The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #15567 Message #3649356
Posted By: GUEST
08-Aug-14 - 09:12 AM
Thread Name: Origins: Bonny Portmore
Subject: RE: Origins: Bonny Portmore
I was reading through the threads on Bonny Portmore at mudcat to try to track down some reference books. With further Internet search, I ran across a couple of interesting references that I don't think were mentioned in the posts at mudcat.
One post is at http://www.glenavyhistory.com/ballinderry_UpperSchool.html
It gives an extract from the Ballinderry Parish Magazine dated February 1909. There are three verses listed from Miss Mackinnon, Falkirk. They seem very similar to the Francis Joseph Bigger version mentioned above. It also mentions the lines are "An old traditional song of Ballinderry".
Another post is at
http://anextractofreflection.blogspot.com/2012/10/historical-notices-of-old-belfast-and_11.html
It says:
'Henry Bell, The Grove Cottage, Lambeg, published in 1653 a little volume of thirty pages on Ram's Island and vicinity. It contains a few poems and notes, and the music of the old Irish air "Bonny Portmore."'
If the 1653 date is right and it's the same song, that would make it earlier than Buntings version in 1840. According to Jon Barlett's post at mudcat, the great oak was taken down in 1760 which is after the 1653 date. However, there's no mention of an ornament tree in the Ballinderry Parish Magazine version. Might also be possible that the song was around longer and the lyrics came later. It would be interesting to find out if the song could date back before the tree and if it was revised for the event or if the reference mentioned for 1653 was a wild goose chase.
Wish there was more information. If anyone runs across any further background on how the lyrics may have developed over the years, I'd be very curious to hear about it. Thanks.