English & Other 293. John of Hazelgreen
CONTENTS:
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John of Hazelgreen (Roud 250, Child 293)
A version of this article was published in English Dance and Song volume 67, part 1
The relatively modern language and the notable lack of Scots language in Child's printed versions of this ballad suggest to me that it originated relatively recently in the more anglicised areas of southern Scotland around Edinburgh. It is certainly partially set in and around Edinburgh and wholly set in the 'South Countree', i.e., southern Scotland. Having scoured all of the O.S. maps of southern Scotland, the only surviving placename that comes anything near Hazelgreen is a small village a couple of miles west of Newton Stewart in Galloway called Hazlie Green (O.S. ref NX 387645). This lies only a few miles from Garlies Castle, long time the seat of the Stewarts of Galloway.
Older versions of the ballad imply that John was a younger son (and therefore not likely to inherit the title and lands) of a nobleman who was testing the fidelity of his future daughter-in-law. It was common practice for those sons not directly in line to be given minor titles accrued by earlier marriages in the family, or to prove themselves by being given smaller estates to manage, perhaps in this case Hazelgreen.
In most versions the girl protests that she can not marry the lord's son because she is of a much lower status than him and, while it was not unknown for a young noblemen to court a girl of lower status, it was highly unusual for his parents to approve of their marriage, let alone actually engage in bringing them together; however unequal marriages have long been a staple ingredient of traditional song and poetic licence may have crept in here.
Sir Walter Scott, when he appropriated one of the stanzas for his poem Jock of Hazeldean, set his poem firmly in Northumberland on the estate of the Errington family around Langley Dale not far from Hexham near Hadrian's Wall. Remnants of his Hazel Dean still exist just to the north of the Wall next to Errington Hill Head (O.S. ref NY 959698).
Clues to the date of the event? Well, as I have stated, the language is quite modern; there is no hint of any military action which is highly unusual for any Scots ballad of any antiquity; the lord felt free to wander around the lowlands searching near Edinburgh for his younger son's lover, free to ride into Edinburgh to go shopping, and then to fetch her home to her wedding with her lover.
The history of Scotland is a very violent and bloody one. Since records began the country appears to have been in an almost constant state of conflict, either with England or internally, without taking into account the bloody border frays which gave rise to many of the border ballads. Exceptions seem to have been the last five years of James II's reign and the following six years, c.1455-66. James IV's reign, 1488 -1513 was quite peaceful until the Battle of Flodden shattered the peace. The Union of England and Scotland under James VI saw the start of a more peaceful era, and it is the modern language and the pleasant theme of the ballad that impress me with the idea that, if the ballad is indeed based on real events like many of the other Scots ballads, it is probably set in the seventeenth century.
Professor Child may have had this in mind when he placed the ballad near the end of his collection in the midst of several dubious ballads, despite having included Buchan's version in his 1857 edition along with references to Kinloch's and Chambers' versions, but even then he used the phrase 'not satisfactory' to describe them.
The five versions of the ballad given by Child consist of his A version from Elizabeth Cochrane's songbook of about 1730, B from Kinloch's Ancient Scottish Ballads, 1827, C and E from Kinloch's manuscripts, and D, the rather silly, spurious version concocted by Buchan and rewritten, with bits from other versions, by Chambers.
On the whole the ballad is quite rare in the oral tradition. It has been collected in parts of North America, but all of the versions I have seen could easily derive ultimately from the versions given by Child. Greig collected a fragment in Scotland from Bell Robertson which derives from the spurious Buchan version, but gives no other versions. I strongly suspect that much of Robertson's large repertoire of recited ballads derives from the early nineteenth century published collections.
An interesting version is given in volume two of Andrew Crawfurd's Collection of Ballads and Songs (No.117) collected from Mrs Macqueen in 1827. Unlike the Child versions this has been heavily Scoticised but Crawfurd applied this to all of his ballads. It has lines in common with all of Child's versions but has largely been rewritten, possibly by Crawfurd. It adds nothing to the story in Child's A,B,C and E versions but covers the main points of the story.
The version given here was printed on a broadside by Webb and Millington of Leeds who were printing c.1840-50 and a copy can be found on the Bodleian Library Website, Firth Collection b26 (534). This is the only version I know of on a British broadside. Though scarce in this country, it perhaps is not so unusual that it should turn up in Leeds in the 1840s. A Scotsman having resided in Leeds for some years could easily have come into contact with a local printer or one of his hacks (providers of doggerel verse) and have passed on his part-remembered verses. What is unusual here is that none of them attempted to restore the ballad's rhyme scheme or supply missing lines. Perhaps the printer was aware that antiquarians were even then collecting these ballad sheets and on the lookout for anything unusual.
The only other version I have seen in which John has become Willie comes from New Brunswick, discovered in 1929 (version 27 in Bronson) and this text has many points of similarity with the broadside, both being quite different to other American and Scots versions. It is also significant that there is nothing in either version to suggest that the ballad is set in or came from Scotland. In fact there are points to suggest that the American version may have had an Irish influence.
Some of what I have stated here is pure conjecture and opinion, but if it provokes further discussion and criticism then it has served its purpose, i.e., if anyone can pick out flaws in my thesis please pass them on to the editor as this research is ongoing.
The out of place line that commences stanza five in our broadside version has been invented to explain what is obvious in fuller versions and lacking here.
Hazle Green
As I walked one evening all for to take the air,
I heard a charming fair maid heave a sigh and a tear,
I drew a little nigher to her to hear what she could mean,
And all that she lamented for was Willey of Hazle Green.
What ails you, what ails you, my charming maid, that you mourn so near the tide,
You might be a bed-fellow to either lord or king,
So cheer up your heart, my charming maid, and come along with me,
I'll marry you to my eldest son, and happy you shall be.
When there you will get nothing but mistress or madam,
So cheer up your heart, my charming maid, and come away to him;
For to be called mistress or madam my breeding is so mean,
I'd far rather be a bride to Willey of Hazle Green.
What is he, what is he, this Hazle Green, I wish I could see him,
He is one of the cleverest young men that ever your eyes did see,
His arms long, his shoulders broad, he is fair to be seen,
And his hair hangs down like links of gold, and he's my Hazle Green.
O I am that Hazle's father that's come to look for thee,
He mounted her on a milk-white steed, himself on a silver grey,
And there they rode along the road the length of a long summer's day,
Until they came unto a fine building wherein the young man dwelt,
Outslipt a clever and clean young man, and his name was Hazle Green.
He kiss'd her once, he kiss'd her twice, before he set her down,
And now she is wed to her own true love, sweet Willey of Hazle Green.
Packie Manus Byrne's version of Johnny o' Hazelgreen, recorded by Mike Yates in 1964, is on MT Records' The Birds Upon the Tree CD (MTCD333). Here's his text and, in the notes below, his account of it's provenance:
Johnny o' Hazelgreen
(Roud 250, Child 293)
Packie Manus Byrne
Donegal, though living in Manchester when this was recorded in 1964.
One night as I rode o'er yon lea, with moonlight shining clear;
I overheard a fair young maid, lamenting for her dear.
She did cry as I drew nigh, the better it might have been;
For she was letting the tears roll down, for Johnny o' Hazelgreen.
'What is your trouble, my lovely maid, or what caused you to roam?
Is it your father or mother that's dead, or have you got no home?'
'My parents they are both alive, and plainly to be seen;
But I have lost my own true love, called Johnny o' Hazlegreen.'
'What sort of boy is your Hazelgreen? He's one I do not know.
He must be a braw young lad, because you love him so.'
'His arms are long, his shoulders broad, he's comely to be seen,
And his hair is rolled like chains of gold, he's Johnny o' Hazlegreen.'
'Dry up your tears my lovely maid, and come along with me.
I'll have you wed to my only son, I never had one but he.
Then you might be a bride,' I said, 'to any Lord or King.'
'But I'd far rather be a bride,' said she, 'to Johnny o' Hazlegreen.'
'She got on her milk-white steed, and I got on my bay.
We rode along that moonlight night, and part of the next day.
When we came up to the gate, the bells began to ring.
And who stepped out but the noble knight, they called Johnny o' Hazelgreen.
'You're welcome home, dear father' he said. 'You're welcome home to me.
You've brought me back my fair young maid, I thought I'd never see.'
The smile upon her gentle face, as sweet as grass is green.
So I hope she's enjoying her married life, with Johnny o' Hazlegreen.
Mike Yates writes: When I first got to know Packie he asked me to record some of his whistle tunes so that he could send a tape to a relative in Canada. Accordingly, he came round to my home one evening and we recorded the tunes. I had been reading Evelyn Wells' book The Ballad Tree at the time and, knowing that Packie knew some songs, I followed Evelyn's advice and asked Packie if he knew the one 'about the milk-white steed'. "God, yes." He said. "But I haven't sung that in years." I switched on the tape machine and Packie's sang me a version of Johnny o' Hazelgreen. It was possibly the first version to come from an Irish singer and I was just about knocked out. This is that early recording, and not the one that appeared on Packie's Topic LP Songs of a Donegal Man (12TS257).
Professor Child included five Scottish versions of Johnny o Hazelgreen in his collection, all of which date from the early part of the 19th century and, in the form rewritten by Sir Walter Scott, the ballad has proven especially popular in Scotland. Versions have also turned up in North America. Packie believes that the ballad was taken to Donegal by his grand-uncle, who had learnt it whilst working in Scotland, and who had taught the song to Packie's aunt, 'Big' Bridget Sweeney of Meenagolin, County Donegal, who in turn taught it to Packie.
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Border Notes and Queries.
JOCK O' HAZELDEAN.
In the Border Magazine for December last there was n "query" as to the historical basis of Scott's well-known song, "Jock o' Hazeldean." The following correspondence on the subject, which recently appeared in the "Scotsman" newspaper, may perhaps interest readers of tho Border Magazine :—
April 2, 1907. Sir,—It has sometimes been asked, "Was Jock o' Hazeldean a real flesh and blood man, or merely a character born in the brain of Sir Walter Scott?" I am informed by a trustworthy connection that he was a real man—a miller at Hassendean—Hazeldean. The remains of his mill are still to be seen on the south side of the west end of the Hassendean mill pond, and the late Mr Robert Falla, builder, Hassendean Common, near Lilliesleaf, was his great-grandson. Mr Falla's father's name was John, and most likely he was named after his grandfather, the said Jock. So much for Jock; but who the sorely-tried lady was who "let the tear doon fa' for Jock o' Hazeldean" I do not know, nor can I locate Frank, the chief of Errington and lord of Langleydale, wherever these places were. Perhaps some of your readers, who may have access to parish records, particularly the records of the old church of Hazeldean, if any are still extant, may be able to throw some light on the subject.—I am, &c.,
j. A. a.
The Manse, Tweedsinuir, April 3, 1907. Sir,—Scott never caught the spirit of Scottish song more perfectly than in the above-named lyric, which was first printed in Campbell's "Albyn's Anthology" in 1816. It must not be forgotten, however, that the opening stanza is not Scott's at all, but was transferred from an older ballad, "John (or Sir John) of Hazelgreen," on which the subject of the modern song is unmistakably founded. "Hazelgreen" exists in several copies, of which Professor Child gives at least four. It is extremely unlikely that the incident has any real reference to Hassendean, Scott having merely changed the older Hazelgreen into the more euphonious Hazeldean, a name he had already used in the "Lay" for Hassendean or Halstaneden (probably from halig stan derm, the dean, or wooded dell of the holy stone.)
Tradition may associate a local family with the romance indicated in the song, but of direct evidence there is absolutely none. In one version of "Hazelgreen" the following stanza occurs :—
"He takes this pretty maid him behind,
And fast he spurred his horse,
And they're away to Biggar toun,
Then on to Biggar Cross.
Their lodging was for sought,
And so was it foreseen;
But still she let the tears doun fall
For pleasant Hazelgreen."
Biggar, in Lanarkshire, is certainly a far cry from Hassendean in Teviotdale. Langleydale is quite likely to have been taken from a place of that name in Northumberland, where Scott spent some enjoyable weeks in 1791. There is, I think, an Errington in the same district.—I am, Ac.,
W. S. Crockett.