House Carpenter- Mace (VA) 1935 Wilkinson MS, Bronson 45
[My title. From Bronson TTCB, III, 1966; No. 45 as taken from Wilkinson's MS., 1935-36, p. 89(C).
Winston Wilkinson worked with Arthur Kyle Davis, Jr. collecting and transcribing ballads, fiddle tunes and songs in the 1930s. "In March of 1934 Davis was able to obtain some funding from the Civil Works Administration, one of the Depression-generated New Deal programs. With that assistance he hired John Stone to collect folksongs and Winston Wilkinson to transcribe music." Wilkinson also contributed his article “Virginia Dance Tunes” to Southern Folklore Quarterly in March 1942. Davis also published More Traditional Ballads of Virginia in 1960 with Winston Wilkinson's transcriptions. Wilkinson also illustrated "Virginia Fiddle Tunes."
R. Matteson 2013]
From: The Virginia Folklore Society: A Retrospective
The Arthur Kyle Davis, Jr. Years: Meetings of the Society were held intermittently between 1924 and 1967, with both the purpose and organization of the Society becoming less clearly defined and apparent. There were periods of intensive collecting, recording and publishing, alternating with intervals of relative inactivity with regard to folklore.
In 1929, Arthur Kyle Davis, Jr. completed his initial work as editor and published 51 ballads collected under the auspices of the Society in Traditional Ballads in Virginia.
In March of 1934 Davis was able to obtain some funding from the Civil Works Administration, one of the Depression-generated New Deal programs. With that assistance he hired John Stone to collect folksongs and Winston Wilkinson to transcribe music. The project only lasted three weeks, but in that short time Stone managed to add another 89 songs to the Society's archive.
House Carpenter [The Daemon Lover] - Sung by R. H. Mace, Grottoes, Va., October 30, 1935. Bronson 45: mode Dorian (inflected III once) "Mr. Mace invariably sang [Bb] after he had got into the song." [Wilkinson's MS. note]
1. Well met, well met, my own true-love,
Well met, well met, says he.
I've lately returned from the salt water sea,
And it's all for the sake of thee.
I've lately returned from the salt water sea,
And it's all for the sake of thee.
2. I once could have married a King's daughter dear,
And he would have agree.
And I refused that crown of sold.
And it's all for the love of thee.
3. lf you could have married a king's daughter dear,
I'm sure you are to blame.
I've lately been married to a house carpenter,
And I think he's a nice young man.
4. Won't you forsaken your house carpenter
And go along with me?
I'll take you where the grass grows green
On the banks of the salt water sea.
5 She picked all up her sweet little babe,
And kisses she gave it three,
Stay at home, stay at home, with your papa dear
And keep him company.
6 Oh they hadn't been sailing but about three weeks,
Not more than four I know.
Until this lady she began to weep,
And she wept most bitterly.
7. Are you weeping for the gold I have?
Are you weeping for my store?
Are you weeping for your house carpenter,
That you'll never get to see no more?
8. Oh I'm not weeping for the gold you have,
Neither weeping for your store,
But I am weeping for my sweet little babe
That I'll never get to see no more.
9 They hadn't been sailing but about three weeks,
Not more than four I know.
Until there sprang a leak in the bottom of the ship,
And she sank for to rise no more.