US & Canada Versions: 199. Bonnie House o Airlie
[This ballad is rare in North America with only 10 extant traditional versions recovered--all of which are found in my collection. The recovered versions suggest no point of origin other than possibly the North East (Maine, Nova Scotia). The versions mainly come from random Scottish immigrants who have recently (late 1800s- early 1900s) come to North America.
From the North East --Canada boasts three variants, Maine has two (although from the same source- Gott) and another was collected by Cecil Sharp when he was in NYC after collecting ballads in the Appalachians. The Mid-west versions-- the Illinois version comes from a high-school student born in Scotland and the Michigan version the informant learned the song from her sister, who had memorized it from hearing it sung by a boy from Scotland. The West Virginia version was from "a high-school student born in Scotland" and the Oklahoma version was from an informant born in Scotland who moved to Ontario then Oklahoma.
According to Coffin there is broadside (See Ford, Broadsides, Blds, etc. Mass. -2nd series, 167-9), no date or printer given, from Ford's 2nd series which is unavailable online. It's probable that this is based on an earlier Scottish broadside (Child dates the earliest broadside at 1790). The ballad has no significant oral tradition in North America and only the versions from Nova Scotia appear to have been passed down. Certainly the ballad is not of great age (1600s) in North America and date of the early 1800s in Nova Scotia seems likely.
R. Matteson 2015]
CONTENTS: (To access individual versions click on the blue highlighted title below)
1) Bonny House o' Airlie- Clapp (NY) 1917 Sharp
2) Bonny House o' Airlie- Eagan (WV) 1917 Cox
3) Haunted Tower o' Airlie- pupil(IL)1918 Tunnicliffe
4) The Plundering of Arley- Gott (MS) 1924 Barry B
5) Lady Ogalbie- Strachen (OK-ON) pre1925 Moores
6) Bonnie Hoose o' Earlie- McGill (NB) 1927 Barry A
7) Prince Charlie- Gamsby (MI) pre1939 Gardner
8) Bonny House of Airlie- Gallagher (NS) c1942 Crtn B
9) The Sacking of Arlee- Murphy (ME) 1942 Olney
10) Bonny House o' Airlie- Gilkie(NS) 1950 Creighton A
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Excerpt from The British Traditional Ballad in North America
by Tristram Coffin 1950, from the section A Critical Biographical Study of the Traditional Ballads of North America
199. THE BONNIE HOUSE O AIRLIE
Texts: Barry, Brit Bids Me, 266 / Cox, F-S South, 128 / English Journal (April 1918), 270. Local Titles: Prince Charlie, The Bonnie Hoose o' Earlie, The Plundering of Arley.
Story Types: A: During the reign of Cromwell, the Duke of Argyle moves to plunder the house of the Earl of Airly. The latter is away. Lady" Margaret Airly sees Argyle approach with his men. When he reaches the gates, she refuses to come down and loss him. He seizes her, however, and eventually discovers her dowry among the planting. Then, he lays her down on the
streamside while he plunders the home. The wife swears if she had seven (eleven) sons, she would give them all to Charles.
Examples: Barry (A), Gardner and Chickering.
B : The story is essentially like that of Type A. However, the lady of the estate is just a girl and the absent protector just a knight. In addition, she requests to be taken to the valley where she cannot see the plundering, but is instead taken to a mountain top and made to watch the destruction. The real story is lost, and the War of the Roses is used as the background.
Examples: Barry (B).
C: The story of Type C is essentially a cross between Types A and B. The heroine is still Lady Margaret, whose husband, the Earl, is absent, but the mood, detail, and story are those of Type B.
Examples: Cox.
Discussion: The historical background of this ballad is summarized by Child, IV, 55 and centers about the 1640 commission issued to the Earl of Argyle by which he was permitted to subdue and bring to "their duty" certain political and religious undesirables. Argyle interpreted his commission rather savagely.
The Type A story follows Child A, while Type B is related to Child BB and Greig, Last Leaves of Trd Bids, B. The West Virginia (Type C) text, which appears to be a cross of Types A and B is closest to Child C.
A comparison should be made of the two unusual stanzas at the start of the Gardner and Chickering, Bids Sgs So Mich, fragment and Stanzas 10 and 12 of a Ford broadside (See Ford, Broadsides, Bids, etc. Mass (2nd series),. 167 9). These stanzas begin, in the Gardner and Chickering book, with the line: What loo' is that, 'quoth the brave Lor' Heel".
An Illinois version, that is said to be "the work of a high school student born in Scotland, but long a resident of this country" is printed in English Journal for April, 1918, p. 270. This text would be a Type D story, if one could be certain that it was not partly composed by the student in question. The story begins like Type A, but after the lady refuses to come down a change occurs in the narrative events. In the next stanza, Airly returns and, finding the carnage, swears revenge. He attacks Argyle's clan (the Campbells), but fails to slay the Lord. His drummer makes light of the fray; so- Airly in a rage throws him from a tower. The boy swears he will haunt his master on the latter's death-day. Later, on hearing drums playing mysteriously from the tower, Airly knows his time has come.