US & Canada Versions: 140. Robin Hood Rescuing Squires
[There are several US versions collected of this somewhat rare ballad. The most important, because of its traditional nature, is the Nora Hicks (Mrs. Calvin Hicks) version from Edith Walker (see Brown Collection). The Hicks version may be traced back to Virginia before the Revolutionary War.
A version was published in the American Songster (Cozans, 107 Nassau St., NYC, circa 1845) which I believe is the same version reprinted in the 1992 "New American Songster." A similar version to this print version was collected by Flanders in 1941 from Charles Finnemore of Maine and recorded in 1953. Whether or not other versions have been influenced by The Songster print version is unknown.
Niles included two versions in his Ballad Book, (1961) one of which is probably not related. Both may be ballad recreations anyway.
Stephen Knight titles this ballad Robin Hood Rescues Three Young Men (Robin Hood and Other Outlaw Tales, 1997), pointing out that it isn't always three squires that are rescued (see, for example, the Hicks North Carolina version where it's three sons).
R. Matteson 2012, 2015]
[First US published version c. 1846 (before 1850); See also Flanders A]
CONTENTS: (To access individual texts, click on blue highlighted title below)
1) Robin Hood Rescuing Three Squires- (NY) c1845 Cozans
2) Robin Hood and the Old Maid- Mulleneoux (KY) 1909 Niles A
3) Robin Hood- Stanwood (ME) 1928 Barry
4) Robin Hood & the Old Woman- Bean (NC) 1934 Niles B
5) Bold Robing- Nora Hicks (NC) 1939 Brown Collection
6) Bold Robin Hood- Finnemore (ME) 1942 Flanders A
7) Bold Robin Hood- Lewis (ME) 1948 Olney/Flanders B
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Robin Hood Rescuing Three Squires (W. Amos Abrams Collection) [This is the same version appearing in the Brown Collection by Mrs. Calvin Hicks (Nora Hicks).]
BOLD ROBIN- Sung by Nora Hicks, (1886-1953) of Sugar Grove, Watauga County, North Carolina; written down by her daughter Addie Mae Hicks (Dollar) c. 1939.
Bold Robin Hood one morning stood,
With his back against a tree,
And he was aware of a fine young man,
As fine as fine could be.
Bold Robin went down to Nottingham Town,
As fast as he could go,
And who should he meet but a poor old woman,
As she came weeping by.
"It's are you weeping for my gold?" he said,
"or are you weeping for my store?
Or are you weeping for your three sons,
That have to be hung today?"
"I'm not weeping for your gold," she said,
"Nor I'm not weeping for your store;
"I'm just a weeping for my three sons,
That have to be hung today."
Bold Robin went down to Nottingham Town,
As fast as he could ride,
But who should he meet but a poor old beggar,
As he came walking by.
"Change clothing, change clothing," Bold Robin he said,
"Pray change your clothing with me,
Here's forty bright guinea I'll give you to boot,
If you'll change your clothing with me."
Bold Robin put on the old beggar's coat,
Twas patched on every side,
"Good faith to my soul Bold Robin," he said,
"They'll think I just wear this for pride."
Bold Robin went down to Nottingham Town,
As fast as he could ride,
But who should he see but the old town sheriff,
As he stood there close by.
"Which away, which away?" the old town sheriff said,
Which away I say to thee,
I heard of three men to be hung here today,
And the hangman I want for to be.
"Quick granted, quick granted," the old town sheriff said,
"Quick granted I say to thee,
And you can have all of their gay good clothing,
And all of their bright monee."
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From Coffin 1950: A Critical Biographical Study of the Traditional Ballads of North America
140. ROBIN HOOD RESCUING THREE SQUIRES
Texts; American Songster (Cozzens, N.Y.), 204 / Barry, Brit Bids Me, 240 / Brown Coll.
Local Titles: Robin Hood.
Story Types: A: Robin Hood meets a young lady who, weeping, tells him that three squires of Nottingham have been taken prisoner. Robin calls his men for council and sets out for the town. En route, he meets a beggar. He changes clothes with the man for fifty guineas. Robin then meets the sheriff and tells the officer that he would like to hang the three squires personally
and to give three blasts on his horn "that their souls in heaven might be". The request is granted. Robin mounts the scaffold and gives the three blasts, which serve as a signal to his men. They come, and the sheriff gives over the three squires.
Examples: Barry.
Discussion: The Maine version follows Child C, although the lady is not the mother of the three squires. Thus, the hanging of the sheriff on his own gallows, a feature of Child B, is not included.
See the American Songster for a different text which Barry, Brit Bids Me, 242 notes comes from either a poor stall copy or an oral source.
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BRITISH BALLADS FROM MAINE
ROBIN HOOD RESCUING THREE SQUIRES
(Child 140)
A. "Robin Hood." Sent in, March, 1928, by Mr. George A. Stanwood of steuben, who said it was toas much as he could rememberoot and with the verses probably not in the right order.
1 Robin Hood marched the forest all round,
Ihe forest all round marched he;
The first that he met was a fair young lady
Crying on the highwaY.
2 'What makes you weep ?' my fair young lady,
'What makes you weep ?' said he.
'There's weeping and wailing in all Nottingham
3 'So weep no more, weep no more today,
And I'll call out my merry men
To see what they will say.'
So Robin Hood marched the forest all round,
The forest all round marched he.
4 The next that he met was an old beggar man
Traveling along the highway;
'What news, what news, you old beggar man?
What news, what news today?'
5 There's weeping and wailing in all Nottingham
For the loss of the squires all three.'
'Go change your clothes for mine,' he said,
'Go change your clothes for mine;
6 'Here's fifty bright guineas I'll give unto you:
Go spend them for beer and wine.'
So Robin Hood put on the old man's clothes
That was made of hemp and tow,
7 'It rubs, it scrubs,'says bold Robin Hood,
'But I must go farther this day.'
So Robin Hood marched the forests all round,
The forests all round marched he.
8 The next that he met was master's high sheriff,
Come galloping o'er the highway;
'What news? what news, you old beggar man,
What news, what news today?'
9 'There's weeping and wailing in all Nottingham
For the loss of the squires all three;
Now I want to stand hangman this livelong day
To hang the squires all three.
10 'I want three blasts on mv bugle horn
That their souls in heaven might be.'
'You may stand hangman this livelong day
To hang the squires all three.'
11 'And you can have their gay clothing,
Also the bright money
And you can have three blasts on your bugle horn
That their souls in heaven might be.'
12 So Robin Rood mounted the scaffold high,
The scaffold high mounted he,
He gave three blasts on his bugle horn,
That their souls in heaven might be.
13 He gave three more so loud, so shrill
Five hundred and ten of bold Robin hood's men
Came galloping o'er the hills.
14. 'Whose men are these?' said the master's high sheriff,
Whose me are these I see?'
They're mine, not thine,' says bold Robin Hood,
'And has come for the squires all three.'
15 'So take them, you old beggar man,
So take them for thine,
There's not another beggar man in all Nottingham
That shall have three more of mine.'
This is a good traditional version of Child C,which occurs in several editions of Robin Hood's Garland (III, 177). Printed about 1753, it must have been orally current much earlier. Quite a different variant was printed in America in the American songster (P. J. Cozzens 107 Nassau Street, New York City, p. 204). This seems to have come from either a poor stall copy or from an oral source, judging from the punctuation. That it is related to our text is shown by the "gay lady" or 'fair lady" who is the mother of the squires in Child C. In Child B they are the sons of "as silly old woman." Child A lacks the introductory stanzas, but represents Robin Hood, after he has called his men to him, as throwing off his disguise and threatening to shoot. The
sheriff and his "sergiant " are amenable to reason, and the sheriff "held up both his hands" in approved modern fashion. In Child B the sheriff is hanged upon his own gallows. Child C with his releasing the prisoners.
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Missing texts:
ROBIN HOOD RESCUING THE THREE SQUIRES
Source WPA Collection, Univ. of Virginia, Charlotteville, No.1206
Performer Hensley, Mamie
Place collected USA : Virginia : Bridgetown
Collector Morton, Susan R.
ROBIN HOOD RESCUING THE THREE SQUIRES
Source Helen Creighton collection (Nova Scotia Archives) AR 5740 / AC 2342 / 2687
Performer Dornan, Angelo
Place collected Canada : New Brunswick : Elgin
Collector Creighton, Helen