Lyr Req: Bronson's Child #250 (Henry Martyn)

Subject: Lyr Req: Bronson's Child #250
From: Roberto
Date: 25 Jan 04 - 11:19 AM

I'd like to complete this text, a version of Henry Martyn, Child #250, titled Andrew Batann, sung by Warde H. Ford, edited by B. H. Bronson. The problems are in stanzas 11 and 12 (but a general check would be fine). Thank you. Roberto

There once were three brothers from merry Scotland
From merry Scotland were they
They cast a lot to see which of them
Would go robbin' all o'er the salt sea

The lot it fell to Andrew Batann
The youngest one of the three
That he should go robbin' all o'er the salt sea
To maintain his three brothers and he

He had not sailed but one summer's eve
When a light it did appear
It sailed far off and it sailed far on
And at last it came sailing so near

Who are 't, who are 't? – cried Andrew Batann
Who are 't that sail so nigh?
We are the rich merchant from old England
And I pray you will let us pass by

Oh no, oh no – cried Andrew Batann
Oh no, that never can be
Your ship and your cargo I'll take them away
And your merry men drown in the sea

When the news reached old England
What Andrew Batann had done
Their ship and their cargo he'd taken away
And all of their merry men drowned

Build me a boat – said Captain Charles Stewart
And build it strong and secure
An' if I don't capture Andrew Batann
My life I'll no longer endure

He had not sailed but one summer's eve
When a light it did appear
It sailed far off and it sailed far on
And at last it came sailing so near

Who are 't, who are 't? – cried Captain Charles Stewart
Who are 't that sail so nigh?
We're the jolly Scots robbers from merry Scotland
And I pray you will let us pass by

Oh no, oh no – cried Captain Charles Stewart
Oh no, that never can be
Your ship and your cargo I'll take it away
And your merry men drown in the sea

What ..., what ... – cried Andrew Batann
I value you not one pin
For while you show me fine brass without
I'll show you good steel within

Then broadside to broadside these ships they stood
........... did roar
They had not fought but two hours or so
Till Captain Charles Stewart gave o'er

Go home, go home – cried Andrew Batann
And tell your king for me
While he remains king upon the dry land
I'll remain king of the sea

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bronson's Child #250
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 25 Jan 04 - 12:03 PM

Sidney Robertson Cowell recorded Warde Ford on several occasions during 1938 and 1939, in
Boomtown (Central Valley), Shasta County, California. Copies can be heard at the Library of Congress site  California Gold:

Warde Forde: recordings

I don't have that part of Bronson, but the online recording is clear enough. The missing pieces are:

What ho, what ho

And like thunder their cannon did roar

Mr Ford distinctly sings "robbing" rather than "robbin".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bronson's Child #250 (Henry Martyn)
From: Lady Hillary
Date: 25 Jan 04 - 01:14 PM

After playing a new recording of the song, ending in the "bad news" verse, this version was referred to by Oscar Brand last night on his WNYC show without reference to the name change. He also cited a CD where it can be found.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bronson's Child #250 (Henry Martyn)
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jan 04 - 04:37 PM

Of the fifty versions of Child #250 in Bronson Vol IV, there are only seven versions with more than eleven stanzas, none of them credited to Warde H. Ford. They are:-

Version 8        Andy Bardean                 from        Milas E. Wakefield
        10        Three Scotch Robbers                Otis Evilsizer
        31        Andrew Marteen                        Hamford Hayes
        42        Andrew Bartin                        E.P. Alexander
        46        Andrew Batan                        Oscar Degreenia
        47        Andrew Batan                        L.C. Williams
        50        Andrew Bardeen                        Bruce Evans

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bronson's Child #250 (Henry Martyn)
From: Cluin
Date: 25 Jan 04 - 04:58 PM

Lady Hillary, was it Figgy Duff's "Weather Out the Storm" CD?

Recorded 1990.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bronson's Child #250 (Henry Martyn)
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 25 Jan 04 - 05:16 PM

I had assumed from Roberto's reference to Bronson that Mr Ford's set was included, but evidently it was not. A number of his versions of other songs are, however.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bronson's Child #250 (Henry Martyn)
From: GUEST, NOMADman
Date: 25 Jan 04 - 05:17 PM

Hi,

It looks like what Roberto is searching for is actually Bronson's version #8 of Sir Andrew Barton, which is Child #167, a ballad quite similar to Henry Martyn.

Bronson reports that it was sung by Warde H. Ford, Central Valley, California, Christmas Day, 1938. Learned from his uncle, Charles Walker, of Crandon, Wisconsin, who had it from a Scottish logger in Couer d'Alene, Idaho in 1906. As noted by Malcolm Douglas, the Library of Congress recording presented on LP #AAFS L58 was recorded by Sidney Robertson Cowell.

Note that throughout the ballad, both in Bronson and in the booklet accompanying the LP, the captain's name is give as Stuart, rather than Stewart. In stanza 9, the text reads, "Who art, who art...," rather than "are't." Also in stanza 9, it reads, "...that sails so high," rather than "sail." In stanzas 4 and 6 the name "England" is rendered as "Eng-a-land" in Bronson and "Eng-l-and" in the LOC booklet. The missing words supplied by Malcolm match the printed texts in both Bronson and the LOC booklet.

Regards,
John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bronson's Child #250 (Henry Martyn)
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 25 Jan 04 - 05:24 PM

Thanks, John: I should have thought of that. Unfortunately the long task of photocopying the Great Work hasn't got very far into volume 3 yet (though I did do the indexes first).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bronson's Child #250 (Henry Martyn)
From: GUEST, NOMADman
Date: 25 Jan 04 - 05:33 PM

Malcolm / Roberto,

Glad to help out. I guess I'm one of the fortunate few who actually have an original of Bronson, purchased by mail from Princeton University Press in the mid-1970's, at what I believe was a clearance sale. At the time, I didn't think the transaction was anything out of the ordinary.

Regards,
John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bronson's Child #250 (Henry Martyn)
From: Lady Hillary
Date: 25 Jan 04 - 10:18 PM

Sorry, Cluin, neither EBarnacle nor I recall. the show can be looked up on NPR.org, though. It was toward the end of the hour.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bronson's Child #250 (Henry Martyn)
From: Lady Hillary
Date: 25 Jan 04 - 10:19 PM

If it's not on npr.org, then it will be on WNYC.org.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bronson's Child #250 (Henry Martyn)
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jan 04 - 02:08 AM

I got the ballad from volume 2 of the LP Child Traditional Ballads in the United States, edited by Bertrand H. Bronson, Long-Playing Record AAFS L58; Warde Ford's recording was made in California, 1938; the ballad is listed as both Child #167 and #250. Many thanks. R

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bronson's Child #250 (Henry Martyn)
From: EBarnacle
Date: 26 Jan 04 - 08:49 PM

The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, edited from Child's collection by Sargent and Kitteredge includes a rather extensive version of Andrew Barton [82 verses long] and two of Henry Martyn, one of which is the longer version, including the conclusion:
"Go home! go home!" says Andrew Bartin,
"And tell your king for me,
that he may reign king of the merry dryland,
But that I am king of the sea."

A slightly longer version of Andrew Barton can be found in English and Scottish Ballads by Francis Child, 1858 and 1886. This is in the appendix to volume VII, page 201-210.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bronson's Child #250 (Henry Martyn)
From: Artful Codger
Date: 11 Feb 09 - 08:28 AM

I strongly suspect that verse was imported from another song--it occurs more fittingly, for instance, in "Ward the Pirate".

The historical figure, Andrew Barton, became High Admiral of Scotland and plundered under letters of marque against Scotland's enemies (notably, England). I doubt the real Barton would have disrespected the Scottish crown by proclaiming himself "king of the sea". So my inclination would be not to use that verse.