Dear Art,

Well may you question the wording in Lord Bateman. In truth, the villain was both a Turk and a Turkey.

Turkish was his nationality or, at least ethnicity, but he was a Turkey as well for messing with our hero.

Professor Child, as I recall, thought the ballad to be based on the life of the father of Thomas a Becket. I would dig out more detail but, since I found out what my humble Dover reprints of the Child ballad collection are worth, I've been keeping them in the vault.

All the best,
Dan