More English & Scottish Popular Ballads- Matteson
[This is an extension of Francis James Child's collection Popular English and Scottish Ballads, published in the later half of the 19th century, colloquially known as the Child Ballads. They were published in ten volume editions from 1882-1898. Child grouped the ballads into rough categories, Book 1 was superstitions; Book 2 tragic love-ballads etc. His selection of ballads was arbitrary and some of his 305 certainly were not popular or well-established ballads and several were selected from less than credible sources. His selection of ballads was based in part on a list of ballads Svend Grundtvig sent to him in letters dated August 25, 1877 and January 29, 1880.
This ballad study of additional British ballads not covered by Child is based mainly on popularity. During the period of Child's selection process (approximately 1882-1892) many of these ballads (see list below) were unknown or traditional versions were unknown. Without at least one significant traditional version, Child would not have been inclined to feature the ballad in his collection of 305 popular ballads. This is an ongoing study of these ballad types in a similar format: Narration (headnotes), ballad texts, footnotes and end-notes. Since this study has not been not yet printed, there will be no additions and corrections pages (yes, there are a few corrections that need to be made!!!).
During the investigation of certain ballads and songs, other related ballads and songs have by necessity been included. Some are rather short and have been usually added as an appendix. Several ballads such as 1. Cruel Ship's Carpenter and 2. Drowsy Sleeper are, in fact, a series of related ballads while 7. Died for Love has been organized as a series of related ballads with 25 appendices. Whether some of these versions are ballads (which tell a story) or songs (love songs), is subjective. Some of these do not tell enough of a story to be called: ballads. This is particularly evident in some of the Died for Love appendices which are assorted "love" stanzas.
Some of the related ballads are of American origin, although they are related in some way to a British antecedent. Examples include Careless Love (which has British "apron" stanzas), Bury me Beneath the Willow (vaguely related by theme and text to Died for Love) and Quaker's Courtship (a dialogue courting song similar to, and probably derived from, Madam I Have Come to Court You).
Despite the enormous usefulness of the Roud Index, some of these ballads: 1) are missing a proper Roud number, 2) have different ballads grouped together under one Roud number which should be separate and 3) are different ballads usually with the same or similar titles which are listed together under the same Roud number. Recently The Died for Love ballads were assigned new Roud numbers but no clear parameters for reclassification were established and The Cruel Father, for example, still does not have a Roud number. Similar problems exist in other sources of information including Wikipedia, Traditional Ballad Index, and Keefer's Folk Songs Index as well as collectors and record labels song notes.
An attempt has been made to contact leading researchers-- some have supplied information as well as texts. Steve Gardham of Hull has been enormously supportive and has provided a number of important texts and suggestions. Thanks also to others who have contributed. A discussion of these ballads and songs may be found on The Mudcat Discussion Forum.
In these brief studies I hope to have uncovered the story in song-- the pathos, the beauty, the tragedy and the love found in the mysterious ballad, a creation by the folk, of the folk and for the folk.
Dedicated very truly to the folk process and uncovering the truth no matter the consequences,
R. Matteson 2016]
Ballads 1-20
1. The Cruel Ship's Carpenter (Gosport Tragedy; Polly's Love; Pretty Polly; Dublin Murder Ballad)
2. The Drowsy Sleeper (Arise, Arise; Awake Awake; The Bedroom Window; Silver Dagger; Oh Katie Dear; I Will Put My Ship In Order; Sweet Bann Water)
3. The Bramble Briar (The Bridgewater Merchant; In Bruton Town; In Seaport Town; The Brake o' Briars; Jealous Brothers)
3A. The Constant Farmer's Son (Merchant's Daughter, or, The Constant Farmer's Son; Constant Farmer's Son)
4. Molly Bawn (Polly Vaughan; Molly Baun Lavery/Lowery; Shooting of his Dear)
5. A-Growing (The Trees They Do Grow High; Still Growing; He's Young but He's Daily Growing)
6. Berkshire Tragedy (The Bloody Miller; Wexford Tragedy; The Cruel Miller; Lexington Miller; Wexford/Waxford Girl; Lexington Murder; Knoxville Girl; Oxford Girl; Expert/Export Girl; Waco Girl)
7. Died for Love Roud 60; (Rambling Boy; Answer to Rambling Boy; Butcher Boy; I Wish I Wish; A Brisk Young Sailor/Lad; There is a Tavern; There is an Alehouse; Cruel Father, or, The Deceived Maid; The Squire's Daughter;)
7A. The Sailor Boy, or, Sweet William (Sailing Trade; A Sailor's Life; Soldier Boy; Pinery Boy; Early, Early [All] in the Spring)
7Aa. Sailor on the Deep Blue Sea (Deep Blue Sea; I Have No One to Love Me)
7B. Love Has Brought Me to Despair (Constant Lady; Love Has Brought Me to Despair; False Lover;)
7C. Sheffield Park-- Roud 860 ("The Unfortunate Maid;" "The Young Man of Sheffield Park;" "In Yorkshire Park" )
7D. Every Night When The Sun Goes In (Every Night When The Sun Goes Down)
7E. Will Ye Gang Love, or, Rashy Muir Roud 6261 (For Love; Rashie Moor; "Wad Ye Gang, Love and Leave me Noo?;" "Rashy Moor")
7F. My Blue-Eyed Boy (Bring Back My Blue-Eyed Boy; Willow Tree; Sailor Boy; My Love He is a Sailor Boy/Bold)
7G. Early, Early by the Break of Day (The Two Lovers; (broadside): A new song called William and Nancy or The Two Hearts)
7H. She's Like the Swallow (She's Like the Swallow; The Constant Lady and False-Hearted Squire)
7I. I Love You, Jamie (Foolish Young Girl)
7J. I Know my Love by his Way of Walking (I Know My Love)
7K. Love Is Teasing (Love Is Pleasing)
7Ka. Oh Johnny, Johnny (Oh Johnnie, Johnnie)
7L. Careless Love (Reckless Love, Loveless Love, Careless Love Blues)
7La. Dink's Song (Fare Thee Well)
7M. The Colour of Amber (Color of Amber;)
7N. Through Lonesome Woods Roud 3461
7O. Must I Go Bound? (Must I Be Bound?; Shall I Go Bound?)
7P. I am a Rover (The Rover) Roud 1112 (I've Been a Rover)
7Q. Deep in Love (Deep as the Love I'm In)
7R. Yon Green Valley (Green Valley) Roud 2125
7S. Down in a Meadow (Unfortunate Swain)
7T. Bury Me Beneath The Willow (Weeping Willow Tree)
7U. Wheel of Fortune (Come, Roll 'round the Wheel of Fortune)
7Ua. Young Ladies (Little Sparrow) Roud 451 ("Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies," "Warning")
7V. The Ripest Apple (Ripest of Apples)
8. Madam, I Have Come to Court You (Yonder Sits a Lovely Creature) Roud 524
8A. "Oh No, John," "No Sir" and "she answered No" songs; Roud 126
8B. The Courting Case (Courting Cage)
8C. On a Mountain Stands a Lady (Children's nursery rhymes and game songs);
8D. The Quaker's Courtship, or, Quaker's Wooing
8E. The Spanish Lady Roud 524 ("Song 83;" The Ride in London; Dublin City; Chester City; Ettrick Lady; Madam I'm a Darling; Galway City; As I Walked Up Through London City; Edinburgh City; Twenty-Eighteen; Oh, Dear Oh)
8F. Come My Little Roving Sailor (Roving Sailor)
8G. Madam, I Have Gold and Silver (Folk Plays or Plough Plays)
9. Seventeen Come Sunday; Roud 277 ("Waukrife Mammy," "The Well Pay't Dochter," "The Lassie Lost Her Maidenhead a' for Her Waukrif Mammie," "My Rolling Eye," "As I Gaed O'er yon Hech, Hech Hill," "Maid and Soldier," "The Lady and Soldier," "Soldier and the Fair Maid," "One Sunday Morning" "Sixteen Next Sunday," "I'm Seventeen 'gin Sunday," "Bonnie Lassie," "Blink O'er the Burn," "The Soldier Lad," "As I Gaed ower a Whinny Knowe," "New Ross Town," "When Cockle Shells Make Silver Bells," "As I Roved Out," "Where Are You Going My Pretty Maid?" "Ma Rovin' Eye," "I'm Zebenteen Come Zunday," "North Riding Hiring Song," "The Modesty Answer," "As I Walked Out," "I'm Scarce Sixteen Come Sunday," "My Pretty Maid," "Flash Girls and Airy," "Field of Barley," "Haliky Daliky,")
9A. I Love my Love (Owre Yon High, High Hill) Roud 5548
9B. Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss Roud 5720 ("Fare You Well my Pretty Little Miss," "Fare You Well, My Blue-Eyed Girl" "That Blue-Eyed Girl," "Daisy" "Western Country," "Susanna Gal," "Fly Around My Pretty Little Pink (Tennessee Ernie Ford- 1959)," "Betty Anne," "Way Down Yonder (Wheevily Wheat B),")