Lord Bateman- Withington (Edgmond) c.1870s
[From: Shropshire folk-lore, a sheaf of gleanings, Volume 3; by C.S. Burne, from the collections of G.F. Jackson. Music currently unavailable]
LORD BATEMAN
Sung by Sally Withington and others at Edgmond 1870-80. A slightly abridged version of the common printed ballad, which dates from the 17th century, and is itself a vulgarized version of ' Lord Beichan,' a Northumberland ballad, first printed from recitation in 1806. See the Percy Society's publications, Vol. XVII. Air given.
'Arbour' = a place of shelter and refreshment; cf. the Arbours of the Shrewsbury Companies, p. 454. The printed copies read hall.
Lord Bateman was a noble lord,
A noble lord of high degree,
He shipped himself upon a ship
Some foreign country for to see.
He sealed [= sailed] east, he sealed west,
Until he came to [proud] Turkey,
Where he was taken and put i' prison,
Until his life it was weary.
This Turk he had one only daughter,
The fairest creature I ever did see,
She stole the keys of her father's prison,
Saying, 'Lord Bateman I will set free.'
She took him to her father's arbour,
And gave to him the best of wine,
And every health she drank unto him,
'I wish, Lord Bateman, you were mine.'
'Now seven years I'll make a vow,
And seven years I'll keep it strong,
If you will wed with no other woman,
I will wed with no other man.'
The seven years were over and past,
And forty days were over and gone,
When she packed up her gay gold clothing,
And said, ' Lord Bateman I will go see.'
When she got to Lord Bateman's castle
So boldly she rung the bell,
0 who was so ready as the young proud porter
For to let this fair creature in?
'Is this Lord Bateman's castle?' she says,
Or is his lordship now within ?'
'O yes, O yes,' cried the young proud porter,
'He's just now taken his young bride in.'
'Tell him to send me a slice of bread,
And a bottle of the best of wine,
And not to forget the fair young lady
That did release him when close confined.'
Away, away, went the young proud porter,
Away, away, away went he,
Until he came to Lord Bateman's chamber,
He fell down on his bended knee.
'O there is one of the fairest creatures,
That ever my two eyes did see,
She has got rings on every finger,
On one of them she has got three,
And as much gay gold about her middle
As would buy all Northumberland.
'She bids you give her a slice of bread,
And a bottle of the best of wine,
And not to forget the fair young lady
That did releaso you when close confined.'
Then Lord Bateman flew in-a passion,
And broke his sword in splinters three,
Saying ' I'll give all my father's riches
If Sophia has crossed the sea!'
Then up and spake the young bride's mother,
(She never was heard to speak so free),
'You'll not forget my only daughter
If Sophia has crossed the sea!'
'Take back, take back your daughter, Madam,
She's neither better nor worse for me,
She came to mo with a horse and saddle,
She shall go back with a coach and three!'