George Collins- Gardiner Collection (England) 1909
[These English versions are directly related to the Johnny Collins versions found in the US (See Bayard's The "Johnny Collins" Version of Lady Alice article) in Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The US titles are also "John Collins" or "Young Collins." These are not to be confused with a different unrelated English song titled, "Young Collins."
R. Matteson 2012]
[Songs Collected by George B. Gardiner]
by George B. Gardiner, J. A. Fuller-Maitland, A. G. Gilchrist, Frank Kidson, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Lucy E. Broadwood and Cecil J. Sharp
Journal of the Folk-Song Society, Vol. 3, No. 13 (Jun., 1909), pp. 249-317
37.-GEORGE COLLINS
FIRST VERSION
Noted by J. F. Guyer, L. R. A. M., Southampton, Sept. 27th, 1906.
SUNG BY MR. HENRY GAYLOR (AET. 76), MINSTEAD, NEW FOREST, HANTS.
George Collins walked out one May morning
When may was all in bloom.
'Twas then he beheld a fair, pretty maid,
She was washing her marble stone.
She whooped, she holloed, she highered her voice
And she held up her lily-white hand.
"Come hither to me, George Collins," said she,
"For thy life shall not last you long."
George Collins rode home to his father's own gate,
And loudly he did ring.
Come, rise, my dear father, and let me in,
Come, rise, my dear mother, and make my bed.
. . . . .
. . . . .
All for to trouble my dear sister
For a napkin to bind round my head.
For, if I chance to die this night,
As I suppose I shall,
Bury me under that marble stone
That's against fair Helen's hall."
Fair Helen doth sit in her room so fine,
Working her silken skein;
Then she saw the finest corpse a-coming
As ever the sun shined on.
She said unto her Irish maid:
"Whose corpse is this so fine?"
This is George Collins' corpse a-coming,
That once was a true lover of thine."
"You go upstairs and fetch me the sheet
That's wove with a silver twine
And hang that over George Collins' head,
To-morrow it shall hang over mine."
This news was carried to fair London town,
And wrote all on fair London gate;
Six pretty maids died all of one night,
And all for George Collins' sake.
The following additional text was noted from Mr. Philip Gaylor, also of Minstead.
George Collins walked out one May morning,
When may was all in bloom,
And there he beheld a fair pretty maid,
She was washing her marble stone.
She whooped, she holloed, she highered her voice,
And held up her lily-white hand,
"Come hither to me, George Collins," said she,
"And thy life shall not last thee long."
He put his foot to the broad water side,
And over the lea sprung he,
He embraced her around her middle so small,
And kissed her red, rosy cheeks.
George Collins rode home to his father's own gate
And loudly did he ring.
. . . .
. . . .
"Arise, my dear father, and let me in,
Arise, my dear mother, and make my bed,
Arise, my dear sister, and get me a napkin,
A napkin to bind round my head.
For, if I should chance to die this night,
As I suppose I shall,
You bury me under the marble stone,
That joins the fair Eleanor's hall."
Fair Eleanor sat in her room so fine,
A-working the silver twine,
She saw the fairest corpse a-coming
As ever the sun shone on.
She said unto her servant maid,
Whose corpse is this so fine?"
"This is George Collins' corpse a-coming,
And an old true lovyer of thine."
"Come, put him down, my six pretty lads,
And open his coffin so fine;
That I might kiss his lily-white lips,
For ten thousand times he has kissed mine."
Those news was carried to London town
And wrote on London gate,
That six pretty maidens died all of that night,
And all for George Collins' sake.
SECOND VERSION. [I've added the complete text for this version, not published in this article.]
Noted by J. F. Guyer, L.R.A.M., July 16th, 1906. SUNG BY MR. GEORGE BLAKE (AET. 78),
MIXOLYDIAN ST. DENYS, SOUTHAMPTON.
George Collins walked out one May morning,
When may was all in bloom,
There he espied a fair pretty maid
A - washing her marble stone.
[She whooped, she holloaed, she highered her voice,
And held up her lily-white hand,
"Come hither to me, George Collins," said she,
"For thy life shall not last you long."
George Collins rode home to his father's own gate
And loudly did he ring.
Come rise, my dear father and let me in,
. . . .
Come rise, my dear mother, and make my bed,
All to trouble my dear sister,
For a napkin to bind round my head.
For if I should chance to die this night,
As I suppose I shall,
Bury me under the marble stone,
That's against fair Eleanor's hall."
Fair Eleanor doth sit in her room so fine,
Working the siken skein,
When she saw the fairest corpse a-coming
As ever the sun shone on.
She said unto her Irish maid,
Whose corpse is this so fine?"
"This is George Collins' corpse a-coming,
That once was a true lover of thine."
"You put him down, my pretty fair maids,
And open his coffin so fine;
That I might kiss his lily-white cheek,
For ten thousand times he have kissed mine."
You go upstairs and fetch me the sheet,
That's wove with a silver twine.
And hang that over George Collin's head,
For tomorrow it will hang over mine.
This news was carried to fair London town
And wrote all on fair London's gate,
Six pretty maidens died all of that night,
And all for George Collins' sake.]
THIRD VERSION [Listed as a fragment; text is missing]
Noted by J. F. Guiyer, L.R.A.M., Southampton, Sept. 27th, 1906.
SUNG BY MR. HENRY STANSBRIDGE (AET. 58), LYNDHURST, HANTS.
George Collins walked out one May morning,
When may was all in bloom,
There he espied a fair pretty maid
A-washing her marble stone.
Conmpare the text with that of "Lady Alice," No. 85 in Child's English and Scottish Popular Ballads. The three tunes are distinct.- G. B. G.
Cf. the tune of the first version with "Giles Collins" in Miss Mason's Nursery Rhymes, and for another version of the words, see Halliwell's Nursery Rhymes. In the latter form of the ballad there is a pretty variation of the rose and briar incident:
There grew a lily from Giles Collins
That touched Lady Anna's breast.
But the lily was cut in twain by a "cold north-easterly wind," and perished, never to re-appear.- A. G. G.
There is in the British Museum Library a sheet-song [in G, 308] called "Giles Collins." It is directed to be sung "in a crying style" and was sung by Mr. Needham. It is evidently a parody of " Lord Thomas and Fair Eleanor" and was published by Skillern about I778 or I780. It begins:
Giles Collins he came to bis own father's gate
Where he so oft had been- a,
But who should come down but his own mother dear
For to let Giles Collins in- a.
Oh, for to let Giles Collins in.
F. K.
Tunes Nos. 1 and 2 are very favourite ballad-airs, and are used more especially for "The Outlandish Knight," "Lord Lovel," "Giles Collins," and "Lord Thomas and Fair Elinor." Tune No. 3 is a variant of that to "The Wealthy Farmer's Son" in English Traditional Songs and Carols.- L. E. B.