Lord Thomas- Morris (VA) 1935 Wilkinson A
[My title. From Bronson TTCB, II, 1962, No. 12.
Winston Wilkinson worked with Arthur Kyle Davis, Jr. collecting and transcribing ballads, fiddle tunes and songs in the 1930s. "In March of 1934 Davis was able to obtain some funding from the Civil Works Administration, one of the Depression-generated New Deal programs. With that assistance he hired John Stone to collect folksongs and Winston Wilkinson to transcribe music." Wilkinson also contributed his article “Virginia Dance Tunes” to Southern Folklore Quarterly in March 1942. Davis also published More Traditional Ballads of Virginia in 1960 with Winston Wilkinson's transcriptions. Wilkinson also illustrated "Virginia Fiddle Tunes."
Is this Victoria Shiflett Morris, the ballad singer, or is it the wife or relative of Nathaniel Melhorn Morris, who Wilkinson collected from in Harriston?
R. Matteson 2014]
12. [Lord Thomas and Fair Ellen] Wilkinson MSS., 1935-36, p. 48(A). Sung by Mrs. Morris, Harriston, Va., October 16, 1935.
1. Come riddle me, riddle me, my dear mother,
Come riddle me if I'm one:
Whether I must marry Fair Ellen or no,
Or bring the brown girl home?
2. The brown skin girl has house and land,
Fair Ellen she has none.
I'll advise you child with my blessing,
To bring the brown girl home.
3. He called on down his merry maids all,
He dressed them all in white.
And every town that they rode through,
They were taken to be some knights.
4. He rode, he rode to Fair Ellen's hall,
He knocked so loud at the ring.
And who was so ready as Fair Ellen herself,
For to rise and let him in.
5. What news, what news, Lord Thomas: says she,
What news, you've brought to me?
I've come to ask you to my wedding
And that's bad news to thee.
6. She called them down her merry maids all,
She dressed them all in green.
And every town that they rode by
She was taken to be some queen.
7. She rode, she rode to Lord Thomas's hall,
She knocked so loud at the ring.
And who was so ready as Lord Thomas himself
To rise and let her in.
8. He taken her by her lily-white hand.
He led through the hall.
And sat her at the head of his table
Amongst the gentlemen all.
9. Is this your bride you invited me to see?
I think she is wondrous brown.
You once could have married as fair a lady
As ever the sun shined on.
10. The brown skin girl had a pen knife.
It was both keen and sharp.
She pierced it through Fair Ellen's short ribs,
She pierced it through her heart.
11. Lord Thomas, Lord Thomas, Lord Thomas: she cried,
Are you blinded or cannot see,
Don't you see my own heart's blood
Come twinkling to my knee?