US & Canada Versions: 240. The Rantin Laddie
[The two extant versions come from West Virginia and New Brunswick. The West Virginia version was published by Combs (1925) and later by Gainer (1975) with music. Unfortunately the West Virginia version is in my opinion a ballad recreation by Carey Woofter in 1924, who was a collecting friend of Gainer's. Woofter's collected versions of Child ballads have been questioned by several sources (among them Wilgus, also Linfors). Additionally Gainer's West Virginia version is the same, with only one or two words changed, from the 1924 version, but he reports his version is from a different source, Alpheus Danley of Gilmer County, WV. This is more than very suspicious. It is certain that Gainer knew about the 1924 Combs version but he doesn't even mention it, instead he says, "This ballad is rare in West Virginia tradition" which is also misleading because it's not found in the US at all except for Woofter's recreation. Wilgus points out in the introduction of second edition of Combs' Folk-Songs of the Southern United States that this contribution made by Carey Woofter is nearly identical to one printed by Allan Cunningham in his The Songs of Scotland (p. 208) 1825 (no edition mentioned). This lays bare the plagiarism of Woofter which was followed by Gainer in 1975.
The only other US/Canadian version is a fragment from Canada in 1928 (Barry) but was learned in Scotland before 1911.
R. Matteson 2013, 2016]
CONTENTS: (To access individual version click on title attached to this page on left-hand column or, on the highlighted title below.
1) The Rantin Laddie- Edman (WV) 1924 Combs/Woofter
2) The Rantin Laddie- McGill (NB) 1928 Barry
3) The Rantin Laddie- Danley (WV) pre1975 Gainer
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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
240. THE RANTIN LADDIE
Texts: Barry, Brit Bids Me, 303 / Combs, F-S Etats-Unis, 145.
Local Titles: The Rantin' Laddie.
Story Types: A: A poor girl, with a dubious past, has a bastard child by a nobleman. Her family scorns her; so she sends one of her father's servants to tell her "laddie" of her plight. He responds gallantly and sends a retinue to fetch the girl, Maggie, home as his bride.
Examples: Combs.
B: A short song remains from the ballad. It implies a dubious past and a bastard child of the girl.
Examples: Barry.
Discussion: The Combs, F-S Etats-Unis, version follows 'Child A and C in story, while the Canadian fragment represents a lyric remain which contains only the first stanza of the actual ballad. A "hush-a-by" refrain, unknown elsewhere to this song, rounds out the piece.