Ronald Barton- Smiths (VA) c.1914 Davis AA
[The Davis version's authenticity is suspect because it was supplied by the Smiths and is one of their questionable contributions. It was not recorded orally and was probably reconstructed by creating verses from printed texts by Thomas Smith or in this case from his brother R.E. Lee Smith. Thomas was a also contributor to the Brown collection (he knew many of the Child ballads and had access to print texts). A text may have been used as a reference to construct the ballad making fragmentary stanzas so that it tells the same story, a recomposed song with rural dialect.
Davis's extensive notes are included, the text is at the bottom of this page. I'm sure Davis knew this was suspect and we'll never know for certain its authenticity. The strongest argument that it is a late recreation is this fact: it is not found in the Brown Collection. If, in fact, it was known by Bennett Smith and Polly Rayfield (an informant for Thomas Smith in the Brown collection) Thomas would have surely given it then-- since the Brown Collection had no versions of this ballad and never collected any after 1914. It seems very unlikely that Thomas would not have supplied the ballad then. The Smith's were more than willing to give several manufactured ballads to Davis (one of which I can prove was recreated). Davis unfortunately published this and many of their contributions.
R. Matteson 2013]
Notes by Kyle Davis Jr from More Ballads:
37. HENRY MARTYN (Child, No. 250)
This is a new ballad in Virginia. TBVa did not have it; FSVa reports one text, without tune, given here. There is also a major controversy about the ballad: whether it is a version of "Sir Andrew Barton" (Child, No. r67) or whether it is a separate but related ballad. Child obviously took the latter view, since he gave it a separate number, but in his comment, "The ballad must have sprung from the ashes of 'Andrew Barton" of which the name Henry Martyn would be no extraordinary corruption," he opened the door slightly for those who have chosen to regard the two ballads as one. That the two deal with a somewhat similar story is quite true, but they deal with it quite differently. That some versions may represent crossing or intermingling of the two further complicates the problem. Two eminent English authorities take a different view of the relationship from Child's, while insisting even more strongly on the separateness of the two ballads, and feel that the traditional "Henry Martyn" is the older of the two. Cecil sharp, in his one Hundred, English Folk songs, p. xvii, writes:
"In Percy's Reliques there is a long and much edited ballad, called 'Sir Andrew Barton,' with which, however, the traditional versions have nothing in common." After quoting child's remark about the relations of the two, he resumed, "The Rev. S. Baring Gould, in his note to the ballad in songs of the west, differs from this view and contends that the Percy version is the ballad 'as recomposed in the reign of James I, when there was a perfect rage for rewriting the old historical ballads.' I am inclined to agree that the two versions are quite distinct. 'Sir Andrew Barton' deals with the final encounter between Barton and the King's ships, in which Andrew Barton's ship is sunk and he himself killed; whereas the traditional versions are concerned with a piratical raid made by Henry Martyn upon an English merchantman."
Sharp further notes Baring-Gould's belief, not only that "Sir Andrew Barton,, was a recomposition of earlier versions of the present day "Henry Martin," but also that the present Martyn "form of the ballad is probably earlier, but it is incomplete." Of course, neither Child, Sharp, nor, Baring-Gould were familiar with certain recent American texts upon which the argument for one ballad rather than two is partly based. The problem of classification is further complicated by the fact that many texts of this ballad have taken over the ending of "Captain
Ward and the Rainbow" (Child, No. 287).
Before going further into these controversies, perhaps the present editor should say that he is convinced of the distinctness of the ballads, despite some mixed versions, and that the present Virginia ballad is a version of "Henry Martyn" and not of "Sir Andrew Barton." He also finds Baring-Gould's theory of their relationship more appealing than Child's, though it is perhaps unnecessary that he commit himself on this hardly provable issue.
As background for summary consideration of the controversy, let us briefly review Child's versions of both ballads, before we move on to recently recovered texts and to the present unique Virginia text.
Child prints three versions of "Sir Andrew Barton" (Child, No. 167). Child A, from the Percy MS., has eighty-two stanzas. Child B, with sixty-four stanzas, tells essentially the same story as A. Child collates a number of printed variants and gives in full a Scottish manuscript copy. A third text, which he might have labeled C but did not, is given in Additions and Corrections, IV, 502-7, from a manuscript written in a sixteenth-century hand and now in York Minster Library, and runs to eighty-one stanzas. Child traces this ballad of piracy through chronicles to historical events of June, l511.
The ballad story in Child A, roughly followed in the other two texts, is as follows: King Henry VIII, hearing of the piracy of the Scot, Andrew Barton, asks for a lord to rid him of the traitor. Lord Charles Howard volunteers, and others sail with him to track down Barton. On the third day they meet a ship commanded by Henry Hunt, who has just recently been robbed by Barton and who tells them where they may find him. Howard takes Barton by surprise, and after a long fight recounted in great detail, Barton is given a death wound. Until he dies, Barton blows his whistle and urges his men to fight on. After his death his men give o'er. Howard severs Barton's head and throws the body overboard. The head is presented to King Henry and he rewards Howard and his men, To Barton's men, in honor of their valor, he gives enough money to get them to their Scottish homes.
The ballad is extremely long and very detailed. The outstanding features are three: the plea of the merchants to King Henry and his subsequent action; the central core of the chase with the vividly detailed and involved battle with which most of the ballad is concerned; and the triumphant return of Howard to England after Barton's death.
"Henry Martyn" (child, No. 250) is a much shorter ballad which in content might conceivably once have served as an introduction to the longer one. Child prints four versions as his main entry and a fifth important version, E, in Additions and corrections, V, 302-3. Child A (ten stanzas) was taken down from recitation by the Reverend S. Baring-Gould. Child B (eight stanzas) has three sources: a broadside, and two traditional pieces collected by Kidson from oral tradition. Child C (seven stanzas) is from Motherwell's MS. child D. (two stanzas) and E (thirteen stanzas) are both American versions from oral tradition, from New Hampshire and South Carolina, respectively. Al1 of these texts, it will be noticed, are of much more recent date than the texts of "Sir Andrew Barton."
The essential story of the ballad is perhaps most clearly and simply told in Child B. Three brothers in merry Scotland cast lots to see which of them should turn pirate. The lot falls to the youngest one, Henry Martyn, who turns robber on the salt sea to maintain his brothers and himself. He spies a rich merchant ship, refuses to let her pass by, and commences battle. At last Henry Martyn gives her a death wound and down to the bottom goes she. The bad news reaches England, of the loss of the merchant ship and the drowning of most of her merry men.
There are a few significant variations in child's other texts. Child A, though it has the merchant ship sunk, has the pirate die, as in the longer ballad. But this is probably only a verbal change by which the pirate receives rather than gives the death wound. That the pirate's name changes to Robin Hood in Child C is unimportant. Child D, with its pirate named Andrew Bodee, is too fragmentary to offer much help. The essentials of the story of Child B- the lot-casting, the successful sinking of the merchant ship, the pirate victorious, and the bad news carried to England certainly differentiate this ballad from "Sir Andrew Barton." This form of the story, best exemplified in Child B, will henceforth be referred to as the Martyn type of the ballad, even if by verbal confusion, as in Child A, the pirate is supposedly killed.
Child E is a different version, somewhat closer to "Sir Andrew Barton," but still properly classified under child, No. 250. The story is more complicated. The brothers cast lots, Andrew Bartin goes to sea, a merchant ship is robbed, news reaches England, and stout ship is prepared, under the command of Captain Charles Stewart, for the pursuit of Bartin. Stewart's ship meets Martin's, Stewart gives over, and Bartin sends by him his boastful message to the king (George) that the king may reign on dry land but that he, Bartin, will be king of the sea. This is getting a little closer to "Sir Andrew Barton," not only in the name of the hero but in some of the complications of the story. But the opening lot casting, the sinking of the merchant ship, and the pirate victory all point to Child, No. 250. A further complication is that two stanzas--the "brass and steel" of stanza 11 and the final boastful stanza--are imported from another ballad, "Captain Ward and the Rainbow" (child, No. 287). Child is certainly right in classifying this E text under 250 and not under 267. The form of the story exemplified in Child E will henceforth be referred to as the Ward type of the ballad.
Since the Virginia text belongs to the Ward type, we might perhaps drop this discussion here except that to do so would be to drop without an attempt at solution a fascinating and hitherto unsatisfactorily resolved problem in ballad scholarship and ballad relationships. To continue, then:
Two texts of the Ward type or of a third type (yet to be discussed) still closer to the original story of "Sir Andrew Barton" seem to survive in recent British tradition. Texts of the Martyn type are fairly prevalent in England and have been recovered by Sharp, Baring-Gould, Broadwood, and Alfred Williams, among others. In addition to Miss Dean-Smith's listings, references are supplied by Kittredge in JAFL, XIX (July-September, 1917), 327, and by Belden, p. 97. A possible source of weakness in the testimony of Sharp and Baring-Gould as to the ballad's classification, as has been intimated before, is that they are unfamiliar with certain of the ballad's versions, recently recovered in America. But even in the light of the new evidence their conclusion seems to stand. Greig-Keith present no text or tune of "Henry Martyn" (Child No. 250) from recent Scottish tradition. And no trace of the much longer ballad of "Sir Andrew Barton" (Child, No. 167) has been found in recent tradition, British or American, unless one accepts the theory that the two ballads are one.
The appearance of certain twentieth-century American texts and tunes has further complicated the problem of classification and precipitated controversy-- and, be it admitted, some confusion, which it is the effort of this rather elaborate headnote to clear up if it can. Much of the confusion has resulted from Barry's determination to regard "Sir Andrew Barton" and "Henry Martyn" not as two ballads, but one, and to refer all American texts of "Henry Martyn" without hesitation, to the tradition of "Sir Andrew Barion." His elaborate discussion (pp. 248-58) cannot (and need not) be summarized here. Further confusion has arisen from the fact that Coffin, following Barry, discusses North American texts of this ballad under Child, No. 167, as "Sir Andrew Barton (including 250, Henry Martyn)." Coffin has also made the American record of this ballad appear larger than it is by duplicate references and by listing a number of reprintings in America of well-known British texts.
Barry draws the strongest support for his argument from a Missouri text entitled "Andy Bardan," originally collected by Belden in 1911 and published by him in JAFL, XXV (April-June, 1912), reprinted by Barry (pp. 252-53) as his version C, and again (later) printed by Belden in Missouri Ballad's and Songs, 1940, pp. 87-89. This thirteen-stanza version is indeed the closest of all texts of "Henry Martyn" to the "Sir Andrew Barton" story. Andy Bardan is the pirate, Captain Charles Stewart his pursuer, and the king, as in "Sir Andrew Barton," is Henry, not George. Lots are cast, Bardan takes to sea and robs a merchantman. News comes to the king, who gives orders for the building of a ship, warning that Bardan be taken on pain of death. Captain Charles Stewart challenges the robbers and will not let them pass by. The fight is joined, Stewart captures Bardan and takes him to England, where he (Bardan) makes a sad speech before he is hanged. Barry points out the several parallels to "Sir Andrew Barton," but of course notes that "the pirate, instead of meeting death in a sea-fight, is taken to England, a prisoner, and hanged." Barry continues: "It seems at least probable that the group of American texts, represented by 'Andy Bardan,' should be reckoned as of an older tradition than that of Henry Martyn,' " and in conclusion he states as his thesis "that 'Sir Andrew Barton,' a ballad extinct in English tradition, has survived in America." Hardly; only a version of "Henry Martyn" somewhat closer to "Sir Andrew Barton." This third form of the story of child, No. 250, best exemplified in Belden's Missouri text, will henceforth be referred to as the Bardan type of the ballad.
Barry's contention ignores too much: the relative brevity of all the "Henry Martyn" texts, the standard opening of the brothers casting lots, the sinking of the merchantman, the usually but not always triumphant pirate. The best answer to Barry is given by Belden, the finder of the disputed text, who classifies it under "Henry Martyn" (Child, No. 25o). He reviews Barry's arguments, then replies: "On the other hand, all the texts given by Child under "Henry Martyn" and all those recorded from tradition since Child's time- whether the hero is called Bardun or Battan or Bodee or Martin-- have a formal likeness that alone is enough to warrant classing them together as a distinct ballad: they all begin with three brothers of old Scotland casting lots to see which of them shall go robbing all on the salt sea to maintain the family. Most of them, too, represent the pirate as triumphing over his foes. But form is a more trustworthy mark of identity than particulars of plot" (p. 87).
Barry's ingenious but rather far-fetched effort to identify the Captain Charles Stewart of the ballad as an American naval hero of that name (1778-1869) has been called in question by Miss Pound's Nebraska text brought from Ireland, in which the pursuer is Captain Joe Stuart. (SFLQ,II, 205-6.)
The conclusion as to classification is that in consideration of structure, details of plot, language, etc., the traditional ballads called "Henry Martyn" or some such approximate title, whether Martyn type, Ward type, or Bardan type, should be classed together under Child, No. 250, even though we recognize the fairly close relationship of some texts of this ballad to "Sir Andrew Barton" (Child, No. 167). It is a pity that recent American texts have been confusedly classified.
All of Coffin's American references (p. 113) should, in my opinion, be transferred from "Sir Andrew Barton" (Child, No. 167) to "Henry Martyn" (Child, No. 250). A few other editors have followed Barry and Coffin in their classification, and have furthered the confusion. To Coffin's references should be added the following more recent texts: a Ward-type text printed by Russell M. Harrison in Western Folklore, XI, 180-82, under Child, No. 167; Ward-type text printed by Lester Hubbard and LeRoy J. Robertson in JAFL, LXIV (January-March, 1951), 49-50, under Child, No. 250; two Bardan-type texts printed by Flanders in Ballads Migrant in New England, pp. 72-74 and 201-3. And the present Virginia text, the Ward type.
Some twenty-odd texts and about half as many tunes of the ballad have been recovered from recent North American tradition. In addition to Newfoundland, at least the following states have produced variants: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, New York, West Virginia, Virginia, South Carolina, Arkansas, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Utah, Oregon. The nautical theme of the ballad might have a bearing on its currency in the Northeast. More surprising is its wide circulation in the Middle West and West. Surprising, too, is its almost total absence from the ballad-singing regions of the South. Since Reed Smith's South Carolina text and tune (pp. 156-58) are only reprints of Child E, the present Virginia text appears to be a unique post-Child Southern text. Neither Sharp-Karpeles nor Brown nor any other Southern collection has it.
By the use of Coffin's references and those which have been added here, a summary classification by types may be made of the published American texts. Equality signs between texts indicate that these references are to one text which has been reprinted two or more times. The two American texts printed by Child are included. Texts of the Martyn type are three in number (Eddy A; Karpeles; JAFL, XVIII, 135 [1]). Ward texts are eleven in number including the present Virginia text (Adventure, 1923; Barry A; Child E= Reed Smith; Cox; Garner and Chickering, A and B ; Randolph; Flanders, Country Songs of Vermont; Western Folklore, XI, 1952: JAFL, LXIV, 1951; Virginia text). Texts of the Bardan type are seven in number (Barry B = JAFL, XVIII, 302= Gray; JAFL, XXV, 171= Belden = Barry C; Eddy B; Str10, II, 205; Thompson; Flanders, Ballads Migrant in New England, 1951 pp. 72-74 and 202-3). Two more North American texts, that of Mackenzie from Nova Scotia and Child D from New Hampshire, seem too fragmentary for accurate classification, but they too seem to point toward the Ward type, which is clearly the most numerous type in American oral tradition. The total number of distinct American texts involved in this tabulation is twenty-three.
The Virginia Ward-type text of ten stanzas has the robber named Ronald Barton, his pursuer William Stewart, the king Henry, not George. Ronald Barton of the North Countree becomes a pirate of the Northern seas because he and his brothers "could
not make a living." Dice are cast, and the youngest, Ronald Barton, goes to sea. No single encounter with a merchant ship is recited, but "he sunk and robbed a hundred ships to support himself and brothers on the northern seas." William Stewart in a unique oath swears to bring Barton back "dead or alive" to London town. He gets "the best ship of England," and sails away. Sighting Barton's ship, he orders him not to pass by. Barton says he will die rather than give in. After a three-hour battle it is Stewart who gives in. Barton sends him back to England to deliver a message to King Henry that the King can rule over dry land, but Barton is king of the sea. The version ends with a stanza not found in any other text, telling how after the battle Ronald Barton set sail and was never seen any more; he never returned again to the Northern seas. Baring-Gould felt that another stanza was needed after the pirate's boastful taunt, and wrote one himself, a very different one, as follows (Songs of the West, Revised edition. 1905, p. 115):
O had I a twisted rope of hemp,
A bowstring strong though thin;
I'd soon hang him up to his middle yard arm
And have done with Henry Martyn.
The Virginia text supplies such a stanza, and a much better stanza, from oral tradition.
The genuine antique flavor of the text is apparent. It has required some editorial attention to line and stanza divisions, but is
otherwise untouched. See the more specific headnote, below. One final word may be in order on the problem of the relationship of "Henry Martyn" to "Andrew Barton," which has received so much attention in this headnote. What degree of difference distinguishes a separate ballad from a somewhat distant version of the same ballad is an extremely delicate and difficult question. It is by no means a "yes-or-no" question, but often a matter of agonized decision. the essential problem being just where the line may best be drawn. The habit of ballad intermixture and contamination further complicates the issue. But in the case of these apparently somewhat related ballads of piracy at sea, both the degree of difference and the nature of the differences point to the conclusions that the ballads are two and not one, and to the identification of all three types from recent tradition as belonging with "Henry Martyn" and not with "Sir Andrew Barton."
1. This text is of the "Henry Martyn" form, but as in Child Aa the robber is killed. It does not relate structurally to the "Bardan" type.
AA. "Ronald Barton." Collected by R. E. Lee Smith, of Palmyra, Va. Sung by his brother, Thomas P. Smith, and himself. Fluvanna County, October 28, 1932. Mr. Smith writes on the manuscript: "Sang partly try Bennett Smith, June 10, 1910; he heard it over 40 years before that date. Mrs. Polly J. Rayfield, of Zionville, N. C. quoted over the balance, Jan. 18,
1914 to R. E. L. Smith." Thus it will be seen that this is actually a composite version, a fact which may account for some of the irregularities of this text, which presents some metrical difficulties as well as problems of line and stanza divisions. Mr. Smith's manuscript has been presented with only the barest minimum of editorial liberty. Many British and American singers of the "Martyn" song put the accent on the last syllable of the proper name. Since there is no tune, it is not known whether the Smith family sang the song in this fashion. "Ronald Barton" seems to be a unique title for the ballad, as does the name William Stewart as his pursuer. Henry rather than George as the name of the king points back to earlier texts of the ballad. The final stanza is without known parallel. See the general headnote, above. Note that at least a part of the ballad was recited and
not sung.
1. There was three brothers
Who lived in the North Countree;
They could not make a living,
These brothers three.
2 So they cast their dice to see
Which one would a pirate be
To make a living
For the brothers three.
3. The lot fell on the youngest one
To become a pirate of the Northern [1] seas.
No bolder pirate could ever be
Than young Ronald Barton of Northern seas.
4. He sunk and robbed
A hundred ships
To support himself
And brothers on the Northern seas.
5. William Stewart swore he would bring this pirate
Dead or alive to London town
Insight [sic] of a week
Or else go down.
6. He got the best ship of England
All trimmed and sailed away,
He saw young Ronald Barton's ship
About two hours after day,
And ordered young Barton's ship
To not pass by.
7. "Before I will give in
I will die,"
Was the answer young Barton
Gave William Stewart alright.
8. Then the battle commenced
And lasted over three hours
Before William Stewart give in.
9. "Now carry this message
To the King of old England:
'King Henry can rule over dry land,
But Ronald Barton is the King of the sea.' "
10. Ronald Barton after the battle set sail
And was never seen any more;
He sailed away and never returned
Again to the Northern seas.
1. Here, but not elsewhere in the MS., spelled "Nothern."