Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
The Knicht o Archerdale / Proud Lady Margaret (Child No. 47) - Sung by Lizzie Higgins (Elizabeth Ann Youlden, 1929-1993) of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Daughter of settled Travellers, the famous Scottish traditional singer Jeannie Robertson and Donald "Donty" Higgins, an accomplished piper. Lizzie learned the song from her father, who in turn had it from his mother, Christine Stewart. Recorded by Stephanie Smith Perrin on August 6th, 1973.
00:00:00 Lizzie Explains The Ballad Story
00:04:54 Lizzie Sings Proud Lady Margaret
The original recording can be heard here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/track/82311?l=en
And here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/track/28731?l=en
Note by Kevin W.:
Lizzie's slow style of singing which she based on her father's and her uncle Isaac "Seely" Higgins' bagpipe playing is beautiful and highly demanding with lots of ornamentation, but it doesn't make it easy to follow the story of longer ballads. The same is true of Jeannie Robertson's singing which slowed down in her later years.
For more information on Lizzie Higgins the booklet notes to "In Memory of Lizzie Higgins 1929-1993" (2006) Musical Traditions MTCD337-8 are essential reading (and the album is well worth getting): mustrad.org.uk/articles/higgins.htm
An early performance of Lizzie's Proud Lady Margaret (Child 47). Recording quality isn't the best but the singing is beautiful and I wanted to share it here. Lizzie said this was her father's favourite song and that he was a great singer himself but overlooked by folklorists in the shadow of Jeannie Robertson's fame.
Lizzie said her father Donald "Donty" Higgins taught her the ballad in his last years and wanted her to share it with the world and that it was one Jeannie never learned from him.
Jeannie's nephew Stanley Robertson learned Proud Lady Margaret as a folk tale from an aunt of his, Margaret (Maggie) Stewart, of Banchory, Kincardineshire, whom he regarded as his adoptive grandmother:
youtu.be/f9tek7wY2yc
Can this really be a ballad that survived in Traveller tradition? Lizzie was adamant that she'd learned it from her father. The last time it was collected was twice in fragmentary form in Aberdeenshire around the turn of the 20th century by Gavin Greig from the prolific Mrs. Bell Robertson of New Pitsligo who knew hundreds of ballads but did not sing tunes and from a Mrs. Gordon of New Deer.
Lizzie's text resembles one published by Peter Buchan in "Ballads of the North of Scotland" in 1828 but also has verses not found in that text.
Buchan's text can be seen here:
http://71.174.62.16/Demo/LongerHarvest?Text=Child_d04702
Song transcription:
It was on a night, and an evening bright
When the dew begun tae fa,
Lady Margaret was walking up and doon,
Looking ower the castle wa.
She looked west, she looked east,
Tae see what she could spy,
When a gallant knight came in her sight
Unto her gates drew nigh.
"God mak ye safe an free, fair maid,
God mak ye safe an free."
"What is yer will wi me, Sir Knight,
Oh what's yer will wi me?"
"My will wi you is nae sma, lady,
My will wi you nae sma,
An syne there is nane your bower within,
You'll hae ma secrets aa."
"It's I am come tae this castle
Aa for the love of thee.
If you do not grant me love
All for your sake a'll dee."
"If you should dee for me, Sir Knight,
It is few for you will mean.
There's many a better has died for me
Wha's graves are growin green.
"What is the flooer, the ae first flooer
That grows on muir and dell?
What is the bird, the bonniest bird
That sings next the nightingale?
What is the colour, the bonniest colour
That king or queen can wale?
Oh what is the flooer, the ae first flooer
That grows on muir and dell?"
"The primrose is the ae first flooer
Tae grow on muir and dell.
The mavis is the next bird
Sings next the nightingale.
Yellow is the bonniest colour
That king or queen can wale.
The primrose is the ae first flooer
That grows on muir and dell.
"Ye hiv ower ill washen feet, Margaret,
An ye have ower ill washen hands.
Ye've too coarse o robes on your body,
An wi me ye winnae gang.
The worms are my bedfellows
The cauld clay is my sheet.
An the louder that the wind does howl
The sounder dae I sleep.
"My body is buried in Dunfermline
Sae far ayond the sea.
Nae peace or rest ony day I get
Aa for the pride of thee.
Lay up yer pride, Margaret," he said,
"Use it nae ony mair.
If you hae been far I hae been
Ye will repent it sair.
"Tae sit in Pirie's chair, Margaret,
It is the lowest seat o Hell.
If you do not amend your ways,
It's there that ye maun dwell."
Wi that he vanished frae her sicht
In the twinklin o her ee,
An naething mair the lady saw
But the gloomy clouds in the sky.
The Knicht o Archerdale / Proud Lady Margaret (Child No. 47) - Sung by Lizzie Higgins (Elizabeth Ann Youlden, 1929-1993) of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Daughter of settled Travellers, the famous Scottish traditional singer Jeannie Robertson and Donald "Donty" Higgins, an accomplished piper. Lizzie learned the song from her father, who in turn had it from his mother, Christine Stewart. Recorded by Stephanie Smith Perrin on August 6th, 1973.
00:00:00 Lizzie Explains The Ballad Story
00:04:54 Lizzie Sings Proud Lady Margaret
The original recording can be heard here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/track/82311?l=en
And here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/track/28731?l=en
Note by Kevin W.:
Lizzie's slow style of singing which she based on her father's and her uncle Isaac "Seely" Higgins' bagpipe playing is beautiful and highly demanding with lots of ornamentation, but it doesn't make it easy to follow the story of longer ballads. The same is true of Jeannie Robertson's singing which slowed down in her later years.
For more information on Lizzie Higgins the booklet notes to "In Memory of Lizzie Higgins 1929-1993" (2006) Musical Traditions MTCD337-8 are essential reading (and the album is well worth getting): mustrad.org.uk/articles/higgins.htm
An early performance of Lizzie's Proud Lady Margaret (Child 47). Recording quality isn't the best but the singing is beautiful and I wanted to share it here. Lizzie said this was her father's favourite song and that he was a great singer himself but overlooked by folklorists in the shadow of Jeannie Robertson's fame.
Lizzie said her father Donald "Donty" Higgins taught her the ballad in his last years and wanted her to share it with the world and that it was one Jeannie never learned from him.
Jeannie's nephew Stanley Robertson learned Proud Lady Margaret as a folk tale from an aunt of his, Margaret (Maggie) Stewart, of Banchory, Kincardineshire, whom he regarded as his adoptive grandmother:
youtu.be/f9tek7wY2yc
Can this really be a ballad that survived in Traveller tradition? Lizzie was adamant that she'd learned it from her father. The last time it was collected was twice in fragmentary form in Aberdeenshire around the turn of the 20th century by Gavin Greig from the prolific Mrs. Bell Robertson of New Pitsligo who knew hundreds of ballads but did not sing tunes and from a Mrs. Gordon of New Deer.
Lizzie's text resembles one published by Peter Buchan in "Ballads of the North of Scotland" in 1828 but also has verses not found in that text.
Buchan's text can be seen here:
http://71.174.62.16/Demo/LongerHarvest?Text=Child_d04702
Song transcription:
It was on a night, and an evening bright
When the dew begun tae fa,
Lady Margaret was walking up and doon,
Looking ower the castle wa.
She looked west, she looked east,
Tae see what she could spy,
When a gallant knight came in her sight
Unto her gates drew nigh.
"God mak ye safe an free, fair maid,
God mak ye safe an free."
"What is yer will wi me, Sir Knight,
Oh what's yer will wi me?"
"My will wi you is nae sma, lady,
My will wi you nae sma,
An syne there is nane your bower within,
You'll hae ma secrets aa."
"It's I am come tae this castle
Aa for the love of thee.
If you do not grant me love
All for your sake a'll dee."
"If you should dee for me, Sir Knight,
It is few for you will mean.
There's many a better has died for me
Wha's graves are growin green.
"What is the flooer, the ae first flooer
That grows on muir and dell?
What is the bird, the bonniest bird
That sings next the nightingale?
What is the colour, the bonniest colour
That king or queen can wale?
Oh what is the flooer, the ae first flooer
That grows on muir and dell?"
"The primrose is the ae first flooer
Tae grow on muir and dell.
The mavis is the next bird
Sings next the nightingale.
Yellow is the bonniest colour
That king or queen can wale.
The primrose is the ae first flooer
That grows on muir and dell.
"Ye hiv ower ill washen feet, Margaret,
An ye have ower ill washen hands.
Ye've too coarse o robes on your body,
An wi me ye winnae gang.
The worms are my bedfellows
The cauld clay is my sheet.
An the louder that the wind does howl
The sounder dae I sleep.
"My body is buried in Dunfermline
Sae far ayond the sea.
Nae peace or rest ony day I get
Aa for the pride of thee.
Lay up yer pride, Margaret," he said,
"Use it nae ony mair.
If you hae been far I hae been
Ye will repent it sair.
"Tae sit in Pirie's chair, Margaret,
It is the lowest seat o Hell.
If you do not amend your ways,
It's there that ye maun dwell."
Wi that he vanished frae her sicht
In the twinklin o her ee,
An naething mair the lady saw
But the gloomy clouds in the sky.
