The Cruel Brother- David Chenoweth (Minorra, Calhoun Co., West Virginia) 1924 Collected by Carey Woofter; In the Josiah Combs collection.
[From Combs; Folk-Songs of the Southern United States 1967 edition- edited by Wilgus who has provided this text from the Combs Collection that was "collected" by Carey Woofter. This appears to be a clumsy recreation of Child G with Brother John changed to Brother Harry!!! According to Wilgus on the text was written, "doctored, by one Daniel De Weese." This was done perhaps to divert attention away from Woofter as being the "recreator."
A nearly identical text (obviously from the same source) was sung (listen: see link below) by Patrick Gainer under the title, "The Bride's Murder." Woofter and Gainer were student collecting friends in the 1920s at the University of West Virginia. The fact that Gainer offers no source for his ballad, even though he knows it and title's it something else, creates an air of mystery that surrounds his Child ballads.
In 1975 Gainer published the same version as Woofter's 1924 version as "The Brides Murder" in his Folk Songs from the West Virginia Hills. He says, "This tragic ballad has not been reported previously as surviving in West Virginia. This complete version was found in Calhoun County. It was an old family custom that permission of the parents and all older brothers and sisters had to be obtained if a younger member of the family wished to marry. In this case brother Harry was not asked. Sung by Samuel Bennett."
Here Gainer is giving us the same ballad but by a completely different informant, a Samuel Bennett. The "old family custom" isn't known in West Virginia but Gainer knows this from the Child ballads. Gainer surely also knows about the earlier version given by Woofter but says, "This tragic ballad has not been reported previously as surviving in West Virginia."
So Gainer is perpetuating a "recreation" in his book and on-line.
R. Matteson 2011, 2014]
The Cruel Brother- David Chenoweth (West Virginia) 1924 Collected by Carey Woofter; Text appears in 2nd edition (edited Wilgus) of Combs Folk-Songs of the Southern United States- 1967.
Listen to Gainer: http://www.libraries.wvu.edu/wvconline/patrickgainer/Sng11TheBridesMurder.mp3
There's three fair maids went out to beach the cloth,
All along the *shipyard so clean,
There's three men came to court them all,
As plainly can be seen.
The first rich man was dressed in red,
All along the shipyard so clean,
He asked if the oldest would him wed.
As plainly can be seen.
The second rich man was dressed in yellow,
He asked the second if he wasn't a proper fellow.
The third rich man was dressed in white,
He asked the youngest to be his wife.
But you must ask of my father so dear,
And of my mother who'll be near.
And you must ask of my sister Sue,
Or else your favor you will rue.
And don't forget my brother Harry,
Of all men he's the most contrary.
The rich man asked of her father dear,
He asked the favor of her sister Sue.
And sought of her mother fairly,
But forgot her brother so contrary.
And all the neighbors far and near,
Came to wish the bride good cheer.
Her father led her through the hall,
Her mother danced before them all.
Her sister Sue at her gown did pluck,
And wished her all of the best good luck.
Her brother Harry waited at the stile,
To greet her for a long, long while.
He had a knife both sharp and stout,
With it he cut her fair white throat.
The blood ran down upon her breast,
She knew the hour would be her last.
They carries her back to her father's hall,
There she made her will be fore them all.
"And I leave to my father so dear,
All the lands that I hold here.
"And I leave to my mother there,
All the clothes I have to wear.
"And I leave to my sister Sue,
My rich husband for her to view.
"And I leave to my bother Harry's wife,
Shame and disgrace the rest of her life.
"And I leave to brother Harry's son,
To pay the debt his father has won.
"And I leave to my brother Harry himself,
The gallows in payment for his deed.
"And may my husband throw the trap,
Before he stops his tears to shed.
______________
*Wilgus has chip-yard. Gainer 1975 has shipyard.