Lurgan Braes

DESCRIPTION: An apprentice boy left Portadown for Woodside on the Kelvin River. He thought of the girl he left behind near Lurgan Braes. He swore he would remain true to her. If he returns he will call on her: "if she is dead, or if she is wed, I'm at my Liberty"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: before 1860 (broadside, NLScotland APS.4.86.6)
KEYWORDS: courting love promise separation travel Ireland Scotland floatingverses nonballad apprentice
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber))
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Greig-FolkSongInBuchan-FolkSongOfTheNorthEast #72, p. 2, "Lurgan Braes" (1 text)
Greig/Duncan8 1909, "Lurgan Braes" (1 text)
Roud #6273
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, 2806 c.14(76), "Lurgan Braes" ("The summer time being in its prime"), J. Lindsay (Glasgow), 1851-1910
Murray, Mu23-y1:034, "Lurgan Braes," James Lindsay (Glasgow), 19C
NLScotland, APS.4.86.6, "Lurgan Braes" ("The Summer time being in its prime"), J. Lindsay (Glasgow), 1852-1859
NOTES [61 words]: Greig: "'Lurgan Braes' is one of those songs which are compounded of several ditties and sorely lack unity and clear meaning."
In spite of Greig's comment there are few actual floating verses ("rocks melt with the sun," for example) but more floating ideas.
Specifically, [the singer] left Portadown in County Armagh. Woodside is on the Kelvin River, near Glasgow. - BS
Last updated in version 2.5
File: Grd81909

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