Hi Richard,

The several mysterious US texts which have appeared since c. 1950 with the "Willow Tree" title (see 4G above which also has "willow tree") seem to be of recent manufacture and have not been documented earlier. One curiously is from a Polish immigrant from NY, which may be the original. Peggy Seeger also recorded a version.

The Willow Tree (American Version) as posted on John Renfro Davis' site: The Contemplator

There was a youth, a cruel youth,
Who lived beside the sea,
Six little maidens he drowned there
By the lonely willow tree.

As he walked o'er with Sally Brown,
As he walked o'er with she,
And evil thought came to him there,
By the lonely willow tree.

O turn you back to the water's side,
And face the willow tree,
Six little maidens I've drowned here,
And you the seventh shall be.

Take off, take off, your golden crown,
Take off your gown, cried he.
For though I am going to murder you
I would not spoil your finery.

Oh, turn around, you false young man,
Oh turn around, cried she,
For 'tis not meet that such a youth
A naked woman should you see.

He turned around, that false young man,
And faced the willow tree,
And seizing him boldly in both her arms,
She threw him into the sea.

Lie there, lie there, you false young man,
Lie there, lie there, cried she,
Six little maidens you've drowned here,
Now keep them company!

He sank beneath the icy waves,
He sank down into the sea,
And no living thing wept a tear for him,
Save the lonely willow tree.

* * * *

Hi Steve,

TY for the black-letter dates. You're right of course about the black-letter reports being unreliable. Dixon didn't say he had a copy only that he'd "seen black-letter copies" - plural. The other informant, EMUN, said he had a copy.

Barry's versions can't be identified as from the 1700s, one goes back he says, "three generations" which is probably early 1800s. Barry has exaggerated early dates so I'm assume he meant the date as an "early arrival" with the early settlers to be late 1600s, early 1700s.

The British Library date of "1710?" was assigned in the late 1800s and Child added that date in his additions and corrections. Usually the guestimated date wouldn't be 70 years off. Still, the "1710?" date may not be an accurate date-- leaving us with confirmed late 1700s dates and the possibility of a missing black-letter version of Outlandish Knight,

Richie