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Ch 286 Eight reported singings, all by different singers. The two additional
versions are, one by Mrs. Clara Stevens, MUNFLA 74-222/C1936, and
one by Mr. Jack Eamon, MUNFLA 83-376/C6643.
Reported Versions by Different Singers
listed in order of frequency
Table II
lli! .!.2n lW!
77 21 28
20,100 14 16
93 10 14 ?
53 8 12
84,200 10 10
78 6 10
81,286 6 8
4,14 4 6
278 3 6
54 2 5
74,112,221 5 5
17 4 5
213 4 5
73 4 4
274 2 4
2, 10,26,46,49, 110, 167,250 3 3
7, 85, 105, 248, 293 2 2
45,83,155,173,209,214 1 1
243, 272, 275, 287,295 1 1
Sixteen years spanning the two surveys may be toO shon a time to expect any
significant variation in the figures. A microscopic examination of variation within the
tradition should not blind us from its global persistence in the province over two centuries.
My survey follows the pattern of Quigley's, and additional versions arc in the same
proportion, so one call see there is little movement on the frequency scale Crable II). This
stability confimls the depth and accuracy of ballad collecting in the province. The
juxtaposition of the two surveys shows that sixteen types have been recorded since 1972.
Of these, fourteen ballad types were definitely in a "dynamic" living state, i.e. in circulation
after 1972, as they have since been recorded from other singers (eh 4,10,17,20,53,54,
77,81,84,93,100,274,278,286). The two other types (Ch 2, 78) had been recorded
by the same singers before 1972. From the fony-four types once recorded locally, the
sixteen types encountered after 1972 represent over one-third of the entire ballad repcnoire.