Bonny Keel Laddie

Subject: Bonny Keel Laddie
From: GUEST,Jim Clark aka acoustcarchive channel at yout
Date: 22 Feb 12 - 11:23 AM

I am just about to upload another Northumbrian "Geordie" traditional song performed by Mike Wildes from my video archive to my acoustcarchive youtube channel and I am hoping again a mudcatter can explain the meaning of "Keel" in the Keel Laddie does it refer to a sailor or a docker ?

Thanks,and Heres hoping for an answer to a mystery that has eluded me ever since I recorded Mike in 1997.

If anybody knows any specific information about this songs origins I would love to know that to.

Thanks again

Bonny Keel Laddie performed buy Mike Wildes

Subject: RE: Bonny Keel Laddie
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 22 Feb 12 - 07:06 PM

The keelmen were boatsmen. They took their name from the boats, which were called keels, used to carry coal.


Haven't time to check the song origin at the moment.


Mick

Subject: RE: Bonny Keel Laddie
From: GUEST,Jim Clark aka acoustcarchive channelatyoutub
Date: 23 Feb 12 - 02:04 AM

Thanks Mick I hope you may be able to unearth some more info about this song when you have time,meanwhile I will add this bit of info to the notes to my video on youtube

Subject: RE: Bonny Keel Laddie
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 23 Feb 12 - 09:17 AM

The earliest (dated) print reference I can find is I think in Bell's Rhyme's of the Northern Bards (1812), though the song appeared in many collections from then on. Here's an example from the 1840's in the Farne Archive printed by Ross in his Songs of the Tyne series (ca1846) Bonnie Keel Laddie. The song is #9021 in Roud's index.

The song is related to The Bonny/Canny Pit Laddie. You can see an example in the Farne Archive: The Canny Pit Lad (ca1812 also), starting:


  The Bonny Pit laddie, the canny Pit laddie,
  The Bonny pit laddie for me, O!
  He sits in his hole as black as the coal,
  And brings the white Siller to me, O!.



Compare this with the Bonnie Keel Laddie:


My bonny keel laddie, my canny keel laddie,
My bonny keel laddie for me O!
He sits in his keel as black as the deil,
And he brings back the white money to me O.



Mick

Subject: RE: Bonny Keel Laddie
From: GUEST,Northerner
Date: 23 Feb 12 - 09:46 AM

The title of the song on the clip is The Sandgate Lass on the Ropery Banks, not the Bonnie Keel Laddie. At work at the moment and can't remember who wrote it.

Subject: RE: Bonny Keel Laddie
From: GUEST,Notherner
Date: 23 Feb 12 - 09:50 AM

Me again, there is already thread on this song - written by Robert Nunn.

Subject: RE: Bonny Keel Laddie
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 23 Feb 12 - 11:22 AM

Silly me - hadn't thought to look at the clip; I just assumed he'd given the correct title. As Guest, Northerner says, the song on youtube is Robert Nunn's The Sandgate Lass on the Ropery Banks. The singer obviously was confused by the last line of the chorus My bonnie keel laddie for me.

There have been a few threads on the song here, the most significant is: Lyr Add: Sandgate Lass on the Ropery Banks (Nunn).

The song was published in Stokoe & Reaey's Songs of Northern England (1893), but had appeared on sheets before that, from the first half of the century. A sheet can be seen in the Farne Archive, No.10 in Ross's Songs of the Tyne series: Sandgate Lass On The Ropery Banks.

Mick

Subject: RE: Bonny Keel Laddie
From: GUEST,Jim Clark aka acoustcarchive channel at yout
Date: 28 Feb 12 - 01:26 AM

Thanks everyone your info is much appreciated