Origins: Lowlands of Holland in Suffolk

Subject: Origins: Lowlands of Holland in Suffolk
From: Reinhard
Date: 19 Jul 24 - 04:05 PM

I've been asked per Email about the Wikipedia entry for Lowlands of Holland stating the following without giving any source:

"A lesser known version of the song, originating from Suffolk and probably a local adaptation, dates to the era of the Seven Years' War, fought in the Low Countries and Prussia/Silesia in the mid-eighteenth century. In this version the singer's love who is leaving is a soldier rather than a sailor; and one of the verses refers to his participation in the Battle of Minden in 1759. At this battle various British regiments advanced to meet the enemy. It is said that as they echeloned forward, the soldiers plucked wild roses from the hedgerows, and wore them in their hats, as the flowers reminded them of home.

The relevant verse of the song runs:

    My love across the ocean
    Wears a scarlet coat so fair,
    With a musket at his shoulder
    And roses in his hair."

Does anyone knows about this version of Lowlands of Holland from Suffolk? I searched the Roud Index for Roud 484 and England but all 130 results seem to be from places not in Suffolk (but maybe I have overlooked something?)

John Smith sings this version of Lowlands of Holland on his 2018 album Hummingbird. The album's booklet has the verses but gives no source or other background information.

A 2016 blog article from Patrick Comerford says essentially the same as Wikipedia; I do not know which of them quoted the other.

Subject: RE: Origins: Lowlands of Holland in Suffolk
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 22 Jul 24 - 05:09 PM

Even 18th century versions seem to vary quite a lot. If you can post the full text I can check it with the broadsides. I can't find any East Anglian versions at all.

Subject: RE: Origins: Lowlands of Holland in Suffolk
From: The Sandman
Date: 22 Jul 24 - 06:19 PM

never heard of any versions,I used to live there in the 80s and met a number of traditional singers, i think it is unlikrly, but I could be wrong

Subject: RE: Origins: Lowlands of Holland in Suffolk
From: Reinhard
Date: 23 Jul 24 - 03:49 AM

The cited passage is Wikipedia was added by an anonymous user in February 2015.

I've been told that John Smith said when questioned: "I think some of it was from a Carthy live recording, and some of it I ad-libbed. That’s the beauty of traditional song!" This may have been selective memory as the lines in question are exactly as in Wikipedia so I'd assume he got them from there.


LOWLANDS OF HOLLAND
as recorded by John Smith

The night that we were married and laid upon our bed
A man came to my chamber and stood at my bedhead,
Said, “Up, arise young married man and come along with me
To the lowlands of Holland to fight your enemy.”

Well I held my love all in my arms thinking he might stay;
But the captain gave an order and he was forced to march away,
Said, “There’s many young married men this night must go with me
To the lowlands of Holland, to fight the enemy.”

My love across the ocean wears a scarlet coat so fair,
With a musket at his shoulder and roses in his hair.
There’s men enough in this old town but no men do I see
For I’ve never had but one true love and he was pressed from me.

The love that I have chosen was to my heart’s content,
The salt sea shall be frozen before that I repent.
Repent it I shall never until the day I die
For the lowlands of Holland have parted my love and I.

Subject: RE: Origins: Lowlands of Holland in Suffolk
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 23 Jul 24 - 12:41 PM

I have no record of this version anywhere, or indeed anything like the 3rd stanza. The 4th stanza is almost verbatim the first stanza in Johnson & Burns Scottish Musical Museum 1787-1803 which Burns could well have had a hand in.

Stanza 3 the first 2 lines occur nowhere else and sound pretty daft anyway. The third line occurs in a different form in other versions and the 4th line is common to most versions. The fact that no ships are mentioned presume he is being dragooned into the army, whereas all other traditional and broadside versions mention being pressed by a sea captain.

However there is good evidence that the ballad has been rewritten several times. Logan in his Pedlar's Pack gives a long version with only the first stanza traditional and this came from a newspaper of 1859.

Subject: RE: Origins: Lowlands of Holland in Suffolk
From: GUEST,Julia L
Date: 29 Jul 24 - 08:45 AM

Interesting variations in Maine
We have one here with a chorus noted by Roland Palmer Gray in Songs & Ballads Of The Maine Lumberjacks, Lowlands Low
Sung by Murray, in Holden, Maine, 1914

"My curse rest on that captain
That parted my love and me."

This one from Fanny Hardy Eckstorm's Minstrelsy of Maine- 1927
JOHN ROSS By Dan Golden

O, the night that I was married, O,
And laid on marriage bed,
Up rose John Ross and Cyrus Hewes
And stood at my bedhead

Saying Arise you married man
And come along with me
To the lonesome hills of Suncook
To swamp them logs for me

(John Ross was a lumber boss from Bangor, ME)

Also found this
Phillips Barry folder #1 Mrs. Lewis Pierce Songbook 1845 (Bangor ME)

Lowlands of Holland
I had scarce got into my bed, I scarce had got to sleep
?Before a noble chieftain came and stood at my bed feet?
Saying, "Arise my noble warrior and go along with me?
Into the lowlands of Holland to fight for Germany"

A fine ship prepared, a fine ship for the sea?
And four and twenty mariners to bear the ship away?
This ship it sailed for Holland and I have heard some say?
In the lowlands of Holland this ship was cast away

"No clothing on my back shall go, no comb go through my hair?
No candlelight nor fire bright shall enter here?
Nor neither will I married be until the day I die?
Since the lowland of Holland parted my love and I"

Her mother said dear daughter, why do you thus lament
?Is there not lords enough in Galloway to give your heart content?"?
"I know there's lords in Galloway, but there is none for me?
For I never had but one and he is drowned in the sea."

He is drowned in the salt sea, and left me here to mourn
It's enough to break a fair maid's heart, who's so lately been a bride
A bride, a bride, a bonny bride
In the lowlands of Holland, my love lies dead and cold.

I was interested in the reference to a "chieftain" rather than a "captain".

David Herd's Scots songs 1776 page 2
has a reference to Galloway in the last verse

O had your tongue my daughter dear, be still and be content,
There are mair lads in Galloway, ye neednae fair lament;
O ! there is nane in Galloway, there's nane at a' for me.
For I never loved a love but ane, and he's drown'd in the sea.

As far as antiquity goes, you probably know "The Seaman's Sorrowful Bride" 1684 broadside Roxburghe Ballads
"But Hollands Land doth me withstand,
and part my Love and I"

Subject: RE: Origins: Lowlands of Holland in Suffolk
From: The Sandman
Date: 02 Aug 24 - 09:53 PM

Guest julal re your post amd ms pearce songbook 1845
Germany came into existence in 1871
Germany was a conglomeration of many kingdoms and empires but was often referred to as Germania, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Franks. It was also previously known as Prussia.