Rose of Ardee, The

DESCRIPTION: When the singer came to this country he fell in love with Mary and would have married her. He curses the weaver who stole her. He will take his week's wages to the alehouse.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: before 1821 (broadside, Bodleian 2806 c.17(366))
KEYWORDS: courting infidelity travel drink nonballad
FOUND IN: Britain(England(South)) US(MA)
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Thompson-APioneerSongster 35, "The Rose of Ardee" (1 text)
Forget-Me-Not-Songster, p. 219, "The Rose of Ardee" (1 text)
ADDITIONAL: Robert Barratt, EFDSS Archives HAM/2/9/26, "The Rose of Ardee," https://www.vwml.org/search?q=HAM/2/9/26&is=1 accessed 7/25/2023 (1 text, 1 tune)
J Woodrich, EFDSS Archives SBG/1/3/402, "The Rose of Ardee," https://www.vwml.org/search?q=SBG/1/3/402&is=1 accessed 7/24/2023 (1 text)
Roud #2816
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, 2806 c.17(366), "Rose of Ardee" ("When first to this country a stranger I came," G. Thompson (Liverpool), 1789-1820; also Firth b.26(484)[some words illegible], Johnson Ballads fol. 25, Firth b.25(83), 2806 c.17(365), 2806 b.11(113), Harding B 11(3331), Harding B 11(104), Harding B 11(9483), Firth b.25(269), Harding B 11(103), Harding B 11(363), Harding B 25(1655), Harding B 25(1660), Harding B 11(2944), "[The] Rose of Ardee"
LOCSinging, as112020, "Rose of Ardee," L. Deming (Boston), no date
VonWalthour, CD Drive>r>r(17), "Rose of Ardee" ("When first to this country a stranger I came"), L. Deming (Boston), no date
NOTES [119 words]: Broadsides LOCSinging as112020 and VonWalthour CDDrive>r>r(17) appear to be the same edition.
Is the commonplace "When first to this country a stranger I came," and its many close variants, to be taken to indicate immigration or seasonal work? The Thompson-APioneerSongster and Bodleian 2806 c.17(366) versions have the rejected young man planning a summer soldier tour: "I'll away to the army for months two or three." More reasonably, the LOCSinging text has "I'm bound to the city for months two or three" and then he can travel. Perhaps on the side of immigration is EFDSS HAM/2/9/26: "Now I will list in the Army for two years or three." Ardee is in County Louth, about midway between Belfast and Dublin. - BS
Last updated in version 6.6
File: TPS035

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