No. 259: Lord Thomas Stuart
[There are no known US or Canadian traditional versions of this ballad.]
CONTENTS:
1. Child's Narrative
2. Footnotes (There are no footnotes for this ballad)
3. Brief (Kittredge)
4. Child's Ballad Texts A a (Sharpe's text (designated A b) was added in Additions and Corrections. Changes for A b text appear in Additions and Corrections.)
5. Additions and Corrections
ATTACHED PAGES (see left hand column):
1. Recordings & Info: 259. Lord Thomas Stuart
A. Roud No. 4024: Lord Thomas Stuart (5 Listings)
2. Sheet Music: 259. Lord Thomas Stuart (including Bronson's music examples and texts)
3. English and Other Versions (Including Child versions A a- A b)
Child's Narrative: 259. Lord Thomas Stuart
A. a. 'Lord Thomas Stuart,' Maidment's North Countrie Garland, p. 1.
b. Manuscript of Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, and in "North Country Ballads," Miscellanea Curiosa, Abbotsford Library
Lord Thomas Stuart has married a young countess, and has given her Strathbogie and Aboyne for a morning-gift. The lady has a desire to see these places. As they are on their way thither (from Edinburgh), her husband is attacked with a pain which obliges him to turn back; he tells her to ride on, and she seems so to do. The pain proves to be beyond the skill of leeches. Lord Thomas begs his father to see that his wife gets what he has given her. He dies; the horses turn wild in the stables, the hounds howl on the leash. Lady Stuart has the usual dream (No 74, A 8, B 11, etc.). She comes back wringing her hands; she knows by the horses that are standing about the house that the burial is preparing.
Brief Description by George Lyman Kittredge
Lord Thomas Stuart has married a young countess, and has given her Strathbegie and Aboyne for a morning-gift. The lady has a desire to see these places. As they are on their way thither (from Edinburgh), her husband is attacked with a pain which obliges him to turn back; he tells her to ride on, and she seems so to do. The pain proves to be beyond the skill of leeches. Lord Thomas begs his father to see that his wife gets what he has given her. He dies; the horses turn wild in the stables, the hounds howl on the leash. Lady Stuart has the usual dream (No, 74, A 8, B 11, etc.). She comes back wringing her hands; she knows by the horses that are standing about the house that the burial is preparing.
Child's Ballad Text
'Lord Thomas Stuart'- Version A; Child 259 Lord Thomas Stuart
Maidment's North Countrie Garland, p. 1.
1 Thomas Stuart was a lord,
A lord of mickle land;
He used to wear a coat of gold,
But now his grave is green.
2 Now he has wooed the young countess,
The Countess of Balquhin,
An given her for a morning-gift
Strathboggie and Aboyne.
3 But women's wit is aye willful,
Alas that ever it was sae!
She longed to see the morning-gift
That her gude lord to her gae.
4 When steeds were saddled an weel bridled,
An ready for to ride,
There came a pain on that gude lord,
His back, likewise his side.
5 He said, Ride on, my lady fair,
May goodness be your guide!
For I'm sae sick and weary that
No farther can I ride.
6 Now ben did come his father dear,
Wearing a golden band;
Says, Is there nae leech in Edinburgh
Can cure my son from wrang?
7 'O leech is come, an leech is gane,
Yet, father, I'm aye waur;
There's not a leech in Edinbro
Can death from me debar.
8 'But be a friend to my wife, father,
Restore to her her own;
Restore to her my morning-gift,
Strathboggie and Aboyne.
9 'It had been gude for my wife, father,
To me she'd born a son;
He would have got my land an rents,
Where they lie out an in.
10 'It had been gude for my wife, father,
To me she'd born an heir;
He would have got my lands an rents,
Where they lie fine and fair.'
11 The steeds they strave into their stables,
The boys could'nt get them bound;
The hounds lay howling on the leech,
Cause their master was behind.
12 'I dreamed a dream since late yestreen,
I wish it may be good,
That our chamber was full of swine,
An our bed full of blood.'
13 I saw a woman come from the West,
Full sore wringing her hands,
And aye she cried, Ohon, alas!
My good lord's broken bands.
14 As she came by my good lord's bower,
Saw mony black steeds an brown:
'I'm feared it be mony unco lords
Havin my love from town!'
15 As she came by my gude lord's bower,
Saw mony black steeds an grey:
'I'm feared it's mony unco lords
Havin my love to the clay!'
Additions and Corrections
P. 425. Found in a Manuscript of Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, and in "North Country Ballads," Miscellanea Curiosa, Abbotsford Library, which is another copy of the same pieces.
Sharpe, p. 5.
11. Thomas Steuart he.
12. mukle mean (an erasure before mean).
13. the coat.
31. women's wits is.
41. steeds was.
53. so sick.
61. no leech.
71. leeches is come and leeches is gone.
72. I am.
93. lands and.
103. got all my lands.
111. in their.
112. could not.
113. leesh.
133. And as.
143. I fear it may be mony unco lord.
144. from the.
153. I fear it is mony unco lord.
With variations of spelling not noted.
Scott (as above, except) 12. mickle land: land was perhaps the word which is blotted out in Sharpe.
31. women's.