Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
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.
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.
