The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #143842   Message #3328587
Posted By: Steve Gardham
25-Mar-12 - 08:56 AM
Thread Name: Origins: Child Ballads in 18th c. America?
Subject: RE: Origins: Child Ballads in 18th c. America?
Jim,
Welcome!
I'm presuming your interesting query is asking for further Irish versions. A couple of suggestions, as most of us don't know what's on Tom's list we don't know what you've already got, so posting the list of what you've got would be helpful. Also it would attract more of the right people if it had its own thread as people dipping into this thread will mainly be interested in what it says on the label.

As at least half the Child ballads seem to have originated in Scotland, or have survived there in a healthier state, my own logic tells me that most of those found in Ireland came across with the waves of Scottish settlers in N Ireland, and then having been settled there for several generations many emigrated to America. I think it was Jonathan who suggested that most of the Child ballads found in N E America stem from these Scottish and Irish emigrants. As far as I can think at the moment no Child Ballads originated in Ireland, though I can think of several N Irish ballads that have every bit of as much history as some of those later Child Ballads.