Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
The Ship's Carpenter / The Carpenter's Wife / The Daemon Lover / James Harris / Ship Carpenter / House Carpenter / Well Met, My True Love (Child No. 243) - Sung by Mrs. Martha "Peasie" Johnstone (Martha Reid), a Traveller of Birnam, Perthshire, Scotland. She learned the song from her great-grandfather David Whyte from Aberdeenshire. Recorded by Hamish Henderson in February 1957 for the School of Scottish Studies.
Note by Kevin W.:
The first two stanzas may belong to "The Lass of Roch Royal" (Child 76). The stanzas about the hills of heaven and hell belong to "The Daemon Lover" (Child 243).
A similar fragment was sung by Andrew Stewart, a Traveller of Blairgowrie, Perthshire.
It was recorded by Hamish Henderson in August 1955:
youtu.be/qCubbAnsVow
Martha Johnstone learned the old songs from her grandparents and from older Travellers. We're indebted to her for sharing her songs with people and to Maurice Fleming and Hamish Henderson in the 1950s, Peter Shepheard in the 1960s and Linda Williamson in later years for visiting and recording her.
Martha told Linda Williamson how she tried to teach The Golden Vanity to her grandchildren, to get them interested in the old songs, but they had more interest in television than singing. Most singers, and especially Travellers felt regret at not being able to pass their songs on to a new generation. A song wasn't only a song, it was a living memory of their parents, their forebears. While singing there was a strong emotional connection with the person the song was learned from. When that person passed their memory lived on whenever the song was sung.
The original recording can be listened to here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/track/21695?l=en
A biography of Martha Johnstone along with many further sound recordings can be found here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/2719?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 Martha Johnstone's song repertoire: era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8223
Song transcription:
For who shall foot my glove to me
Aye who shall be a mother to my babe
Till I return once more
For your father he shall foot your glove
And your mother shall be a mother to your babe
Till you return once more
For whatna hill is thon she says
It's as white as any snow
For thon's the halls of Heaven he says
Where you and I must go [*]
For whatna hill is thon she says
It's as black as any crow
For thon's the halls of Hell he says
Where all bad people must go
* Usually the lines are reversed like this:
Thon's the halls of Heaven
Where all good people go
Thon's the halls of Hell
Where you and I must go
The Ship's Carpenter / The Carpenter's Wife / The Daemon Lover / James Harris / Ship Carpenter / House Carpenter / Well Met, My True Love (Child No. 243) - Sung by Mrs. Martha "Peasie" Johnstone (Martha Reid), a Traveller of Birnam, Perthshire, Scotland. She learned the song from her great-grandfather David Whyte from Aberdeenshire. Recorded by Hamish Henderson in February 1957 for the School of Scottish Studies.
Note by Kevin W.:
The first two stanzas may belong to "The Lass of Roch Royal" (Child 76). The stanzas about the hills of heaven and hell belong to "The Daemon Lover" (Child 243).
A similar fragment was sung by Andrew Stewart, a Traveller of Blairgowrie, Perthshire.
It was recorded by Hamish Henderson in August 1955:
youtu.be/qCubbAnsVow
Martha Johnstone learned the old songs from her grandparents and from older Travellers. We're indebted to her for sharing her songs with people and to Maurice Fleming and Hamish Henderson in the 1950s, Peter Shepheard in the 1960s and Linda Williamson in later years for visiting and recording her.
Martha told Linda Williamson how she tried to teach The Golden Vanity to her grandchildren, to get them interested in the old songs, but they had more interest in television than singing. Most singers, and especially Travellers felt regret at not being able to pass their songs on to a new generation. A song wasn't only a song, it was a living memory of their parents, their forebears. While singing there was a strong emotional connection with the person the song was learned from. When that person passed their memory lived on whenever the song was sung.
The original recording can be listened to here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/track/21695?l=en
A biography of Martha Johnstone along with many further sound recordings can be found here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/2719?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 Martha Johnstone's song repertoire: era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8223
Song transcription:
For who shall foot my glove to me
Aye who shall be a mother to my babe
Till I return once more
For your father he shall foot your glove
And your mother shall be a mother to your babe
Till you return once more
For whatna hill is thon she says
It's as white as any snow
For thon's the halls of Heaven he says
Where you and I must go [*]
For whatna hill is thon she says
It's as black as any crow
For thon's the halls of Hell he says
Where all bad people must go
* Usually the lines are reversed like this:
Thon's the halls of Heaven
Where all good people go
Thon's the halls of Hell
Where you and I must go
