The Yorkshire Bite- Edwards (VT) 1933 (1815) Flanders D
[Flanders has 15 versions in her Ancient Ballads, many reprinted elsewhere. According to Edwards, this version dates back to at least June 17, 1815. Coffin's notes are excellent.
R. Matteson 2014]
The Yorkshire Bite (Laws L 1, similar to Child 283)
"The Crafty Farmer," Child 283, is rare indeed in America, though J. Harrington Cox, Folk Songs of the South (Cambridge, Mass., 1925), 166, prints a text close to Child A. In this country, unusual songs of the thief outwitted belong to "The Yorkshire Bite" group. However, there are a number of ballads on the resourcefulness of simple folk in the face of robbery that circurated in the chapbooks and on the broadsheets of the last 250 years, and one called "The Maid of Rygate" (Laws L 2) has also been collected in the New World. Why Child chose one and excluded the others from his select circle is not really clear. In "The Crafty Farmer" the farmer throws an old saddle bag over a hedge and when the thief goes after it rides off on the highwayman's horse. In "The Yorkshire Bite" a boy spreads money on the grass and when the thief dismounts to get it rides off on the highwayman's horse. And in "The Maid of Rygate" a girl, stripped naked by a thief, outwits him and rides off on his horse. All three are much alike in age and quality, as well as in plot. For that matter, "The Yorkshire Bite" and "The Maid of Rygate" go back at least to 1769 when they appeared in Logan's Pedlar's pack, 131 and 133 respectively. "The Crafty Farmer" has not been traced before 1796.
A bite is a shrewd trick played on a dull-witted person like those tricks for which the Yorkshiremen were famous. Vermonters, see Flanders J, evidently felt New Hampshiremen were capable of similar shrewdness.
The Flanders versions are much of a kind and quite like other American texts. For a bibliography to "The Crafty Farmer," "The Yorkshire Bite," and "The Maid of Rygate" in America, see Coffin, 151-2. "The Crafty Farmer" is listed in Dean-Smith, 102 (English) and in Greig and Keith, 236-7 (Scottish). "The Yorkshire Bite" is in Dean-Smith, 55 (English), while that song, and "The Maid of Rygate" are in Laws ABBB, 165-6, under L 1 and L 2 (British and American). See also Child, V, 128-31, for a discussion.
On March 2, 1948, the following story, copied from The Farmer's Almanac for 1860, was sent to Mrs. Flanders by George E. Smith of Takoma Park, Maryland. It bears a striking resemblance to all three ballads and was evidently reprinted from a daily newspaper, The Pennsylvanian, once published in Philadelphia.
The Farmer's Daughter and the Robber
A farmer living a few miles from Easton, sent his daughter on horse back to that town, to procure from the bank smaller notes in exchange for one hundred dollars. When she arrived there, the bank was shut, and she endeavored to effect her object by offering at several stores, but could not get her note changed. She had not gone far on her return, when a stranger rode to the side of her horse and accosted her with so much politeness, that she had not the slightest suspicion of any evil intent on his part. After riding a mile or two, employed in very social conversation, they came to a very retired part of the road, and the gentleman commanded her to give him the bank note. It was with some difficulty that she could be made to believe him in earnest, as his demeanor had been very friendly; but the presentation of a pistol placed the matter beyond a doubt, and she yielded to necessity. Just as she held the note to him, a sudden puff of wind blew it into the road, and carried it gently several yards from them. The discourteous knight alighted to overtake it, and the lady whipped her horse to ger out of his power, and the orher horse which had been left standing by her side, started off with her. His owner fired a pistol, which only tended to increase the speed of all parties-and the lady arrived safely at home with the horse of the robber, on which was a pair of saddle bags. When these were opened, they were found to contain, besides a quantity of counterfeit bank notes, fifteen hundred dollars in good money! The horse was a good one, and when saddled and bridled was thought to be worth as much at least as the bank note that was stolen.
All of the tunes for Child 283 are related, and can be sub-divided into three groups: (1) Britton, Brooks, Flarvey, Davis, Moore, and Williams; (2) Edwards, Merrill; and (3) Moses. Related tunes, and, indeed, tunes for this ballad in any relationship, were extremely hard to find. For the Britton group, see FCB4 p. I19, No. 46, for general relationship.
D
Recorded in Burlington, Vermont, as sung by George Edwards who said,"The Yorhshire Bite was sung by my grandfather, Sergeant William H. Edwards, at St. Jean's Farm, furthest outpost towards the French troops, the evening before the battle of Waterloo [June 17, 1815). Men were singing either together or separately; his grandfather sang this as a solo. His grandfather had originally been a seaman. He spent three years in the army and then returned to the sea, voyaging, late in life, to Quebec, and settling there." Published in Country Songs of Vermont, 26, and in The New Green Mountain Songster, 97. H. H. F., Collector; October 9, 1933
Structure: A B1a B2 C Da (4,4,4,4,4); Rhythm C and D; Contour: arc; Scale: Aeolian t. c. E.
The Yorkshire Bite
In London there lived a mason by trade;
He kept two seryants, a man and a maid.
A Yorkshire boy by the name of John
Was the one that he kept to be his man.
Lol-de-dum, lol-de-do, lol-de-dad.dy, del do dum.
One morning so early he called for John;
Johnnie heard his master and quickly he did run
"Take a cow from the barn and go drive her to the fair.
She is in very good order and she's all I have to spare."
(Repeat refrain after each stanza.)
John took the cow and started for the fair,
And on the highway he met three men,
And on the highway he met three men,
And he sold them the cow for six pounds ten.
And then to the tavern, for something to drink;
While the landlord was counting the chink,
Unto the landlady he did say,
"Where shall I put my money, good. woman, I pray?"
"In the lining of your coat, sir," she did say,
"Lest by some highwayman, robbed you should be."
There sat a highwayman drinking up his wine;
Thinks he to himself, "This money is all mine."
Then John started off; not far had he gone
When he was overtaken by this same man.
"You are well overtaken, young man," he cried,
"And now along with me won't you jrmp up and ride?"
"How far are you going this way?" said John.
"Two or three miles, so far as I know,
Two or three miles, so far as I know."
Then up jumped John and away they did go.
They rode along together till they came to a dark lane.
"Now," said this bold robber, "I will tell you in plain.
Deliver up your money without any strife
Or in this lonesome valley I will end your pleasant life."
Then John's not having long to dispute,
From his coat lining he quickly pulled it out,
From his coat lining he quickly pulled it out
And in the taLl grass he strewed it about.
The bold robber not thinking of his loss
Began to pick it up and to put it in his purse,
Began to pick it up and to put it in his purse,
White at the same time John rode off on his horse.
The old man called out for John to stay,
But John never minded and still he rode away,
Until he came to his own master's home;
Then horse, saddle, bridle and all was his own.
The portmonie was searched and there was found
Three hundred bright guineas in silver and gold,
A brace of pistols; "I do vow
I think that rny master quite well sold his cow."
"Then, Johnnie, for a boy you have done quite rare,
Two thirds of this money you shall have for your share,
And as for the rogue, you served hirn just right--
I think you played him up a fair Yorkshire Bite."