Merchant's Only Son, The [Laws M21]

DESCRIPTION: A young man's parents send him to America to keep him from marrying a poor girl. He reaches land despite his ship's wreck. He meets a rich girl who offers marriage, but he remains true to the girl at home. The rich girl gives him money to return to her
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: before 1900 (broadside, Bodleian 2806 b.11(224))
KEYWORDS: transportation exile courting poverty ship wreck escape return
FOUND IN: US(MW) Ireland
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Laws M21, "The Merchant's Only Son"
Ranson-SongsOfTheWexfordCoast, pp. 48-49, "The North Star" (1 text, 1 tune)
Gardner/Chickering-BalladsAndSongsOfSouthernMichigan 74, "The Merchant's Only Son" (1 text, 1 tune)
DT 764, MERCHSON
Roud #1019
RECORDINGS:
Martin Howley, "The North Star" (on IRClare01)
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, 2806 b.11(224), "The Belfast Lovers" ("You lovers all attention pay, the truth I will pen down"), T. Pearson (Manchester), 1850-1899; also Johnson Ballads 1895, "The Belfast Lovers"; 2806 c.8(156), "The Limerick Lovers"; 2806 b.9(65), "The Lovers of Derry"
NOTES [31 words]: Ranson-SongsOfTheWexfordCoast: Tune is "Thomas Murphy" on p. 98.
Ranson's version makes the lost ship the North Star, an historical wreck on the Welsh coast (see "The North Star") - BS
File: LM21

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