Young Craigston- (Buchan) pre1881 Christie
[From: Traditional Ballad Airs, Volume 2, by Christie, 1881. His notes similar to Maidment's 1924 notes follow.
R. Matteson 2016]
"Young Craigston" has been long a favourite with the populace in Buchan. The Air to which it was sung is here arranged. John Urquhart, called the Tutor of Cromarty, bought the Estate of Craigston, (Aberdeenshire.) The Ballad is supposed to have been composed on the marriage of his grandson with Elisabeth Innes, daughter of Sir Robert Innes of Innes, (Morayshire,) by whom he had a son. Spalding, after referring to the great mortality in the Craigston 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. Spalding also mentions that young Craigston's death was generally attributed to melancholy, in consequence of Sir Robert Innes refusing to pay old Craigston's debts; for the creditors bestowed "many maledictions, which touched the young man's conscience, albeit he could not mend it- Spalding Vol. I. p. 36. The father died in December 1631, and the son in November 1631, so that the marriage must have been of short duration. The ballad is necessarily epitomized for this Work.
Young Craigston.
"Oh, father," said she, "you have done me wrong,
For ye've married me on a childe young man,
Ye've married me on a boy o'er young,
And the bonny boy is long, long a-growing."
"O daughter," said he, "I have done you no wrong,
For I've married you on an heritor of lan',
He's likewise possess'd of many bills and bonds,
And he will be aye daily growing.
"Oh, daughter," said he, " if ye wish to do well,
Ye'll send your husband away to the school,
That he of learning may gather great skill,
And he will be aye daily growing."
Now young Craigston is to the college gone,
And left his lady making great moan,
That she should be forc'd to remain there alone,
And that he was so long, long a-growing.
She has dressed herself in the robes of green,
That were right comely to be seen,
And she was the picture of Venus queen,
And she's to the college to see him.
In his twelfth year he was a married man,
In his thirteenth year he had got a son;
In his fourteenth year his grave grew green,
And that was an end of his growing.