Lord Bateman- Adams (VA) 1957 Paul Clayton REC
[From Cumberland Mountain Folksongs, sung by Paul Clayton, New York, Folkways Records, FA2007; 1957. Finley Adams was James Taylor Adam's first cousin, and James was a noted collector or ballads and songs in the Wise County, Virginia area. It's likely that Finley's ballads was learned from another source. Adams recorded his version for the LOC in 1939 (Halpert).
Liner notes follow.
R. Matteson 2014]
SIDE 1, Band 2: LORD BATEMAN (Child #53)
This one of the most popular of the ballads included in Francis James Child's monumental compilation The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, and has circulated widely in England, Scotland and America. In Scotland, the hero's name is usually Beichan, in England and America, he is called Bateman. Attempts have been made to associate the ballad tale wth the legend of Gilbert a Becket, who was supposed to have had an adventure similar to that which occured to the hero of this ballad. This theory has largely been discredited, though there is no doubt that the ballad has been affected by the legend.
Mr. Clayton learned this version from Finley Adams of Big Laurel, Wise County, Virginia.
There was a man who lived in England,
He sailed all over the Turkish shore,
Till he was caught and put in prison,
Never to be released anymore.
This Turk, he had one lonely daughter,
And she was of high degree,
She stole the keys from her father's dwelling
And declared Lord Bateman she'd set free.
Let's make a vow, let's make a promise,
Let's make a vow, let's make it stand,
You vow you'll marry no other woman,
I'll vow I'll marry no other man.
They made a vow, they made a promise,
They made a vow, they made it stand,
He vowed he'd marry no other woman,
She vowed she'd marry no other man.
But seven long years had rolled around her,
It seemed as though it were twenty-nine,
She gathered up her finest clothing
And declared Lord Bateman she'd go find.
She went till she came to the gate, she tingled,
It rung so loud but she wouldn't come in,
Saying: Is this your place, Lord Bateman,
Or is it that you've brought your new bride in?
He gave a stamp all on the floor,
The table he bursted into pieces three,
Says: I'll forsake both land and dwelling
For the Turkish lady who set me free.