Proud King Henery- Harmon (TN-NC) 1930 Henry A, B
[My title, the Child title, not local, was previously assigned. From: Ballads and Folk-Songs From the Southern Highlands, 1938, by Mellinger Henry. His notes follow. First Published by Barry in BFSSNE in Vol. 2, 1931.
Both A and B are from the same source, Grandfather Hicks, originally from Watauga County, North Carolina. In BFSSNE Barry was supplied with additional background info not given by Henry: ''Uncle' Sam's grandfather Hicks, emigrated from England to Watauga County when he was four years old. 'Uncle' Sam himself came to Cade's Cove (TN) when he was a boy."
Uncle Sam apparently didn't know his lineage, because on the Hick's side (the Hicks and Harmon's lines intermarried several times) it goes back to Samuel Hicks, b. 1695 on Tuckahoe Creek, Virginia to David Hicks c.1719 who moved to Watuaga with his son Samuel (Big Sammy). One of Big Sammy's sons, known as "Little Sammy" and was born ca. 1800. Big Sammy's daughter Sabra married Andrew Harmon and their sons were Council Harmon (1807- 1896) and Goulder. "Old Counce" Harmon was a musician, dancer and storyteller. The Hicks- Harmon families joined again when Council's son Goulder (b. 1844- ) married Little Sammy's daughter Nancy Jane Hicks (b 1844-- ). Their son Samuel (b. 1869-- ) and his wife, Pollyana-- now living in Cade's Cove, TN-- were the ones discovered by Mellinger Henry.
So it was really Council Harmon and probably not grandfather Hicks that Samuel was referring to. Either way Council's grandfather was Big Sammy Hicks and Big Sammy's grandfather was Samuel Hicks of Tuckahoe Creek and it was probably his grandfather who came over- six generations away from Sam Harmon.
R. Matteson 2015]
KING HENRY FIFTH'S CONQUEST OF FRANCE (Child, No. 164)
This ballad had not hitherto been found in America before the summer of 1930 at which time it was recorded by Mrs. Henry. It is something of a coincidence that a letter received by the editor just before the discovery and recording of "King Henry Fifth's Conquest of France" expressed the insistent opinion of an experienced expert in ballad collecting that no more ballads would ever be discovered in the South. Added interest comes from the fact that another version of the ballad was taken down by Mrs. Helen H. Flanders from the singing of Mr. E. C. Green at Springfield, Vermont, on August 20, 1931, and printed in the Springfield (Mass.) Sunday Union on August 30. Mr. Barry has printed in Bulletin, No. 4, p. 10, the text and melody transcribed from two phonograph records made by him of the singing of Mr. Green on October 20 and 21, 1931.
The following texts, A and B, of this ballad together with the head-notes are reprinted by courtesy of the New Jersey Journal of Education, Vol. XX, Nos. 3—4, pp. 6—7 and the Bulletin of the Folk-Song Society of the Northeast, Number 2, pp. 5—6. The air included with A was not given in either of these. In regard to the texts A and B from the same source Mr. Phillips Barry remarks (Bulletin, p. 6): "One feature of the tradition, the preservation of two texts in the same family, is easily accounted for. Mr. and Mrs. Harmon are step-brother and step-sister; they learned their songs from the same source, namely Grandfather Hicks, from whom, apparently, the Harmon songs have come. That 'ballads run in the families' is a truism. Certain aspects, however, of family tradition require closer study. It would be worth while to know why some ballads and not others have accumulated in the tradition of a given family."
In the summer of 1928, some traditional ballads had been recorded from the singing of members of the Harmon family of Cade's Cove, Tennessee. Others were taken down by some individuals of the family and forwarded by mail. One of the most interesting of the latter is a fine text of the rare "Lamkin." Meantime this entire family of Tennessee mountaineers, numbering more than a dozen persons, was compelled to sell their property holdings to the Great Smoky National Park Commission and to remove to the mountains of northern Georgia. Though rather inaccessible and quite isolated, a visit was contemplated by the writer to their new abode during the summer of 1930 for the purpose of recording a promised version of "The Gypsy Laddie." Then the unexpected happened. On the writer's return from a camping trip to Thunderhead the entire family suddenly appeared in Cade's Cove for a visit. "Uncle" Sam Harmon and his wife, "Aunt" Polly, spent the best part of two days singing at the mountain cabin of the writer. Twenty-four songs were recorded, many of them traditional ballads from England. Some of the songs recorded are: "The Lass of Roch Royal", "The Gypsy Laddie", "The Farmer's Curst Wife", "The Wife Wrapped in Wether's Skin", "The Yorkshire Bite", "The Cruel Mother", "The Two Sisters" (two texts), "The Goodman", "The Mermaid", "Sweet Trinity", "Lady Alice", "Broomfield Hill", "The Bamboo Brier", "Home, Daughter, Home", "I Loved a Lass", "Two Little White Babes", "The Lexington Girl", "The Butcher Boy", and "King Henry the Fifth's Conquest of France", the ballad below.
A. [Proud King Henery] as written down by Mrs. Harmon, 1930
1. The tribute due from the king in France
Had not been paid for so long time.
Fal lal the ral roddle, fal lal day.
2. He called to him his trusty page:
"Trusty page," lo he called he,
"Now away to the King in France,
Ay, to the King in France now speed-lee."
Fal lal the ral roddle, fal lal day.
3. He come unto the King in France
And fell down on his bending knees:
"My master here for the tribute due that was due to him,
That had not been paid for so long a time."
Fal lal the ral roddle, fal lal day.
4. "Your master young and of a tender age,
Not fitting to come under my degree.
Here I will send him these three tennis balls
And along with them he may learn to play."
Fal lal the ral roddle, fal lal day.
5. He marched back to his own land,
And fell on his bending knees;
"What news, what news from the king in France,
What news you brought to me ?"
Fal lal the ral roddle, fal lal day.
6. "He said my master was young and of a tender age,
Not fitting to come unto his degree,
And he would send you these three tennis balls,
And along with them you may learn to play."
Fal lal the ral roddle, fal lal day.
7. As they marched through France,
Their drums and fifes so merrilee —
"Yonder comes proud Henery."
Fal lal the ral roddle, fal lal day.
B. [Proud King Henery.] The variant B was recorded from the singing of Mr. Harmon. Stanzas 2 to 6 and 8 and 11 of this variant are identical with the Child text. Stanzas 13 and 14 could not be recalled.
1. As the king lay musing on his bed,
The king of France owed a tribute due,
A tribute due was due to him;
It hadn't been paid for so long a time.
Far laldry lol dalla, for lol de day.
2. He called for his lovely page,
His lovely page then called he;
Saying, "You must go to the king of France,
To the King of France, sir, ride speedily."
Far laldry lol dalla, for lol de day.
3. Oh, then went away this lovely page,
This lovely page then away sent he,
And when he came to the king of France,
Low he fell down on his bending knee.
Far laldry lol dalla, for lol de day.
4. "My master greets you, worthy sir,
Ten ton of gold that is due to he,
That you will send him his tribute home,
Or in French land you soon will him see."
Far laldry lol dalla, for lol de day.
5. "Your master's young and of tender years,
Not fltten to come into my degree,
And I will send him three tennis balls,
That with them he may learn to play."
Far laldry lol dalla, for lol de day.
6. Oh, there returned this lovely page,
This lovely page then returned he,
And when he came to our gracious king,
Low he fell down on his bending knee.
Far laldry lol dalla, for lol de day.
7. "What news, what news you brung to me?
What news you brung to me ?"
"No news, no news," says he,
"For with its news you'll never agree."
Far laldry lol dalla, for lol de day.
8. "He says you're young and of tender years,
Not fitten to come into his degree;
And he will send you three tennis balls,
That with them you may learn to play."
Far laldry lol dalla, for lol de day.
9. "Not a married man,
Not a widow's son;
Nor a widow's curse shan't go with me."
Far laldry lol dalla, for lol de day.
10. And then we marched into French land,
With drums and trumps so merrily;
And bespeaks the king of France:
"Yonder comes proud King Henery."
Far laldry lol dalla, for lol de day.
11. The first shot that the Frenchmen gave,
They killed our Englishmen so free;
We killed ten thousand of the French,
And the rest of them they ran away.
Far laldry lol dalla, for lol de day.