Lovely Cottage Maid, The (The Cottage Maid)

DESCRIPTION: The singer courts Emily but she remains true to William, her sailor, gone ten years. William shows a token identifying her dead lover. After satisfying himself of Emily's fidelity, William identifies himself. The two marry.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: before 1863 (broadside, Bodleian Bod7126 Harding B 11(157))
LONG DESCRIPTION: The singer courts Emily, but she remains true to William, her sailor, though he has been gone ten years in the Crimean War. William says her lover is dead, and shows a token with her lover's name. She won't marry the newcomer. William, certain now of her fidelity, identifies himself, and says he has "land and gold in plenty". They marry.
KEYWORDS: love courting marriage war return reunion death gold sailor brokentoken
FOUND IN: Canada(Newf)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Guigné-ForgottenSongsOfTheNewfoundlandOutports, pp. 251-253, "The Lovely Cottage Maid (The Cottage Maid)" (3 texts, 1 tune)
Roud #24245
RECORDINGS:
Joshua Osborne, "The Lovely Cottage Maid" (on NFAGuigné01)
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Bod7126 Harding B 11(157), "The Cottage Maid" ("One morning in my rambles as I walked by the sea shore"), H. Such (London), 1849-1862; also Bod11581 Harding B 11(1244), Bod5163 Harding B 15(323a), "Sweet Cottage Maid"
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Dark-Eyed Sailor (Fair Phoebe and her Dark-Eyed Sailor)" [Laws N35] (plot, themes)
NOTES [118 words]: The token is one difference between "The Dark-Eyed Sailor" and "The Cottage Maid": in "The Dark-Eyed Sailor" (see, for example, broadside Bodleian Johnson Ballads 2483). Phoebe says "I took a gold ring from off my hand, We broke the token, here's part with me" ... "Then half the ring did young William show."; in "The Cottage Maid" (see, for example, broadside Bodleian Harding B 11(157)) Willie says "Your William sailed along with me ... He gave me this love token, his name you'll find, Saying, Take this to my Emily"
One of Guigné-ForgottenSongsOfTheNewfoundlandOutports's texts is a verse from broadside Bodleian Harding B 11(1244), cited above. Another is a verse printed in a Newfoundland periodical. - BS
Last updated in version 4.2
File: Guig251

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