Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 days 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 Mary Williamson, a Traveller at Lochgilphead, Glassary, Argyllshire, Scotland. Her father used to sing it at the campsite fire when she was a little girl. Recorded by Dr. Linda Williamson on June 23, 1976.
Mary Williamson's father was Duncan Townsley and her mother was Belle Williamson, Duncan Williamson's aunt. They were from Campbeltown.
Note by Kevin W.:
A fragment of the ending of "The Douglas Tragedy" (Child 7), it leaves out King Henry (or Lord William) stealing his sweetheart from her father's hall, them being pursued by her angry father and seven armed brothers and fighting them in battle. The fragment begins when a heavily wounded King Henry and his sweetheart Lady Margaret ride away after the battle is over. The ballad ends with them reaching his mother's gates. King Henry dies from the wounds that he received in battle and Lady Margaret dies from sorrow.
It should be mentioned that this is sung to the same tune Duncan Williamson used for "Tam Lin" (Child 39). His Tam Lin ends with a verse that properly belongs to "The Douglas Tragedy":
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.
The original recording can be listened to here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/track/29899?l=en
A biography of Linda Williamson along with many further sound recordings can be found here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/4291?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 Mary Williamson's song repertoire: era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8223
Song transcription:
Lady Margaret on the white milk steed
King Henry on a dapple grey
And when they came to the white mill stone
It was there that they jumped down
It was there that they jumped down
Lady Margaret on the white milk steed
King Henry on a dapple grey
Oh when they came to the white mill stone
It was there that they jumped down
(She restarts twice before finding back into the song)
For they rode and they rode and they far better rode
And they rode by the light o' the moon
And when they came to the brown mill stone
It was there that they jumped doon
Hold my horse Lady Margaret he cried
And hold it for a while
Till I get a drink o' the clear spring well
Running down by the watery stream
Running down by the watery stream
Oh rise oh rise King Henry she cried
And come along with me
For I think I see your very heart's blood
Running down by the watery stream
Running down by the watery stream
Hold your tongue Lady Margaret he cries
And hold it for a while
It's only the scad o' my red scarlet cloak
Running down by the watery stream
For they rode and they rode and they far better rode
And they rode by the light o' the moon
And when they came to parlor gates
It was there that they jumped doon
It was there that they jumped doon
Open these gates now mother now he cried
And open them broad and wide
Oh the fairest lady in the counteree
And all the countryside
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 Mary Williamson, a Traveller at Lochgilphead, Glassary, Argyllshire, Scotland. Her father used to sing it at the campsite fire when she was a little girl. Recorded by Dr. Linda Williamson on June 23, 1976.
Mary Williamson's father was Duncan Townsley and her mother was Belle Williamson, Duncan Williamson's aunt. They were from Campbeltown.
Note by Kevin W.:
A fragment of the ending of "The Douglas Tragedy" (Child 7), it leaves out King Henry (or Lord William) stealing his sweetheart from her father's hall, them being pursued by her angry father and seven armed brothers and fighting them in battle. The fragment begins when a heavily wounded King Henry and his sweetheart Lady Margaret ride away after the battle is over. The ballad ends with them reaching his mother's gates. King Henry dies from the wounds that he received in battle and Lady Margaret dies from sorrow.
It should be mentioned that this is sung to the same tune Duncan Williamson used for "Tam Lin" (Child 39). His Tam Lin ends with a verse that properly belongs to "The Douglas Tragedy":
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.
The original recording can be listened to here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/track/29899?l=en
A biography of Linda Williamson along with many further sound recordings can be found here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/person/4291?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 Mary Williamson's song repertoire: era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8223
Song transcription:
Lady Margaret on the white milk steed
King Henry on a dapple grey
And when they came to the white mill stone
It was there that they jumped down
It was there that they jumped down
Lady Margaret on the white milk steed
King Henry on a dapple grey
Oh when they came to the white mill stone
It was there that they jumped down
(She restarts twice before finding back into the song)
For they rode and they rode and they far better rode
And they rode by the light o' the moon
And when they came to the brown mill stone
It was there that they jumped doon
Hold my horse Lady Margaret he cried
And hold it for a while
Till I get a drink o' the clear spring well
Running down by the watery stream
Running down by the watery stream
Oh rise oh rise King Henry she cried
And come along with me
For I think I see your very heart's blood
Running down by the watery stream
Running down by the watery stream
Hold your tongue Lady Margaret he cries
And hold it for a while
It's only the scad o' my red scarlet cloak
Running down by the watery stream
For they rode and they rode and they far better rode
And they rode by the light o' the moon
And when they came to parlor gates
It was there that they jumped doon
It was there that they jumped doon
Open these gates now mother now he cried
And open them broad and wide
Oh the fairest lady in the counteree
And all the countryside
