Lyr Add: Silk Merchant's Daughter 2

Subject: Lyr Add: THE SILK MERCHANT'S DAUGHTER
From: Stewie
Date: 23 Mar 03 - 12:29 AM

The resurrection of the 'Jackie Munroe' thread reminded me that I intended to transcribe this version of 'The Silk Merchant's Daughter'. I reckon it is sufficiently different from the one in the DT as to justify its posting. Like versions of 'Jackie Munroe', 'Jackie Fraisure' etc, it has the damsel dressing as a sailor. In the DT version of 'Silk Merchant's Daughter', it seems she disguises herself as a 'rich merchant'. This version comes from Pete Nalder. The basic story is the same, complete with incipient cannibalism; it unfolds with the melodramatic flourish of a silent movie which complements Nalder's deadpan delivery admirably [juxtaposed with jaunty banjo from Dick Preston].

THE SILK MERCHANT'S DAUGHTER

A silk merchant's daughter in London did dwell
For wit and for beauty none could her excel
She loved her young sailor as I have heard say
And her cruel old father forced this young man away

This lady being fill-ed with the greatest content
To follow the young man it was her intent
She dressed herself up in sailors' attire
And for her true lover began to inquire

And as she was a-walking down St Stephen's Street
Her own true lover she chanced to meet
'What cheer from the ship, mate, come tell unto me?'
'I am bound for New England, New England', said he

'I am a young sailor if you wants a hand
'And for my passage I'll do what I can'
All things being got ready next morning to sail
When the wind blew north-west, boys, and it blew a fine gale

The ship being loaded and ready for sea
We sailed away with a fair, pretty breeze
And as we was a-sailing with our hearts in content
Our ship sprung a leak and to the bottom she went

Full fourteen brave seamen got in the long boat
And there on the ocean we all went afloat
Provisions being short and death drawing nigh
We all did cast lots to see which'd die

This innocent virgin the shortest lot drew
And she was to die and to feed the ship's crew
Then we drew lots amongst us, you quickly shall hear
And it fell to this young man to murder his dear

'Stop your hand, stop your hand', the fair damsel she cried
'How can you kill a poor innocent maid?
'I'm the silk merchant's daughter, from London I be
'Now you see what I'm come to by the loving of thee'

Oh then the hot colour flew into his face
With his eyes full of tears and his heart like to break
The heart in his bosom was ready to burst
'Oh, now to preserve you, I will die first'

'Be quick', said the captain, 'let the business be done'
But before the blow struck him, we all heard a gun
'Stop your hand, oh stop your hand', the captain he cried
There's some ship or harbour a-standing nearby'

As we were a-sailing on a sweet, pleasant tide
We came to some harbour close by the seaside
Said she, 'Brother shipmates, I bid you adieu
That I have proved loyal, you very well know'

Now this couple got married as I've heard them say
The bells they did ring and the music did play
The birds made the valleys to echo and ring
The young men did dance and the maidens did sing

Source: transcription from Pete Nalder 'Narsty Tales' Folksound LP FS 101 A/B [1975].

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Silk Merchant's Daughter 2
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 23 Mar 03 - 05:07 AM

Did he say where he got it? It appears to be the set that appeared in Frank Purslow's The Constant Lovers (EFDS 1972). That text was collated from several versions found in tradition by Dr George Gardiner and the Hammond brothers, set to a tune from Robert Barratt of Piddletown in Dorset (1905) who had only some of the verses.

If that's the case, Pete Nalder has changed it only a very little; though verse 1, line 1 ought to be: "This lady being filled with a great discontent", and verse 2, line 3: "What cheer, brother shipmate? Come tell unto me."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Silk Merchant's Daughter 2
From: Stewie
Date: 23 Mar 03 - 05:52 PM

Malcolm

You are spot on there! There was no source given on the LP sleeve. It would have saved me some trouble if there had been because I could have taken 'Constant Lovers' off the shelf next to me. I did not think to look there.

The Nalder text is exactly the same as that in 'Constant Lovers'. I originally had 'brother shipmate' in the third stanza, particularly as the phrase occurs again in the penultimate stanza, but after a several listens I decided he wasn't singing that - and because of his slurring it still sounds more like what I finally decided upon. As you say, it should be 'with a great discontent' in the second stanza; that was simply sloppy listening on my part.

Thus, the source reference is:   'The Constant Lovers: More English Folk Songs from the Hammond & Gardiner Mss' Selected and Edited by Frank Purslow, EFDS Publications Ltd 1972, p 91, with notes on pp 138-39. Purslow notes that the tune is used occasionally for other songs, particularly 'The Bold "Princess Royal"'.

Thanks, Stewie.