Name: The Bonnie Banks o Airdrie (Child 14) (Improved) - Betsy Miller & Ewan MacColl @Liederfuchs
Uploaded: 2026-09-23T08:17:00-05:00
Duration: 8 min 17 s
Description: The Bonnie Banks o Airdrie (Child 14) (Improved) - Betsy Miller & Ewan MacColl

The Bonnie Banks o Airdrie (Child 14) (Improved) - Betsy Miller & Ewan MacColl

Reynard the Fox 2026-09-23 | The Bonnie Banks o Airdrie (Child 14) (Improved) - Betsy Miller & Ewan MacColl

The Wind and Rain (Child 10) (1970) - Kilby Snow (Traditional Autoharp Player)

Reynard the Fox 2025-09-07 | The Dreadful Wind and Rain / The Cruel Sister / The Two Sisters / Bow Down / There Lived an Old Lord / Binnorie / Swan Swims so Bonnie / Twa Sisters (Child No. 10) - Performed by John Kilby Snow (1905–1980) with autoharp accompaniment at the University of Washington Music Building, Seattle, Washington, USA. He was originally from Grayson County, Virginia. Filmed by Mike Seeger (of the New Lost City Ramblers) and The University of Washington Ethnomusicology Archives on February 21, 1970. My thanks go to Perkdawg for sharing the digitised Betacam SP video reel which had not been available to the public previously.

Notes by Kevin W.:
Kilby Snow was a virtuoso autoharpist with a fine repertoire of tunes and songs. He was left-handed which contributed to his unique "drag note" playing style. He only recorded a single album but frequently performed at festivals and on radio and his style is revered by autoharp fans to this day. He told Mike Seeger that he learned Wind and Rain from his great-grandfather Thomas Snow (1812-1916), or Tom Big Bear, who was Cherokee and lived to a 104 years. Kilby learned it around 1913 when Tom was 95 and he was about 8, and then remembered it many years later. He decided to start singing it, because "you just got to sing it or it keeps haunting you."

The first half of Kilby's version comes from a different song, "The Bloody Miller / Knoxville Girl" (Roud 263). Kilby Snow and Daniel "Dan" Wyatt Tate (1895–1990) of Fancy Gap, Carroll County, Va., who also sang Wind and Rain, were near neighbours and their versions might go back to a common earlier source.

Wind and Rain is a rare version of an old British traditional ballad known to scholars as The Twa Sisters (Child 10). In the present form it has only been heard from singers in Virginia and W. Virginia.

The refrain actually reminds me of "with hey, ho, the wind and the rain" (Twelfth Night, Epilogue, sung by the Clown; King Lear, The Fool's Song, III, 21 74, ff.), one of Shakespeare's songs that may have been based on a traditional song.

This version of Child 10 may have been brought over from Ireland, although it has never been reported from there. Given how fragmented the texts are while still preserving the supernatural instrument made from the drowned sister's hair and bones they must've circulated in oral tradition for a long time.

Bob Dylan's Percy's Song from 1963 takes its melody from Wind and Rain. Dylan heard it sung by Paul Clayton Worthington who went on field recording trips with George Foss who recorded the song from Dan Tate in 1962.

Song transcription:

It was early one morning in the month of May
Oh the wind and rain
Two lovers went a-fishing on a hot summer day
A-crying the dreadful wind and rain

He said to the maiden "Won't you marry me?"
Oh the wind and rain
"Then my little wife you'll always be,"
A-crying the dreadful wind and rain.

She said, "Oh no, that'll never do,"
Oh the wind and rain
I love you but I can't marry you,"
A-crying the dreadful wind and rain

Then he knocked her down and he kicked her around
Oh the wind and rain
Hit her in the head with a battering ram
A-crying the dreadful wind and rain

Then he threw her in the river to drown
Oh the wind and rain
Watched her as she floated down
A-crying the dreadful wind and rain

She floated on down to the miller's mill pond
Oh the wind and rain
Floated on down to the miller's mill pond
A-crying the dreadful wind and rain

The miller fished her out with a long fishing line
Oh the wind and rain
Miller fished her out with a long fishing line
A-crying the dreadful wind and rain

And he made fiddle pegs of her little finger bones
Oh the wind and rain
Made fiddle pegs of her little finger bones
A-crying the dreadful wind and rain

Then he made a fiddle bow of her long curly hair
Oh the wind and rain
Made a fiddle bow of her long curly hair
A-crying the dreadful wind and rain

Now the only tune that fiddle would play,
Was oh the wind and rain
Only tune that fiddle would play,
Was crying the dreadful wind and rain

The Wind and Rain / Two Sisters (Child 10) (1940) - George Washington Cornwell

Reynard the Fox 2025-09-07 | The Dreadful Wind and Rain / The Cruel Sister / The Two Sisters / Bow Down / There Lived an Old Lord / Binnorie / Swan Swims so Bonnie / Twa Sisters (Child No. 10) - Sung by George Washington Cornwell (1861–1958) of Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia, USA. Recorded by Prof. Louis Watson Chappell on August 5, 1940.

00:00:00 King's Two Daughters - George Washington Cornwell
00:02:39 The Dreadful Wind and Rain (Tape Copy) - Dan Tate
00:04:43 The Dreadful Wind and Rain (Vinyl LP) - Dan Tate
00:06:35 Wind and Rain (1969) - Kilby Snow
00:09:43 Wind and Rain (1974) - Kilby Snow

Link to original recording: https://folkmusic.lib.wvu.edu/catalog/Chappell_50_Cornwell_F_KingsTwoDaughters

Notes by Kevin W.:
One of the biggest surprises for me was the discovery of this previously undocumented text of "The Dreadful Wind and Rain" from the Chappell Collection. This is a rare version of The Twa Sisters (Child 10) which has only been found in Virginia and W. Virginia. I'll share all four known texts and the field recordings available to me.

The refrain actually reminds me of "with hey, ho, the wind and the rain" (Twelfth Night, Epilogue, sung by the Clown; King Lear, The Fool's Song, III, 21 74, ff.), one of Shakespeare's songs that may have been based on a traditional song.

This version of Child 10 may have been brought over from Ireland, although it has never been reported from there. Given how fragmented the texts are while still preserving the supernatural instrument made from the drowned sister's hair and bones they must've circulated in oral tradition for a long time.

Folk musician Jody Stecher recorded a remake of Wind and Rain which is worth a listen. I won't share it here because I want to focus on recordings from tradition but if you haven't heard it yet, it's on his 1999 album "Oh The Wind and Rain / Eleven Ballads".

Of the recordings Chappell made of Mr. Cornwell this rare ballad is the one where the disc got badly damaged. It can't be helped, I'd be able to fix the gaps in the recording with Audacity but it'd be hours of tedious work and perhaps not worth the effort. At least we can hear the tune and I think I managed to transcribe the text accurately. There might be a skipped verse at the end.

Song transcription:

A King he had two daughters fair
Crying oh the wind and the rain
They went to the sea, one pushed the other one in
And the wind blew over the lily fair one

Three times she sunk and then she swam
Crying oh the wind and the rain
She swam till she came...
(restarts)
She swam till she came to the fisherman's pond
And the wind blew over the lily fair one

A-clinging out his long hook and line
Crying oh the wind and the rain
He caught her by the tail of her gown
And the wind blew over the lily fair one

Oh he made fiddle strings of her long, long hair
Crying oh the wind and the rain
He made fiddle strings of her long, long hair
And screws pinned of her three finger bones

At length he got his fiddle for to play
Crying oh the wind and the rain
Only tune that he gave his fiddle for to play
And the wind blew over the lily fair one

Oh it's yonder sits my father the King
Oh yonder sits my mother the Queen
Oh yonder sits my sister who pushed me down
And the wind blew over the lily fair one

Up speaks the...
(record skips)

Oh sister, oh sister pray lend me your hand
Crying oh the wind and the rain
It's you may have my sweetheart and all of my land
And the wind blew over the lily fair one

The Cruel Brother (Child 11) (1940) - Paulina Cole

Reynard the Fox 2025-09-04 | Three Ladies Played at Ball / The Three Maids / The Three Knights / The Cruel Brother (Child No. 11) - Sung by Mrs. Paulina Ellen Watts Adkins Cole (Mrs. Ely Cole) (1882-1957) of Big Creek, Logan County, West Virginia, USA. Recorded by Prof. Louis Watson Chappell on August 14, 1940.

00:00:00 The Three Ladies (Take 1) - Ely Cole
00:03:29 The Three Ladies (Take 2) - Ely Cole
00:07:05 The Three Maids - Polly Johnson
00:10:40 Lily O - Aunt Becky Gordon
00:14:29 The Three Ladies (Original Tape) - Edith Ballinger Price
00:17:52 The Three Ladies (Bass Reduced Slightly) - Edith Ballinger Price
00:21:11 The Three Ladies (Bass Reduced Heavily) - Edith Ballinger Price
00:24:29 The Cruel Brother - Bell Duncan

Link to Take 1: https://folkmusic.lib.wvu.edu/catalog/Chappell_52_Cole_B_CruelBrother
Link to Take 2: https://folkmusic.lib.wvu.edu/catalog/Chappell_52_Cole_J_CruelBrother

Note by Kevin W.:
A traditional West Virginia version of The Cruel Brother (Child 11). It was customary in medieval times for a bride to ask permission of the family and especially the brother before marriage. The bride in this story forgot to ask her brother. The offended brother helps her on the horse and stabs her. The ballad makes little sense to modern ears as such marriage customs have long been abandoned.

The few versions recorded from traditional singers in the 20th century are the last remains of what was once one of the most popular ballads in Scotland according to Prof. Child's notes. I'm fairly certain that none of the singers understood the reason for the bride's stabbing, but they kept singing the ballad because certain parts of it still appealed to them. It's telling that the stabbing is the part most often missing from collected texts, with the three knights courting and the stanzas about leaving various things to family members being the elements retained.

Mrs. Paulina Cole sings an incomplete version. The main plot point of the brother stabbing the bride and the ending stanzas of wishing him and his family ill are missing. The song has almost become a burlesque with the dying bride on her last breath willing various things to her many family members.

Song transcription:
Take 1:

Take me to yondo's hill
Till I get down and make my will
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o

What do you will to your father dear
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o

I will him my horse, my bridle and saddle
That I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o

What do you will to your mother dear
My golden book and silver ring
That I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o

What do you will to your brother dear
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o

My bow and arrow that I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o

Oh what do you will to your sister Ann
My wedding dress that I have here
Tell her to wash it white and clean
For my heart's blood was never a-seen
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o

And...
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o

What do you will to your uncle dear
It's my house and furniture
I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o

What do you will to your grandmother dear
My golden books and silver spoon
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o

What do you will to your grandfather dear
My cup and saucers that I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o

What do you will to your niece and dear
I will her my...

Take 2:

There was three ladies, ladies playing ball
There come three gentlemen for to court them all
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o

The first one come was dressed in red
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o

The next one come was dressed in white
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o

The next one come was dressed in blue
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o

It's drive on, drive on, to yondo's hill
Till I get down and make my will
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o

It's what do you will to your father dear
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o

I will him my horse, my bridle and saddle
That I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o

It's what do you will to your mother dear
My golden book and silver ring
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o

It's what do you will to your sister Ann
It's my wedding dress that I have here
Tell her to wash it white and clean
For my heart's blood was never a-seen
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o

What do you will to your brother dear
My bow and arrow that I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o

What do you will to your aunt
My golden book and silver spoon
That I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o

What do you will to your uncle dear
High lily...

Fair Maid on the Shore / The Sea Captain (Child 43 Appendix) - W. R. Lowers

Reynard the Fox 2025-09-01 | Fair Maid on the Shore / The Sea Captain (Roud No. 181) / Broomfield Wager / The Broomfield Hill (Child No. 43) - Sung by Mr. W. R. Lowers of Ivydale, Clay County, West Virginia, USA. Recorded by Prof. Louis Watson Chappell on August 17, 1939.

Link to original recording: https://folkmusic.lib.wvu.edu/catalog/Chappell_30_Lowers_E_SeaCaptain

Notes by Kevin W.:
This song must go back to a British broadside as all traditional texts are very similar, but so far none has come to light. It has rarely been found in America but enjoyed some popularity in Canada's maritime provinces.

It is a retelling of The Broomfield Wager or Broomfield Hill (Child 43) in which a knight makes a bet that a girl won't be able to come to him in the fields and return back a virgin. An old witch advises her to use the magical properties of the broom flowers to put him to sleep which she does. She places a ring on his finger and leaves, thus proving that she'd been there and won the wager.

In the last stanza of this recording I hear "weep". But it really should be sleep. In the complete song she sings them to sleep, then takes the captain's gold, his broadsword and a small boat and rows back to the shore.

Song transcription:

There was a fair damsel crossed in love
Her heart sunk down in despair-o
And all she could find to ease her sweet mind
Was standing alone on the shore-o, shore
Was standing alone on the shore

There was a sea captain sailing that day
The wind blew high and fairly
I'll die, I'll die the sea captain did cry
If I don't gain that maid on the shore-o, shore
If I don't gain that maid on the shore

I have gold and I have jewels
And I have costly ware-o
And all will I give to the jolly sea boys
If they'll bring me that maid on the shore-o, shore
If they'll gain me that maid on the shore

With many persuations they got her on board
The captain he set her a chair-o
Invited her down to the cabin below
Saying fare you well sorrow and care-o, care
Saying fare you well sorrow and care

I'll sing you a song if you don't think it's long
The captain and sailors did stare-o
She sang it so sweet, so neat and complete
Till the captain and sailors did weep-o, weep
Till the captain and sailors did weep

She...

(There should be more of the song. Unfortunately the recording ends here)

[ She robbed them of jewels, she robbed them of gold,
She robbed them of costly array O.
Of the captain's broad sword she made her an oar,
And she paddled her boat to the shore, O shore,
And she paddled her boat to the shore.

O were my men sleeping, or were my men mad,
Or were they all sunk in despair O?
She deluded yourself, myself also,
And again she's a maid on the shore, O shore,
And again she's a maid on the shore."

"Your men were not sleeping, your men were not mad.
Nor were they sunk in despair O.
I deluded your men and yourself also,
And again I'm a maid on the shore, O shore,
And again I'm a maid on the shore." ] [*]

[*] The missing ending stanzas as found in a similar text in "Ballads and Songs from Utah" (1961) by Lester A. Hubbard, as collected from Mr. James Jepson of Hurricane, Washington County, Utah, USA, on August 11, 1947.

The Cambric Shirt (Child 2) (1939) - W. R. Lowers

Reynard the Fox 2025-09-01 | Impossibilities / A True Lover of Mine / Every Rose Grows Merry in Time / Every Rose Grows Merry and Fine / Rosemary Lane / Rosemary Fair / Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme / Scarborough Fair / Blow, Ye Winds, Blow / The Wind Blows my Plaidie Awa / The Cambric Shirt / The Elfin Knight (Child No. 2) - Sung by Mr. W. R. Lowers of Ivydale, Clay County, West Virginia, USA. Recorded by Prof. Louis Watson Chappell on August 17, 1939.

Link to original recording: https://folkmusic.lib.wvu.edu/catalog/Chappell_30_Lowers_G_CambricShirt

00:00:00 The Cambric Shirt (1939) - W. R. Lowers
00:01:34 The Cambric Shirt (1940) - Mrs. James Conrad
00:03:39 The Cambric Shirt (1940) - Allie Nuzum
00:04:10 The Cambric Shirt (1990) - Annadeene Fraley

Note by Kevin W.:
The curious refrain may have been "Savoury, sage, rosemary and thyme" at one point. I remember reading a printed text with that refrain a while ago. The oldest texts (excluding the distinct Scottish "Elfin Knight" form with its "Plaidie awa" refrain) all have a herb/plant refrain. 20th century folklorists were eager to attribute magical properties of protection against evil or of an aphrodisiac to the plants, which is possible, but if that's the case the meaning was lost on generations of singers who accepted it as little more than a bunch of pretty words to carry the tune.

This is the only Child 2 tune I ever heard from a traditional singer that resembles the now famous "Scarborough Fair" tune as collected from Mr. Mark Anderson (1874–1953), a retired lead miner of Middleton-in-Teesdale, County Durham, England, by Ewan MacColl in 1947. The one that was popularised by Simon & Garfunkel in 1966.

Song transcription:

Will you make me a cambric shirt
So they say it is merry in time
Not needle or thread or seamster's work
And then you will be a true lover of mine

Now you've asked me questions three
So they say it is merry in time
And I hope you will answer the same for me
And then you will be a true lover of mine

Will you buy me an acre of land
So they say it is merry in time
Betwixt the salt water and the sea sand
And then you will be a true lover of mine

Will you plough it with a ram's horn
So they say it is merry in time
And plant it all down in one pepper of corn
And then you will be a true lover of mine

Will you reap it with a sickle of leather
So they say it is merry in time
And bind it all up in one peafowl's feather
And then you will be a true lover of mine

Spoken: That's as far as I can go

The Cambric Shirt - Sung by Mrs. James Conrad of Strange Creek, Braxton County, West Virginia, USA. Recorded by Louis Watson Chappell on September 18, 1940.

...cambric shirt
So they say it is merry in time
Without thread or needle or seamster work
And then you will be a true lover of mine

And will you wash it in yonder's well
So they say it is merry in time
Where never sprung water since rain ever fell
And then you will be a true lover of mine

And will you dry it on yonder's thorn
So they say it is merry in time
Where never bore blossom since Adam was born
And then you will be a true lover of mine

Now you've asked me questions three
So they say it is merry in time
I hope you will answer the same for me
And then you will be a true lover of mine

Will you buy me an acre of land
So they say it is merry in time
Betwixt salt water and the sea sand
Then you will be a true lover of mine

And will you plough it with a ram's horn
So they say it is merry in time
And plant it all down in one pepper of corn
And then you will be a true lover of mine

And will you reap it with a sickle of leather
So they say it is merry in time
And bind it all up in one peafowl's feather
And then you will be a true lover of mine

The Cambric Shirt - Sung by Mrs. Alvoretta "Allie" Nuzum Sample (1855–1942) of Coalfax, Marion County, West Virginia, USA. Her maiden name is an Irish form of Newsome. Recorded by Louis Watson Chappell on September 25, 1940.

You go buy me a cambric shirt
Without one stich of needle work
Come-a-keetle-umma-keetle-umma
Tappa-lar-fum-a-lum-a-lay
Catch-you-low-my-nay
Catch-you-low-my-nay

Wash it out in an old dry well
Where never a drop of water fell
Come-a-keetle-umma-keetle-umma
Tappa-lar-fum-a-lum-a-lay
Catch-you-low-my-nay
Catch-you-low-my-nay

You go buy me an acre of land
Between the sea shore and the sand
Come-a-keetle-umma-keetle-umma
Tappa-lar-fum-a-lum-a-lay
Catch-you-low-my-nay
Catch-you-low-my-nay

The Two Brothers (Child 49) (1940) - Jim Wright

Reynard the Fox 2025-09-01 | Two Brothers / Twa Brithers / Two Pretty Boys / Rolling of the Stones / Little Schoolboy / Jessel Town / The Twa Brothers (Child No. 49) - Sung by Mr. Jim Wright of Kliny, Pendleton County, West Virginia, USA. Recorded by Prof. Louis Watson Chappell on July 31, 1940.

Link to original recording: https://folkmusic.lib.wvu.edu/catalog/Chappell_49_Wright_F_TwoBoys

00:00:00 The Two Brothers - Jim Wright
00:02:48 The Two Brothers - Scott Phillips
00:05:05 Elly Green Woods - Kate Toney

Note by Kevin W.:
This is an old version of The Twa Brothers (Child 49), it closely resembles Prof. Child's Version E, from "Minstrelsy, Ancient and Modern" (1827) by William Motherwell: http://71.174.62.16/Demo/LongerHarvest?Text=Child_d04905

One of few texts collected in the 20th century with the full "What's the blood" Edward (Child 13) ending. Unfortunately the singer struggled to recall the ending stanzas, presumably at one point most of Child 13 was part of the song, as in the Motherwell text.

Lizzie Higgins of Aberdeen, Scotland, and her mother Jeannie Robertson, sang a similar version but without the Child 13 ending: youtu.be/vD9Ny98oPDQ

Song transcription:

Two brothers at the school one day
And when they started away
It's will you go to the stone chucking
Or it's will you go to the ball
Or it's will you go up yon green hill
And there we'll wrestle the fall

I neither will go to the stone chucking
Nor neither to the ball
But we will go up yon green hill
And there we'll wrestle the fall

They wrestled up, they wrestled down
Till John fell to the ground
A dirk did fall from Willie's pouch
And deadly wounded John

It's take me on your back, dear brother
And carry me to yon well fair
And wash my bloody wounds o'er and o'er
And then they'll bleed no more

He took his brother on his back
And carried him to yon well fair
He washed his bloody wounds o'er and o'er
And still they bled the more

He went home, and fell in his mother's arms too
And wept most bitterly
Oh, what blood's this upon your coat
Dear son, dear, tell to me
It is the blood from my grey steed
He would not ride for me

Oh son, oh son, it's this blood's not [of that]
It's the blood from my dear...
(corrects himself)
It aint the blood from your grey steed
That blood never was so dear
It's the blood from your dear brother
Oh son do tell to me

Oh son, oh what is this blood on your shirt
Oh son, do tell to me
It is the blood from my dear brother
A due 'tween I and he

She turned herself around and about
Her heart did burst in three
My best son is dead and gone
And the other I never shall see

The Two Brothers - Sung by Mr. Scott Phillips of Hundred, Wetzel County, West Virginia, USA. Recorded by Louis Watson Chappell on October 9/18, 1942.

Oh can you toss the ball
Or can you swing a bat
Go away, go away, the brother replied
For I'm too young for that

They wrastled up, they wrastled down
They wrastled all around
But the pretty little knife in William's pocket
Gave John his death-lie wound

What woundest me so sore, brother
What woundest me so sore
There never was a boy in all of days
That loved his brother more

It's take your own shirt off your back
And tear it from gore to gore
And place that on my bleeding wounds
And they will bleed no more

He took his own shirt off his back
And tore it from gore to gore
And placed that on his brother's wounds
But they still bled the more

It's take me on your back, brother
And carry me to [Chessel's Church] [*]
And dig for me a good-lie grave
A wide one and a deep

He took his brother on his back
And carried him to [Chessel's Church]
And dug for me a good-lie grave
A wide one and a deep

It's when that you go home brother
My mother will ask for me
Tell her I'm along with my schoolmates
I'll be home a Saturday

It's when that you go home brother
My father will ask for me
Tell him I'm along with my schoolmates
I'll be home a Saturday

It's when that you go home brother
My sweetheart will ask for me
Tell her I'm dead and in my grave
In [Chessel's Church] I lay

[*] I can't make out the place name. Texas Gladden of Virginia has "Jessel Town". Prof. Child's Version C has "Chester scule". That seems to be the closest match.

Elly Green Woods - Sung by Mrs. Catherine "Kate" Bell Toney (1874–1944) in Kitchen, Logan County, West Virginia, USA. She was born in Wayne County. Recorded by Prof. Louis Watson Chappell on August 9, 1940.

Oh can you throw a football
Or can you throw a stone
I am too little, I am too young
So brother let me alone

If mama should ask of me
Pray let the truth be known
It's tell her I'm in the Elly Green Woods
My lesson for to learn

If my true love asks of me
Pray let the truth be known
It's tell her I'm in the Elly Green Woods
My hounds all for to run

Oh brother, oh brother go dig my grave
Go dig it wide and deep
And bury three [drovers] at my head
My bible at my feet
My bow and arrow by my side
That I may sweetly sleep

The Little Scotch Girl / The Keach in the Creel (Child 281) (1958) - Herbert Halpert

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-31 | The Little Scotch Girl / The Creel / The Wee Toun Clerk / Sweet Mazie / Coochie Coochie Coo Go Way / The Keach I the Creel (Child No. 281) - Sung by folklorist Herbert Halpert (1911–2000) at a lecture on Child Ballads at the University of California, Los Angeles, USA. Recorded on July 15, 1958. Norman Cazden collected the song circa 1941 from Mr. George Edwards of Burlington, Vermont, Chittenden County, New England, USA. Mr. Edwards was born in East Riding, in the north of England. Cazden published it in two books, Abelard Folk Song Book Pt. 2 (1958) and Folk Songs of the Catskills (1982).

00:00:00 The Little Scotch Girl (Noise Reduced) - Herbert Halpert
00:03:00 The Little Scotch Girl (Original Tape) - Herbert Halpert

Link to original recording: https://digital.library.ucla.edu/catalog/ark:/21198/zz00090x87

Note by Kevin W.:
The only version of "The Keach in the Creel" (Child 281) from America known to me. Curiously it is also the only 20th century collected version known to me that follows the repeated last line chorus of Prof. Child's texts.

"The Keach in the Creel" means "The Ride in the Basket".

All Scottish field recordings I've heard have a "Ricky doo dum day" or similar chorus, and Irish versions also have variations on a nonsense chorus.

Song transcription:

A little Scotch girl, she went down town
Some white fish for to buy
There she got acquainted with a little town clerk
And he followed her by and by, O by
And he followed her by and by.

'Where are you going, sweet maid?' says he
'And whereon do you be?
Let this night be ever so dark.
I'll come and I'll visit thee, O thee,
I'll come and I'll visit thee.'

My mamma locks the door without
My papa keeps the key,
Unless you are such a silly old witch
You'll never come up to me, O me,
You'll never get up to me.

'Unless you have a ladder built
Thirty steps and three
Build it to the chimney top
And then come down to me, O me.
And then come down to me."

The little town clerk he had a brother,
And a wee little wit was he,
Built his brother a great muckle ladder
Of thirty steps and three, O three
Of thirty steps and three

Put the click to his right shoulder
And the creel was to the pin,
Drew him up to the chimney top
And he let the bonny clerk in, O in
And he let the bonny clerk in

The old folks layed in a room close by
A-hearing what was said,
'I'll lay my life,' said the silly old wife,
There's a man in our daughter's bed, O bed
There's a man in our daughter's bed

Good old man, he gets upstairs
To see, could this be true?
She drew the bonny clerk close in her arms
And covered him over in blue, O blue
And she covered him over in blue.

'What brings you here, papa,' she said,
'What brings you here so late?
You disturb me of my evening prayers
And O, but they are sweet, O sweet,
And O, but they are sweet.'

Good old man he gets downstairs,
Said, 'You didn't tell me true,
Our daughter's got a great muckle bookie in her arms
She's praying for me and you, O you,
She's praying for me and you!'

Good old woman gets upstairs,
To see, could this be true?
What in the devil should take her foot,
But into the creel she flew, O flew,
In the creel she flew!

The brother at the chimney top,
Finding the creel was full,
Put the click to his right shoulder
And fast to her did pull, O pull,
And fast to her did pull.

He shook her up, he shook her down
Gave her a right downfall
Every click in the old girl's rib
Played knick-knack to the wall, O wall,
Played knick-knack on the wall.

Here's to the blue, and the bonny blue,
And here's to the blue does well,
And every woman that is jealous of her daughter
Might fall into the creel, O creel,
Might fall into the creel.

Columbo Whistle Tune / This Old Man Came Rolling Home (Roud 3550) (1949) - Effie Carmack

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-31 | This Old Man Came Rolling Home (Roud No. 3550) - Sung by Effie Carmack of Atascadero, California, USA. She learned it from an old man, David Birch, who came from England. He sang it while rocking Mrs. Carmack's little daughter on his foot. Recorded by Austin E. Fife on July 8, 1949.

Note by Kevin W.:
I found this while browsing the D. K. (Donald Knight) Wilgus Field Recordings Collection: https://digital.library.ucla.edu/catalog/ark:/21198/zz00094qfq

It's interesting to me because it's the children's song Lieutenant Columbo (Peter Falk) often whistled in the popular 1970s crime detective TV series which was also filmed in California.

Song transcription:

This old man, he played one,
He played nick-nack had a lot of fun
Nick-nack paddywhack,
Give a dog a bone.
This old man came rolling home.

This old man, he played two,
He played nick-nack on my shoe
Nick-nack paddywhack,
Give a dog a bone.
This old man came rolling home.

This old man, he played three,
He played nick-nack under my tree
Nick-nack paddywhack,
Give a dog a bone.
This old man came rolling home.

Spoken: You can go on indefinitely, you know, if you don't know the words you can make them.

The Cruel Mother (Child 20) (1940) - Catherine Kate Toney

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-29 | Fair Flowers of Fadie-O / Fair Flowers of Holly-O / Fine Flowers in the Valley / Doon By the Greenwood Sidie O / Greenwood Side / Down by the Greenwood Sidey-o / All Alone and a-Lonely-O / She's Leaned her Back / The Cruel Mither / The Cruel Mother (Child No. 20) - Sung by Mrs. Catherine "Kate" Bell Toney (1874–1944) in Kitchen, Logan County, West Virginia, USA. She was born in Wayne County. Recorded by Prof. Louis Watson Chappell on August 9, 1940.

Mrs. Toney was Prof. Chappell's most prolific traditional singer. On that one day in August he recorded seventy-nine of her songs. An article on her can be found here: https://omekas.lib.wvu.edu/home/s/folkmusic/page/kate-toney

00:00:00 Pretty Babes - Kate Toney
00:03:40 Fair Flowers of Fadie-O - Charles S. Brink
00:04:23 Little Babes - Rhoda Browning Nelson
00:05:00 Little Babes - Sarah Workman

Note by Kevin W.:
A traditional West Virginia version of The Cruel Mother (Child 20). The ballad is rare in America and texts are often fragmentary. It must've arrived in Virginia with the early settlers in the 1600s-1700s and was kept alive through generations of singers without the aid of printed texts. As far as I can tell the song was never published in songsters or broadsides in America, likely due to the dark subject matter.

An important detail lost in many American texts and likely not understood by the singers is that the mother kills her babies out of fear of being discovered by her family. She had an illegitimate relationship with her father's clerk, a man below her standing.

Three of the W. Virginia texts recorded by Louis W. Chappell include a variation on the following stanza:

She wiped her penknife on her shoe
Fine flowers of fin-die-o
The more she wiped the bloodier it grew
Down, down by the greenwood sidie-o
The more she wiped the bloodier it grew
Down, down by the greenwood sidie-o

Which preserves an old superstition that the blood from a murderer's weapon can't be washed off. This stanza is seldom found in traditional versions collected in the 20th century.

The "flowers in the valley" refrain originated in Scotland and has become rare, it survived mostly with northern US and Canadian texts, often displaying varying degrees of corruption.

Song transcription:

An evidently ancient text. Not entirely complete, but preserving beautiful rhymes and the rare "she wiped her penknife" stanza. It's sung to a fine and widespread ballad tune.

First she leaned against an oak
Fine flowers of fin-die-o
First it bent and then it broke
Down, down by the greenwood sidie-o
First it bent and then it broke
Down, down by the greenwood sidie-o

Next she leaned against a thorn
There them two pretty babes are born

She wiped her penknife on her shoe
(corrects herself)

She had a penknife keen and sharp
She pierced them two pretty babes to the heart

She wiped her penknife on her shoe
The more she wiped the bloodier it grew

She dropped her penknife in the well
She wished them two pretty babes in hell

She dug a grave both wide and deep
She buried them both without a sheet

The very next day she's going to church
There her two pretty babes appeared

Said, pretty babes if you were mine
(record skips)
I'd dress you in the silk so fine

Mother dear we once was yourn
(record skips)
You neither dressed us coarse nor fine

The very next day she's going to church
There them two pretty babes appeared

The first six months you'll ring a bell
The next six months you'll ring in hell

Charles S. Brink:

If those two little babes were mine,
Fair the flowers of Fadie-O,
I'd dress them up in silk so fine,
Down by the Greenwood Sidey-O.

When us two little babes were thine,
Fair the flowers of Fadie-O,
You neither dressed nor clothed us fine,
Down by the Greenwood Sidey-O.

But with your penknife keen and sharp,
Fair the flowers of Fadie-O,
You pierced us two babes to the heart,
Down by the Greenwood Sidey-O!

Rhoda Browning Nelson:

Oh little babes if you were mine
Fine flowers of fandy-o
I would dress you up in silk so fine
Down by the greenwood sidie-o

Oh mother dear we once was yours
Fine flowers of fandy-o
You'd neither give us coarse nor fine
Down by the greenwood sidie-o
You'd neither give us coarse nor fine
Down by the greenwood sidie-o

Sarah Workman:

Oh little babes if you were mine
Fine flowers of fin-die-o
I'd dress you in silk and satin so fine
Down, down by the greenwood sidie-o

Oh mother we were once yourn
Fine flowers of fin-die-o
You neither dressed us in coarse nor fine
Down, down by the greenwood sidie-o

She had a penknife keen and sharp
Fine flowers of fin-die-o
She pressed it through those little babe's hearts
Down, down by the greenwood sidie-o

She dropped her penknife in the well
Fine flowers of fin-die-o
She wished those two little babes in hell
Down, down by the greenwood sidie-o

The Cruel Mother (Child 20) (1940) - Alvoretta Allie Nuzum

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-29 | Fair Flowers of Fadie-O / Fair Flowers of Holly-O / Fine Flowers in the Valley / Doon By the Greenwood Sidie O / Greenwood Side / Down by the Greenwood Sidey-o / All Alone and a-Lonely-O / She's Leaned her Back / The Cruel Mither / The Cruel Mother (Child No. 20) - Sung by Mrs. Alvoretta "Allie" Nuzum Sample (1855–1942) of Coalfax, Marion County, West Virginia, USA. Her maiden name is an Irish form of Newsome. Recorded by Prof. Louis Watson Chappell on September 25, 1940.

00:00:00 Lady In The Lonely - Allie Nuzum
00:02:16 The Cruel Mother - Veach Lambert
00:04:16 The Cruel Mother - Mrs. James Conrad

Note by Kevin W.:
A traditional West Virginia version of The Cruel Mother (Child 20). The ballad is rare in America and texts are often fragmentary. It must've arrived in Virginia with the early settlers in the 1600s-1700s and was kept alive through generations of singers without the aid of printed texts. As far as I can tell the song was never published in songsters or broadsides in America, likely due to the dark subject matter.

An important detail lost in many American texts and likely not understood by the singers is that the mother kills her babies out of fear of being discovered by her family. She had an illegitimate relationship with her father's clerk, a man below her standing.

Three of the W. Virginia texts recorded by Louis W. Chappell include a variation on the following stanza:

She went to the brook for to wash her knife
Oh ladies, I'm lonely
The more she washed the bloodier it got
All down by the greenwood side

Which preserves an old superstition that the blood from a murderer's weapon can't be washed off. This stanza is seldom found in traditional versions collected in the 20th century.

Song transcription:

There was a lady lived in York
Ey lady in the lonely
She fell in love with her father's clerk
Down by the greenwood sidie

She loved him up and she loved him down
Ey lady in the lonely
She loved him until he filled her arms
Down by the greenwood sidie

She went to see her aunt one morn
Ey lady in the lonely
And on the way two babes were born
Down by the greenwood sidie

She drew her knife both keen and sharp
Ey lady in the lonely
She pierced those two little babes to the heart
Down by the greenwood sidie

She went to the well to wash her knife
Ey lady in the lonely
The more she washed the bloodier it got
Down by the greenwood sidie

[ And though she washed through eternity
And all the waters of Acadia
She can not wash those stains away
Down by the greenwood sidie

The years rolled on and she grew old
Ey lady in the lonely
And all she had was jewels and gold
Down by the greenwood sidie ] [*]

One day she was walking to her grandfather's hall
Ey lady in the lonely
She saw two sweet little babes tossing ball
Down by the greenwood sidie

Oh babes, oh babes, if you were mine
Ey lady in the lonely
I'd dress you up in silk so fine
Down by the greenwood sidie

Oh mother, mother, when we were thine
Ey lady in the lonely
You dressed us neither in coarse nor fine
Down by the greenwood sidie

But mother, mother, we are well
Ey lady in the lonely
Up in heaven, and your doom's in hell
Down by the greenwood sidie

[*] These two stanzas are spurious and may be a modern addition. No other version of Child 20 changes the refrain for one stanza. The remainder agrees with the text sung by Mr. Lambert below and appears to be genuine.

Veach Lambert of Riverton, Pendleton County, West Virginia, USA. Recorded by Louis W. Chappell on June 24, 1938.

There was a lady lived in New York
Oh ladies, I'm lonely
She fell in love with her father's clerk
All down by the greenwood side

He loved her up and he loved her down
Oh ladies, I'm lonely
He loved her till he filled her arms
All down by the greenwood side

She placed her foot upon an oak
Oh ladies, I'm lonely
And first it bent and then it broke
All down by the greenwood side

She placed her foot then on a thorn
Oh ladies, I'm lonely
And there her two little babes was born
All down by the greenwood side

She had a knife both keen and sharp
Oh ladies, I'm lonely
She pierced them little babes to the heart
All down by the greenwood side

She went to the brook for to wash her knife
Oh ladies, I'm lonely
The more she washed the bloodier it got
All down by the greenwood side

As she was a-setting in her father's hall
Oh ladies, I'm lonely
She saw her babes a-playing ball
All down by the greenwood side

Oh babes, oh babes, if you were mine
Oh ladies, I'm lonely
I'd dress you in your silk so fine
All down by the greenwood side

Oh mother, mother, when we were yourn
Oh ladies, I'm lonely
You neither gave us coarse nor fine
All down by the greenwood side

When we're in heaven a-doing well
Oh ladies, I'm lonely
And you are dooming down to hell
All down by the greenwood side

Clerk Colven / Clerk Colvill (Child 42) (1967) - Ewan MacColl

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-28 | Johnny Collins / George Collins / Young Collins / Giles Collins / Lady Alice (Child No. 85) Clerk Colven / Clerk Colvill (Child No. 42) - Sung by Ewan MacColl on "The Long Harvest Vol. 7" (1967) Argo – ZDA 72. A cover of Child 42, Version A, from the singing of Anna Gordon (Mrs. Brown) (1747–1810) of Falkland, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Printed in Ritson Tytler-Brown MS, pp. 6-9. It is Bronson's only text and tune, BIB 5, Vol. I, p. 334.

Note by Kevin W.:
Prof. Francis James Child titled this ballad Lady Alice (Child 85) and he didn't think much of it as all five texts known to him told a brief "boy dies, sweetheart dies of grief" story written in a burlesque style. It wasn't until the 20th century that more complete texts were collected from singers in Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania in America since 1916 and in Hampshire and Suffolk in England since 1906. These texts shed a new light on the song, preserving the outlines of a more complex story.

A man (named George, Johnny, Giles or Young Collins) encounters a strange woman at a riverside washing a marble stone or a silken cloth. She commands him to come to her for his life will end soon. He jumps into the water and embraces and kisses her. We aren't told what happens between them. Next we find Collins riding (or swimming) home to his parents, asking for a cloth to bind his head, predicting his death the same night and requesting to be buried at the marble stone under his lover's hill or under her hall. His lover, (named Eleanor, Ellender, Fair Ellen or Lady Alice), sits in her room sewing silk or being dressed in silk. When she sees pallbearers passing by she enquires the dead man's name. Being told that it is Collins, her old true love, she requests his coffin be set down and opened. She kisses his cold lips one last time and dies of grief soon after.

There is considerable confusion over the identity of the mysterious woman washing at a riverside in most American Collins texts. Singers couldn't make sense of her and naturally concluded that she must be the same person as Collins' true lover, Fair Ellen. This is not the case as becomes clear by comparing the following story.

The song appears to go back to an earlier Scottish ballad known as Clerk Colvill (Child 42) in which Colvill's lady warns him to stay away from the mermaid at the stream. But he goes there anyways as he has done many times before. The mermaid sits at the stream washing her silken cloth. She welcomes him with pleasure. A part of the story is missing, we aren't told what happens between them. Judging from similar Scandinavian ballads (such as the Danish Elveskud) we may assume he revealed to her that he now has a lady love and intends to marry her, so he can no longer come to visit. As the ballad continues Colvill complains about a headache. The mermaid tells him to cut a piece off her silken cloth and wrap it around his head to ease the pain. He does so upon which the pain increases even more. She tells him that it will get worse until he dies. He strikes at her with his sword but she turns into a fish and swims away. Weakened he rides home to his parents and dies soon after. The ballad of Clerk Colvill (Child 42) ends where the burlesque Lady Alice (Child 85) begins.

As for how an ancient and seemingly little known Scottish supernatural ballad could be remade into the present song of which no proper text was recorded before the 20th century any guess is as good as mine. It seems clear that the longer Collins texts predate Prof. Child's burlesque Lady Alice and evolved out of or alongside Clerk Colvill in some way or another. No Collins texts were found in Scotland. At least three fragmentary texts (Maud Karpeles in 1929, Kenneth Peacock in 1952) were collected in Newfoundland, Canada. The existence of an Irish tradition at some earlier date is implied by the mention of Dublin town in American texts but none have been reported from there.

All the full Collins texts being similar but in varying states of corruption suggests a long circulation in oral tradition and a print origin. A broadside print seems likely but so far none has been found. Its origin and true meaning remain a mystery.

An excellent article on the American Johnny Collins texts was written by Pennsylvania born folklorist Samuel Preston Bayard (1908–1997): http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/the-johnny-collins-version-of-lady-alice--bayard-.aspx

Giles Collins and Lady Alice (Child 85) (1978) - Jacquey Gabriel

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-28 | Johnny Collins / George Collins / Young Collins / Giles Collins / Lady Alice (Child No. 85) Clerk Colven / Clerk Colvill (Child No. 42) - Sung by Jacquey Gabriel of Winchcomb, Gloucestershire, England. Recorded by Mike Yates at Jacquey's home in 1978. She learned it from her father sometime before her 14th birthday, having heard him sing it in pubs around Bury St Edmunds, West Suffolk, Suffolk, England. From "Up in the North and Down in the South" (2001) Musical Traditions – MTCD311/2.

Note by Kevin W.:
Prof. Francis James Child titled this ballad Lady Alice (Child 85) and he didn't think much of it as all five texts known to him told a brief "boy dies, sweetheart dies of grief" story written in a burlesque style. It wasn't until the 20th century that more complete texts were collected from singers in Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania in America since 1916 and in Hampshire and Suffolk in England since 1906. These texts shed a new light on the song, preserving the outlines of a more complex story.

A man (named George, Johnny, Giles or Young Collins) encounters a strange woman at a riverside washing a marble stone or a silken cloth. She commands him to come to her for his life will end soon. He jumps into the water and embraces and kisses her. We aren't told what happens between them. Next we find Collins riding (or swimming) home to his parents, asking for a cloth to bind his head, predicting his death the same night and requesting to be buried at the marble stone under his lover's hill or under her hall. His lover, (named Eleanor, Ellender, Fair Ellen or Lady Alice), sits in her room sewing silk or being dressed in silk. When she sees pallbearers passing by she enquires the dead man's name. Being told that it is Collins, her old true love, she requests his coffin be set down and opened. She kisses his cold lips one last time and dies of grief soon after.

There is considerable confusion over the identity of the mysterious woman washing at a riverside in most American Collins texts. Singers couldn't make sense of her and naturally concluded that she must be the same person as Collins' true lover, Fair Ellen. This is not the case as becomes clear by comparing the following story.

The song appears to go back to an earlier Scottish ballad known as Clerk Colvill (Child 42) in which Colvill's lady warns him to stay away from the mermaid at the stream. But he goes there anyways as he has done many times before. The mermaid sits at the stream washing her silken cloth. She welcomes him with pleasure. A part of the story is missing, we aren't told what happens between them. Judging from similar Scandinavian ballads (such as the Danish Elveskud) we may assume he revealed to her that he now has a lady love and intends to marry her, so he can no longer come to visit. As the ballad continues Colvill complains about a headache. The mermaid tells him to cut a piece off her silken cloth and wrap it around his head to ease the pain. He does so upon which the pain increases even more. She tells him that it will get worse until he dies. He strikes at her with his sword but she turns into a fish and swims away. Weakened he rides home to his parents and dies soon after. The ballad of Clerk Colvill (Child 42) ends where the burlesque Lady Alice (Child 85) begins.

As for how an ancient and seemingly little known Scottish supernatural ballad could be remade into the present song of which no proper text was recorded before the 20th century any guess is as good as mine. It seems clear that the longer Collins texts predate Prof. Child's burlesque Lady Alice and evolved out of or alongside Clerk Colvill in some way or another. No Collins texts were found in Scotland. At least three fragmentary texts (Maud Karpeles in 1929, Kenneth Peacock in 1952) were collected in Newfoundland, Canada. The existence of an Irish tradition at some earlier date is implied by the mention of Dublin town in American texts but none have been reported from there.

All the full Collins texts being similar but in varying states of corruption suggests a long circulation in oral tradition and a print origin. A broadside print seems likely but so far none has been found. Its origin and true meaning remain a mystery.

An excellent article on the American Johnny Collins texts was written by Pennsylvania born folklorist Samuel Preston Bayard (1908–1997): http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/the-johnny-collins-version-of-lady-alice--bayard-.aspx

The Ballad of George Collins (Child 85) (1955) - Enos White of Axford, Hampshire, England

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-28 | Johnny Collins / George Collins / Young Collins / Giles Collins / Lady Alice (Child No. 85) Clerk Colven / Clerk Colvill (Child No. 42) - Sung by Enos White (born 1885, then 70 years old) of Axford, Hants, Hampshire, England. Recorded by Bob Copper (of the singing Copper Family of Rottingdean, Sussex) for the BBC Folk Music and Dialect Recording Scheme on July 25, 1955 in the front parlour of Enos White's cottage at the back of the 'Crown Inn', Axford. BBC Record RPL 21857. Released on "Songs and Southern Breezes: Country Singers from Hampshire and Sussex" (1977) Topic Records – 12T317.

Note by Kevin W.:
Prof. Francis James Child titled this ballad Lady Alice (Child 85) and he didn't think much of it as all five texts known to him told a brief "boy dies, sweetheart dies of grief" story written in a burlesque style. It wasn't until the 20th century that more complete texts were collected from singers in Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania in America since 1916 and in Hampshire and Suffolk in England since 1906. These texts shed a new light on the song, preserving the outlines of a more complex story.

A man (named George, Johnny, Giles or Young Collins) encounters a strange woman at a riverside washing a marble stone or a silken cloth. She commands him to come to her for his life will end soon. He jumps into the water and embraces and kisses her. We aren't told what happens between them. Next we find Collins riding (or swimming) home to his parents, asking for a cloth to bind his head, predicting his death the same night and requesting to be buried at the marble stone under his lover's hill or under her hall. His lover, (named Eleanor, Ellender, Fair Ellen or Lady Alice), sits in her room sewing silk or being dressed in silk. When she sees pallbearers passing by she enquires the dead man's name. Being told that it is Collins, her old true love, she requests his coffin be set down and opened. She kisses his cold lips one last time and dies of grief soon after.

There is considerable confusion over the identity of the mysterious woman washing at a riverside in most American Collins texts. Singers couldn't make sense of her and naturally concluded that she must be the same person as Collins' true lover, Fair Ellen. This is not the case as becomes clear by comparing the following story.

The song appears to go back to an earlier Scottish ballad known as Clerk Colvill (Child 42) in which Colvill's lady warns him to stay away from the mermaid at the stream. But he goes there anyways as he has done many times before. The mermaid sits at the stream washing her silken cloth. She welcomes him with pleasure. A part of the story is missing, we aren't told what happens between them. Judging from similar Scandinavian ballads (such as the Danish Elveskud) we may assume he revealed to her that he now has a lady love and intends to marry her, so he can no longer come to visit. As the ballad continues Colvill complains about a headache. The mermaid tells him to cut a piece off her silken cloth and wrap it around his head to ease the pain. He does so upon which the pain increases even more. She tells him that it will get worse until he dies. He strikes at her with his sword but she turns into a fish and swims away. Weakened he rides home to his parents and dies soon after. The ballad of Clerk Colvill (Child 42) ends where the burlesque Lady Alice (Child 85) begins.

As for how an ancient and seemingly little known Scottish supernatural ballad could be remade into the present song of which no proper text was recorded before the 20th century any guess is as good as mine. It seems clear that the longer Collins texts predate Prof. Child's burlesque Lady Alice and evolved out of or alongside Clerk Colvill in some way or another. No Collins texts were found in Scotland. At least three fragmentary texts (Maud Karpeles in 1929, Kenneth Peacock in 1952) were collected in Newfoundland, Canada. The existence of an Irish tradition at some earlier date is implied by the mention of Dublin town in American texts but none have been reported from there.

All the full Collins texts being similar but in varying states of corruption suggests a long circulation in oral tradition and a print origin. A broadside print seems likely but so far none has been found. Its origin and true meaning remain a mystery.

An excellent article on the American Johnny Collins texts was written by Pennsylvania born folklorist Samuel Preston Bayard (1908–1997): http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/the-johnny-collins-version-of-lady-alice--bayard-.aspx

The Ballad of George Collins (Child 85) (1961) - Lee Monroe Presnell

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-28 | Johnny Collins / George Collins / Young Collins / Giles Collins / Lady Alice (Child No. 85) Clerk Colven / Clerk Colvill (Child No. 42) - Sung by "Uncle" Lee Monroe Presnell (1875–1963, then aged 86) of Beech Mountain, Avery and Watauga County, North Carolina, USA. He learned the song from his mother, Louisa Jane "Eliza" Harmon Presnell (1828–1898), also of Beech Mountain. Recorded by Sandy Paton in the autumn of 1961. From "The Traditional Music of Beech Mountain, North Carolina, Vol. 1" (1964) Folk-Legacy – FSA-22.

Note by Kevin W.:
Prof. Francis James Child titled this ballad Lady Alice (Child 85) and he didn't think much of it as all five texts known to him told a brief "boy dies, sweetheart dies of grief" story written in a burlesque style. It wasn't until the 20th century that more complete texts were collected from singers in Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania in America since 1916 and in Hampshire and Suffolk in England since 1906. These texts shed a new light on the song, preserving the outlines of a more complex story.

A man (named George, Johnny, Giles or Young Collins) encounters a strange woman at a riverside washing a marble stone or a silken cloth. She commands him to come to her for his life will end soon. He jumps into the water and embraces and kisses her. We aren't told what happens between them. Next we find Collins riding (or swimming) home to his parents, asking for a cloth to bind his head, predicting his death the same night and requesting to be buried at the marble stone under his lover's hill or under her hall. His lover, (named Eleanor, Ellender, Fair Ellen or Lady Alice), sits in her room sewing silk or being dressed in silk. When she sees pallbearers passing by she enquires the dead man's name. Being told that it is Collins, her old true love, she requests his coffin be set down and opened. She kisses his cold lips one last time and dies of grief soon after.

There is considerable confusion over the identity of the mysterious woman washing at a riverside in most American Collins texts. Singers couldn't make sense of her and naturally concluded that she must be the same person as Collins' true lover, Fair Ellen. This is not the case as becomes clear by comparing the following story.

The song appears to go back to an earlier Scottish ballad known as Clerk Colvill (Child 42) in which Colvill's lady warns him to stay away from the mermaid at the stream. But he goes there anyways as he has done many times before. The mermaid sits at the stream washing her silken cloth. She welcomes him with pleasure. A part of the story is missing, we aren't told what happens between them. Judging from similar Scandinavian ballads (such as the Danish Elveskud) we may assume he revealed to her that he now has a lady love and intends to marry her, so he can no longer come to visit. As the ballad continues Colvill complains about a headache. The mermaid tells him to cut a piece off her silken cloth and wrap it around his head to ease the pain. He does so upon which the pain increases even more. She tells him that it will get worse until he dies. He strikes at her with his sword but she turns into a fish and swims away. Weakened he rides home to his parents and dies soon after. The ballad of Clerk Colvill (Child 42) ends where the burlesque Lady Alice (Child 85) begins.

As for how an ancient and seemingly little known Scottish supernatural ballad could be remade into the present song of which no proper text was recorded before the 20th century any guess is as good as mine. It seems clear that the longer Collins texts predate Prof. Child's burlesque Lady Alice and evolved out of or alongside Clerk Colvill in some way or another. No Collins texts were found in Scotland. At least three fragmentary texts (Maud Karpeles in 1929, Kenneth Peacock in 1952) were collected in Newfoundland, Canada. The existence of an Irish tradition at some earlier date is implied by the mention of Dublin town in American texts but none have been reported from there.

All the full Collins texts being similar but in varying states of corruption suggests a long circulation in oral tradition and a print origin. A broadside print seems likely but so far none has been found. Its origin and true meaning remain a mystery.

An excellent article on the American Johnny Collins texts was written by Pennsylvania born folklorist Samuel Preston Bayard (1908–1997): http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/the-johnny-collins-version-of-lady-alice--bayard-.aspx

Young Johnny Collins / The Ballad of George Collins (Child 85) (1972) - Jean Ritchie

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-28 | Johnny Collins / George Collins / Young Collins / Giles Collins / Lady Alice (Child No. 85) Clerk Colven / Clerk Colvill (Child No. 42) - Jean Ruth Ritchie (1922–2015) of Viper, Perry County, Kentucky, USA. Recorded at a concert at Freight and Salvage in Berkeley, California, April 26, 1972, by Warren Van Orden. From the KPFA Pacifica Radio Archives.

Link to original recording: https://avplayer.lib.berkeley.edu/Pacifica/b23305588

00:00:00 Johnny Collins (1976) (Fragment) - Jean Ritchie
00:00:34 Johnny Collins (1972) - Jean Ritchie
00:03:51 George Collins (1976) - Jean Ritchie

Note by Kevin W.:
Prof. Francis James Child titled this ballad Lady Alice (Child 85) and he didn't think much of it as all five texts known to him told a brief "boy dies, sweetheart dies of grief" story written in a burlesque style. It wasn't until the 20th century that more complete texts were collected from singers in Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania in America since 1916 and in Hampshire and Suffolk in England since 1906. These texts shed a new light on the song, preserving the outlines of a more complex story.

A man (named George, Johnny, Giles or Young Collins) encounters a strange woman at a riverside washing a marble stone or a silken cloth. She commands him to come to her for his life will end soon. He jumps into the water and embraces and kisses her. We aren't told what happens between them. Next we find Collins riding (or swimming) home to his parents, asking for a cloth to bind his head, predicting his death the same night and requesting to be buried at the marble stone under his lover's hill or under her hall. His lover, (named Eleanor, Ellender, Fair Ellen or Lady Alice), sits in her room sewing silk or being dressed in silk. When she sees pallbearers passing by she enquires the dead man's name. Being told that it is Collins, her old true love, she requests his coffin be set down and opened. She kisses his cold lips one last time and dies of grief soon after.

There is considerable confusion over the identity of the mysterious woman washing at a riverside in most American Collins texts. Singers couldn't make sense of her and naturally concluded that she must be the same person as Collins' true lover, Fair Ellen. This is not the case as becomes clear by comparing the following story.

The song appears to go back to an earlier Scottish ballad known as Clerk Colvill (Child 42) in which Colvill's lady warns him to stay away from the mermaid at the stream. But he goes there anyways as he has done many times before. The mermaid sits at the stream washing her silken cloth. She welcomes him with pleasure. A part of the story is missing, we aren't told what happens between them. Judging from similar Scandinavian ballads (such as the Danish Elveskud) we may assume he revealed to her that he now has a lady love and intends to marry her, so he can no longer come to visit. As the ballad continues Colvill complains about a headache. The mermaid tells him to cut a piece off her silken cloth and wrap it around his head to ease the pain. He does so upon which the pain increases even more. She tells him that it will get worse until he dies. He strikes at her with his sword but she turns into a fish and swims away. Weakened he rides home to his parents and dies soon after. The ballad of Clerk Colvill (Child 42) ends where the burlesque Lady Alice (Child 85) begins.

As for how an ancient and seemingly little known Scottish supernatural ballad could be remade into the present song of which no proper text was recorded before the 20th century any guess is as good as mine. It seems clear that the longer Collins texts predate Prof. Child's burlesque Lady Alice and evolved out of or alongside Clerk Colvill in some way or another. No Collins texts were found in Scotland. At least three fragmentary texts (Maud Karpeles in 1929, Kenneth Peacock in 1952) were collected in Newfoundland, Canada. The existence of an Irish tradition at some earlier date is implied by the mention of Dublin town in American texts but none have been reported from there.

All the full Collins texts being similar but in varying states of corruption suggests a long circulation in oral tradition and a print origin. A broadside print seems likely but so far none has been found. Its origin and true meaning remain a mystery.

An excellent article on the American Johnny Collins texts was written by Pennsylvania born folklorist Samuel Preston Bayard (1908–1997): http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/the-johnny-collins-version-of-lady-alice--bayard-.aspx

Young Johnny Collins / The Ballad of George Collins (Child 85) (1972) - Samuel Sam Preston Bayard

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-28 | Johnny Collins / George Collins / Young Collins / Giles Collins / Lady Alice (Child No. 85) Clerk Colven / Clerk Colvill (Child No. 42) - Sung by Pennsylvania born folklorist Samuel "Sam" Preston Bayard (1908–1997) at a lecture on Pennsylvania folksong on April 20, 1972. He collected the song several times from singers in West Virginia and Pennsylvania in the 1930s.

Link to original recording: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/kgreels_us/253/

00:00:00 Johnny Collins (1972) (Noise Reduced) - Samuel P. Bayard
00:02:20 Johnny Collins (1972) (Original Tape) - Samuel P. Bayard

Note by Kevin W.:
Prof. Francis James Child titled this ballad Lady Alice (Child 85) and he didn't think much of it as all five texts known to him told a brief "boy dies, sweetheart dies of grief" story written in a burlesque style. It wasn't until the 20th century that more complete texts were collected from singers in Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania in America since 1916 and in Hampshire and Suffolk in England since 1906. These texts shed a new light on the song, preserving the outlines of a more complex story.

A man (named George, Johnny, Giles or Young Collins) encounters a strange woman at a riverside washing a marble stone or a silken cloth. She commands him to come to her for his life will end soon. He jumps into the water and embraces and kisses her. We aren't told what happens between them. Next we find Collins riding (or swimming) home to his parents, asking for a cloth to bind his head, predicting his death the same night and requesting to be buried at the marble stone under his lover's hill or under her hall. His lover, (named Eleanor, Ellender, Fair Ellen or Lady Alice), sits in her room sewing silk or being dressed in silk. When she sees pallbearers passing by she enquires the dead man's name. Being told that it is Collins, her old true love, she requests his coffin be set down and opened. She kisses his cold lips one last time and dies of grief soon after.

There is considerable confusion over the identity of the mysterious woman washing at a riverside in most American Collins texts. Singers couldn't make sense of her and naturally concluded that she must be the same person as Collins' true lover, Fair Ellen. This is not the case as becomes clear by comparing the following story.

The song appears to go back to an earlier Scottish ballad known as Clerk Colvill (Child 42) in which Colvill's lady warns him to stay away from the mermaid at the stream. But he goes there anyways as he has done many times before. The mermaid sits at the stream washing her silken cloth. She welcomes him with pleasure. A part of the story is missing, we aren't told what happens between them. Judging from similar Scandinavian ballads (such as the Danish Elveskud) we may assume he revealed to her that he now has a lady love and intends to marry her, so he can no longer come to visit. As the ballad continues Colvill complains about a headache. The mermaid tells him to cut a piece off her silken cloth and wrap it around his head to ease the pain. He does so upon which the pain increases even more. She tells him that it will get worse until he dies. He strikes at her with his sword but she turns into a fish and swims away. Weakened he rides home to his parents and dies soon after. The ballad of Clerk Colvill (Child 42) ends where the burlesque Lady Alice (Child 85) begins.

As for how an ancient and seemingly little known Scottish supernatural ballad could be remade into the present song of which no proper text was recorded before the 20th century any guess is as good as mine. It seems clear that the longer Collins texts predate Prof. Child's burlesque Lady Alice and evolved out of or alongside Clerk Colvill in some way or another. No Collins texts were found in Scotland. At least three fragmentary texts (Maud Karpeles in 1929, Kenneth Peacock in 1952) were collected in Newfoundland, Canada. The existence of an Irish tradition at some earlier date is implied by the mention of Dublin town in American texts but none have been reported from there.

All the full Collins texts being similar but in varying states of corruption suggests a long circulation in oral tradition and a print origin. A broadside print seems likely but so far none has been found. Its origin and true meaning remain a mystery.

An excellent article on the American Johnny Collins texts was written by Pennsylvania born folklorist Samuel Preston Bayard (1908–1997): http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/the-johnny-collins-version-of-lady-alice--bayard-.aspx

Young Johnny Collins / The Ballad of George Collins (Child 85) (1940) - Mrs. Marshall Mullins

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-28 | Johnny Collins / George Collins / Young Collins / Giles Collins / Lady Alice (Child No. 85) Clerk Colven / Clerk Colvill (Child No. 42) - Sung by Mrs. Marshall Mullins and her twelve-year-old daughter Bibbie of Clay, Clay County, West Virginia, USA. Recorded by Louis Watson Chappell on September 21, 1940.

Link to original recording: https://folkmusic.lib.wvu.edu/catalog/Chappell_63_Mullins_M_JohnnyCollins

00:00:00 Johnny Collins (1940) - Bibbie Mullins
00:02:17 Johnny Collins (1947) - Nancy Hammonds
00:03:22 Johnny Collins (1938) - Mrs. Arnie G. Evans
00:05:25 John Collins (1939) - W. R. Lowers
00:08:04 Young Collins (1938) - W. E. Day
00:08:43 John Collins (1939) - Lafe Cogar
00:09:12 George Collins (1939) - Albert Sutton
00:09:42 George Collins (1939) - Charles Turner
00:10:30 Floyd Collins (1938) - Robert Veach Lambert

Note by Kevin W.:
Prof. Francis James Child titled this ballad Lady Alice (Child 85) and he didn't think much of it as all five texts known to him told a brief "boy dies, sweetheart dies of grief" story written in a burlesque style. It wasn't until the 20th century that more complete texts were collected from singers in Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania in America since 1916 and in Hampshire and Suffolk in England since 1906. These texts shed a new light on the song, preserving the outlines of a more complex story.

A man (named George, Johnny, Giles or Young Collins) encounters a strange woman at a riverside washing a marble stone or a silken cloth. She commands him to come to her for his life will end soon. He jumps into the water and embraces and kisses her. We aren't told what happens between them. Next we find Collins riding (or swimming) home to his parents, asking for a cloth to bind his head, predicting his death the same night and requesting to be buried at the marble stone under his lover's hill or under her hall. His lover, (named Eleanor, Ellender, Fair Ellen or Lady Alice), sits in her room sewing silk or being dressed in silk. When she sees pallbearers passing by she enquires the dead man's name. Being told that it is Collins, her old true love, she requests his coffin be set down and opened. She kisses his cold lips one last time and dies of grief soon after.

There is considerable confusion over the identity of the mysterious woman washing at a riverside in most American Collins texts. Singers couldn't make sense of her and naturally concluded that she must be the same person as Collins' true lover, Fair Ellen. This is not the case as becomes clear by comparing the following story.

The song appears to go back to an earlier Scottish ballad known as Clerk Colvill (Child 42) in which Colvill's lady warns him to stay away from the mermaid at the stream. But he goes there anyways as he has done many times before. The mermaid sits at the stream washing her silken cloth. She welcomes him with pleasure. A part of the story is missing, we aren't told what happens between them. Judging from similar Scandinavian ballads (such as the Danish Elveskud) we may assume he revealed to her that he now has a lady love and intends to marry her, so he can no longer come to visit. As the ballad continues Colvill complains about a headache. The mermaid tells him to cut a piece off her silken cloth and wrap it around his head to ease the pain. He does so upon which the pain increases even more. She tells him that it will get worse until he dies. He strikes at her with his sword but she turns into a fish and swims away. Weakened he rides home to his parents and dies soon after. The ballad of Clerk Colvill (Child 42) ends where the burlesque Lady Alice (Child 85) begins.

As for how an ancient and seemingly little known Scottish supernatural ballad could be remade into the present song of which no proper text was recorded before the 20th century any guess is as good as mine. It seems clear that the longer Collins texts predate Prof. Child's burlesque Lady Alice and evolved out of or alongside Clerk Colvill in some way or another. No Collins texts were found in Scotland. At least three fragmentary texts (Maud Karpeles in 1929, Kenneth Peacock in 1952) were collected in Newfoundland, Canada. The existence of an Irish tradition at some earlier date is implied by the mention of Dublin town in American texts but none have been reported from there.

All the full Collins texts being similar but in varying states of corruption suggests a long circulation in oral tradition and a print origin. A broadside print seems likely but so far none has been found. Its origin and true meaning remain a mystery.

An excellent article on the American Johnny Collins texts was written by Pennsylvania born folklorist Samuel Preston Bayard (1908–1997): http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/the-johnny-collins-version-of-lady-alice--bayard-.aspx

Lady Nancy (Child 269) - Aunt Molly Jackson

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-22 | Lady Nancy / Lady Daisy / Lady Dysie / Lady Eliza / Lady Diamond (Child No. 269) - Sung by Aunt Molly Jackson (Mary Magdalene Garland Stewart Jackson Stamos) (1880–1960) of Clay County, Kentucky. She learned songs from her great-grandmother, Nancy MacMahan, at an early age and was also known to write her own songs and arrange ballads from print. Recorded by Alan and Elizabeth Lomax in New York on May 27, 1939.

Note by Kevin W.:
Aunt Molly Jackson's "Lady Nancy" is a version of Lady Diamond (Child 269). She arranged it from print. Child 269 is rare in oral tradition and has never been found outside of Scotland.

Aunt Molly Jackson was known to arrange songs from a copy of Francis James Child's ballad books she was given by folklorist Tillman Cadle and his wife Mary Elizabeth Barnicle sometime before the Lomaxes recorded her. She made her own version of "The Birth of Robin Hood" (Child 102) because she liked and could identify with the Robin Hood character. She adapted it from Child 102, Version B, from Peter Buchan's "Ballads of the North of Scotland" (1828). She sang many genuine folk songs that agree with other Kentucky versions, mind you, but the ones that haven't been collected from other singers in America are likely to be her own creations which she was open to admit to Alan Lomax. She told him she composed the songs based on texts from a ballad book.

A traditional version of Child 269 can be heard here:
youtu.be/qoS3n3HBOX0
Lady Daisy, sung by Mary Stewart Robertson, a Traveller of New Deer, Aberdeenshire, Scotland for James Madison Carpenter in 1932. She learned the song from her mother.

Song transcription:

There was a king in olden times
A king of wealth and fame
He had one child, a beautiful girl
And Nancy was her name.

This king he had a kitchen boy
And William was his name
He fell in love with the King's young daughter
And brought her body to shame.

When the nightingale sang in the tree
And the beasts lay down to rest
This kitchen boy lay between Lady Nancy's [thighs]
And her head lay on her breast.

When he went into Lady Nancy's room
They pulled her curtains down
Then they both did lay in Lady Nancy's bed
To sport and play around.

Lady Nancy went out in the garden one day
To take a walk alone
Her father saw [by his lovely daughter's form]
She walked in a [familiar] way.

Oh Nancy my child come tell me true
Who done this thing to thee
Was it some lord in London town
Or a baron of high degree?

It was no lord in London town
Or no baron of high degree
It was fair Willie your kitchen boy
I've no cause to lie to thee.
For I love bonnie William he's all my heart
And I know that he loves me.

I shall kill this fair bonnie boy, he said
For doing this thing to thee
Oh do not kill my bonnie fair love
Before you first kill me.

Then the King took out his kitchen boy
And killed him on the plain
His hair was like the strands of gold
His eyes like crystal stream.

Farewell, farewell, Lady Nancy
Farewell, farewell, said he
Our love has caused us much pain
Farewell my love to thee.

Then the King cut out fair William's heart
And put it in a cup of gold
Take that to Lady Nancy's [room then]
For she is careless and bold.

[Spoken: For she is careless and bold?]

Then she washed her true love's heart with tears
That fell from her deep blue eyes
Then all the town's folk gathered all around
To hear her fearful moan/cries.

Oh fare you well my father the King
You destroyed my pride and joy
Since he died for me I shall die for him
This bonnie young kitchen boy.

I have made cruel the King he said
My child, your love to blame
For there's never been such a beautiful boy
As the boy that I've just now slain.

There never has been such a fair young man
As the man I've just now slain
There is nothing too cruel for a King to do
When madness turns his brain.

You should burn for this, my father the King
For taking my love from me
For he was the father of my unborn babe
You have destroyed all three.
For I'm going to curse my painful heart
For I'm going to curse my painful heart
Then my babe will die in me.

Then she stepped into her own bedroom
And quietly closed the door
Saying farewell my cruel old father, the King
My voice you should hear no more.

Then she picked up her own penknife
And pierced it through her heart
Saying go bury me in the arms of my own true love
Do not bury us apart.

Then the King called his servant men
And told them what to do
Bury Nancy and William breast to breast
And their baby 'tween the two.

[Spoken: Where'd you learn that song? I learned it from the English Poems book about the Kings of England and things like that and I composed the song from the words, from the story.]

(The words in brackets I wasn't certain on)

Archie D. (Child 239) - Aunt Molly Jackson

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-22 | Archie D. / Achnachie Gordon / Lord Salton / Annachie Gordon / Lord Saltoun and Auchanachie (Child No. 239) - Sung by Aunt Molly Jackson (Mary Magdalene Garland Stewart Jackson Stamos) (1880–1960) of Clay County, Kentucky. She learned songs from her great-grandmother, Nancy MacMahan, at an early age and was also known to write her own songs and arrange ballads from print. Recorded by Alan and Elizabeth Lomax in New York on May 27, 1939.

Note by Kevin W.:
I did not recognise "Archie D." as a version of Lord Saltoun and Auchanachie (Child 239) previously but that's exactly what it is. Aunt Molly Jackson arranged it from print. Child 239 is rare in oral tradition and has never been found outside of Scotland. Gavin Greig and the Reverend James Bruce Duncan collected three fragmentary texts and two tunes in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in 1908, and a more complete text with tune was collected from Joe Rae of Ayrshire in the 1990s who learned it from his grandfather.

Aunt Molly Jackson was known to arrange songs from a copy of Francis James Child's ballad books she was given by folklorist Tillman Cadle and his wife Mary Elizabeth Barnicle sometime before the Lomaxes recorded her. She made her own version of "The Birth of Robin Hood" (Child 102) because she liked and could identify with the Robin Hood character. She adapted it from Child 102, Version B, from Peter Buchan's "Ballads of the North of Scotland" (1828). She sang many genuine folk songs that agree with other Kentucky versions, mind you, but the ones that haven't been collected from other singers in America are likely to be her own creations which she was open to admit to Alan Lomax. She told him she composed the songs based on texts from a ballad book.

By curious coincidence Aunt Molly Jackson's tune is similar to the traditional tune Joe Rae (1937–2019) of Ayrshire, Scotland, used for Achnachie Gordon. Joe told Mike Yates in 2001 that his grandfather, John Rogerson, learned Achnachie Gordon in South Africa, where it was sung by a fellow Gordon Highlander sometime during the Boer War.

Joe Rae's "Achnachie Gordon" can be heard here:
youtu.be/dWDiwSsK8rI
Recorded by Mike Yates at Joe's home in Bigholm, Ayrshire, Scotland, on April 12, 2001. From the CD "The Broom Blooms Bonny" (2001) Musical Traditions MTCD313. Previously printed in Sheila Douglas' "Come Gie's a Sang" (1995) pp.4-5.

Joe's text follows Child 239, Version A, from Peter Buchan's "Ballads of the North of Scotland", II, 133, 1828, closely, leaving out a few incomplete and inessential stanzas.

Song transcription:

Archie D. was beautiful and easy on the eye
He tempted all the women they could not pass him by.
He tempted every woman, just as he tempted me
I'll die if I don't get my lover Archie D.

Up spake her old father as he walked by the door
Oh Jean my darling...

Up stepped her old father as he passed by the door
Oh Jean you're playing the tricks of a whore
You are caring for a man that cares little for thee
You must marry Bill Shelton and forget Archie D..

To marry Bill Shelton, I'd rather be dead
I'd rather marry my Archie and beg for my bread
Oh Jean you're foolish, you don't understand
Bill Shelton has money and a lot of free land.

You have money for yourself Jean and land and money to give me
But you'll never have nothing if you marry Archie D..
But I love Archie, and Archie he loves me
I'll die if I don't get my lover Archie D..

Then up spoke her father, he spake in renown
Saying cheer up my daughter, get on your wedding gown
Go marry Bill Shelton for ten thousand pounds
Oh cheer up my darling and get on your wedding gown.

...ready my daughter and led through the town
Than marry Bill Shelton...

Get ready my daughter and go to town with me
And marry Bill Shelton and forget this Archie D..
I'll marry no man but my love Archie D.
For I dearly love Archie and I know he loves me.

Yes I dearly love Archie and I know he loves me
And I'll die if I don't get my love Archie D..
Jean sat in her chamber and closed up her door
Saying farewell dear father you shall see me no more.

Archie may be drownded in the blue briny sea
I'll die if I can't get my love Archie D..
I'm sure I can never be Archie D.'s wife
So I have decided to end my own life.

That evening young Archie come home from the sea
And asked one of her maidens where Jeannie might be
She has destroyed her life sir because she loved thee
She destroyed her life for the love of Archie D..

Oh this is a pity oh this is a sin
Please take me to the chamber that my darling died in
Then she led him to the chamber where Jean Gordon lay
He kissed her pale lips as cold as the clay.

Saying I always intended to make her my wife
Then he kneeled down by the side of her and ended his own life.

The Devils Nine Questions (Child 1) - Alfreda M. Peel / Texas Gladden

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-19 | The Devil's Nine Questions / The Devil and the Nine Questions / Inter Diabolus Et Virgo / The Three Sisters / Jennifer Gentle / Juniper, Gentle and Rosemary / There Was an Old Man Lived in the West / Riddles Wisely Expounded (Child No. 1) - Sung by Miss Alfreda Adelaide Marion Peel (1890–1953, she never married) of Salem, Roanoke County, Virginia, USA. Recorded by Arthur Kyle Davis Jr. on August 9, 1932. Miss Alfreda Peel collected the song from Mrs. Rill Martin of Mechanicsburg, Bland County, Virginia, formerly of Giles County, on September 11, 1922, and an additional stanza on October 22, 1933. Miss Peel taught the song to Mrs. Texas Gladden of Salem, the two women were near neighbours and shared a love for old ballads.

00:00:00 The Devil and the Nine Questions (Take 1) - Alfreda M. Peel
00:03:32 The Devil and the Nine Questions (Take 2) - Alfreda M. Peel
00:06:37 The Devil's Nine Questions (Old Copy) - Texas Gladden
00:09:29 The Devil's Nine Questions (New Copy) - Texas Gladden
00:12:11 The Devil's Nine Questions - Mildred Creighton
00:14:46 There Was an Old Man Lived in the West - Harriet Eldredge Eldred

Note by Kevin W.:
A traditional version of Riddles Wisely Expounded (Child 1). This riddle ballad is rare in America with only a handful of genuine versions found. It goes back to at least the 15th century. Under the title "Inter Diabolus Et Virgo" (Between Devil and Virgin) it is found in the Rawlinson Manuscript of circa 1445.

Modern texts collected in Virginia and Kentucky are astoundingly similar to the 15th century version and one can only wonder if they were kept alive by tradition or reintroduced at a later date via print. The Riddle Song / I Gave My Love a Cherry (Roud 330) is comparable in theme and antiquity, going back to the Sloane Manuscript of circa 1430 under the title "I have a yong suster", however, unlike The Devil's Nine Questions it is known to have been printed many times over the centuries, so its survival is less surprising.

A secondary form of Child 1 exists where a story of a knight courting the youngest of three sisters has become attached to the riddles. Sometimes the knight turns out to be the devil in disguise, sometimes he has no ill intentions and promises to marry the woman if she can answer his riddles correctly. In its non supernatural variant it was printed on 17th century British broadsides.

I know of only one sound recording of this later form of the ballad. "There Was an Old Man Lived in the West", from Mrs. Harriet Eldredge Eldred of Hardwick, Caledonia County, Vermont, USA, recorded by Helen Hartness Flanders on October 6, 1958. Her text leaves no doubt that the suitor is the devil.

Sometimes the riddles got attached to The Fause Knight Upon the Road (Child 3) by similarity of theme. See "The False Knight On The Road", sung by Ben Henneberry of Devil's Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, collected by Helen Creighton in 1932, for an example.

Song transcription:

There was a knight came riding by,
Sing ninety-nine and ninety,
And there he spied a weaver's lass,
And she's the weaver's bonny. [*]

"If you don't answer me questions nine,
Sing ninety-nine and ninety,
I'll take you off to hell alive,
And you're the weaver's bonny.

"What is whiter than the milk?
Sing ninety-nine and ninety;
What is softer than the silk?
Say you're the weaver's bonny."

"Snow is whiter than the milk,
Sing ninety-nine and ninety;
Down is softer than the silk,
And I'm the weaver's bonny."

"What is louder than a horn?
Sing ninety-nine and ninety;
What is sharper than a thorn?
Sing I'm the weaver's bonny."

"Thunder's louder than a horn,
Sing ninety-nine and ninety;
Death is sharper than a thorn,
Sing I'm the weaver's bonny."

"What is higher than a tree?
Sing ninety-nine and ninety;
What is deeper than the sea?
Sing I'm the weaver's bonny."

"Heaven's higher than a tree,
Sing ninety-nine and ninety;
And hell is deeper than the sea,
Sing I'm the weaver's bonny."

"What is innocenter than a lamb,
Sing ninety-nine and ninety;
What is worse than woman kind?
Say I'm the weaver's bonny."

"A babe is innocenter than a lamb,
Sing ninety-nine and ninety;
She Devil's worse than woman kind, [**]
Sing I'm the weaver's bonny."

"You have answered me questions nine,
Sing ninety-nine and ninety,
Oh, you are God's, you're not my own,
And you're the weaver's bonny."

[*] The origin of this opening stanza is left unexplained. Mrs. Martin sang the same text and tune with a different opening stanza:

The Devil went a-courting and he did ride,
Sing ninety-nine and ninety,
A sword and a pistol by his side,
And you're the weaver's bonny.

[**] Mrs. Martin sang "The Devil". She Devil, amusing as it is, goes back to a misreading of Miss Peel's original manuscript. A 78 RPM record by Burl Ives immortalised this mistake in 1944, incidentally enabling us to track later recordings of the song from traditional singers back to the Ives recording if they include the She Devil line.

Mary Hamilton (Child 173) - Alfreda M. Peel / Texas Gladden

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-19 | Four Maries / The Four Marys / Mary Mild / Mary Hamilton (Child No. 173) - Sung by Miss Alfreda Adelaide Marion Peel (1890–1953, she never married) of Salem, Roanoke County, Virginia, USA. Recorded by Arthur Kyle Davis Jr. on August 9, 1932. She was the daughter of William Charles Peel (1863–1930) and Marion Georgiana Frances Chandler (1865–1897). Miss Alfreda Peel first recalled a fragment from the singing of her grandmother, Mrs. Marion Chandler, originally of Bristol, England, later living in Salem, Virginia. Her memory of the song was later refreshed by hearing it sung by her uncle, Henry St. Lawrence Chandler (1869–1926), of Chicago, Illinois, when he was visiting Virginia about 1924. Alfreda Peel said her family came from England, and her grandmother's family all fought with the Stuarts.

00:00:00 Mary Hamilton - Alfreda M. Peel
00:04:33 Mary Hamilton - Texas Gladden

A selection of 1930s phonograph recordings made by folklorist Arthur Kyle Davis Jr. (1897–1972) of Virginia ballad singers has been digitised and made available for listening online: https://avalon.lib.virginia.edu/collections/7m01bk901

We get a chance to listen to some of the very same people Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles met and noted songs from in the 1910s.

The audio quality of these recordings is relatively poor, being made with portable equipment at that time, but the songs are interesting and worthy of attention. I had the idea of creating small compilations of related versions of each song for these videos. This is because I noticed that I often had more than one recording of each song available from singers who were related or lived in the same area.

Arthur K. Davis Jr. published the hundreds of Virginia ballads he collected in two books, "Folk-Songs of Virginia" (1949), and "More Traditional Ballads of Virginia" (1960) with the editorial assistance of Paul Clayton Worthington.

Note by Kevin W.:
A traditional Virginia version of Mary Hamilton (Child 173). This text, if authentic, and it appears to be, is an important version of Child 173, one of few recorded texts to preserve the original story about the infanticide. Nearly all recent texts have reduced the ballad into a short lyrical lament in which no reason for Mary Hamilton's hanging is given.

What makes the text slightly suspicious is that Alfreda M. Peel first sent two fragmentary texts to Davis on May 14, 1922 and on April 23, 1922, which were all she could recall of the song at the time, having heard it as a little child from her grandmother, Marion Chandler, who originally came from Bristol, England. The fragments are the "standard" lyrical lament with none of the infanticide story.

On August 9, 1932, Arthur Kyle Davis Jr. recorded Miss Peel singing the longer ballad which she learned from her uncle, St. Lawrence Chandler, of Chicago, Illinois, when he was visiting Virginia about 1924. On the same date when the phonograph recording was made Davis also transcribed the text from the singing of Miss Peel and her aunt, Miss Letha Chandler, of Salem. This text differs only very slightly from that taken from the record.

Miss Peel later taught the ballad to Texas Anna Smith Gladden (1895–1966) of Salem, the two women were near neighbours and shared a love for old ballads. Alan Lomax recorded it from Mrs. Gladden in August 1941.

Song transcription:

Word has come from the kitchen,
And word has come to me,
That Mary Hamilton's slain her babe
And thrown him in the sea.

Down came the old Queen,
Gold tassels in her hair,
"O Mary Hamilton, where's your babe?
I heard it greet so sair.

"Mary put on your robes of black,
Or yet your robes of brown,
That you can go with me today
To see fair Edinburgh town."

She put on her robe of black, [*]
Nor yet her robe of brown,
But she put on her robe so white
To see fair Edinburgh town.

When she went up the Canno' gate,
The Canno' gate so free,
Many a lady looked o'er her casement
And wept for this ladye.

When she went up the Parliament stair
A loud, loud laugh laughed she.
But when she came down the Parliament stair,
A tear was in her ee.

"O, bring to me the red, red wine,
The best you bring to me,
That I may drink to the jolly bold sailors
That brought me o'er the sea.

"Little did my mother think,
When first she cradled me,
That I should die so far from home,
So far o'er the salt, salt sea.

"Last night there were four Maries,
Tonight there'll be but three;
There was Mary Seaton and Mary Beaton
And Mary Carmichael and me.

"Last night I washed the old queen's feet,
And carried her to her bed;
Today she gave me my reward,
The gallows hard to tread.

"They'll tie a napkin 'round my eyes
And ne'er let me see to dee;
They'll ne'er let on to my father and mother
That I'm far away o'er the sea.

"Last night there were four Maries,
Tonight there'll be but three;
There was Mary Beaton and Mary Seaton
And Mary Carmichael and me."

[*] The MS text reads "put not on", which the sense demands

The Cruel Mother (Child 20) - Abner Keesee / Addie Graham

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-19 | Fair Flowers of Fadie-O / Fair Flowers of Holly-O / Fine Flowers in the Valley / Doon By the Greenwood Sidie O / Greenwood Side / Down by the Greenwood Sidey-o / All Alone and a-Lonely-O / She's Leaned her Back / The Cruel Mither / The Cruel Mother (Child No. 20) - Sung by Mr. Abner Keesee (1875–1956) of Altavista, Campbell County, Virginia, USA. Recorded by Arthur Kyle Davis Jr. on August 4, 1932. A related version was collected from Mrs. Virgie Mayhew Keesee (born circa 1853) of Pittsylvania County, Virginia on May 26, 1915 by Juliet Fauntleroy. Mrs. Keesee learned it from her uncle, who learned it in Tennessee.

00:00:00 The Cruel Mother - Abner Keesee
00:02:27 The Greenwood Sidey - Addie Graham

An excellent article by Mike Yates on Cecil Sharp's and Maud Karpeles' Appalachia trip in the 1910s can be read here: mustrad.org.uk/articles/sharp.htm

A selection of 1930s phonograph recordings made by folklorist Arthur Kyle Davis Jr. (1897–1972) of Virginia ballad singers has been digitised and made available for listening online: https://avalon.lib.virginia.edu/collections/7m01bk901

We get a chance to listen to some of the very same people Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles met and noted songs from in the 1910s.

The audio quality of these recordings is relatively poor, being made with portable equipment at that time, but the songs are interesting and worthy of attention. I had the idea of creating small compilations of related versions of each song for these videos. This is because I noticed that I often had more than one recording of each song available from singers who were related or lived in the same area.

Arthur K. Davis Jr. published the hundreds of Virginia ballads he collected in two books, "Folk-Songs of Virginia" (1949), and "More Traditional Ballads of Virginia" (1960) with the editorial assistance of Paul Clayton Worthington.

Note by Kevin W.:
A traditional Virginia version of The Cruel Mother (Child 20). The ballad is rare in America and texts are often fragmentary. It must've arrived in Virginia with the early settlers in the 1600s-1700s and was kept alive through generations of singers without the aid of printed texts. As far as I can tell the song was never published in songsters or broadsides in America, likely due to the dark subject matter.

An important detail lost in many American texts and likely not understood by the singers is that the mother kills her babies out of fear of being discovered by her family. She had an illegitimate relationship with her father's clerk, a man below her standing.

Song transcription:

One day I was sitting in my father's hall,
All day long and I love thee O,
I saw three babes a-playing this ball,
Down by the greenwood sidie O.

One was dressed in scarlet fine,
All day long and I love thee O,
The other two were just like they was born,
Down by the greenwood sidie O.

"O little babes, if you was mine,
All day long and I love thee O,
I'd dress you up in scarlet fine,
Down by the greenwood sidie O."

One was dressed in scarlet fine,
All day long and I love thee O,
The other two were just like they was born,
Down by the greenwood sidie O.

"O little babes, if you can tell,
All day long and I love thee O,
How long on earth am I to dwell,
Down by the greenwood sidie O ?"

"Seven long years on earth you'll dwell,
All day long and I love thee O,
The balance of your time you will spend it in hell,
Down by the greenwood sidie O."

Mrs. Virgie Mayhew Keesee's version:

One day I was sitting in my father's hall
I saw three babes a-playing ball.
All day long and I love you all,
Down by the greenwood side-y oh!

"Oh little babes if you were mine,
I'd dress you up in scarlet fine."
All day long and I love you all,
Down by the greenwood side-y oh!

"Oh, dear mother, when we were thine,
You neither put on our coarse nor fine."
All day long and I love you all,
Down by the greenwood side-y oh!

"Oh, little babes, if you could tell,
How long on earth have I to dwell?"
All day long and I love you all,
Down by the greenwood side-y oh!

"Seven long years on earth to dwell,
The balance of your time you'll spend in hell."
All day long and I love you all,
Down by the greenwood side-y oh!

Geordie (Child 209) - Samuel F. Sam Russell / Jean Ritchie

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-16 | Georgie / Young George Oxbury / George Stoole / George of Oxford / The Hanging of Georgie / As I Walked Over London Bridge / Geordie (Child No. 209) - Sung by Mr. Samuel F. "Sam" Russell (1860–1946) of Marion, Smyth County, Virginia, USA. Recorded by Arthur Kyle Davis Jr. on August 15, 1932. Recorded again by Davis and Sidney Robertson Cowell on November 13, 1936.

00:00:00 As I Walked Over London's Bridge (1932) - S. F. Russell
00:04:13 As I Walked Over London's Bridge (1936) - S. F. Russell
00:08:02 Geordie - Jean Ritchie
00:12:50 Georgie - Nancy Weaver Stikeleather

A selection of 1930s phonograph recordings made by folklorist Arthur Kyle Davis Jr. (1897–1972) of Virginia ballad singers has been digitised and made available for listening online: https://avalon.lib.virginia.edu/collections/7m01bk901

The audio quality of these recordings is relatively poor, being made with portable equipment at that time, but the songs are interesting and worthy of attention. I had the idea of creating small compilations of related versions of each song for these videos. This is because I noticed that I often had more than one recording of each song available from singers who were related or lived in the same area.

Arthur K. Davis Jr. published the hundreds of Virginia ballads he collected in two books, "Folk-Songs of Virginia" (1949), and "More Traditional Ballads of Virginia" (1960) with the editorial assistance of Paul Clayton Worthington.

Note by Kevin W.:
A traditional Virginia version of The Hanging of Georgie (Child 209 Appendix). Most American texts of this ballad appear to go back to an English broadside printed in London in 1683 titled "The Life and Death of George of Oxford". It tells the story of the robber George Stoole, alias Skelton, alias Stowell, of Northumberland, who was executed at Newcastle in 1610 for stealing horses and cattle.

Sam Russell's version is sung to a beautiful and widespread ballad tune. I've also heard it used for Barbara Allen (Child 84), The Trooper and the Maid (Child 299), Little Mattie Groves (Child 81), The Gypsy Davy (Child 200) and The Southern Soldier (Roud 4770) by Appalachian mountain singers.

There is a Scottish ballad usually known as Geordie (Child 209) that tells a similar but more complex story in which Geordie is to be executed and his lady rides to the court in Edinburgh to beg a pardon from the king. Unlike the English ballad it has a happy ending. Enough money is raised to please the king, Geordie is pardoned and the couple reunited. In the Scottish ballad Geordie was captured in battle and he is no horse thief or poacher. It's possible the ballad refers to the trial of George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly (circa 1554).

I know of only one sound recording of the Scottish ballad from America. It was recorded from Mrs. Nancy Weaver Stikeleather of Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina, by Robert Winslow Gordon on November 11, 1925. It has a distinct tune, very different from Sam Russell's. The text is brief but preserves the happy ending.

Song transcription:

As I walked over London's bridge
So early in the morning.
I overheard some fair one say
"Lord, spare me the life of Georgie."
I overheard some fair one say
"Lord, spare me the life of Georgie."

"Go bridle and saddle my milk-white steed
Go saddle and bridle him neatly.
I'll ride away to the lone castle fair,
A-pleading for the life of Georgie.
I'll ride away to the lone castle fair
A-pleading for the life of Georgie."

She rode all day and she rode all night
Till she came wet and weary
A-combing back her long yellow locks
A-pleading for the life of Georgie.
A-combing back her long yellow locks
A-pleading for the life of Georgie.

And out of her pocket drew a purse of gold,
The like I never saw any,
Saying, "Lawyers, Lawyers come fee yourselves
And spare me the life of Georgie."
Saying, "Lawyers, Lawyers come fee yourselves
And spare me the life of Georgie."

George he was a-standing by,
Saying, "I never killed anybody,
But I stole sixteen of the King's white steeds
And sold them in Goannie.
But I stole sixteen of the King's white steeds
And sold them in Goannie."

The oldest lawyer at the bar,
Saying, "George, I'm sorry for you,
That your own confession has condemned you to die
May the Lord have mercy on you.
That your own confession has condemned you to die
May the Lord have mercy on you."

As George was walking up through the streets,
He bid farewell to many,
He bid farewell to his own true love
Which grieved him worse than any.
He bid farewell to his own true love
Which grieved him worse than any.

George was hung with a golden chain
The like I never saw any
Because he came of a royal race
And courted a virtuous lady.
Because he came of a royal race
And courted a virtuous lady.

I wish I was on yonder's hill,
Where kisses I've had many,
My sword and pistol all on my side
I'd fight for the life of Georgie.
(No repetition of the last two lines in the final stanza.)

The Bold Soldier (Roud 321) - James Henry Chisholm

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-16 | I'll Tell You of a Soldier / The Bold Soldier / The Soldier and the Lady / The Bold Keeper / The Lady and the Dragoon (Roud No. 321) - Sung by Mr. James Henry Chisholm (1860–1940) of Greenwood, Albemarle County, Virginia, USA. Recorded by Arthur Kyle Davis Jr. on November 11, 1932. Previously collected by Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles on May 21, 1918, when Mr. Chisholm was living in Nellysford.

00:00:00 I'll Tell You of a Soldier - James Henry Chisholm
00:02:12 The Bold Soldier - Uncle Pat Frye
00:03:53 The Soldier and the Lady - Aunt Jennie Wilson

An excellent article by Mike Yates on Cecil Sharp's and Maud Karpeles' Appalachia trip in the 1910s can be read here: mustrad.org.uk/articles/sharp.htm

A selection of 1930s phonograph recordings made by folklorist Arthur Kyle Davis Jr. (1897–1972) of Virginia ballad singers has been digitised and made available for listening online: https://avalon.lib.virginia.edu/collections/7m01bk901

We get a chance to listen to some of the very same people Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles met and noted songs from in the 1910s.

The audio quality of these recordings is relatively poor, being made with portable equipment at that time, but the songs are interesting and worthy of attention. I had the idea of creating small compilations of related versions of each song for these videos. This is because I noticed that I often had more than one recording of each song available from singers who were related or lived in the same area.

Arthur K. Davis Jr. published the hundreds of Virginia ballads he collected in two books, "Folk-Songs of Virginia" (1949), and "More Traditional Ballads of Virginia" (1960) with the editorial assistance of Paul Clayton Worthington.

Note by Kevin W.:
An English broadside ballad. The story bears some semblance to The Douglas Tragedy (Child 7), but with a happy ending. Textually the songs are not related.

The song goes back to a 1695 London broadside titled "The Master-piece of Love-songs," or "The Bold Keeper", itself a remodel of a 1670 broadside titled "The Seaman's Renown in Winning His Fair Lady": http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/bold-keeper--lon-1695-t-thackeray-broadside.aspx

The first known US text was published in Massachusetts in 1800 in "The Echo; or, Columbian Songster" under the title "The Bold Soldier": http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/bold-soldier--ma-1809-minot-bakers-collection.aspx

Song transcription:

I'll tell you of a soldier, who lately came on sea,
He courted a lady both honorous and free.
Her riches was so great that it scarcely could be told,
And the lady she loved the soldier because he was so bold.

How would the lady call to be a soldier's wife;
My papy he's enraptured to gain my pleasant life."
He drew his sword and pistol and he hung over his side
Saying I'll marry you, my charmer, whatever shall be tried.

As they had been to church one day returning home again,
She spied her old father and several armed men.
It's up speaks the lady, I fear we shall be slain."
"Fear nothing, my charmer," he coaxes in vain.

It's up speaks this old man and unto her did say,
Is this your behaviour? Is this your wedding day?
But since you've turned so silly as to be a soldier's wife,
Now in this lonesome valley I'll finally end your life.

Up speaks the soldier, I'm fighting for that,
He caused him to pull off his coat and his hat,
He drew his sword and pistol and they began to rattle,
And the lady held the horse while the soldier fought the battle.

The first one he came to, he quickly had him slain;
The next one he came to, he did him just the same.
It's up speaks this old man, my blood you caused run cold,
I'll wed you with my daughter, ten thousand pounds in gold.

Give over, give over, the old man, he cried,
And you may have my daughter, ten thousand pounds is set,
Oh no, cries the lady, the money is too small,
Give over cries the old man, you can have it all.

The House Carpenter (Child 243) - Victoria Shifflett Morris

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-16 | The House Carpenter / The Ship Carpenter / James Harris / The Daemon Lover (Child No. 243) - Sung by Mrs. Victoria Shifflett Morris (s.p Shiflett) (1895–1964) of Mount Fair, Albemarle County, Virginia, USA. Recorded by Arthur Kyle Davis Jr. on March 10, 1933.

00:00:00 The House Carpenter - Victoria Shifflett Morris
00:03:37 The House Carpenter - Robert Shiflett

An excellent article by Mike Yates on Cecil Sharp's and Maud Karpeles' Appalachia trip in the 1910s can be read here: mustrad.org.uk/articles/sharp.htm

A selection of 1930s phonograph recordings made by folklorist Arthur Kyle Davis Jr. (1897–1972) of Virginia ballad singers has been digitised and made available for listening online: https://avalon.lib.virginia.edu/collections/7m01bk901

We get a chance to listen to some of the very same people Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles met and noted songs from in the 1910s.

The audio quality of these recordings is relatively poor, being made with portable equipment at that time, but the songs are interesting and worthy of attention. I had the idea of creating small compilations of related versions of each song for these videos. This is because I noticed that I often had more than one recording of each song available from singers who were related or lived in the same area.

Arthur K. Davis Jr. published the hundreds of Virginia ballads he collected in two books, "Folk-Songs of Virginia" (1949), and "More Traditional Ballads of Virginia" (1960) with the editorial assistance of Paul Clayton Worthington.

Note by Kevin W.:
A traditional Virginia version of The House Carpenter (Child 243). American texts of this ballad are often quite mundane, but they are sung to remarkably attractive tunes. The supernatural elements of Scottish texts are absent in US versions which appear to be derived from the English Ship Carpenter form of the ballad.

Compare Child 243, Version B, "The Distressed Ship - Carpenter" from The Rambler's Garland (1785): http://71.174.62.16/Demo/LongerHarvest?Text=Child_d24302

As with Young Hunting (Child 68) I wonder if the elaborate supernatural elements of a demon with cloven feet have been grafted onto the song by literary Scottish poets at a later date. The only trace of the supernatural found in US texts is a picturesque mention of the Hills of Heaven and Hell.

George Foss' account of the Brown's Cove, Albemarle County singers is well worth a read: http://www.klein-shiflett.com/shifletfamily/HHI/GeorgeFoss/whall.html

Song transcription:

"We have met, we have met, my own true love,"
"Well met, well met," said she.
"I have late-lie returned from the salt water sea,
And it's all for the sake of thee.

"I coulda married the king's daughter dear,
And she woulda married me,
But all the crowns of gold I refused,
And it's all for the sake of thee."

"If you coulda married the king's daughter dear,
I am sure you were to blame,
For I am married to a house carpenter,
And they say he's a fine young man."

"Will you forsake on your house carpenter,
And go along with me?
I will take you where the grass grows green,
On the banks of Sweet Willie."

"What do you have to maintain me on,
To keep me from starving?" said she.
"I have a hundred ships on the ocean a-sailin'
And a-sailin' for dry land,
And a hundred and ten of the nicest waiting men,
Shall be at your command."

She picked up her tender little baby,
And the kisses she did give it were three,
"Stay at home, stay at home, my tender little thing,
And keep your papa's company."

She hadn't been a-sailing on the sea two weeks,
I'm sure it were not three.
Before this poor damsel begin for to weep,
And she wept most bitterly.

"Are you a-weepin' for my silver?" says he,
Or are you weepin' for my gold?
Or are you a-weepin' for your house carpenter,
For you'll never see no more?"

"I'm not a-weepin' for your silver," said she,
Nor neither for your gold.
I am weeping for my tender little baby,
That I'll never see no more."

She hadn't been a-sailin' on the sea three weeks,
I'm sure it were not four,
Before this vessel sprung a leakin' floor,
And it sank to rise no more.

Lord William or The Seven Sleepers (Child 7) - Victoria Shifflett Morris

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-16 | The Seven Brothers / The Seven Sleepers / Seven Sons Bold / Lady Margaret / Lord Thomas / Sweet William and Fair Ellen / The Douglas Tragedy / The Child of Ell / Earl Brand (Child No. 7) - Sung by Mrs. Victoria Shifflett Morris (s.p Shiflett) (1895–1964) of Mount Fair, Albemarle County, Virginia, USA. Recorded by Arthur Kyle Davis Jr. on November 21, 1932. Recorded again by Maud Karpeles and Sidney Robertson Cowell in September 1950.

00:00:00 The Seven Sleepers (1932) - Victoria Shifflett Morris
00:05:01 The Seven Sleepers (1950) - Victoria Shifflett Morris
00:06:05 Seven Sons Bold - Robert Shiflett

An excellent article by Mike Yates on Cecil Sharp's and Maud Karpeles' Appalachia trip in the 1910s can be read here: mustrad.org.uk/articles/sharp.htm

A selection of 1930s phonograph recordings made by folklorist Arthur Kyle Davis Jr. (1897–1972) of Virginia ballad singers has been digitised and made available for listening online: https://avalon.lib.virginia.edu/collections/7m01bk901

We get a chance to listen to some of the very same people Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles met and noted songs from in the 1910s.

The audio quality of these recordings is relatively poor, being made with portable equipment at that time, but the songs are interesting and worthy of attention. I had the idea of creating small compilations of related versions of each song for these videos. This is because I noticed that I often had more than one recording of each song available from singers who were related or lived in the same area.

Arthur K. Davis Jr. published the hundreds of Virginia ballads he collected in two books, "Folk-Songs of Virginia" (1949), and "More Traditional Ballads of Virginia" (1960) with the editorial assistance of Paul Clayton Worthington.

Note by Kevin W.:
A traditional Virginia version of The Douglas Tragedy (Child 7). It had some currency in Albemarle County, Virginia and was noted from members of the Shiflett family and other singers in the area.

George Foss' account of the Brown's Cove, Albemarle County singers is well worth a read: http://www.klein-shiflett.com/shifletfamily/HHI/GeorgeFoss/whall.html

Child 7 exists in two distinct variants in America. One opens with "Rise up you seven sons bold" or "Wake up you seven sleepers" and resembles The Douglas Tragedy as it was sung in Scotland. That's the way it was sung by the Shiflett family and other singers in Albemarle County, Virginia. The other opens with "Sweet William rode to the old man's gate" and includes additional verses resembling the earliest known text of the ballad, the fragmentary "Child of Ell" from Bishop Percy's Folio Manuscript of the middle decades of the 17th century. It was collected mainly from singers in North Carolina.

Song transcription:

"Wake up, wake up, You seven sleepers,
And heed the warning of me.
Please take care of your oldest daughter dear,
For the youngest('s) just a-going with me."

He mounted up on a milk-white steed,
Herself upon the dapple gray,
He drew his buckler down by his side,
And away went a-singing away.

"Wake up, wake up, my seven sons bold,
And put on your armor so bright,
I'll never have it said that a daughter of mine
Shall stay with a lord all night."

He rode, he rode, he better, better rode,
Along with his lady so dear,
Until she saw her seven brothers bold,
And her father a-walking so near."
Until she saw her seven brothers bold,
And her father a-walking so-near.

"Get you down, get you down, Lady Margret," he said,
"And hold my steed for a while,
Until I fight you seven brothers bold,
And your father a-walking so near."

She held, she held, a better, better hold,
And she never shedded a tear,
Until she saw her seven brothers fall,
And her father she loved so dear,
Until she saw her seven brothers fall,
And her father she loved so dear.

"Get you down, get you down, Lady Margret...
(Corrects herself)

He mounted up on the milk-white steed,
And herself upon the dapple gray,
"He drew his buckler down by his side
And away went a-bleeding away.

He rode, he rode, he better, better rode,
Along with his lady so dear,
Until he came to his own mother's stile,
Where he did love so dear'

"O Mother, Mother, go make my bed,
And make it soft and wide,
And lay my lady down by my side
That I may rest for a while."

Lord William he died about midnight,
Lady Margret before it was day,
And the old woman died for the loss of her son,
So there was eleven lives lost.

September 1950 Karpeles and Cowell transcription:

'Wake up, wake up, you seven sleepers
And it's to be warned of me
You take care of your oldest daughter dear
For the youngest's just a-going with me'

He mount(ed) her on a milk-white steed
Himself upon the dapple grey
He drew his broadsword down by his side
And away went a-singing away

'Wake up, wake up, my seven sons bold
And put on your armour so bright
I will never have it said that a daughter of mine
Shall stay with a lord all night'

John of Hazelgreen (Child 293) - Victoria Shifflett Morris

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-15 | John of the Hazelgreen / Johnny o Hazelgreen / Jock o' Hazeldean / John of Hazelgreen (Child No. 293) - Sung by Mrs. Victoria Shifflett Morris (s.p Shiflett) (1895–1964) of Mount Fair, Albemarle County, Virginia, USA. Recorded by Arthur Kyle Davis Jr. on March 19, 1933.

00:00:00 John over the Hazelgreen - Victoria Shifflett Morris
00:03:02 John of the Hazelgreen - Lloyd Fitzgerald
00:05:16 John of Hazelgreen - Robert Shiflett

An excellent article by Mike Yates on Cecil Sharp's and Maud Karpeles' Appalachia trip in the 1910s can be read here: mustrad.org.uk/articles/sharp.htm

A selection of 1930s phonograph recordings made by folklorist Arthur Kyle Davis Jr. (1897–1972) of Virginia ballad singers has been digitised and made available for listening online: https://avalon.lib.virginia.edu/collections/7m01bk901

We get a chance to listen to some of the very same people Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles met and noted songs from in the 1910s.

The audio quality of these recordings is relatively poor, being made with portable equipment at that time, but the songs are interesting and worthy of attention. I had the idea of creating small compilations of related versions of each song for these videos. This is because I noticed that I often had more than one recording of each song available from singers who were related or lived in the same area.

Arthur K. Davis Jr. published the hundreds of Virginia ballads he collected in two books, "Folk-Songs of Virginia" (1949), and "More Traditional Ballads of Virginia" (1960) with the editorial assistance of Paul Clayton Worthington.

Note by Kevin W.:
A traditional Virginia version of John of Hazelgreen (Child 293), the ballad upon which the Scottish poet Sir Walter Scott based his 1816 poem Jock of Hazeldean. Recordings of the traditional ballad are scarce. It had some currency in Albemarle County, Virginia and was noted from members of the Shiflett family and other singers in the area. Scott's poem which shares only the first stanza with the original song has mostly replaced it and is much better known nowadays.

George Foss' account of the Brown's Cove, Albemarle County singers is well worth a read: http://www.klein-shiflett.com/shifletfamily/HHI/GeorgeFoss/whall.html

This article is also helpful: http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/john-of-the-hazelgreen--morris-va-1933-davis-aa.aspx

Song transcription:

As I were walking one fair May morning,
All down by the greenwood side,
And there I spied a pretty fair miss,
And all alone she cried.

"You're welcome home, my pretty fair miss,
You're welcome home with me,
And you may have my oldest son,
A husband for to be."

"Oh, I don't want your oldest son,
For he's neither lord nor king,
I never intend to be the bride of none,
John over the Hazelgreen."

As I were riding an ink black road,
The road run near to the town,
All up stepped John my Hazelgreen,
And helped his lady down.

His hair were long, his shoulder were broad,
He was the flower of all his kin,
His hair hang down like links of gold,
John over the Hazelgreen.

'Tis forty times he kissed her cheeks,
And forty times her chin,
And forty times her red and rosy lips,
And led his lady in.

"If ever I a vow break on you my love,
Oh, heaven will forsake on me,
And send me down to the torment place,
Where never returntity." [*]

[*] Davis suggests "Where I never return to thee" but the line isn't clear. Robert Shiflett's version has it as "Forever and eternity." The last stanza is a floater from "The Blackest Crow / Dearest Dear / The Time Draws Near" (Roud 422)

The Two Brothers (Child 49) - Orilla Keyton

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-15 | Two Brothers / Twa Brithers / Two Pretty Boys / Rolling of the Stones / Little Schoolboy / Jessel Town / The Twa Brothers (Child No. 49) - Sung by Mrs. Orilla "Orella" Mildred Madison Keyton (1880–1953) of Mount Fair, Albemarle County, Virginia, USA. Recorded by Arthur Kyle Davis Jr. on March 10, 1933. Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles collected songs from Mrs. Keeton (s.p) in 1916 but they seem to have missed her version of this ballad.

00:00:00 The Two Brothers - Orilla Keyton
00:03:41 The Two Brothers - Mary Wood Shiflett
00:07:27 The Two Brothers (Old Transfer) - Florence Puckett
00:09:22 The Two Brothers (New Transfer) - Florence Puckett

An excellent article by Mike Yates on Cecil Sharp's and Maud Karpeles' Appalachia trip in the 1910s can be read here: mustrad.org.uk/articles/sharp.htm

A selection of 1930s phonograph recordings made by folklorist Arthur Kyle Davis Jr. (1897–1972) of Virginia ballad singers has been digitised and made available for listening online: https://avalon.lib.virginia.edu/collections/7m01bk901

We get a chance to listen to some of the very same people Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles met and noted songs from in the 1910s.

The audio quality of these recordings is relatively poor, being made with portable equipment at that time, but the songs are interesting and worthy of attention. I had the idea of creating small compilations of related versions of each song for these videos. This is because I noticed that I often had more than one recording of each song available from singers who were related or lived in the same area.

Arthur K. Davis Jr. published the hundreds of Virginia ballads he collected in two books, "Folk-Songs of Virginia" (1949), and "More Traditional Ballads of Virginia" (1960) with the editorial assistance of Paul Clayton Worthington.

Note by Kevin W.:
This is an old version of The Twa Brothers (Child 49). It has a ghost ending resembling The Unquiet Grave (Child 78), like Child's Version B text. It had some currency in Albemarle County, Virginia and was noted from members of the Shiflett family and other singers in the area. It's the most complete text of this interesting form of the ballad known to me. The Unquiet Grave as its own ballad is also rare in America.

George Foss' account of the Brown's Cove, Albemarle County singers is well worth a read: http://www.klein-shiflett.com/shifletfamily/HHI/GeorgeFoss/whall.html

Compare this text to Child 49 Version B, from Motherwell's Manuscript, noted in 1825: http://71.174.62.16/Demo/LongerHarvest?Text=Child_d04902

The ending with Loving Susie raising the dead brother from the grave and asking for a kiss seems strangely incongruent with the opening which suggests little boys going to school. The brothers were meant to be young noblemen, not little boys. A similar degradation happened to US texts of "The Wife of Usher's Well" (Child 79). The murder may have happened out of rivalry over Loving Susie in this version. This is different from Scottish texts of recent tradition where the killing is accidental and no female love interest is mentioned.

Song transcription:

There were two brothers in one school.
One evening coming home
The oldest said to the youngest one,
"Let's have a wrastle and fall."

The oldest threw the youngest one,
He threw him to the ground,
And out of his pocket he drew a penknife
And gave him a deadly wound.

"Pull off, pull off, your woolen shirt,
And tear it from gore to gore,
And wrap it around your bleeding wound,
Then you will bleed no more.''

So he pulled off his woolen shirt,
And tore it from gore to gore,
An-a wrapped it around his bleeding wound,
Till he did bleed no more.

"Pick me all up upon your back,
And carry me to yonders churchyard,
And dig my grave both wide and deep,
And gently lay me down."

"What must I tell your loving father,
When he calls for his son John?"
"Tell him I'm in some lonely green wood,
Teaching young hounds to run."

What must I tell your loving mother,
When she calls for her son John?"
"Tell her I'm in some graded school,
Say, "A good scholar never returns."

"What must I tell your loving Sue,
When she calls for her dear John?"
"Tell her I'm in my lowly grave,
My books to carry back home."

When-a this young Susy heard of this,
She took the horn and blew,
She charmed the birds all from the nest
And the fishes out of the sea.

She charmed young Johnny from his grave,
Said, "Susy, what do you want?"
"One sweet kiss from your sweet lips
Is all my heart does crave."

"Go home, go home, my loving Susy,
And weep no more for me,
For one sweet kiss from my sweet lips
Will solve your day short on." [*]

[*] short on = shorten. Kissing the lips of the dead will "shorten your days" (it will kill you)

Love Henry and Lady Margaret (Child 68) - Adolphus Dol G. Small

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-14 | Sir Henry / Lord Henry / Love Henry / Loving Henry Lee / Lady Margaret / Young Hunting (Child No. 68) - Sung by Mr. Adolphus "Dol" Glenroy Small (1869–1956, then 81 years old) at Nellysford, Nelson County, Virginia. Recorded by Maud Karpeles and Sidney Robertson Cowell in September 1950. Previously collected by Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles on May 22, 1918.

00:00:00 Lady Margaret - Adolphus "Dol" Small
00:04:03 Sir Henry (Fiddle Tune) - John Scisrow Witt
00:05:49 Sir Henry - John Scisrow Witt
00:06:50 Heneree - Frank Jones

The Library of Congress blog posts by Brian Peters and Catherine Hiebert Kerst about Maud Karpeles' and Sidney Robertson Cowell's 1950 field recording trip are well worth reading. I found the recording of Mr. Dol Small there too while I was comparing texts of Young Hunting that include the bugle horn opening.

Here: blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2023/12/song-hunting-in-the-appalachians-with-karpeles-and-cowell-in-the-footsteps-of-cecil-sharp-part-1
And here: blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2023/12/song-hunting-in-the-appalachians-with-karpeles-and-cowell-in-the-footsteps-of-cecil-sharp-part-2

An excellent article by Mike Yates on Cecil Sharp's and Maud Karpeles' Appalachia trip in the 1910s can be read here: mustrad.org.uk/articles/sharp.htm

A selection of 1930s phonograph recordings made by folklorist Arthur Kyle Davis Jr. (1897–1972) of Virginia ballad singers has been digitised and made available for listening online: https://avalon.lib.virginia.edu/collections/7m01bk901

We get a chance to listen to some of the very same people Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles met and noted songs from in the 1910s.

The audio quality of these recordings is relatively poor, being made with portable equipment at that time, but the songs are interesting and worthy of attention. I had the idea of creating small compilations of related versions of each song for these videos. This is because I noticed that I often had more than one recording of each song available from singers who were related or lived in the same area.

Arthur K. Davis Jr. published the hundreds of Virginia ballads he collected in two books, "Folk-Songs of Virginia" (1949), and "More Traditional Ballads of Virginia" (1960) with the editorial assistance of Paul Clayton Worthington.

Note by Kevin W.:
A poorly remembered text. It did not change between 1918 and 1950 and Mr. Adolphus Small sang it from memory on both occasions. Nonetheless it preserves the rare bugle horn opening and the tune is a particularly enjoyable one.

The later half of Young Hunting with the king's divers being instructed to search for the body by the talking bird has only once been recorded in America in a fragment titled "Sir Robin", distinct from all other US texts: http://bluegrassmessengers.com/sir-robin--swetnam-ms-1936-hudson-a.aspx

I wonder if the shorter US texts aren't closer to a speculative ur-form of the ballad, with the supernatural elements having been grafted onto the song by literary Scottish poets at a later date. If these elements were part of the ur-ballad wouldn't they show up in at least some of the US texts? It's likely the song arrived in Virginia with the early settlers in the 1600s-1700s and predates the Scottish texts printed by Prof. Child.

The scant surviving tradition of the ballad in Ireland and Canada agrees with the US texts.

Song transcription:

Last Friday night Lady Margaret lie,
A-sleeping very sad.
She heard the sound of a bugle horn,
It made her heart full glad.

She thought it were her brother John
Returning from his king,
Although it were her Henery,
Returning from his wild hunting.

Get down, get down, O Henery,
And stay all night with me,
The very best of lodging I have here,
I'll give it all to thee.

I shan't get down and I won't get down
And stay all night with thee,
For I have a lady in the merry green land
I love far better than thee.

I wish I had my string and bow,
And my arrow too.
I'd pierce you to your heart so free
That you'd be seen no more.

Then up spoke a little par-ri-ot
That sits on yonder's limb;
O how could you murder your own true love
That you and I have seen.

Get down, come down, little par-ri-ot,
And set on my right knee.
I'll buy you a cage of yellow gold
And I'll hang it on yonder's tree.

I shan't come down, I won't come down
And set on your right knee,
For the sooner you'd murder your own true love,
The sooner you'd murder me.

Love Henry and Lady Margaret (Child 68) - Orilla Keyton / Mary Bird McAllister

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-14 | Sir Henry / Lord Henry / Love Henry / Loving Henry Lee / Lady Margaret / Young Hunting (Child No. 68) - Sung by Mrs. Orilla "Orella" Mildred Madison Keyton (1880–1953) of Mount Fair, Albemarle County, Virginia, USA. Recorded by Arthur Kyle Davis Jr. on March 10, 1933. Previously collected by Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles from Mrs. Keeton (s.p) on September 26, 1916. This version was covered by Hedy West on the LP "Ballads" (1967) Topic Records - 12T163.

00:00:00 Lady Margaret (1st Take) - Orilla Keyton
00:05:00 Lady Margaret (2nd Take) - Orilla Keyton
00:09:21 Love Henry - Mary Bird McAllister
00:14:10 You Murdered Your Love In The Hall - Hannah Gatts Rogers

A selection of 1930s phonograph recordings made by folklorist Arthur Kyle Davis Jr. (1897–1972) of Virginia ballad singers has been digitised and made available for listening online: https://avalon.lib.virginia.edu/collections/7m01bk901

We get a chance to listen to some of the very same people Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles met and noted songs from in the 1910s.

The audio quality of these recordings is relatively poor, being made with portable equipment at that time, but the songs are interesting and worthy of attention. I had the idea of creating small compilations of related versions of each song for these videos. This is because I noticed that I often had more than one recording of each song available from singers who were related or lived in the same area.

Arthur K. Davis Jr. published the hundreds of Virginia ballads he collected in two books, "Folk-Songs of Virginia" (1949), and "More Traditional Ballads of Virginia" (1960) with the editorial assistance of Paul Clayton Worthington.

Note by Kevin W.:
A beautiful, carefully preserved text with a fine tune. This stands as one of the best versions of Young Hunting (Child 68) recorded in modern times. It has the rare bugle horn opening and the bribery of the maid servant.

The later half of Young Hunting with the king's divers being instructed to search for the body by the talking bird has only once been recorded in America in a fragment titled "Sir Robin", distinct from all other US texts: http://bluegrassmessengers.com/sir-robin--swetnam-ms-1936-hudson-a.aspx

I wonder if the shorter US texts aren't closer to a speculative ur-form of the ballad, with the supernatural elements having been grafted onto the song by literary Scottish poets at a later date. If these elements were part of the ur-ballad wouldn't they show up in at least some of the US texts? It's likely the song arrived in Virginia with the early settlers in the 1600s-1700s and predates the Scottish texts printed by Prof. Child.

The scant surviving tradition of the ballad in Ireland and Canada agrees with the US texts.

Song transcription:

As Lady Margret she was going to bed
She heard the sound of a musical horn,
Which made her heart feel glad and sad
To think that it was her brother, brother John
Returning from his king,
But who should it be but her true-love Henery
Coming in from his wild hunting.

"O light, O light, love Henery,
To stay all night with me,
And you shall have the cheers of the cheery cold girl, [*]
The best I can give thee."

"I will not light nor I shall not light
To stay all night with thee,
For there's a pretty girl in Merry Green Lea
I love far better than thee."

He bended over her soft pillow
To give her a kiss so sweet,
But with a penknife in her right hand
She wounded him in full deep.

"Woe be, woe be, Lady Margret," he cried,
"Woe be, woe be to thee,
For don't you see my own heart's blood
Come twinkling down my knee?"

She called unto a maid of hers:
Keep a secret, keep a secret on me.
All these fine robes on my body
Shall always be to thee.

One taken him by his long yellow hair
And the other one by his feet,
And they threw him into the well waters
Which was so cold and deep.

Lie there, lie there, love Henery,
Till the flesh rots off your bones,
And that pretty girl in Merry Green Lea
Thinks long of your coming home.

Up spoke, up spoke a pretty little parrot
Exceeding on a willow tree:
There never was a girl in Merry Green Lea
He loved so well as thee.

Come down, come down, my pretty little parrot,
And sit upon my knee,
And you shall have a cage of a pure, pure gold
Instead of the willow tree.

[ I won't come down, nor I shan't come down
To sit upon your knee,
For you have murdered your true love Henery,
More sooner you would kill me. ] [**]

If I had my arrow in my hand,
My bow on tuneful string,
I'd shoot a dart that would win your heart,
So you could no longer sing.

If you had your arrow in your hand,
Your bow on tuneful string,
I'd take a flight and fly, fly away
And tune my voice to sing.

[*] In Scottish texts this line runs more properly "you shall have cheer with charcoal clear"
[**] This stanza was noted by Cecil Sharp in 1916 but wasn't sung in 1933

Sir Patrick Spens (Child 58) (1986) - Duncan Williamson (Scottish Traveller Traditional Singer)

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-01 | Sir Patrick Spence / Sir Patrick Spens (Child No. 58) - Sung by Duncan Williamson (1928-2007), a Traveller of Furnace, Argyllshire, Scotland, later settled in Fife. Filmed and recorded by David Kotyk as part of the John D. Niles folklore research team for the "Scottish Voices" project in the sitting room of Duncan's home at Kincraigie Farm Cottage, near Strathmiglo, Fife, where he was living with his wife Linda and their two children Betsy and Thomas, on August 8th, 1986.

00:00:00 Tells the Story
00:02:32 Sings Sir Patrick Spens
00:07:43 Talks About the Song
00:09:47 Video Ends

The original movie can be watched here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AEEEZV5BN2GSCU9A

A biography of Duncan Williamson can be read here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/4292?l=en

Linda Williamson's thesis on Scottish Traveller singing can be read here, it's well worth your time if you're interested in Duncan Williamson's song repertoire: era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8223

I used my knowledge on video editing to share the films on Youtube in the highest possible quality, I used manual video upscaling (no AI was used!) for this, to further document variants of traditional ballads and songs which has been my hobby for many years. I claim no ownership of the video, all the rights belong with the University of Wisconsin which houses the John D. Niles Collection.

Note by Kevin W.:
I was delighted to discover these videos of Scotland's great tradition bearers in the John D. Niles Collection. The often poorly treated Scottish Travellers honor the memories of their ancestors through songs, music and storytelling. They are proud of their culture and kept old traditions alive for hundreds of years. Many of our most gifted traditional singers and storytellers are Travellers.

Scottish Travellers are an indigenous ethnic minority in Scotland who live or traditionally lived a nomadic lifestyle and for centuries were unfairly shunned by the settled population. For that reason the singing culture of the Travelling people had not been well documented before the 20th century when non-Travellers with an interest in folklore visited and befriended Travellers and started recording their songs, music and stories.

The videos give us an impression of what Duncan Williamson was like as a person and they show us how he performed his songs and stories to an audience. The visual aspect of performance is completely missed when we listen to sound recordings.

My main interest are the songs and ballads from Traveller tradition which Duncan kept alive. His interest in folklore led him to seek out other Traveller singers and storytellers and learn songs and stories from them, many of which were on the verge of being lost forever. In a way Duncan was a folklore collector himself.

Song transcription:

O the King he sits in Dunfermline town
He's a-drinking the blood red wine
He said, "Whaur shall I find a skilly skipper
Who'll sail this new ship of mine?"

Then up and speaks an auld eldery knight
Who sits by the King's right knee
He said, "Sir Patrick Spens is the finest sailor
That ever did sail the sea."

So the King he's taken his quill in hand
And in a letter he did say,
"You maun tak this to Sir Patrick Spens
You maun tak it right away."

O the first words Sir Patrick read
O a tear it blinded his ee
And the next words Sir Patrick read
O a loud good laugh laughed he.

He said, "Wha is gone and done this thing
And tellt the King on me,
That I maun sail through storm and gale
That I maun gang tae Norway?

But I'll sail, my Lord, I will go, my King,
I will sail right through the faem;
I'll make my way to Norway
And I'll bring your Margaret hame."

So they sailed away from Dunfermline toon
They sailed right through the faem
For they were bound for Norway
Just to bring young Margaret hame.

Well, they hadnae been in Norway
O a week nor scarcely three
When the highest lords in the King's court
Did turn around and did say,

"O those Scottish men, they drink oor wines
And they spend oor gold,
And they have come from Scotland
And they brought none of their own."

O you leer so loud," cried Sir Patrick Spens,
"You leer so loud," cried he,
"There's twenty thousand of gold and silver
In a dowry I have brought with me.

But I'll sail this night, this very night,
I'll sail right through the faem,
I will make my way to Scotland
And I'll bring young Margaret hame."

So they sailed away from Norway,
They sailed right through the faem,
For they were bound for Dunfermline toon
Just to bring young Margaret hame.

But in the Firth o Forth they ran into a storm
And the waves around them they did sweep
Now Sir Patrick Spens and his gallant crew
Lie sleeping in the deep.

The Mouses Wedding to the Frog (Roud 16) (1986) - Duncan Williamson (Scottish Traditional Singer)

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-01 | Frog he Would a Wooing Go / Kitty Alone / Mr. Frog / The Frog's Wedding / The Wedding of Frog and Mouse / Frog Went A-Courting (Roud No. 16) / The House that Jack Built (Roud No. 20584) / The Old Woman and Her Pig (Roud No. 746) - Sung by Duncan Williamson (1928-2007), a Traveller of Furnace, Argyllshire, Scotland, later settled in Fife. Filmed and recorded by David Kotyk as part of the John D. Niles folklore research team for the "Scottish Voices" project in the sitting room of Duncan's home at Kincraigie Farm Cottage, near Strathmiglo, Fife, where he was living with his wife Linda and their two children Betsy and Thomas, on August 8th, 1986.

00:00:00 Sings The Mouse's Wedding to the Frog
00:02:46 Sings The House that Jack Built
00:06:19 Sings The Old Woman and Her Pig
00:10:45 Video Ends

The original movie can be watched here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A77X57FFUO2N4X8J

A biography of Duncan Williamson can be read here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/4292?l=en

Linda Williamson's thesis on Scottish Traveller singing can be read here, it's well worth your time if you're interested in Duncan Williamson's song repertoire: era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8223

I used my knowledge on video editing to share the films on Youtube in the highest possible quality, I used manual video upscaling (no AI was used!) for this, to further document variants of traditional ballads and songs which has been my hobby for many years. I claim no ownership of the video, all the rights belong with the University of Wisconsin which houses the John D. Niles Collection.

Note by Kevin W.:
I was delighted to discover these videos of Scotland's great tradition bearers in the John D. Niles Collection. The often poorly treated Scottish Travellers honor the memories of their ancestors through songs, music and storytelling. They are proud of their culture and kept old traditions alive for hundreds of years. Many of our most gifted traditional singers and storytellers are Travellers.

Scottish Travellers are an indigenous ethnic minority in Scotland who live or traditionally lived a nomadic lifestyle and for centuries were unfairly shunned by the settled population. For that reason the singing culture of the Travelling people had not been well documented before the 20th century when non-Travellers with an interest in folklore visited and befriended Travellers and started recording their songs, music and stories.

The videos give us an impression of what Duncan Williamson was like as a person and they show us how he performed his songs and stories to an audience. The visual aspect of performance is completely missed when we listen to sound recordings.

My main interest are the songs and ballads from Traveller tradition which Duncan kept alive. His interest in folklore led him to seek out other Traveller singers and storytellers and learn songs and stories from them, many of which were on the verge of being lost forever. In a way Duncan was a folklore collector himself.

Song transcription:

Oh, a froggie would a-wooing ride
Oh-ho-ho-ho
A froggie would a-wooing ride,
With sword and buckle by his side,
Oh-ho-ho.

Oh, first he came to a mouse's den
Oh-ho-ho
First he came to a mouse's den
He said, "Miss Mouse, would you let me in?"
Oh-ho.

He took Miss Mousie on his knee
Oh-ho-ho
He took Miss Mousie on his knee
He said, "Miss Mouse would you marry me?"
Oh-ho.

She said, "Where will the marriage supper be?"
Oh-ho
"Where will the marriage supper be?"
"Down in the hollow by the old oak tree"
Oh-ho.

[People begin to join in on the refrain. Betsy or Thomas starts to sing along.]

Well, the first came in was Mrs. Moth
Oh-ho-ho
The first came in was Mrs. Moth
She came to lay the table cloth
Oh-ho-ho.

The next came in was Major Dick
Oh-ho-ho
The next came in was Major Dick
He et so much that he fell sick
Oh-ho-ho.

Then they had to send for Doctor Fly
Oh-ho-ho
They had to send for Doctor Fly
For fear that Major Dick would die
Oh-ho-ho.

Then came a squirrel with a big, long, curly tail, tail
Then came a squirrel with a curly tail
He tore his head on a rusty nail
Oh, ho, ho.

Oh, next came in was a big, brown snake
Oh, ho, ho
Next came in was a big, brown snake
He coiled hisself round the wedding cake
Oh-ho-ho.

So they all went sailing down tae the lake
Oh-ho-ho
They all went sailing down tae the lake
They were gobbled up by a big fat drake
Oh-ho-ho.

The Caber (Duncans Own Song) (1986) - Duncan Williamson (Scottish Traveller Traditional Singer)

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-01 | Tossing The Caber (Duncan's Own Song) - Sung by Duncan Williamson (1928-2007), a Traveller of Furnace, Argyllshire, Scotland, later settled in Fife. Filmed and recorded by David Kotyk as part of the John D. Niles folklore research team for the "Scottish Voices" project in the sitting room of Duncan's home at Kincraigie Farm Cottage, near Strathmiglo, Fife, where he was living with his wife Linda and their two children Betsy and Thomas, on August 8th, 1986.

00:00:00 Tells the Story
00:01:46 Sings The Caber
00:04:39 Demonstrates How Jack Falls on his Back
00:05:24 Video Ends

The original movie can be watched here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A6SOLSRJEQ7IVJ8S

A biography of Duncan Williamson can be read here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/4292?l=en

Linda Williamson's thesis on Scottish Traveller singing can be read here, it's well worth your time if you're interested in Duncan Williamson's song repertoire: era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8223

I used my knowledge on video editing to share the films on Youtube in the highest possible quality, I used manual video upscaling (no AI was used!) for this, to further document variants of traditional ballads and songs which has been my hobby for many years. I claim no ownership of the video, all the rights belong with the University of Wisconsin which houses the John D. Niles Collection.

Note by Kevin W.:
I was delighted to discover these videos of Scotland's great tradition bearers in the John D. Niles Collection. The often poorly treated Scottish Travellers honor the memories of their ancestors through songs, music and storytelling. They are proud of their culture and kept old traditions alive for hundreds of years. Many of our most gifted traditional singers and storytellers are Travellers.

Scottish Travellers are an indigenous ethnic minority in Scotland who live or traditionally lived a nomadic lifestyle and for centuries were unfairly shunned by the settled population. For that reason the singing culture of the Travelling people had not been well documented before the 20th century when non-Travellers with an interest in folklore visited and befriended Travellers and started recording their songs, music and stories.

The videos give us an impression of what Duncan Williamson was like as a person and they show us how he performed his songs and stories to an audience. The visual aspect of performance is completely missed when we listen to sound recordings.

My main interest are the songs and ballads from Traveller tradition which Duncan kept alive. His interest in folklore led him to seek out other Traveller singers and storytellers and learn songs and stories from them, many of which were on the verge of being lost forever. In a way Duncan was a folklore collector himself.

"The Caber" tells of a young bothy worker whose fellow farmworkers persuade him to try to toss the caber -- a tree trunk that resembles a telephone-pole -- at the local Highland Games. The results are predictably comic.

Song transcription:

He said, "Noo I'm tired o my fairm wark,
Noo I'm tired o my labor,
I'm gang awa doon tae the Games,
I'm-a try and toss the caber.

Chorus:
Wi my doo dum dae, my diddie dum da,
My diddie dum doo dum duddie-O.

I gangs doon tae the Games park,
The first thing I did see
Was twenty kilted Highland lads
A-gaithered roond a tree.

Chorus

They were fairmers in their Sunday best,
Babies in their prams,
But me jist like a muckle fool
There in my nickie tams.

Chorus

Then a lassie she cries oot,
"Oh Jeck," she cries to me,
"Come show these kilted Highland lads
The way tae toss the tree!"

Chorus

Noo I been fed on tattie kail
An I been fed on brose, [**]
But hoo I'm gonnae toss that tree
Oh God he only knows!

Chorus

So I took twa steps forward,
My banes begin tae crack,
Oh and the next thing that I kent
I was lying on ma back.

Chorus

Noo I hae courted a maiden
Aroond the barn door,
But tae lie an cuddle a big pine tree
I never done before!

Chorus

Tae mak your fortune at the Games
Is a thing you cannae do.
So I warn all youse plooman lads
Just bide around your ploo!
Wi my doo dum dae, my diddae dum da,
My diddae dum doo dum duddie-O.

[*] "Like David here: this is David Kotyk, one of the volunteers on Niles's research team. David was operating the video camera.

[**] "Tattie kail": a mixed dish of potatoes and kail. "Brose": oatmeal, mixed with boiling water and allowed to stand for a while, then customarily eaten with salt and a serving of milk.

The Tamosher (Roud 899) (1986) - Betsy Whyte (Scottish Traveller Traditional Singer)

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-01 | Oor Young Lady / The Rowin't in her Apron / Underneath Her Apron / Pretty Little Mary Sweeping Up Her Room / A Wee Burr Stuck Tae Ma Apron / The Stomacher / The Tamosher (Roud No. 899) - Sung by Betsy Whyte (Bessie Townsley), a Traveller of Montrose, Angus, Scotland. Filmed and recorded by David Kotyk as part of the John D. Niles folklore research team for the "Scottish Voices" project at an informal ceilidh held in a rented house in Auchtermuchty in August 1986. Betsy's husband Bryce Whyte and their friends Duncan and Linda Williamson were also present during the recording. Betsy had come to Auchtermuchty that summer to compete in the Festival competition in Women's Storytelling.

00:00:00 Intro
00:00:28 Sings The Tamosher

The original movie can be watched here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AFJRVDNRY6VQAR9B

A short biography of Betsy Whyte can be read here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/3523?l=en

Betsy Whyte's autobiography, "The Yellow on the Broom" (1979), is well worth reading for the thoughtful insight into Traveller life and customs and a way of living that has now mostly disappeared.

I used my knowledge on video editing to share the films on Youtube in the highest possible quality, I used manual video upscaling (no AI was used!) for this, to further document variants of traditional ballads and songs which has been my hobby for many years. I claim no ownership of the video, all the rights belong with the University of Wisconsin which houses the John D. Niles Collection.

Note by Kevin W.:
I was delighted to discover these videos of Scotland's great tradition bearers in the John D. Niles Collection. The often poorly treated Scottish Travellers honor the memories of their ancestors through songs, music and storytelling. They are proud of their culture and kept old traditions alive for hundreds of years. Many of our most gifted traditional singers and storytellers are Travellers.

Scottish Travellers are an indigenous ethnic minority in Scotland who live or traditionally lived a nomadic lifestyle and for centuries were unfairly shunned by the settled population. For that reason the singing culture of the Travelling people had not been well documented before the 20th century when non-Travellers with an interest in folklore visited and befriended Travellers and started recording their songs, music and stories.

The Tamosher is an Aberdeenshire Scottish variant of the song English singers know as "Underneath Her Apron" (Roud 899) or "Gathering Rushes in the Month of May".

Betsy herself explained the meaning of "tamosher" as "the thing that makes a wean". But there might be more to it. A likely origin for the word "tamosher" is given in Tocher 26 (1977 p. 128):

"Dr. David Buchan suggests that the origin of Bessie Whyte's "The Tamosher" (Tocher 23 p. 263) may lie in song No. XXI of G.R. Kinloch's The Ballad Book (1827), where the verse corresponding to Bessie's third verse reads:

lt's no a vagabond, nor yet a loon
He's the rarest stay-maker in a' the toun
And he's made a stomacher to bear up my goun
And I row'd it aneath my apron.

Could "tamosher" have started as a corruption of "stomacher" (here certainly a metaphor for the unborn baby) and gradually developed a new meaning as a cant word outside the song?"

Song transcription:

Oh there were two bonnie wee lassies, and they were dressed in blue
And they went oot one summer morning some rushes for tae pu,
And one o them got a wee thing before she did return,
And she bundled it and rolled it in her apron.

Now the very first man she met was her father on the stair:
"Oh daughter, dear daughter, what have you got there?
Who gave to you the tamosher, to wear the starched gown,
And you bundled it and rolled it in your apron?

It is my muslin gown and it was so large for me,
And I was afeared that troubled I would be,
I was afraid that troubled I would be,
So I bundled it and rolled it in my apron."

"Oh was it now the baker, or was it now the clown,
Or was it now the bonnie boy that sails the world around
Who gave to you the tamosher, to wear the starched gown,
And you bundled it and rolled it in your apron?"

"It wasn't now the baker nor yet was it the clown,
But it was the bonnie boy that sailed the world around
Who gave to me the tamosher to wear the starched gown
And I bundled it and rolled it in my apron."

"Oh was it in the parlor, or was it in the hall
Or was it in the garden among the pretty flowers
That he gave to you the tamosher to wear the starched gown,
And you bundled it and rolled it in your apron?"

"It wasn't in the parlor, nor was it in the hall,
But it was in the garden among the pretty flowers,
That he gave to me the tamosher to wear the starched gown
And I bundled it and rolled it in my apron."

Now there goes little Molly, when she goes to the town
Wi her riggy rocky slippers and the newly starched gown,
Wi her riggy rocky slippers and the newly starched gown,
And she rolled it up so neatly in her apron.

The Cuckoos Nest (Roud 5407) (1986) - Betsy Whyte (Scottish Traveller Traditional Singer)

Reynard the Fox 2025-08-01 | The Bonny Briar Bush (Roud No. 1506) / Hi The Cuckoo / The Cuckoo's Nest (Roud No. 5407) - Sung by Betsy Whyte (Bessie Townsley), a Traveller of Montrose, Angus, Scotland. Filmed and recorded by David Kotyk as part of the John D. Niles folklore research team for the "Scottish Voices" project at an informal ceilidh held in a rented house in Auchtermuchty in August 1986. Betsy's husband Bryce Whyte and their friends Duncan and Linda Williamson were also present during the recording. Betsy had come to Auchtermuchty that summer to compete in the Festival competition in Women's Storytelling.

The original movie can be watched here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AOEECYP4YMJEAG9D

A short biography of Betsy Whyte can be read here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/3523?l=en

Betsy Whyte's autobiography, "The Yellow on the Broom" (1979), is well worth reading for the thoughtful insight into Traveller life and customs and a way of living that has now mostly disappeared.

I used my knowledge on video editing to share the films on Youtube in the highest possible quality, I used manual video upscaling (no AI was used!) for this, to further document variants of traditional ballads and songs which has been my hobby for many years. I claim no ownership of the video, all the rights belong with the University of Wisconsin which houses the John D. Niles Collection.

Note by Kevin W.:
I was delighted to discover these videos of Scotland's great tradition bearers in the John D. Niles Collection. The often poorly treated Scottish Travellers honor the memories of their ancestors through songs, music and storytelling. They are proud of their culture and kept old traditions alive for hundreds of years. Many of our most gifted traditional singers and storytellers are Travellers.

Scottish Travellers are an indigenous ethnic minority in Scotland who live or traditionally lived a nomadic lifestyle and for centuries were unfairly shunned by the settled population. For that reason the singing culture of the Travelling people had not been well documented before the 20th century when non-Travellers with an interest in folklore visited and befriended Travellers and started recording their songs, music and stories.

"The Cuckoo's Nest" is an infectiously catchy, mildly bawdy, traditional Scottish song which became well known in the British Folk Revival through a recording of Jeannie Robertson of Aberdeen. I think lots of people learned it from Jeannie's singing. But this is another traditional version by a great, underrated singer. Betsy Whyte never saw herself as a "singer" singer. But she knew plenty of fine songs and I think her singing was beautiful.

A kailyard is a cabbage patch.

Song transcription:

Chorus:
Hi the cuckoo, ho the cuckoo, hi the cuckoo's nest
Hi the cuckoo, ho the cuckoo, hi the cuckoo's nest,
I'll give anyone a shilling and a bottle o the best
If he'll ruffle up the feathers of the cuckoo's nest.

There's a wee briar bush in oor kail yaird
There's a wee briar bush in oor kail yaird
And in ahint the bush, oh, there is a lad and lass
And they're busy busy harrying the cuckoo's nest.

Chorus

I met him in the morning, I took him there at night,
He'd never been that way before, I had to keep him right,
He never would have found it, he never would have guessed
If I had nae showed him where tae find the cuckoo's nest.

Chorus

I showed him where to find it, I showed him where tae go
Through the brambles and the prickles where the wee cuckoos grow,
From the moment that he found it, he wouldn't let me rest,
Till he ruffled up the feathers of the cuckoo's nest.

Chorus

It's feathered and it's prickled and it's prickled all around,
It's tucked up in a corner and it isn't easy found,
"Young man I think you're blundering" — he said, "It isn't true,"
But he left me with the makins o a wee cuckoo.

Chorus:
Hi the cuckoo, ho the cuckoo, hi the cuckoo's nest
Hi the cuckoo, ho the cuckoo, hi the cuckoo's nest,
I'll give anyone a shilling and a bottle o the best
If he'll ruffle up the feathers of the cuckoo's nest.

Tam Lin (Child 39) (1986) - Duncan Williamson (Scottish Traveller Traditional Singer)

Reynard the Fox 2025-07-31 | Lady Margaret / Tam Lin (Child No. 39) - Sung by Duncan Williamson (1928-2007), a Traveller of Furnace, Argyllshire, Scotland, later settled in Fife. Filmed and recorded by David Kotyk as part of the John D. Niles folklore research team for the "Scottish Voices" project at a rented house in Auchtermuchty in August 1986.

00:00:00 Tells the Story
00:01:30 Sings Lady Margaret
00:07:21 Duncan Explains the Song
00:10:22 Video Ends

The original movie can be watched here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A6CBJ7MIPGOBUU9C

A biography of Duncan Williamson can be read here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/4292?l=en

Linda Williamson's thesis on Scottish Traveller singing can be read here, it's well worth your time if you're interested in Duncan Williamson's song repertoire: era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8223

I used my knowledge on video editing to share the films on Youtube in the highest possible quality, I used manual video upscaling (no AI was used!) for this, to further document variants of traditional ballads and songs which has been my hobby for many years. I claim no ownership of the video, all the rights belong with the University of Wisconsin which houses the John D. Niles Collection.

Note by Kevin W.:
I was delighted to discover these videos of Scotland's great tradition bearers in the John D. Niles Collection. The often poorly treated Scottish Travellers honor the memories of their ancestors through songs, music and storytelling. They are proud of their culture and kept old traditions alive for hundreds of years. Many of our most gifted traditional singers and storytellers are Travellers.

Scottish Travellers are an indigenous ethnic minority in Scotland who live or traditionally lived a nomadic lifestyle and for centuries were unfairly shunned by the settled population. For that reason the singing culture of the Travelling people had not been well documented before the 20th century when non-Travellers with an interest in folklore visited and befriended Travellers and started recording their songs, music and stories.

The videos give us an impression of what Duncan Williamson was like as a person and they show us how he performed his songs and stories to an audience. The visual aspect of performance is completely missed when we listen to sound recordings.

My main interest are the songs and ballads from Traveller tradition which Duncan kept alive. His interest in folklore led him to seek out other Traveller singers and storytellers and learn songs and stories from them, many of which were on the verge of being lost forever. In a way Duncan was a folklore collector himself.

Thomas the Rhymer (Child 37) (1986) - Duncan Williamson (Scottish Traveller Traditional Singer)

Reynard the Fox 2025-07-31 | Thomas the Rhymer / True Thomas / Thomas Rymer (Child No. 37) - Sung by Duncan Williamson (1928-2007), a Traveller of Furnace, Argyllshire, Scotland, later settled in Fife. Filmed and recorded by David Kotyk as part of the John D. Niles folklore research team for the "Scottish Voices" project at a rented house in Auchtermuchty in August 1986.

00:00:00 Tells the Story
00:03:58 Sings Thomas the Rhymer
00:09:58 Where Duncan Learned the Song
00:12:51 Video Ends

The original movie can be watched here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ADCAGLH65PZH668G

A biography of Duncan Williamson can be read here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/4292?l=en

Linda Williamson's thesis on Scottish Traveller singing can be read here, it's well worth your time if you're interested in Duncan Williamson's song repertoire: era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8223

I used my knowledge on video editing to share the films on Youtube in the highest possible quality, I used manual video upscaling (no AI was used!) for this, to further document variants of traditional ballads and songs which has been my hobby for many years. I claim no ownership of the video, all the rights belong with the University of Wisconsin which houses the John D. Niles Collection.

Note by Kevin W.:
I was delighted to discover these videos of Scotland's great tradition bearers in the John D. Niles Collection. The often poorly treated Scottish Travellers honor the memories of their ancestors through songs, music and storytelling. They are proud of their culture and kept old traditions alive for hundreds of years. Many of our most gifted traditional singers and storytellers are Travellers.

Scottish Travellers are an indigenous ethnic minority in Scotland who live or traditionally lived a nomadic lifestyle and for centuries were unfairly shunned by the settled population. For that reason the singing culture of the Travelling people had not been well documented before the 20th century when non-Travellers with an interest in folklore visited and befriended Travellers and started recording their songs, music and stories.

The videos give us an impression of what Duncan Williamson was like as a person and they show us how he performed his songs and stories to an audience. The visual aspect of performance is completely missed when we listen to sound recordings.

My main interest are the songs and ballads from Traveller tradition which Duncan kept alive. His interest in folklore led him to seek out other Traveller singers and storytellers and learn songs and stories from them, many of which were on the verge of being lost forever. In a way Duncan was a folklore collector himself.

Johnny OBreadislee (Child 114) (1986) - Duncan Williamson (Scottish Traveller Traditional Singer)

Reynard the Fox 2025-07-31 | Jock of Monymusk / Johnnie o' Breadisley / Johnnie o' Braidislie / Johnny o Breadislee / Johnnie o Cocklesmeer / Jonny O' the Brine / Johnny o' Brime / Johnie Cock (Child No. 114) - Sung by Duncan Williamson (1928-2007), a Traveller of Furnace, Argyllshire, Scotland, later settled in Fife. Filmed and recorded by David Kotyk as part of the John D. Niles folklore research team for the "Scottish Voices" project at a rented house in Auchtermuchty in August 1986.

00:00:00 Intro
00:01:48 Sings Johnny O'Breadislee
00:07:30 End

The original movie can be watched here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AYSJ3ZY3ZKQDH58G

A biography of Duncan Williamson can be read here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/4292?l=en

Linda Williamson's thesis on Scottish Traveller singing can be read here, it's well worth your time if you're interested in Duncan Williamson's song repertoire: era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8223

I used my knowledge on video editing to share the films on Youtube in the highest possible quality, I used manual video upscaling (no AI was used!) for this, to further document variants of traditional ballads and songs which has been my hobby for many years. I claim no ownership of the video, all the rights belong with the University of Wisconsin which houses the John D. Niles Collection.

Note by Kevin W.:
I was delighted to discover these videos of Scotland's great tradition bearers in the John D. Niles Collection. The often poorly treated Scottish Travellers honor the memories of their ancestors through songs, music and storytelling. They are proud of their culture and kept old traditions alive for hundreds of years. Many of our most gifted traditional singers and storytellers are Travellers.

Scottish Travellers are an indigenous ethnic minority in Scotland who live or traditionally lived a nomadic lifestyle and for centuries were unfairly shunned by the settled population. For that reason the singing culture of the Travelling people had not been well documented before the 20th century when non-Travellers with an interest in folklore visited and befriended Travellers and started recording their songs, music and stories.

The videos give us an impression of what Duncan Williamson was like as a person and they show us how he performed his songs and stories to an audience. The visual aspect of performance is completely missed when we listen to sound recordings.

My main interest are the songs and ballads from Traveller tradition which Duncan kept alive. His interest in folklore led him to seek out other Traveller singers and storytellers and learn songs and stories from them, many of which were on the verge of being lost forever. In a way Duncan was a folklore collector himself.

Song transcription:

Oh Johnnie he got up one fine morning,
Called water tae wash his hands,
Saying, "Gang bring to me my grey twa dogs,
They are bound with iron bands, oh
They are bound with iron bands."

"Oh Johnnie, oh Johnnie," his mother she said,
To the green woods dinnae dinnae gang!
Oh Johnnie, for your mother's sake,
Son, a-hunting, son, dinnae dinnae gang!"

But Johnnie buskit up his fine broad bow,
His arrows aye sae lang,
And he paid no heed to his mother's words.
To the green woods he would gang, oh
To the green woods he would gang.

And then he spied a grey dun deer
Coming doon by the greenwood side,
And he fired on the grey dun deer
And he wounded her in her pride, oh
He wounded her in her pride.

And then there comes a silly old man
Comes doon through the greenwood side,
And he is awa to the king's foresters
The seven foresters for to see, oh
The seven foresters for to see.

"What news, what news, you silly aul man,
What news do you bring today?
What news, what news, you silly old carl,
What news have you brought today?"

He said, "As I come doon by your merry green woods
And through your peat and bogs,
There I spied a handsome man
He was hunting with his dogs, oh
He was a-hunting with his dogs."

Then up and spoke the first forester,
An eldry man was he,
Saying, "If Johnnie is a-hunting in our merry green woods
We will gang and we'll gar him dee, oh
We may gang and we'll gar him dee."

Then up and spoke the second forester,
A man among them aa,
He said, "If Johnnie is a-hunting in our merry green woods
Nae further dare we draw, oh
Nae further dare we draw.

Then up and spoke the third forester,
A brother's son was he,
"Gang get your bows, my brothers bold,
And come alang wi me, oh
And come alang wi me."

So Johnnie placed his back against an oak
And his feet against a stane,
And he fired on the seven foresters
And he slew them aa but ane, oh,
He slew them aa but ane.

But then an arrow had pierced him deep
Coming doon through the greenwood side,
And betwixt the waters and the woods
There, oh, Johnnie died, oh,
Oh there, oh, Johnnie died.

Now Johnnie's great big bow lies broke
And his twa grey dogs lie slain,
And his body lies in Monymusk
And his hunting days are gane, oh,
His hunting days are gane.

The Broken Token (Roud 264) (1986) - Duncan Williamson (Scottish Traveller Traditional Singer)

Reynard the Fox 2025-07-31 | A Pretty Fair Maid / A Lady in Her Father's Garden / The Broken Token (Roud No. 264) - Sung by Duncan Williamson (1928-2007), a Traveller of Furnace, Argyllshire, Scotland, later settled in Fife. Filmed and recorded by David Kotyk as part of the John D. Niles folklore research team for the "Scottish Voices" project at a rented house in Auchtermuchty in August 1986.

00:00:00 Intro
00:01:06 Sings The Broken Token

The original movie can be watched here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AJ2FDA2STAN62W82

A biography of Duncan Williamson can be read here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/4292?l=en

Linda Williamson's thesis on Scottish Traveller singing can be read here, it's well worth your time if you're interested in Duncan Williamson's song repertoire: era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8223

I used my knowledge on video editing to share the films on Youtube in the highest possible quality, I used manual video upscaling (no AI was used!) for this, to further document variants of traditional ballads and songs which has been my hobby for many years. I claim no ownership of the video, all the rights belong with the University of Wisconsin which houses the John D. Niles Collection.

Note by Kevin W.:
I was delighted to discover these videos of Scotland's great tradition bearers in the John D. Niles Collection. The often poorly treated Scottish Travellers honor the memories of their ancestors through songs, music and storytelling. They are proud of their culture and kept old traditions alive for hundreds of years. Many of our most gifted traditional singers and storytellers are Travellers.

Scottish Travellers are an indigenous ethnic minority in Scotland who live or traditionally lived a nomadic lifestyle and for centuries were unfairly shunned by the settled population. For that reason the singing culture of the Travelling people had not been well documented before the 20th century when non-Travellers with an interest in folklore visited and befriended Travellers and started recording their songs, music and stories.

The videos give us an impression of what Duncan Williamson was like as a person and they show us how he performed his songs and stories to an audience. The visual aspect of performance is completely missed when we listen to sound recordings.

My main interest are the songs and ballads from Traveller tradition which Duncan kept alive. His interest in folklore led him to seek out other Traveller singers and storytellers and learn songs and stories from them, many of which were on the verge of being lost forever. In a way Duncan was a folklore collector himself.

Song transcription:

A pretty fair maid walking in her garden
When a handsome sailor came walking by.
And as he viewed her he stepped up to her—
Saying, "Fair you maid, would you fancy I?"

She said, "To fancy you, sir, it would not do, sir,
For I have a lover of my own.
And he's but a true and a faithful sailor
And seven long years, now, since he's been gone.

But seven long years makes no alteration.
Another seven I'll wait for him.
And if he is wed, sure, I wish him happy.
And if he's dead, sure, I wish him well."

He said, "Do you see that big cas-tle up yonder?
And do you see all those lilies bright?
I will but give you its gold and silver,
If you will be my true love tonight."

She said, "What do I care for your gold and silver?
Oh, what do I care for your lilies bright?
Oh, what do I care for your cas-tle up yonder?
If my own true lover was here tonight."

So he put his hand all into his pocket.
His fingers were so genteel and small.
He brought out the ring that was broke between them,
And when she saw it, she down did fall.

He picked her up all into his arrums,
He gave her kisses one and two.
Saying, "I am your true and your faithful sailor,
And I've come home, dear, to marry you."

My Wee Maggie (Scottish Traveller Cant Song) (Roud 46838) (1986) - Duncan Williamson

Reynard the Fox 2025-07-31 | My Wee Maggie (Scottish Traveller Cant Song) (Roud No. 46838) - Sung by Duncan Williamson (1928-2007), a Traveller of Furnace, Argyllshire, Scotland, later settled in Fife. Filmed and recorded by David Kotyk as part of the John D. Niles folklore research team for the "Scottish Voices" project at a rented house in Auchtermuchty in August 1986.

00:00:00 Tells Story
00:03:18 The Two Brothers, The Bachelors (Diddles)
00:03:59 Tells more Story
00:05:08 Sings My Wee Maggie
00:06:46 Explains Cant Words
00:11:48 Video Ends

The original movie can be watched here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AZ2QXFHGCYKTQO8U

A biography of Duncan Williamson can be read here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/4292?l=en

Linda Williamson's thesis on Scottish Traveller singing can be read here, it's well worth your time if you're interested in Duncan Williamson's song repertoire: era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8223

I used my knowledge on video editing to share the films on Youtube in the highest possible quality, I used manual video upscaling (no AI was used!) for this, to further document variants of traditional ballads and songs which has been my hobby for many years. I claim no ownership of the video, all the rights belong with the University of Wisconsin which houses the John D. Niles Collection.

Note by Kevin W.:
I was delighted to discover these videos of Scotland's great tradition bearers in the John D. Niles Collection. The often poorly treated Scottish Travellers honor the memories of their ancestors through songs, music and storytelling. They are proud of their culture and kept old traditions alive for hundreds of years. Many of our most gifted traditional singers and storytellers are Travellers.

Scottish Travellers are an indigenous ethnic minority in Scotland who live or traditionally lived a nomadic lifestyle and for centuries were unfairly shunned by the settled population. For that reason the singing culture of the Travelling people had not been well documented before the 20th century when non-Travellers with an interest in folklore visited and befriended Travellers and started recording their songs, music and stories.

The videos give us an impression of what Duncan Williamson was like as a person and they show us how he performed his songs and stories to an audience. The visual aspect of performance is completely missed when we listen to sound recordings.

My main interest are the songs and ballads from Traveller tradition which Duncan kept alive. His interest in folklore led him to seek out other Traveller singers and storytellers and learn songs and stories from them, many of which were on the verge of being lost forever. In a way Duncan was a folklore collector himself.

Song transcription:

Chorus:
My wee Maggie's a-humphin, a-proochin,
A bun wood sprachin, my wee Maggie. [sprachin: begging, providing food

So Johnnie wi the burl and Maggie wi the can, [can: tea can
Up the glen tae the aul blin man,
Up the glen to the aul blin man,
Their honeymoon they'll have there.

So Johnnie says tae Maggie, "Oh come into the shed.
I will shake the strae, you can make the bed.
This is the place where yer mother she was wed,
and we'll bing doon the glen in the mornin." [bing: go

Chorus

So Maggie says to Johnnie, "The kinchens in the {nate}. [kinchens: children
My naismort an my naiskel, I'm sure that he will wait, [naismort & naiskul: aunt & uncle
There's haben fir the kinchens, {oh they're happy to escate}
An we'll bing haben to them in the morgen. [bing haben: bring food

Chorus

So Johnnie says to Maggie, "The haben I will bing,
The naiskel will be happy, I'm sure that he will sing,
The kinchens will hae haben an I'm {sure we will bing}
When we bing doon the glen in the mornin.

Chorus:
My wee Maggie's a-humphin, a-proochin,
A bun wood sprachin, my wee Maggie.

The Mouses Wedding to the Frog (Roud 16) (August 1986) - Duncan Williamson (Traditional Singer)

Reynard the Fox 2025-07-31 | Frog he Would a Wooing Go / Kitty Alone / Mr. Frog / The Frog's Wedding / The Wedding of Frog and Mouse / Frog Went A-Courting (Roud No. 16) / The House that Jack Built (Roud No. 20584) / The Wind in the Sky / I'll Tell Me Ma / The Belle of Belfast City (Roud No. 2649) - Sung by Duncan Williamson (1928-2007), a Traveller of Furnace, Argyllshire, Scotland, later settled in Fife. Filmed and recorded by David Kotyk as part of the John D. Niles folklore research team for the "Scottish Voices" project at a rented house in Auchtermuchty in August 1986.

00:00:00 Sings The Mouse's Wedding to the Frog
00:03:08 Sings The House that Jack Built
00:05:54 Sings The Wind in the Sky
00:06:52 Video Ends

The original movie can be watched here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A3QUNVLUHBNVD38A

A biography of Duncan Williamson can be read here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/4292?l=en

Linda Williamson's thesis on Scottish Traveller singing can be read here, it's well worth your time if you're interested in Duncan Williamson's song repertoire: era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8223

I used my knowledge on video editing to share the films on Youtube in the highest possible quality, I used manual video upscaling (no AI was used!) for this, to further document variants of traditional ballads and songs which has been my hobby for many years. I claim no ownership of the video, all the rights belong with the University of Wisconsin which houses the John D. Niles Collection.

Note by Kevin W.:
I was delighted to discover these videos of Scotland's great tradition bearers in the John D. Niles Collection. The often poorly treated Scottish Travellers honor the memories of their ancestors through songs, music and storytelling. They are proud of their culture and kept old traditions alive for hundreds of years. Many of our most gifted traditional singers and storytellers are Travellers.

Scottish Travellers are an indigenous ethnic minority in Scotland who live or traditionally lived a nomadic lifestyle and for centuries were unfairly shunned by the settled population. For that reason the singing culture of the Travelling people had not been well documented before the 20th century when non-Travellers with an interest in folklore visited and befriended Travellers and started recording their songs, music and stories.

The videos give us an impression of what Duncan Williamson was like as a person and they show us how he performed his songs and stories to an audience. The visual aspect of performance is completely missed when we listen to sound recordings.

My main interest are the songs and ballads from Traveller tradition which Duncan kept alive. His interest in folklore led him to seek out other Traveller singers and storytellers and learn songs and stories from them, many of which were on the verge of being lost forever. In a way Duncan was a folklore collector himself.

Song transcription:

A froggie would a-wooing ride
A froggie would a-wooing ride
With sword and buckle by his side,
Oh ho.

Oh first he came to a mouse's den
Oh-ho, ho
First he came to a mouse's den
He said, "Miss Mouse, would you let me in?"
Oh ho.

So he took Miss Mousie on his knee
Oh-ho, ho
He took Miss Mousie on his knee,
He said, "Miss Mouse, will you marry me?"
Oh ho.

She said, "Where will the marriage service be?"
Oh-ho, ho
"Where will the marriage service be?"
"Down at the hollow by the old oak tree,"
Oh ho.

She said, "What will the marriage supper be?"
Oh-ho, ho
"What will the marriage supper be?"
"A slice of cake and a cup o tea,"
Oh ho.

Then the first to come in was Mrs. Moth,
Oh-ho, ho
The first to come in was Mrs. Moth,
She come to lay the tablecloth,
Oh-ho, ho.

Then the next came in was Major Dick,
Oh-ho
[Spoken aside: Major Dick was a grasshopper.]
The next came in was Major Dick,
He et so much that he fell sick,
Oh-ho, ho.

So they had to send for Doctor Fly,
Oh ho
They had to send for Doctor Fly,
For fear that Major Dick would die,
Oh ho.

The next came in was a squirrel with a curly tail, tail,
The next came in was a squirrel with a curly tail,
He tore his head on a rusty nail,
Oh-ho, ho.

Next came in was a big big black brown snake,
Oh, next came in was a big brown snake,
He coiled himself roond the wedding cake,
Oh-ho, ho.

So they all went sailing down tae the lake,
Oh-ho, ho
They all went sailing tae down the lake,
They were gobbled up by a big fat drake,
Oh-ho, ho.

Duncan Williamson Plays Tin Whistle, Jews Harp & Diddles (1986)

Reynard the Fox 2025-07-31 | Duncan Williamson (1928-2007) was a Traveller of Furnace, Argyllshire, Scotland, later settled in Fife. Filmed and recorded by David Kotyk as part of the John D. Niles folklore research team for the "Scottish Voices" project at a rented house in Auchtermuchty in August 1986.

00:00:00 Bessie's Welcome to Edinburgh (Tin Whistle)
00:02:30 Talks about Jew's Harp Playing
00:03:34 The Ball of Kirriemuir (Jew's Harp)
00:04:27 The Ball of Kirriemuir (Diddles)
00:04:55 Video Ends

The original movie can be watched here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AHVQICURCSA6RT8F

A biography of Duncan Williamson can be read here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/4292?l=en

Linda Williamson's thesis on Scottish Traveller singing can be read here, it's well worth your time if you're interested in Duncan Williamson's song repertoire: era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8223

I used my knowledge on video editing to share the films on Youtube in the highest possible quality, I used manual video upscaling (no AI was used!) for this, to further document variants of traditional ballads and songs which has been my hobby for many years. I claim no ownership of the video, all the rights belong with the University of Wisconsin which houses the John D. Niles Collection.

Note by Kevin W.:
I was delighted to discover these videos of Scotland's great tradition bearers in the John D. Niles Collection. The often poorly treated Scottish Travellers honor the memories of their ancestors through songs, music and storytelling. They are proud of their culture and kept old traditions alive for hundreds of years. Many of our most gifted traditional singers and storytellers are Travellers.

Scottish Travellers are an indigenous ethnic minority in Scotland who live or traditionally lived a nomadic lifestyle and for centuries were unfairly shunned by the settled population. For that reason the singing culture of the Travelling people had not been well documented before the 20th century when non-Travellers with an interest in folklore visited and befriended Travellers and started recording their songs, music and stories.

The videos give us an impression of what Duncan Williamson was like as a person and they show us how he performed his songs and stories to an audience. The visual aspect of performance is completely missed when we listen to sound recordings.

My main interest are the songs and ballads from Traveller tradition which Duncan kept alive. His interest in folklore led him to seek out other Traveller singers and storytellers and learn songs and stories from them, many of which were on the verge of being lost forever. In a way Duncan was a folklore collector himself.

Duncan Williamson Plays Jews Harp & Diddles Mouth Music (1986)

Reynard the Fox 2025-07-31 | Duncan Williamson (1928-2007) was a Traveller of Furnace, Argyllshire, Scotland, later settled in Fife. Filmed and recorded by David Kotyk as part of the John D. Niles folklore research team for the "Scottish Voices" project at a rented house in Auchtermuchty in August 1986.

00:00:00 The Balmoral Gathering (Jew's Harp)
00:05:26 The Hills of Perth (Diddles)
00:11:48 Rafferty's Goat (Jew's Harp)
00:15:01 Video Ends

The original movie can be watched here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ACL4ZL6VJRGAHM8F
And here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AZN6XJ3KNLUTXM8A
And here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AGFXIQ4KRFWFWF9E

A biography of Duncan Williamson can be read here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/4292?l=en

Linda Williamson's thesis on Scottish Traveller singing can be read here, it's well worth your time if you're interested in Duncan Williamson's song repertoire: era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8223

I used my knowledge on video editing to share the films on Youtube in the highest possible quality, I used manual video upscaling (no AI was used!) for this, to further document variants of traditional ballads and songs which has been my hobby for many years. I claim no ownership of the video, all the rights belong with the University of Wisconsin which houses the John D. Niles Collection.

Note by Kevin W.:
I was delighted to discover these videos of Scotland's great tradition bearers in the John D. Niles Collection. The often poorly treated Scottish Travellers honor the memories of their ancestors through songs, music and storytelling. They are proud of their culture and kept old traditions alive for hundreds of years. Many of our most gifted traditional singers and storytellers are Travellers.

Scottish Travellers are an indigenous ethnic minority in Scotland who live or traditionally lived a nomadic lifestyle and for centuries were unfairly shunned by the settled population. For that reason the singing culture of the Travelling people had not been well documented before the 20th century when non-Travellers with an interest in folklore visited and befriended Travellers and started recording their songs, music and stories.

The videos give us an impression of what Duncan Williamson was like as a person and they show us how he performed his songs and stories to an audience. The visual aspect of performance is completely missed when we listen to sound recordings.

My main interest are the songs and ballads from Traveller tradition which Duncan kept alive. His interest in folklore led him to seek out other Traveller singers and storytellers and learn songs and stories from them, many of which were on the verge of being lost forever. In a way Duncan was a folklore collector himself.

Duncan Williamson - People Live on in Memories of Stories & Talk About Father and Schooling (1986)

Reynard the Fox 2025-07-31 | Duncan Williamson (1928-2007) was a Traveller of Furnace, Argyllshire, Scotland, later settled in Fife. Filmed by David Kotyk as part of the John D. Niles folklore research team for the "Scottish Voices" project at the quarry, outside the village of Furnace, Argyll, where his father worked when Duncan was young, in August 1986.

00:00:00 Talks about how People Live on in Memories
00:01:06 Talks About Father and Schooling
00:02:53 Video Ends

The original movie can be watched here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AMWUGBEBJOITN68Z
And here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AXKX2RTLWEO4GF87

A biography of Duncan Williamson can be read here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/4292?l=en

Linda Williamson's thesis on Scottish Traveller singing can be read here, it's well worth your time if you're interested in Duncan Williamson's song repertoire: era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8223

I used my knowledge on video editing to share the films on Youtube in the highest possible quality, I used manual video upscaling (no AI was used!) for this, to further document variants of traditional ballads and songs which has been my hobby for many years. I claim no ownership of the video, all the rights belong with the University of Wisconsin which houses the John D. Niles Collection.

Note by Kevin W.:
I was delighted to discover these videos of Scotland's great tradition bearers in the John D. Niles Collection. The often poorly treated Scottish Travellers honor the memories of their ancestors through songs, music and storytelling. They are proud of their culture and kept old traditions alive for hundreds of years. Many of our most gifted traditional singers and storytellers are Travellers.

Scottish Travellers are an indigenous ethnic minority in Scotland who live or traditionally lived a nomadic lifestyle and for centuries were unfairly shunned by the settled population. For that reason the singing culture of the Travelling people had not been well documented before the 20th century when non-Travellers with an interest in folklore visited and befriended Travellers and started recording their songs, music and stories.

The videos give us an impression of what Duncan Williamson was like as a person and they show us how he performed his songs and stories to an audience. The visual aspect of performance is completely missed when we listen to sound recordings.

My main interest are the songs and ballads from Traveller tradition which Duncan kept alive. His interest in folklore led him to seek out other Traveller singers and storytellers and learn songs and stories from them, many of which were on the verge of being lost forever. In a way Duncan was a folklore collector himself.

Duncan Williamson Demonstrates How to Make a Slipe for a Basket (1986)

Reynard the Fox 2025-07-31 | Duncan Williamson (1928-2007) was a Traveller of Furnace, Argyllshire, Scotland, later settled in Fife. Filmed by David Kotyk as part of the John D. Niles folklore research team for the "Scottish Voices" project at a clump of bushes close by the place where Duncan was born, at the shore of Loch Fyne, somewhat south of the village of Furnace, Argyll in August 1986.

The original movie can be watched here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ARA7IJ2NYCF7AB8M

A biography of Duncan Williamson can be read here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/4292?l=en

Linda Williamson's thesis on Scottish Traveller singing can be read here, it's well worth your time if you're interested in Duncan Williamson's song repertoire: era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8223

I used my knowledge on video editing to share the films on Youtube in the highest possible quality, I used manual video upscaling (no AI was used!) for this, to further document variants of traditional ballads and songs which has been my hobby for many years. I claim no ownership of the video, all the rights belong with the University of Wisconsin which houses the John D. Niles Collection.

Note by Kevin W.:
I was delighted to discover these videos of Scotland's great tradition bearers in the John D. Niles Collection. The often poorly treated Scottish Travellers honor the memories of their ancestors through songs, music and storytelling. They are proud of their culture and kept old traditions alive for hundreds of years. Many of our most gifted traditional singers and storytellers are Travellers.

Scottish Travellers are an indigenous ethnic minority in Scotland who live or traditionally lived a nomadic lifestyle and for centuries were unfairly shunned by the settled population. For that reason the singing culture of the Travelling people had not been well documented before the 20th century when non-Travellers with an interest in folklore visited and befriended Travellers and started recording their songs, music and stories.

The videos give us an impression of what Duncan Williamson was like as a person and they show us how he performed his songs and stories to an audience. The visual aspect of performance is completely missed when we listen to sound recordings.

My main interest are the songs and ballads from Traveller tradition which Duncan kept alive. His interest in folklore led him to seek out other Traveller singers and storytellers and learn songs and stories from them, many of which were on the verge of being lost forever. In a way Duncan was a folklore collector himself.

Duncan Williamson at Kincraigie Farm Cottage, Fife, Scotland in 1986

Reynard the Fox 2025-07-31 | Duncan Williamson (1928-2007) was a Traveller of Furnace, Argyllshire, Scotland, later settled in Fife. Filmed by David Kotyk as part of the John D. Niles folklore research team for the "Scottish Voices" project at Duncan's home at Kincraigie Farm Cottage, near Strathmiglo, Fife, where he was living with his wife Linda and their two children Betsy and Thomas in August 1986.

00:00:00 Penny the Family Dog 🐶
00:01:05 Front of the Cottage
00:01:30 Fields
00:02:35 Duncan Arrives
00:03:03 Duncan Cutting Wood
00:04:42 Duncan Plays Harmonica, Dancing
00:06:19 The Family Cat 🐱
00:06:40 Duncan Signs Off
00:06:49 Video Ends

The original movie can be watched here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A5BH4TQJ3BIYR683

A biography of Duncan Williamson can be read here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/4292?l=en

Linda Williamson's thesis on Scottish Traveller singing can be read here, it's well worth your time if you're interested in Duncan Williamson's song repertoire: era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8223

I used my knowledge on video editing to share the films on Youtube in the highest possible quality, I used manual video upscaling (no AI was used!) for this, to further document variants of traditional ballads and songs which has been my hobby for many years. I claim no ownership of the video, all the rights belong with the University of Wisconsin which houses the John D. Niles Collection.

Note by Kevin W.:
I was delighted to discover these videos of Scotland's great tradition bearers in the John D. Niles Collection. The often poorly treated Scottish Travellers honor the memories of their ancestors through songs, music and storytelling. They are proud of their culture and kept old traditions alive for hundreds of years. Many of our most gifted traditional singers and storytellers are Travellers.

Scottish Travellers are an indigenous ethnic minority in Scotland who live or traditionally lived a nomadic lifestyle and for centuries were unfairly shunned by the settled population. For that reason the singing culture of the Travelling people had not been well documented before the 20th century when non-Travellers with an interest in folklore visited and befriended Travellers and started recording their songs, music and stories.

The videos give us an impression of what Duncan Williamson was like as a person and they show us how he performed his songs and stories to an audience. The visual aspect of performance is completely missed when we listen to sound recordings.

My main interest are the songs and ballads from Traveller tradition which Duncan kept alive. His interest in folklore led him to seek out other Traveller singers and storytellers and learn songs and stories from them, many of which were on the verge of being lost forever. In a way Duncan was a folklore collector himself.

If this video is considered too private please let me know and I will remove it. I found it very charming but I don't want people to wonder hey, why is this video on Youtube, we don't want that.

So if it's not wanted I'll remove it. My main focus are the songs.

Tam Lin (Child 39) (July 1984) - Duncan Williamson

Reynard the Fox 2025-07-31 | Lady Margaret / Tam Lin (Child No. 39) - Sung by Duncan Williamson, a Traveller of Furnace, Argyllshire, Scotland, later settled in Fife. Recorded by John D. Niles in July 1984.

00:00:00 Talks about Traveller Fairy Belief
00:01:55 Sings Lady Margaret

The original recording can be listened to here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AXQTVRF7FT3WTN8U

A biography of Duncan Williamson along with many further sound recordings can be found here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/4292?l=en

Linda Williamson's thesis on Scottish Traveller singing can be read here, it is well worth your time if you are interested in Duncan Williamson's song repertoire: era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8223

Note by Kevin W.:
Duncan first knew Tam Lin in fragmentary form from the singing of his grandmother Bett MacColl in Tarbert, Loch Fyne, Kintyre, and later completed it by adding verses he heard from other family members later in his life. Travellers called the song "Lady Margaret".

Linda Williamson, who married and lived with Duncan for many years, noted in her thesis on Traveller singing:
In October 1982 Duncan invited his second cousin Robbie Townsley to stay with him for a few weeks, so the two of them could collaborate on some narrative fragments Duncan knew. The result was the completion of Duncan's "Lady Margaret". Until 1982 the song had never been more than a partially sung and spoken fairy story in Duncan's repertoire.

Duncan ends the song with a verse that properly belongs to "The Douglas Tragedy" (Child No. 7):

So Lady Margaret on the white milk steed
Lord William on his dappled grey
With a bugle and horn hanging down by the side
It's merrily they rode away, away
It's merrily they rode away

Duncan explained how he once had a disagreement with Hamish Henderson over which of the two ballads the verse properly belongs to. Duncan said in The Douglas Tragedy they both died, there is no one riding away at the end. So he kept the verse at the end of Tam Lin which has a happy ending.

A 1967 recording made by George McIntyre and Helen Fullarton of Duncan's Tam Lin fragment before he reconstructed it can be heard here:
youtube.com/watch?v=k13q3xA5Gkg

Hamish Henderson recorded Betsy Johnston, a Traveller in Glasgow, singing Tam Lin in 1956:
youtube.com/watch?v=4XqF0NQ5XkI

Song transcription:

Oh Lady Margaret she sat ond her high chamber
She was sewing her silks and seams
And she luikit east and she luikit west
And she saw those woods grow green.

So picking up her petticoats
Beneath her harlin gown
And when she came to the merry green woods
That was there that she let them down.

For she had not pulled one nut, one nut
One nut nor scarcely three,
When the highest lord ind aa the countryside
Come a-riding through the trees.

He said, "Why do you pull those nuts, those nuts?
Why do you bend those trees?
Why do you come to this merry green wood
Without the leave of me?"

She said, "Sir, onceten time those woods were mine
Without the leave of youse,
And I can pull those nuts, those nuts
And I can bend those trees."

So he tuik her gently by the hand
And he gently laid her down,
And when he had his will of her
He raised her up again.

She said, "Now you've had your will of me
Come tell to me your name,
And if a baby I do have
I will call him the same."

He said, "I'm an earl's son from Carlyle
And I own all those woods so green,
But I was taken when I was small
By an evil fairy queen.

"But tomorrow night is Halloween
And all those nobles there'll be free,
And if you can come to the Five Mile Gate
It is there you can set me free.

"Oh first they will come some dark, some dark
And then they will come some brown,
But when there comes a milk-white steed
You must pull its rider down.

"Oh first I'll turn to a wicked snake
And then to a lion so wild,
But hold me fast and fear me not
I may be the father of your child.

"And then I'll turn to a naked man,
Oh an angry man I'll be!
Just throw your mantle over me
And then you'll have me free."

So that night at the midnight hour
Lady Margaret she made her way,
And when she came to the Five Mile Gate
She waited patiently.

Oh first there came some dark, some dark
And then there came some brown,
But when there came a milk-white steed
She pulled its rider down.

Then he turned to a wicked snake
And then to a lion so wild,
She held him fast and feared him not
He'd be the father of her child.

Then he turned to a naked man,
Oh an angry man was he!
She threw her mantle over him
And then she had him free.

And then cried the voice of the fairy queen
Oh an angry queen was she!
Saying "If I had a-known yesterday
Oh what I know today,
I'd tuik out your very heart's blood
And put in a heart of clay, clay
And put in a heart of clay.

So Lady Margaret on her white milk steed
Lord William on his dapple grey,
With the bugle and the horn hanging down by their side
It's merrily they rode away, away
It's merrily they rode away.

The Death of Queen Jane (Child 170) (October 1987) - Duncan Williamson

Reynard the Fox 2025-07-31 | The Death of Queen Jane (Child No. 170) - Sung by Duncan Williamson, a Traveller of Furnace, Argyllshire, Scotland, later settled in Fife. He learned it from his grandmother Bett MacColl in Tarbert, Loch Fyne, Kintyre. Recorded by John D. Niles in October 1987 at a rented house outside Ithaca, New York.

The original recording can be heard here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AB34LE2XNHS5FC8O

A biography of Duncan Williamson can be read here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/4292?l=en

Linda Williamson's thesis on Scottish Traveller singing can be read here, it's well worth your time if you're interested in Duncan Williamson's song repertoire: era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8223

Note by Kevin W.:
This song enjoyed some popularity among Scottish Travellers but always in a condensed form that leaves out much of the story.

Duncan was quite emotional about singing it, sometimes being unable to finish it without breaking down. Not because of the story but because he strongly associated this song with the singing of his mother.

Quite interestingly the mispronunciation of "immediately" was not limited to Duncan's version. Bertrand Harris Bronson printed a text sung by a Mrs. Alex Muir who learned it from a Lanarkshire source, 1845, that displays a similar distinction:

Her mither was sent for and immenjently came,
And she sat at the bedside along with Queen Jean;
'O mither, dear mither, if mither ye be,
O send for my faither to come and see me!'

Song transcription:

DW: Well, I thought you were going to talk about one I've never done for you, "Queen Jane." That was Henry's mother, that was the first Caesarean birth.

JN: Let's hear about Queen Jane.

DW: Well, she was, she was — [very short break in the recording] — of Henry, King Henry. Henry the Eighth, I think it was. And, eh, this is what she said:

She said, "Mother, dearest Mother,
Will you do one thing for me?
Will you send for my father
For to come and see me?
For my two sides are weary,
And my back it is sae sair.
For I never had a wink o sleep
For three weeks or mair."

So her father he was sent for,
And immediately he came.
Sitting down by her bedside—
"What ails you, my queen?"
"Oh, my two sides are sae weary,
And ma back it is sae sair.
And I never had a wink o sleep
For three weeks or mair.

Oh Father, dearest Father,
Will you do one thing for me?
Will you send for my doctor,
For to come and see me?"
So her doctor he was sent for,
And immediately he came.
Setting down by her bedside —
"What ails you, my queen?"
"Oh, my two sides are weary,
And my back it is sae sair.
And I never had a wink o sleep
For three weeks or mair.

Oh doctor, dearest doctor,
Will you do one thing for me?
Will you open my two sides
And free my baby?"
So her sides they were opened
And her baby was free.
But poor queen Jane —
Oh, she passed away.

DW: That was the first Caesarean birth that ever was. Doctor opened up her side — she couldn"t have the baby, so he opened up her side and took the baby out. But — the baby lived, but she died. That's a true story.

JN: That's true. That's true.

DW: Yeah.

JN: That's the way the song tells the story, but —

DW: My granny used to sing that.

JN: Oh, she—your granny sang that?

DW: My granny taught me that.

JN: Granny MacDonald?

DW: Ah, no, Granny McColl.

JN: Granny McColl.

DW: Right. No, Granny MacDonald never sang these songs. She told little stories and cracks, and wee things, you know. She never sung any. But Big Bett McColl sung all the time, yeah.

[In the recording from which this part is excerpted, Williamson goes on to tell how his father and mother used to stay with Bett MacColl and her estranged husband Willie Williamson outside the village of Tarbert, Kintyre, when his family first set out on the road each spring.]

The Cruel Grave (Roud 22567) (August 1986) - Duncan Williamson

Reynard the Fox 2025-07-31 | Willie Lost at Sea / The Cruel Grave / Willie-O / The Bay of Biscay / Biscay-O (Roud No. 22567) / The Grey Cock (Child No. 248 Appendix) - Sung by Duncan Williamson, a Traveller of Furnace, Argyllshire, Scotland, later settled in Fife. He learned it from his grandmother Bett MacColl in Tarbert, Loch Fyne, Kintyre. Recorded by John D. Niles in August 1986 in the sitting room of a rented house in Auchtermuchty, Fife.

The original recording can be heard here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AJHTREMELAEAR382

A biography of Duncan Williamson can be read here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/4292?l=en

Linda Williamson's thesis on Scottish Traveller singing can be read here, it's well worth your time if you're interested in Duncan Williamson's song repertoire: era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8223

Note by Kevin W.:
Duncan called it "The Cruel Grave" or "Willie Lost at Sea" on different occasions.

This is a conflation of two songs, "The Night Visiting Song" (Roud No. 22568) which tells of a nightly visit between non ghostly lovers. And "Willie-O or The Bay of Biscay" (Roud No. 22567) which tells of a nightly visit by the ghost of a former lover. With the story and the way it is told being similar it makes sense that the two songs would merge in oral tradition. In this conflated form the song was popular with Irish Travellers and I do wonder if Bett MacColl's song was originally learned from an Irish source.

A famous example was recorded from Mrs. Cecilia Costello of Birmingham who learned it from her Irish parents. Her text and tune are similar to Duncan's but also include the cock bribery stanzas from "The Grey Cock" (Child No. 248).

Song transcription:

You see, Marie [*], to start with, love is a very fine thing. And sometimes people would carry love a wee bit too far, even beyond the grave.

So this tells a story of a young lady who was in love with a young sailor, and he was gone in the sea. He had sailed away, and he was gone for many many years. He was gone for many months, he was gone for years. But she still loved him, she could not forget him. And during the night she used to lie in her bed, praying to almighty God to send him back home to her. But unknown to her, he had been drowned at sea. And when someone is dead, they're supposed to be forgotten, and let them sleep in peace. But with her praying every night for God to send him back, his soul could not rest. So one night his spirit came back to her to tell her to give him peace.

And this is what happened:

Oh it's seven long years since my true love left me,
It is seven long years since he went to sea;
But another seven I will wait as pleasure,
Till he comes home and he marries me.

Now I lie in my bed and I often wonder,
I lie in my bed and I often pray,
I pray to my dearest God in Heaven,
Would he send my true love back home to me?

Now who-who is that there that's at my window?
He is keeping me out of my night's rest.
It is not my father, it is not my mother
Who is keeping me out of my night's rest.

He said, "Open your door, love, oh let me in, love;
Will you open your door, will you let me in?
For I am cold, love, and I am weary,
And I am wet to the very skin."

So she opened the door with the greatest of pleasure,
She opened the door and she let him in;
She said, "If you're my Willie, you have changed your colour,
You're not like the young man I used to know."

So they got talking and went walking
Until the small cock he began to crow;
He said, "I must away, dear, I can stay no longer,
Oh for it's a far way I have to go."

She said, "Willie, love, oh please don't leave me;
Willie dear, don't go back to sea;
Oh Willie, love, oh please don't leave me;
Oh Willie, won't you stay with me?"

He said, "I must away, dear, I can stay no longer,
For it's a far way I have to go;
But when I'm gone, dear, please pray no longer,
For never more can I come home to you."

The idea of the cock: when the cock crows at five o'clock in the morning, all spirits must be home before the sun rises, you see? That's why I said, "When the small cock he began to crow," it means it tells ye, "all evil must be gone when the sun rises." Well, all spirits must back to rest when the sun rises in the morning. The cock crows at five o'clock. The small cock means the little cock crows at five o'clock. He knew it was time for him to go back to his grave. And she begged him not to go, but he had to go. And the only thing he wanted her — to pray no more. To give him rest for evermore. It's called "The Cruel Grave." That is a good old traditional ballad. I got the cup for that in Auchtermuchty. [**]

[*] Marie Jeffress, one of the more elderly members of John Niles' folklore research team. Duncan deliberately included her by name, as she was seated right next to him, and he often singled out individual members of his audience for special acknowledgment.

[**] Duncan won the traditional men's singing competition at the Auchtermuchty Festival in Fife.

Hind Horn (Child 17) (July 1984) - Duncan Williamson

Reynard the Fox 2025-07-28 | The Old Beggarman / Hind Horn (Child No. 17) - Sung by Duncan Williamson, a Traveller of Furnace, Argyllshire, Scotland, later settled in Fife. He learned it from his grandmother Bett MacColl in Tarbert, Loch Fyne, Kintyre. Recorded by John D. Niles in July 1984 in the sitting room of Duncan's home at Kincraigie Farm Cottage, near Strathmiglo, Fife.

The original recording can be heard here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ALPKQQ27DNBBVT84

A biography of Duncan Williamson can be read here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/4292?l=en

Linda Williamson's thesis on Scottish Traveller singing can be read here, it's well worth your time if you're interested in Duncan Williamson's song repertoire: era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8223

Note by Kevin W.:
A Scottish traditional ballad based on an episode from the medieval Middle English romance of King Horn.

Duncan felt there are too many repetitions of the meaningless syllables of the refrain and it gets boring for listeners. But he loved the story. He learned the song from his grandmother, Bett MacColl in Tarbert, Loch Fyne, who used to sing it very well. Duncan's sister-in-law (the wife of his older brother "Uncle" Sandy Townsley) sang it to her children at night.

Bett's favourite songs were "Hind Horn" (Child 17) and "Lady Margaret" (Child 39). Duncan said he'd heard her sing them "many many times".

Interestingly "Hind Horn" and "The Brothers" (Child 188) weren't fixed texts in Duncan's repertoire. He partially improvised them as he went along, making scenes longer or shorter depending on the occasion as he was telling the story through song. I think Duncan was one of the last traditional singers who improvised while singing. He was an accomplished storyteller and applied similar techniques when singing narrative ballads.

A 1967 recording made by George McIntyre and Helen Fullarton of Duncan singing a fragment of Hind Horn with a different refrain can be heard here:
youtu.be/G4itQfRwIbI

A recording made by Mike Yates in 2001 can be heard here:
youtu.be/yglK8MOd570

Song transcription:

Oh, in London town a babe was born,
Oh, lee-lie and sae lonely, oh
And the name they gave him was young Hind Horn.
Oh, lee-lie and sae lonely, oh.

For the years passed by, one two and three
And his mother thought that she did see.

Hind Horn he has grown up tae be a young man,
"But there's one thing I can't understand.

We have sent him to the greatest school,
We don't want him to be a fool.

He is courting a lady of low degree."
His father he did not agree.

Said he, "I'll send him off to sea.
I will send him off to sea."

So Hind Horn is awa to see his lady fair
With those dashing eyes and raven hair.

"My father he is sending me off to sea,
He is taking me away from thee."

She said, "You must take this ring, this ring.
You must take this ring, this ring.

For you are sailing off to sea,
You are sailing off to sea.

But if you see this ring getting dull and wan
You must leave the sea and come back to the land."

So Hind Horn, he sailed away to sea
And though a hero he did be.

For he sailed the world around
Never giving a thought to his hometown.

Then he saw his ring getting dull and wan.
He said, "I must leave the sea, go back to the land."

So he left the sea and went to the land
And the first thing he met was an auld beggarman.

He said, "What news, what news, ye auld beggarman?
What news, what news, ye auld beggarman?"

He said, "There is a wedding in our king's toon,
But the bride won't marry her bridegroom."

He said, "Would you give me your auld ragged coat,
And I'll gie you my scarlet cloak?"

"Would you give me your auld crookit staff
And I'll gie you my fine broad sword?"

"Would you give me your auld grey hair,
Tae cover up mine not sae fair?"

So Hind Horn, he's awa tae the king's great hall,
Hind Horn, he's awa tae the king's great hall.

He gaes up to the great hall door
Where nae tramp had ever walked before.

For he asked for a drink for Hind Horn's sake.
And the maid his message she did take.

And she is awa tae her lady fair,
She is awa tae her lady fair.

Saying, "Lady, there's a tramp at your hall door
The like I've never saw before."

He is asking for a drink for Hind Horn's sake
He's asking for a drink for Hind Horn's sake.

Says the lady, "A drink, that I will take
If he's asking for a drink for Hind Horn's sake."

And then she saw an auld beggar man
The like she could not understand.

So he drank up the drink and he placed in the ring.
The sight of it made her heart ring.

Saying, "Where did you get that ring, that ring?"
Did you get it by sea or by land?
Or did you take it off a drowning man?"

"I did not get it by sea or by land,
I got it from your own hand."

Then he pulled off his auld auld grey hair
And then stood young Hind Horn so fair.

And then there was a wedding in that king's toon
Oh, lee-lie and sae lonely, oh
And the bride was happy to wed her bridegroom.
Oh, lee-lie and sae lonely, oh.