 86; and Wyman and Brockway, 58-61.
Lord Bateman- sung by O. S. Townsend, Tecumseh. Mr. Townsend learned his songs at New Hope, Arkansas, where he was born and reared. Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow Green of Stilwell also sing a version of this song.
Lord Bateman was England born,
And he was living of a high degree,
And he grew discontented,
And a vow he made to go to sea.
He sailed east, he sailed \4rest;
He sailed to the Turkish shore,
Where he was caught and put in prison,
No hopes of freedom any more.
The jailer had one only daughter,
As fair a beauty as ever could be;
She stole the keys of her father's prison
And said Lord Bateman she'd set free.
She taken him down to her father's cellar,
And there she gave him wine so strong,
And every time she would drink unto him,
Saying, "I wish Lord Bateman was my own."
"Let's make a bargain and make it strong:
For seven long years and it shall stand,
That I won't wed no other woman
If you don't wed no other man."
"I'll make that bargain and I'll make it stand,
For seven long years and here's my hand,
That you won't wed no other woman
If I won't wed no other man."
When seven long years were past and over,
When seven long years were one, three and three,
Lord Bateman again had gained his freedom,
Said, "My fair Susan is across the sea."
When seven long years were passed and over,
When seven long years one, three and three,
She gathered up her gayest clothing,
And vowed Lord Bateman she'd go to see.
She sailed east, she sailed west;
She sailed to the Turkish shore;
She went up to Lord Bateman's castle;
The porter met her at the door.
She asked if this was Lord Bateman's place,
Or if the Lord himself was in.
Lord Bateman sent his porter running
To see who it was that would come in.
The porter went unto his master,
Bowing so low upon his knee.
"Arise, arise, my brisk comporter,[1]
And tell me what the matter is."
"It's seven long years I have been your porter,
It's seven long years one, three and three,
And at your gate is the fairest beauty
That ever my two eyes did see.
"She asked me to send an ounce of bread,
And a bottle of wine so strong,
And tell you never forget the lady
Who set you free from Ireland's chains."
Lord Bateman rose up from his table
And split it into pieces three,
Saying, "Farewell to my bride and people,
Since my fair Susan has crossed the sea."
1. brisk young porter (haha!)