The Greig-Duncan versions come in under the title Pitgair, 7 versions (A-G), all but the last with tunes. The A version has 2 extra verses, the B version all but the last verse, when comared to the Ord version. (I'll put up the A version later when I've a bit more time later).(And as Malcolm says the McColl trancription has its moments!)

The notes state: "This is [a] Banffshire song, and of comparatively recent date. Pitgair is a farm in the parish of Gamrie, and the characters referred to - the chief ones at least, can be identified. The song, unsurpassed among local pastorals, for simplicity and natural truth, is said to have been written by a man named Shaw, who was long beadle at Alvah and had considerable local reputation as a rhymer and as a character...."(G.Ob 51) ."We do not as a rule set much store by traditions as to authorship.When they merely give us the name of a man otherwise unknown, even should the information be true, we have got vox et praeterea nihil. But Shaw is credited with other local songs, such as [316]"Mrs Greig of Sandlaw" and "Lucky Duff"[373 Brunties]"(G. Folk Songs in Buchan p75)..."It seems that [Shaw] published a booklet of verse. Mr. Ord says he once had a copy, but gave it away, and never got it back. He remembers some of the songs that were in it, and has heard Shaw himself sing some of them; but never "O Charlie, O Charlie", adding, however, that he never heard anyone dispute Shaw's claim to it, and calling attention to the fact that Shaw's own name occurs in the song" (G Ob 102). The "old Andrew Kindness" mentioned in the song is likely to be the man of this name who was sixty-six in 1881. Isabella Gray, also mentioned, was thirty-four in the same year (Cen E.B., Gamrie, 1881). Greig notes at Argo 3.13 that "Spence senior [ie Thomas Spence] knew Shaw etc, Colliehill and A.Kindness".

Mick