The Yorkshire Boy- Day (NH) 1941 Flanders C
[Flanders has 15 versions in her Ancient Ballads, many reprinted elsewhere. 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.
C. As sung by Edwin Day of Colebrook, New Hampshire. This ballad was learned as a child from a neighbor who was born
in England, M. Olney, Collector November 21, 1941
The Yorhshire Boy
In London there lived a mason by trade;
He had for his servant a man and a maid;
A Yorkshire boy he had for his man
And for to do his business; his name it was John.
Lud-li ding-dum tra-Ia-la,
Tra-la diddle-O-duy.
He got up in the morning, called on his man John;
John hearin' his master's voice, so quickly he did run;
"O John, take this cow and lead her to the fair,
For she is in good order; she's all we have to spare."
(Repeat refrain after each stanza.)
Oh, John took the cow all out of the barn
And started for the fair as we do learn.
He hadn't gone far before he met a man.
He sold off his cow for a six pound ten.
He called to the tavern for to get a drink,
While the old landlord was counting out his chink.
He went to the landlady and to her did say,
"\,Vhat shall I do with my money, I do pray?"
"Oh, in your cut lining sew-ed it shall be,
For fear of a highwayman most robbed you r,vill be."
Highwayman sat behind him drinking up his wine;
He said to himself, "John's money is all mine."
Oh, John took his leaf and away he did go;
The highwayman followed after also.
He overtook John all on the highway.
"You're now overtook, young man," he did say.
He said to this boy, "Won't you jr*p on and ride?"
"FIow far are you going?" then Johnny replied.
"About four miles as far as I do know""
And Johnny jumped behind him and away they did go.
They rode till they came to some dark lane.
The highwayman says, "I'll tell you now in plain.
Deliver up your money rvithout any strife,
For in this lonely valley I will take away your life."
Oh, John seeing there was no time for dispute,
He jumped off the hoss without any doubt
And out of his lining the money he poured out;
Along through the tall grass he strewed it well about.
The highwayman jumped all off from his hoss
But little did he think ir was for his loss,
And while he was picking up the money John had srrewed,
Johnny jumped a-horseback and away he did go.
Highwayrnan followed after and bid him to stay
But Johnny never minded; stilt he rode arvay.
The maid stood in the door; seeing John come home,
She went and told the master rvho rvas in the other room.
He came to the door and says to him thus:
"John, has my cow turned into a hoss?"
"Oh, no, my good master, your corv I have sold,
And I have been robbed by a highwayman bold."
They took off the saddlebags and all of them told
Five hundred pounds in silver and gold,
Beside a pair of pistols; and John says, "I vow
I think, my good master, I've well sold your cow."
"Oh, as for a boy, you have done quite well;
Two thirds of this money you shall have for your share;
And as for the villin, you have served him just right;
I guess he'll think it's a Yorkshire Bite."