The Undutiful Daughter; Baring-Gould A (Devon) 1888 Bonnie Annie-Child C a (Combined version) Taken down in 1888 from J Masters, Bradstone and in 1889 from H. Smith, Two Bridges.
[The note says from Kittredge says, "The Rev. S. Baring-Gould has recently found this ballad in South Devon." The ballad titled, "The Undutiful Daughter" by Baring-Gould, Version A is combined from two versions: John Masters, Devon; Bradstone in 1888 and from Harry Smith, Two Bridges in 1889. A copy of the first ten verses is supplied below. Baring-Gould has also suggested the missing 5th verse which he took from Child A and B , which I've added.
The manuscript below, sent to Child, is the combined version, taken down in 1888 from J Masters, Bradstone and in 1889 from H. Smith, Two Bridges. See Masters' and Smith's individual versions at the bottom of the page.]
The Undutiful Daughter; Baring-Gould A (Combined version) Taken down in 1888 from J Masters, Bradstone and in 1889 from H. Smith, Two Bridges; Bonnie Annie-Child C a [Verse 5 from Baring-Gould based on Child A and B]
Child says: Taken down from a man of above eighty years at Bradstone.
The tune by Masters below is in 3/8 time. Notes say: "Frog and Mr. Crow" from "The Baby's Opera", compare to tune A, as sung by Masters.
1 'T was of a sea-captain came oer the salt billow,
He courted a maiden down by the green willow:
'O take of your father his gold and his treasure,
take of your mother her fee without measure.'
2 'I'll take of my father his gold and his treasure,
I'll take of my mother her fee without measure:'
She has come with the captain unto the seaside, O,
'We'll sail to lands foreign upon the blue tide, O!'
3 And when she had sailed today and tomorrow,
She was beating her hands, she was crying in sorrow;
And when she had sailed the days were not many,
The sails were outspread, but of miles made not any.
4 And when she had sailed today and tomorrow,
She was beating her hands, she was crying in sorrow;
And when she had sailed not many a mile, O,
The maid was delivered of a beautiful child, O.
5 [They cast the black bullets as they sailed on the water;
The black bullet fell on the undutiful daughter.
Now who in the ship must go over the side, O!
O none save the maiden, the fair captain's bride O!]
6 'O take a white napkin, about my head bind it!
O take a white napkin, about my feet wind it!
Alack! I must sink, both me and my baby,
Alack! I must sink in the deep salten water.
7 'O captain, O captain, here's fifty gold crown, O,
I pray thee to bear me and turn the ship round, O;
O captain, O captain, here's fifty gold pound, O,
If thou wilt but set me upon the green ground, O.'
8 'O never, O never! the wind it blows stronger,
O never, O never! the time it grows longer;
And better it were that thy baby and thou, O,
Should drown than the crew of the vessel, I vow, O.'
9 'O get me a boat that is narrow and thin, O,
And set me and my little baby therein, O:'
'O no, it were better that thy baby and thou, O,
Should drown than the crew of the vessel, I vow, O.'
10 They got a white napkin, about her head bound it,
They got a white napkin, about her feet wound it;
They cast her then overboard, baby and she, O,
Together to sink in the cruel salt sea, O.
11 The moon it was shining, the tide it was running;
O what in the wake of the vessel was swimming?
'O see, boys! O see how she floats on the water!
O see, boys! O see! the undutiful daughter!
12 'Why swim in the moonlight, upon the sea swaying?
what art thou seeking? for what art thou praying?'
'O captain, O captain, I float on the water;
For the sea giveth up the undutiful daughter.
13 'O take of my father the gold and the treasure,
O take of my mother her fee without measure;
O make me a coffin of gold that is yellow,
And bury me under the banks of green willow!'
14 'I will make thee a coffin of gold that is yellow,
I'll bury thee under the banks of green willow;
I'll bury thee there as becometh a lady,
I'll bury thee there, both thou and thy baby.'
15 The sails they were spread, and the wind it was blowing,
The sea was so salt, and the tide it was flowing;
They steered for the land, and they reachd the shore, O,
But the corpse of the maiden had reachd there before, O.
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Excerpt: A Book of Folklore by S. Baring-Gould (1913) - Page 105
That the lot was used to determine a sacrifice we know from the story of Jonah. When the storm fell on the ship the sailors "said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So, they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah."
In very much--indeed in exactly the same way--it is determined who is to be thrown overboard in an old English ballad still sung by our peasantry:--
'Twas of a sea-captain came o'er the salt billow
He courted a maiden, down by the green willow.
"O take of your father his gold and his treasure!
O take of your mother her fee without measure."
The damsel robs her parents, and flies with the sea captain in his vessel.
And when she had sailed today and tomorrow,
She was wringing her hands, she was crying in sorrow.
And when she had sailed, the days were not many,
The sails were outspread, but of miles made not any.
They cast the black bullets as they sailed on the water;
The black bullet fell on the undutiful daughter.
Now who in the ship must go over the side, O!
O none save the maiden, the fair captain's bride O!
So the undutiful daughter is thrown overboard.
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The Undutiful Daughter - John Masters (John Masters Killerton Notebook 1, Page 163, Number 133)
[From Martin Graebe: Songs of the West, note how Masters version is only part of the combined version above.]
There came a sea captain unto the sea side, O
He courted a damsel and made her his bride, O (note: brider)
Her father refused, her mother was weeping
The maid stole away whilst her parents were sleeping (note: brider)
O take of your father his gold and his treasure
And take of your mother her fee without measure
I’ve ta’en of my father his gold and his treasure
I’ve ta’en of my mother her fee without measure
Now when they had sailed today and tomorrow
Her hands she was wringing, was wasting in sorrow
My father my mother despoiled I am leaving
And now when too late, for my **** I am grieving (alteration makes both original and revised words unreadable)
O take a white napkin, about my head bind it
O take a white napkin about my feet wind it
Oh cast me when dead overboard in the water
And there let me lie an undutiful daughter (changed from ‘a sad heart broken daughter’)
I will take a white napkin, &c
The moon it was shining, the tide it was flowing
O what in the wake of the ship cometh rowing?
Why swim in the moonlight, upon the tide swaying?
O what art thou seeking? For what are you praying?
O take of my father the gold and the treasure
O take of my mother her fee without measure
O make me a coffin of gold that is yellow
And bury me under the green weeping willow
I will make thee a coffin of gold that is yellow
I will bury thee under the green weeping willow
Since thou cans’t not sink in briny salt water
For sea will give up the undutiful daughter
The Undutiful Daughter - John Masters (Killerton Notebook A)
There came a sea captain unto the sea side O
He courted a damsel and made her his bride O
O take of your father his gold and his treasure
And take of your mother her fee without measure
I’ve ta’en of my father his gold and his treasure
I’ve ta’en of my mother her fee without measure
She has come with the captain unto the sea-side O
We’ll sail for the lands[1] all upon the blue tide O
Now when they had sailed today and tomorrow
Her breast she did beat and her hands wrung in sorrow
Now when they had sailed, the days were not many
The sails were outspread, but of miles made not any
[They cast the black bullets, as they sailed on the water
The black bullet fell on the undutiful daughter
Now who in the ship must go over the side, O!
Oh none save the maiden, the fair Captain’s bride, O!] [2]
O take a white napkin, about my head bind it
O take a white napkin about my feet wind it
Alack! that I must in the deep sullen water
Alack for the fate of the undutiful daughter
I will take a white napkin, about thy head bind it
I will take a white napkin, about thy feet wind it
Alas and Alack, thou must into the water
The ship will not sail with the undutiful daughter
The moon it was shining, the tide it was flowing
O what in the wake of the ship cometh rowing?
Why swim in the moonlight, upon the tide swaying?
O what art thou seeking? For what art thou praying?
O take of my father the gold and the treasure
O take of my mother her fee without measure
O make me a coffin of gold that is yellow
And bury me under the banks of green willow
I will make thee a coffin of gold that is yellow
I will bury thee under the banks of green willow
Since thou cans’t not sink in the briny salt water
For the sea will give up the undutiful daughter
The sails they were spread and the west wind was blowing
The sea was so blue and the tide it was flowing
They made for the land, and they reached the shore, O!
But the corpse of the maiden had reached there before, O!
Jas Masters, Bradstone, Words and music. I have added the verse within brackets to complete the story from Motherwell and Kinloch.[3]
Killerton Notebook ‘A’, Number 824
Footnotes:
1 Here SB-G has inserted the word ‘foreign and deleted his original ‘all’
2 Note ‘The Scotch version’. Square bracket indicate an insertion to the original
3 SB-G has referred here to ‘Jas Masters’ - it is, in fact, John.
4 This is a provisional title for this notebook. It does not, at present, have page numbers
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The Undutiful Daughter - Harry Smith (Killerton Notebook A, Number 82) Two Bridges, words and melody
Twas of a sea captain, came oe’r the salt billow
He courted a maiden, down by the green willow
O take of thy mother her ring and her treasure
O take of thy father his fee without measure.
I’ll take of my mother her ring and her treasure
I’ll take of my father his fee without measure
She took of her mother her ring and her treasure
She took of her father his fee without measure.
And when she had sailed today and tomorrow
She was wringing her hands, she was crying in sorrow
And when they had sailed, not many a mile
The maid was delivered of a beautiful child
(Verse missing)
O Captain, O Captain here’s fifty gold crown
If thou wilt but bear me and turn the ship round
O Captain, O Captain, here’s fifty gold pound
If thou wilt set me once again on the ground.
O never, O never the wind it blows stronger
O never, O never the time it grows longer
And better it were that thy baby and thou
Should die than the crew of this vessel I vow
O get me a boat that is narrow and thin
And set me & my little baby therein
O no! for ‘twere better thy baby and thou
Should die than the crew of this vessel I vow
Then get me a napkin about my head bind it
And get me a napkin, about my feet wind it
And cast me then overboard baby and me
And together we’ll sink in cruel salt sea.
They got her a napkin about her head bound it
They got her a napkin about her feet bound it
They cast her then overboard baby and she
And together they sank in the cruel salt sea
O see, boys, O see! how they ride on the water
The pretty baby and the undutiful daughter
O see, boys, O see! how she floats on the water
For the sea will give up the undutiful daughter
(Verse missing)
O get me a coffin of the deepest *stole (sic) yellow
And bury me under the banks of green willow
I'll get thee a coffin of the deepest stole (sic) yellow
And bury thee under the banks of green willow
The sails they were spread and the wind it blowing
The waves they did roar & the tide it was flowing
They steered for the land and they reached the shore
But the mother and baby had got there before
* of gold