Recordings & Info 8D. Quaker's Courtship
"The Quaker's Wooing"
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Madam, I Am Come a-Courting
Rt - Quaker's Wooing
Pound, Louise (ed.) / American Ballads and Songs, Scribner, Sof (1972/1922), p223/#108 [1916] (Quaker's Courtship)
Shekerjian, Haig and Regina (eds.) / Book of Ballads, Songs and Snatches, Harper, sof (1966), p148
Newell, William Wells (ed.) / Games and Songs of American Children, Dover, sof (1963/1909), p 94/# 31 [1880s] (Quaker's Courtship)
Avery, Mary. Cazden, Norman, et.al. / Folk Songs of the Catskills, SUNY Press, sof (1982), p151/# 36 [1950s] (Sport Song)
Dyer-Bennet, Richard. Richard Dyer-Bennet No. 5. Requests, Dyer-Bennet 5000, LP (1958), trk# B.02 (Quaker Lover)
Dyer-Bennet, Richard. Lomax, Alan / Folk Songs of North America, Doubleday Dolphin, Sof (1975/1960), p 28/# 12 (Quaker's Courtship)
Ezell, Grace Hicks. Arnold, Byron, and Halli, Robert W.(ed.) / An Alabama Songbook, U. Alabama, Bk (2004), p130 [1947/06/26] (Courting Song #2)
Fowler, Lavon. Morris, Alton C. / Folksongs of Florida, Univ. Florida, Sof (1990/1950), p378/#203 [1934-39] (Uh Hun, Boo Hoo)
Henneberry, Ben. Fowke, Edith and Richard Johnston / Folk Songs of Canada, Waterloo Music, Bk (1954), p154 (Quaker's Courtship)
Henneberry, Ben. Creighton, Helen / Songs and Ballads from Nova Scotia, Dover, sof (1996/1933), p 46/# 23 [1927-32] (Quaker's Courtship)
Lattin, Rosie. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume III, Humorous & Play-Party ..., Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p 56/#362B [1932/09/14] (Courting Song #2)
Morgan, Maggie. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume III, Humorous & Play-Party ..., Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p 59/#362D [1942/02/11]
Mulhollan, Fanny. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume III, Humorous & Play-Party ..., Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p 56/#362A [1923/12/04] (Courting Song #2)
Mullenix, Mrs. H. A.. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume III, Humorous & Play-Party ..., Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p 58/#362C [1941/12/20] (Courting Song #2
Queen, Mary Jane; and Family. Fist Full of Songs, Charlotte Folk Music Soc CFMS 101, Cas (199?), trk# B.04 (Madam, I Have Come to Court You)
Seeger, Peggy. Folksongs and Ballads, Riverside RLP 12-655, LP (1959), trk# 1 (Madam, I Have Come to Court You)
Seeger, Peggy. Everybody Sing, Vol 3., Riverside RLP 1420, LP (196?), trk# A.05a (Madam, I Have Come to Court You)
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The Quaker's Wooing
At - Quaker's Courtship
Gardner, Emelyn E. & Geraldine Chickering / Ballads and Songs of Souther, Folklore Associates, Bk (1967/1939), p427/#176C [1883-84] (Old Quaker)
Abbott, Harriet Louise. Sandburg, Carl (ed.) / American Songbag, Harcourt, Sof (1955/1928), p 71
Ashley, Abiah; Family. Linscott, Eloise Hubbard (ed.) / Folk Songs of Old New England, Dover, Bk (1993/1939), p276 [1920-30s]
Clark, Miss. Thompson, Harold W.(ed.) / Body, Boots & Britches, Dover, Bk (1962/1939), p407 [1930s]
Muchler, Mrs. Charles. Gardner, Emelyn E. & Geraldine Chickering / Ballads and Songs of Souther, Folklore Associates, Bk (1967/1939), p425/#176B [1934] (Quaker's Courtship)
Post, Rachel Chickering. Gardner, Emelyn E. & Geraldine Chickering / Ballads and Songs of Souther, Folklore Associates, Bk (1967/1939), p424/#176A [1931] (Quaker Song)
Ruppert, Mrs. Frank. Moore, Ethel & Chauncey (ed.) / Ballads and Folk Songs of the Southwest, Univ. of Okla, Bk (1964), p215/#101 [1940s]
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Quaker's Courtship, The
DESCRIPTION: The Quaker comes to court the girl. He offers her a ring and money; she tells him she wants a man to call her honey. He tells her she is pretty; she calls him a flatterer. He gives up; she tells him to "Find a Quaker girl to marry"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1856 (Thompson-Pioneer)
KEYWORDS: courting discrimination ring
FOUND IN: US(MA,MW,NE,So) Canada(Mar,Ont)
REFERENCES (22 citations):
Thompson-Pioneer 41, "The Quaker's Wooing" (1 text)
Belden, p. 265, "The Quaker's Wooing" (1 text, lacking any reference to a Quaker but probably this)
Randolph 362, "The Courting Song" (4 texts, 2 tunes, though Randolph's "A" text is rather tenuously related to the others); 363, "I'm Going Away to Texas" (3 texts, 1 tune, the "C" text appearing to belong here; "A" is I'm Going Away to Texas" and "C" is perhaps "The Quaker's Courtship" ))
Randolph/Cohen, pp. 295-297, "The Courting Song" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 362C)
BrownIII 4, "Madam Mozelle, I've Come Courting" (1 fragment, too short to identify with certainty but perhaps this song); 8, "The Quaker's Wooing" (1 text, also short)
BrownSchinhanV, p. 525, "Quaker Courtship" (1 short text, 1 tune)
Morris, #203, "The Quaker's Courtship" (1 text)
Moore-Southwest 101, "The Quaker's Wooing" (1 text, 1 tune)
Linscott, pp. 276-278, "The Quaker's Wooing" (1 short text, 1 tune)
Fowke/Johnston, pp. 154-155, "The Quaker's Courtship" (1 text, 1 tune)
Creighton-NovaScotia 23, "Quaker's Courtship" (1 text, 1 tune)
Mackenzie 158, "The Quaker's Wooing" (1 text, 1 tune)
FSCatskills 36, "A Sport Song" (1 text, 1 tune)
ThompsonNewYork, pp. 407-408, "The Quaker's Wooing" (1 text)
Gardner/Chickering 176, "The Quaker Song" (3 texts, 2 tunes)
Peters, p. 162, "Father Sent Me here A-Courting" (1 text, 1 tune, clearly this although no Quakers are mentioned)
Creighton/Senior, pp. 199-200, "Quaker's Courtship" (1 fragment, 1 tune, which might be either this or "Wheel of Fortune")
Lomax-FSNA 12, "The Quaker's Courtship" (1 text, 1 tune)
Botkin-NEFolklr, p. 587, "Quaker's Courtship" (1 text, 1 tune)
LPound-ABS, 108, pp. 223-224, "The Quaker's Courtship" (1 text)
Newell, #31, "Quaker Courtship" (1 text, 1 tune)
ADDITIONAL: Richard M. Dorson, _Buying the Wind: Regional Folklore in the United States_, University of Chicago Press, 1964, pp. 410-411, "Sober Quaker" (1 text)
ST R362 (Partial)
Roud #716
RECORDINGS:
Buell Kazee, [Madam, I Have Come A-Courting] (on Kazee01)
BROADSIDES:
LOCSheet, sm1878 x0003, "The Quaker's Courtship," Alex Forbes (unknown), 1878 (tune)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Keys of Canterbury"
cf. "No, John, No"
cf. "Wheel of Fortune (Dublin City, Spanish Lady)"
NOTES: The "courting songs" listed in the cross-references have cross-fertilized heavily; one should examine texts carefully to see where a particular variant belongs.
One form of this in particular, "Madam, I Have Come A-Courting," has worn down so much that it some versions almost no elements left to allow identification. An example is Buell Kazee's version:
Madam, I have come a-courting, Oh dear, oh dear me. Come a-courting, not a-sporting....
Well if that is your desire, Fa da link dum, fa da day, You can sit and court the fire....
I've a ring worth many a shilling... You can wear it if you're willing....
I'll not have your ring or money... Want me a man to call me honey....
Intermediate texts such as Belden's, though, imply that such items probably belong here. - RBW