Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
King William / Prince William / Lord William / Sweet William and Fair Ellen / The Douglas Tragedy / The Child of Ell / Earl Brand (Child No. 7) - 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 on March 19th, 1957 for the School of Scottish Studies.
Note by Kevin W.:
According to Linda Williamson Martha's text of "The Douglas Tragedy" (Child 7) was mostly improvised, "provided on request and evidently formulated on the spur of the moment."
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/16528?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 to be corrected:
For they did start a battle;
For she had ten bra sons and the auld father grey.
(He was grey in the hair.)
Now you have slain all my sons
And you hold him in your right hand.
(You hold the auld man in your right hand,)
But now I had ten pretty sons
And that left the one to take my part.
Hold on, hold on, Lady Margaret, he calls,
You can neither come nor stay.
For they had rood by the light of the moon
And rood by the brookie stream.
Come down, dome down, Lady Margaret, he cried,
Come down and hold my steed by the head;
Till I get a drink of that clear crystal stream,
That runs by the brook of aide.
Hold on, hold on King William, she says,
I see your very heart's blood goin by the watery stream.
Hold on, Hold on, lady Margaret, he cries,
It's only the gliddens of my red scarlet cloak
That runs by the brookie stream.
For they rood and they rood and they wee better rood,
And they rood to his own mother's door.
Oh open the door and let me in,
I'm not my lone, Mother, he says.
For they opened the door and let him in.
The one had died through the middle of the night,
And the other by the break of day.
King William / Prince William / Lord William / Sweet William and Fair Ellen / The Douglas Tragedy / The Child of Ell / Earl Brand (Child No. 7) - 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 on March 19th, 1957 for the School of Scottish Studies.
Note by Kevin W.:
According to Linda Williamson Martha's text of "The Douglas Tragedy" (Child 7) was mostly improvised, "provided on request and evidently formulated on the spur of the moment."
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/16528?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 to be corrected:
For they did start a battle;
For she had ten bra sons and the auld father grey.
(He was grey in the hair.)
Now you have slain all my sons
And you hold him in your right hand.
(You hold the auld man in your right hand,)
But now I had ten pretty sons
And that left the one to take my part.
Hold on, hold on, Lady Margaret, he calls,
You can neither come nor stay.
For they had rood by the light of the moon
And rood by the brookie stream.
Come down, dome down, Lady Margaret, he cried,
Come down and hold my steed by the head;
Till I get a drink of that clear crystal stream,
That runs by the brook of aide.
Hold on, hold on King William, she says,
I see your very heart's blood goin by the watery stream.
Hold on, Hold on, lady Margaret, he cries,
It's only the gliddens of my red scarlet cloak
That runs by the brookie stream.
For they rood and they rood and they wee better rood,
And they rood to his own mother's door.
Oh open the door and let me in,
I'm not my lone, Mother, he says.
For they opened the door and let him in.
The one had died through the middle of the night,
And the other by the break of day.
