Hi,

I'd like to give some final thoughts to a specific variant of Child B, the English broadside of which several variants were mentioned in earlier posts of this thread. It begins:


    In [usually "London"] town, there I was born,

with a second line:

    That's where I got my learning,

or

    [In Scotland was my] dwelling
also
    [there was a fair maid] dwelling.

The second stanza invariably begins:

    I courted her for [seven long years or some period of time]

A note or letter may be sent to Barbra and delivered by his servant or man and she may write back to him before she goes to see him.

Some versions from the British Isles, for example, Granger's 1906, "Barbara Hellen" and Kidson's 1891, "Barbara Allen" (Wardhill), both have Scotland in the first two lines. The Wardhill version begins:

    In Reading town, there I was born,
    In Scotland was my dwelling;
    O, there I courted a pretty fair maid,
    Her name was Barbara Allen.
   
    I courted her for months and years,
    Thinking that I should gain her;
    And I oft times vowed and did declare
    No other man should have her. [Wardhill, 1891]


Sam Harmon's version (North Carolina then Tennessee, supplied by his daughter and also his wife) is very old and may be dated back through family lines to Virginia in the late 1600s:

1. Away down South where I came from
Is where I got my learning.
I fell in love with a pretty little miss,
And her name is Barbery Ellen.

2. I courted her for seven years,
And I asked her if she would marry.
With a bowed down head and a sweet little smile,
She never made no answer. [Sam Harmon pre 1928]

Carl Sandburg's version published in 1927 was collected by Robert Gordon:

1 In London City where I once did dwell,
there's where I got my learning,
I fell in love with a pretty young girl,
her name was Barbra Allen.

2 I courted her six months or more.
Was about to gain her favor;
'Oh wait! oh wait, oh wait!' she said.
'Some young man's gained my favor.'

Edith Fowke collected this version from LaRena Clark in Ontario:

1. In London city where I was born,
There was a fair maid dwelling,
And she had every youthful grace;
Her name was Barb'ra Allen.

2. "I courted her for four long years;
She swore she would not have me.
Then straightway home as I could go,
And like unto a-dying."

Geneva Anderson's F. Version titled "Hard-hearted Barbery Allen" was collected from Mrs. Flora Havens of Binfield, Blount County, Tennessee before 1931:

1. Away low down in London town,
In which three maids were dwelling.
There was but one I call my own,
And that was Barbery Allen.

2. I courted her for seven long years
She said she would not have me,
Poor Willie went home and took sick
And there he lay a-dying."

This country style version was collected from Melvin Winkle in Missouri by Max Hunter in 1969:

1. In London city where I once did dwell
That's where I got my learnin'
I fell in love with a pretty young girl
And her name was Barbra Allen.

2. I courted her fer seven long years
She said, she would not have me,
Straight away home as I could go
And I likened unto dyin'.

If anyone knows any additional versions of this variant type of Child B please post them. I have these additional versions in my collection: Davis C,D,E,I,T,X,Z; Parler C, and Morris C. Comments are welcome. Could this predate the broadside of circa 1690?

Richie