Ward Lampkin- Fletcher (VA) 1914 Davis B
[Title could be for Bold Lampkins. Ward might be derived in this case, from reward(stanza 1). From Davis, Traditional Ballads of Virginia, 1929. His notes follow.
R. Matteson 2015]
LAMKIN (Child, No. 93)
The first evidence that this ballad survived in America came from Virginia. Child's Additions and Corrections (III, 515) report that "the negroes of Dumphries, Prince William County, Virginia, have this ballad, orally transmitted from the original Scottish settlers of that region, with the stanza,
Mr. Lammikin, Mr. Lammikin,
Oh, spare me my life,
And I'll give you my daughter, Betsy,
and she shall be your wife."
It is to be noted that all the Virginia variants, except, of course, the fragment D, have the stanza which makes this unnatural offer (A 14, B 7, C 5). Of the twenty-six versions printed by child, this stanza.is found in only three (I 19, T 15, K 16), but the resemblance is not otherwise close to any one of these three, or indeed to any Child version. The Virginia texts seem to represent at least two separate version, (A and B) not found in Child.
The story, however, does not differ materially from that of the Child versions, thus summarized by Child: " A mason has built a castle for a nobleman, cannot get his pay, and therefore seeks revenge. The name given the builder is Lamkin [in Virginia, also Lampkin, Ward Lampkin, Beaulamkins, or Bow Lamkins] . . .The Lord, having occasion to leave his family fears mischief from the man whom he has wronged, and enjoins his wife to keep the castle well fastened. Precautions are taken, but nevertheless his enemy effects an entrance through some apperture that has not been secured or by connivance with a nurse. Most of the servants are away. To get at the lady, Lamkin, as we may call him, by advice of the nurse afflicts some hurt on the babe in the cradle stabbing it, or 'nipping' it, and the cries bring the mother down. The lady proffers large sums of gold to save her life, but Lamkin does not care for gold now. [She also offers her daughter. See above.] He gloats over his opportunity, and bids the nurse, or maid-servant, or even one of the daughters of the house, to scour a silver basin to hold the lady's noble blood. The lord has a presentment of calamity at home, and returning, finds his house red with the blood of his wife and child. Lamkin is hanged, or burned, or boiled in a pot full of lead. The nurse is burned, or hanged, or boiled in a cauldron." In Virginia texts, Lamkin is always hanged, the nurse always burned.
The tale has been localized in various parts of Scotland, as pointed out by Motherwell in his Minstrelsy, p. lxx, note 27, and p. 291. The name Lamkin Child explains a either (1) a soubriquet applied in derision of the meekness with which the builder had submitted to his injury," or (2) "a simply ironical designation for the bloody mason, the terror of countless nurseries."
Four Virginia texts and one tune are here, given. Of these, A and B are new and different versions, C is a badly mangled variant of A, and D is a fragment corresponding to Child D 13. The tune to B is conjecturally interpreted, but the original notation is also given.
B. "Lampkin." Reported by Miss Martha M. Davis. contributed by Mrs. Thomas Ware. Sung by an old Colored servant, Fanny Fletcher. Clark County. September 5, 1914. With music. "The old Negro servant who sang this song always gave an introduction, saying that 'Ward Lampkin had been in love with the Landlady, before her marriage to the Lord, and had always
sworn to get his revenge. The Lord was going off on a trip and urged his wife to have some protection, to which the first stanza is her reply. Then the night after her husband went away, Ward Lampkin came and persuaded Fortunate, the nurse, that the baby was crying in the nursery, so that he would have a chance to get in while she was gone. Fortunate was afterwards punished with him, as she was accused of having helped him to murder her.' This old woman, Fanny Fletcher, was very proud of her high cheek-bones and hair, and never missed an opportunity to tell that her grandmother had been an Indian squaw"
(Mrs. Ware).
1 " Why need I reward Lampkin?
Why need I reward him?
When my doors are fast bolted,
And windows pinned down?"
2 "Oh, Fortunate, Oh Fortunate!
Why do you sleep so sound?
Don't you hear that little baby,
How mournful it cries?"
3 "Landlady, landlady!
Why don't you come down,
For to see this fine gentleman
Just stepped into your room?"
4 "How can I come down,
When no candle is burning,
No fire gives light?"
5 "There's two silver candlesticks
A-setting in your room;
Why can't you come down
By the light of the one?"
6 Down stepped the landlady,
Not thinking of no harm,
Out stepped Ward Lampkin
And seized her by the arm.
7 "Mr. Lampkin, Mr. Lampkin,
Just spare me one hour,
And I'll gave you my daughter Betsy,
She's the flower of the flock."
(Daughter Betsy was at school and had to be sent for)
8 "You can take your daughter Betsy,
And send her to the flood,
For to scour that silver basin,
To ketch your heart's blood."
9 "Mr. Lampkin, Mt. Lampkin,
Jest spare me one minute,
And I'll gave you as much more,
As you kin carry away."
10 "Ef you gave me as much money
As there's stars in the sky,
'T would not keep my bright sword
From your lily-white breast."
11 "Mr. Lampkin, Mt. Lampkin,
Jest spare me one secon',
And I'll gave you as many guineas
As you kin carry away."
12 "Ef you gave me as many guineas
As there's grains of sand on the sea,
'T would not keep my bright sword
F'rom your lily-white breast."
13 Ward Lampkin was hung
On the gallows so high,
And old Fortunate was burned
In the fire close by.