> If anyone knows any additional versions of this variant type of Child B please post them.

If you're interested in British Isles versions, there are, for example:

Jessie Murray, recorded at the Edinburgh People's Festival Ceilidh, 1951 (my transcription from the CD "1951 People's Festival Ceilidh", Rounder CD 1786):

1. In Scotland I was born and bred,
In Scotland I was dwelling;
I fell in love with a pretty fair maid,
And her name was Barbara Allen.

2. I courted her for seven long year,
Till I could court no longer;
I fell sick and very sick,
And I sent for Barbara Allen.

3. Barbrie Allen she was set for
To the house where she was dwelling,
And as she drew the curtain back,
"Young man, I think you're dying."

4. "Dying, dear, what do you mean?
One kiss from you will cure me."
"One kiss from me you never shall have,
Though you're dying, dying, dying."

5. He turned his face back to the wa'
And his back tae Barbara Allen:
"Adieu, adieu, my kind friends a',
But be kind to Barbara Allen."

6. "O mother dear, you'll make my bed,
And make it long and narrow;
Since my true lover has died for me,
I will die for him tomorrow."


Lucy Stewart, recorded by Kenneth Goldstein in Aberdeenshire about 1960 (my transcription from the Smithsonian Folkways CD "Lucy Stewart: Traditional Singer from Aberdeenshire, Vol. 1, Child Ballads", FW03519 / FG 3519):

1. In London town where I was born
A young man there was dwelling, O;
He courted a fair young maid,
Whose name was Barbary Allen, O,
Whose name was Barbary Allen, O.

2. He courted her for seven lang years
Till couldnae court her langer, O;
Till he fell sick and very ill,
And he sent for Barbary Allen, O,
He sent for Barbary Allen, O.

3. It's slowly she put on her clothes,
And slowly she came walking, O;
And when she came to his bedside,
"Young man," she says, "you're dying, O,
Young man," she says, "you're dying, O."

4. "O dying, O, I canna be;
One kiss from you would cure me, O."
"One kiss from me you shall not get,
Young man, though you are dying, O,
Young man, though you are dying, O."

5. "O it's look you up at my bed heid,
And see fit you see hinging, O:
A guinea-gold watch and a silver chain,
Gie that tae Barbary Allen, O,
Gie that tae Babie Allen, O,

6. "O look you doun at my bedside,
And see fit you see sitting, O:
A china basin full o tears
That I shed for Barbary Allen, O,
That I shed for Barbary Allen, O."

7. O she hadnae been a mile out o toun
Till she heard the dead bells tolling, O;
And every toll it seemed to say:
"Hard-herted Barbary Allen, O,
Hard-herted Barbary Allen, O."

8. "O mother dear, make me my bed,
And make it long and narrow, O;
My sweetheart died for me today,
But I'll die for him tomorrow, O,
I'll die for him tomorrow, O."


Jimmy Stewart, recorded by Jean Ritchie, Forfar, Angus (Bronson 84.56). Begins:

1. (In) London I was bred and born,
(In) Scotland was my dwellin, O,
I fell in love with a nice young girl
And her name was Barbru Allan, O,
And her name was Barbru Allan, O.

2. I courted her for seven long years;
I could nae court her langer, O,
But I fell sick and very ill
And I sent for Barbru Allan, O,
And I sent for Barbru Allan, O.

Bronson also gives two stanzas (84.94) from Kidson, from Northallerton, Yorkshire:

In Scotland I was born and bred,
O, there it was my dwelling;
I courted there a pretty maid,
O, her name was Barbara Allen.

I courted her in summer time,
I courted her in winter;
For six long years I courted her,
A-thinking I should win her.

and another (84.12) from Cecil Sharp's MSS, recorded 1906 from Jim and Francis Gray, Enmore, (Somerset),which begins:

In Scotland I was born and bred,
In Scotland I was dwelling,
When I young man on his death-bed lay
For the sake of barb'rous Ellen.

This one includes the legacies: gold watch with gold ring and gold chains, basin of blood.

(There may be more examples in Bronson. I've just have the one-volume abridged version.)

I've also come across a version described as being collected from the Brazil family of Gloucester in the 1960s at http://www.springthyme.co.uk/brazil/BarbaryAllen.html . Opening stanza:

In Scotland I was born and bred,
In Scotland was my dwelling;
Till I fell a-courting a pretty maid,
Her name was Barbary Allen.

No stanza about courting for years but there is one where he leaves his cows to her, and also the more normal legacies: gold watch and chain, basin of blood.