Squire of Edinboro Town- Sullivan (VT) 1932 Flanders A
[From the New Green Mountain Songster, Flanders et al. Also from Ancient Ballads, 1963, version A.
R. Matteson 2013, 2016]
A. "The Squire of Edinboro Town" (variant of Katharine Jaffray)- As sung by Mrs. E. M. Sullivan, of Springfield, VT as remembered from her childhood days in Cork County, Ireland. Collected Flanders 1932.
There was a squire in Edinboro town
A squire of high degree.
He fell in love with a country girl
And a comely girl was she.
Till at length her father came to hear
And an angry man was he.
He requested of his daughter dear
To shun his company.
[Then she promised to marry someone else]
She wrote her love a letter
And she sealed it with her ring,
Saying, "I'm going to be wedded
To a farmer's son."
He wrote her back an answer
And to her did say
"Be sure you dress in green
And a suit of the same I will put on[1]
For your wedding I will prepare."
He rode east and he rode west
And he rode all around his land.
Then he smiled and thus did say,
"I might deprive his bride all on his wedding day."[1]
He mounted then on a milk-white steed
And a single man rode he
Until he came to the wedding house door
With his company dressed in green.
"You are welcome, you are welcome:
Where have you been all day
Or have you seen those horsemen
That rode along this way?"
He looked at her, he laughed at her
And thus to her did say,
"They might have been some fairy troops
That rode along this way."
She filled him a glass of the new port wine
And he drank to the company 'round,
Saying, "Happy is the man who will enjoy the bride
For another might like her as well as he[1]
And take her from his side."
Then up spoke the intended groom
And an angry man was he,
"If it was to fight that you came here
I am the man for thee."
"It was not to fight that I came here
But friends for to show.
Give me one kiss from your bonny, bonny bride
And away from your wedding I will go."
He took her by the middle so small
And by the grass green sleeve
And out of the wedding house door they marched
Of the company asked no leave.
The drums did beat, the trumpets sound
Most glorious to be seen
And back they marched to Edinboro town
With his company dressed in green.
[He laughed at them he scoffed at them,
He smiled and then did say,
"Oh, they may have been some fairy troops
That rode along this way."] [2]
1. Tune to third line is repeated for fourth line.
2. This last stanza was added in 1937.