Lizie Lindsay [Child 226]

DESCRIPTION: A young man comes to court Lizie Lindsay, asking her to come to the Highlands with him. Neither she nor her relatives are interested. He then reveals that he is a rich lord (the Lord of the Isles?); she changes her mind
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1796 (Scots Musical Museum)
KEYWORDS: courting
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber,Bord)) US(Ap,MA,NE,So)
REFERENCES (14 citations):
Child 226, "Lizie Lindsay" (8 texts, 1 tune) {Bronson's #3}
Bronson 226, "Lizie Lindsay" (9 versions+1 in addenda)
Bronson-SingingTraditionOfChildsPopularBallads 226, "Lizie Lindsay" (3 versions: #1, #3, #7)
Lyle-Andrew-CrawfurdsCollectionVolume1 53, "Sir Donald and Eliza Lindsay" (1 text)
Greig/Duncan4 854, "Lizzie Lindsay" (7 texts, 3 tunes)
Barry/Eckstorm/Smyth-BritishBalladsFromMaine pp. 297-299, "Lizzie Lindsay" (1 text with variants, 1 tune) {Bronson's #6}
Flanders-AncientBalladsTraditionallySungInNewEngland3, pp. 269-271, "Lizie Lindsay" (1 text, 1 tune)
Cox/Hercog/Halpert/Boswell-WVirginia-A, #11, pp. 46-47, "Leezie Lindsay" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #2}
Brewster-BalladsAndSongsOfIndiana 20, "Lizie Lindsay" (1 text)
Ford-VagabondSongsAndBalladsOfScotland, p. 314, "Leezie Lindsay" (1 short text)
Randolph 29, "New Yealand" (1 fragment)
Moore/Moore-BalladsAndFolkSongsOfTheSouthwest 45, "Leezie Lindsay" (1 text, 1 tune)
Whitelaw-BookOfScottishBallads, pp. 49-51, "Bonnie Lizie Lindsay"; pp. 51-52, "Lizzie Lindsay" (2 texts)
DT 226, LIZLIND*
Roud #94
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Dugall Quin" [Child 294]
cf. "The Blaeberry Courtship" [Laws N19]
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Donald Macdonald
Lord Ronald Macdonald
NOTES [100 words]: Not every version of this song has Lizie's suitor describe the lands he rules, but the most typical version makes him "Laird o' Kingussie." Kingussie is in the banks of the Spey at its confluence with the Tromey, across from Strathspey. It is almost due south of Inverness. The region is hilly (the town itself is just below the height of Creag Bheag); I doubt it was ever wealthy. Of course, he's also identified as a MacDonald, and that could imply much greater holdings, up to and including the Lordship of the Isles. - RBW
Whitelaw-BookOfScottishBallads pp. 51-52 is Child's source for text 226F. - BS
Last updated in version 4.1
File: C226

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography