Katherine Jaffray- Osborne (NS) pre1950 Creighton A
[Creighton's title. From Traditional Songs from Nova Scotia, by Creighton and Senior, 1950. Compare this to Creighton's version by Henneberry, and the B version, all from Nova Scotia, all based on the broadside, Squire of Edinburgh. Clearly this is not a local title; the local title should be something like: A Farmer Lived in the East.
R. Matteson 2013, 2016]
A. Katherine Jaffray- Sung by Thomas Osborne of South East passage, NS; pre1950- Creighton A.
1. There was a farmer lived in the east,
He had only one son.
He courted of a country girl,
Till he thought he had her won.
2. He won consent from her father and her mother
And those two young men likewise,
Until she cries, "I am undone,"
And the tears rolled from her eyes.
3. She wrote a letter to her love
And sealed it with a ring,
"This very night I am going to be wed
Unto a farmer's son."
4. The few first lines he gazed upon
He smiled and thus did say,
"I may deprive him of his bride
All on his wedding day. "
5. He wrote her back an answer
It was both sharp and keen,
Saying, " The suit you wear at your wedding
Be sure to put on green."
6. "A suit of the same I will put on,
For your wedding I'll prepare,
And I'll wed you, my dearest dear
In spite of all that's there. "
7. He looked to the east, he looked to the west,
He looked all over his land,
He espied threescore of his best young men
And of his noble band.
8. Then he mounted them double on milk-white steeds
And a single man rode he,
He rode he came to the wedding house
Where the wedding was to be.
9. They welcomed them all both great and small
Saying, "Have you been out all day?
Or have you seen those foreign troops
That rode along this way?"
10. He laughed at them and he scoffed at them
And unto them did say,
"Yes, I have seen those foreign troops
That Passed along this way."
11. He filled up a glass of the best port wine,
Drank a health to all in the room'
Saying, " Here's another to the man,
The man they call the groom.
12. "But ten times happier is the man
That will enjoy the bride,
For another might like her as well as he
And take her from his side' "
13. Then up spoke the intended groom,
An angry man was he,
Saying, "If it is for to fight that you came here
I am just the man for thee."
14. "It is not to fight that I came here
But kind friendship to show, -
Grant me one kiss from your bonny bonny bride
And away from you I'll go."
15. He threw his arms around her waist,
Took hold of her grass green sleeve,
And out of the wedding house went they
When the company asked no leave.
16. Where the drums did beat and the fife did play
Most glorious to be seen,
And now she's conveyed to fair Edinborough Castle
With her company dressed in green.