The Young Laird of Craigstoun- Nicol (Strichen) 1822 Maidment
[From: A North Countrie Garland, 1824; edited by James Maidment who received the ballad Nov. 9, 1822 from David Webster. According to David Buchan the text is from James Nicol of Strichen. The ballad was also publsihed in 1839 by C.K. Sharpe with some changes. Sir Walter Scott also had a copy. Maidment's notes follow.
An second MS version with minor changes was published from C.K. Sharpe's MS - see at bottom of this page.
R. Matteson 2016]
The estate of Craigstoun was acquired by John Urquhart, better known by the name of the Tutor of Cromarty. It would appear that the ballad refers to his grandson, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Robert Innes of that ilk, and by her had one son. This John Urquhart died November 30, 1634. Spalding (vol. i. p. 36), after mentioning the great mortality in the Craigstoun family, says: "Thus in three years' space the good-sire, son, and [b]oy died." He adds that "the Laird of Innes (whose sister was married to this Urquhart of Leathers, the father), and not without her consent, as was thought, gets the guiding of this young boy, and without advice of friends, shortly and quietly marries him, upon his own eldest daughter Elizabeth Innes." He mentions that young Craigstoun's death was generally attributed to melancholy, in consequence of Sir Robert Innes refusing to pay old Craigstoun's debts: the creditors bestowing "many maledictions, which touched the young man's conscience, albeit he could not mend it." The father died in December, 1631, and the son in 1634. The marriage consequently must have been of short duration.[1]
"The Young Laird of Craigstoun"- from James Nicol of Strichen, before 1822.
"Father," said she, "you have done me wrong,
For ye have married me on a childe young man,
For ye have married me on a childe young man,
And my bonny love is long
A growing, growing, deary,
Growing, growing, said the bonny maid,
How long my bonny love's growing."
"Daughter," said he, "I have done you no wrong,
For I have married you on a heritor of land,
He's likewise possessed of many bills and bonds,
And he'll be daily
Growing, growing, deary," &c.
"Daughter," said he, "if you wish to do well,
Ye will send your husband away to the school,
That he of learning may gather great skill,
And he'll be daily
Growing, growing, deary," &c.
Now young Craigstoun to the college is gone,
And left his lady making great moan,
That she should be forced to lie a-bed alone,
And that he was so long
A-growing, growing, &c.
She's dressed herself in robes of green,
They were right comely to be seen,
She was the picture of Venus' queen,
And she's to the college to see[2]
Him growing, growing, &c.
Then all the Colleginers were playing at the ba',
But the young Craigstoun was the flower of them a';
He said, "Play on, my schoolfellows a',
For I see my sister
Coming, coming," &c.
Now down into the college park
They walked about till it was dark,
Then he lifted up her fine Holland sark[3],
And she had no reason to complain
Of his growing, growing, &c.
In his twelfth year he was a married man,
In his thirteenth year then he got a son;[4]
And in his fourteenth year his grave grew green,
And that was the end
Of his growing, growing, &c.
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1. The flawed history presented by Spalding in 1792 has been changed. The "young boy" is thought to be Alexander Brodie who came home from college and married the widowed Elizabeth Innes in 1635 at the age of 17, when he was a minor. John Urquhart (b. 1611) was two years older than Elizabeth (b. 1613) who died in 1640 after bearing Brodie two children.
2. And she's to the college to see him, (him should be on this line)
3. This line from the famous stanza was edited out of C.K. Sharpe's version. A modified version, also from Stichen comes from Bell Robertson, learned circa 1856:
But ae nicht afore that it grew dark
They walked doon by her father's park
And he proved the pleasure o' her heart
And she never thocht lang for growing.
4. (Maidment's footnote) By the extinction of the elder branch of the family this son succeeded to the estate of Cromarty.
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[Version by James Nicol of Strichen from a different MS. From: The Scotish Musical Museum: Consisting of Upwards of Six Hundred, Volume 4 by Robert Burns, Stephen Clarke, William Stenhouse, David Laing, Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe; 1839 [second slightly different print of Nicol's Laird of Craigstoun]
LADY MARY ANNE.
"The words of the ballad mentioned by Mr S[tenhous] as 'Craigston's growing,' are subjoined from a MS[1]. It may be observed that young Urquhart of Craigston, who had fallen into the power of the Laird of Innes, was by him married to his daughter Elizabeth Innes, and died in 1634. [See Spalding's History, vol. 1. p. 36."—(C. K. S).]
[ "The Young Laird of Craigstoun"- from James Nicol of Strichen, before 1822.]
Father, she said, you have done me wrang,
For ye have married me on a child young man,
For ye have married me on a child young man,
And my bonny love is long a growing.
Growing, deary, growing, growing:
Growing, said the bonny maid,
Slowly's my bonny love growing.
Daughter, said he, I have done you no wrang,
For I have married you on a heritor of land;
He's likewise possess'd of many a bill and band,
And he'll be daily growing.
Growing, deary, growing, growing:
Growing, said the bonny maid,
Slowly's my bonny love growing
Daughter, he said, if ye do weel,
Ye will put your husband away to the scheel,
That he of learning may gather great skill;
And he'll be daily growing.
Growing, deary, growing, growing:
Growing, said the bonny maid,
Slowly's my bonny love growing.
Now young Craigston to the college is gane,
And left his lady making great mane,
And left his lady making great mane,
That he's so long a growing.
Growing, deary, growing, growing:
Growing, said the bonny maid,
Slowly's my bonny love growing.
She dress'd herself in robes of green,
She was right comely to be seen;
She was the picture of Venus the queen,
And she's to the college to see him.
Growing, deary, growing, growing
Growing, said the bonny maid,
Slowly's my bonny love growing.
Then all the colligeners war playing at the ba',
But young Craigston was the flower of them a',
He said—" play on, my school fellows a',
For I see my sister coming,
Coming, deary, coming, coming,
Coming, said the bonny lad[1],
For I see my sister coming."
Now down into the College Park,
They walked about till it was dark,
* * * * [line edited out]
And she'd no reason to compleen of his growing.
Growing, deary, growing, growing:
Growing, said the bonny maid,
Slowly's my bonny love growing.
In his twelfth year he was a married man;
In his thirteenth year there he gat a son;
And in his fourteenth year his grave grew green,
And that was an end of his growing.
Growing, deary, growing, growing:
Growing, said the bonny maid,
Slowly's my bonny love growing.
The song in the Museum was communicated by Burns, who had noted both the words and the air from a lady, in 1787, during his tour in the North of Scotland. The old ballad upon which it is founded, was first published by Mr Maidment, in the " North Countrie Garland," Edinburgh, 1824, 12mo. A traditional copy of the ballad, as preserved in the West of Scotland, will be found in Motherwell's edition of Burns, vol. iii. p. 42.
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1. Sharpe calls this "Craigston's growing" when in fact that ballad was a MS in the possession of Rev. Robert Scott and is a different ballad.
2. I've written the chorus out from: Coming &c