Bogie's Bonnie Belle

DESCRIPTION: Singer meets Bogie and goes to work for him; his daugher Isabel meets him by the river. She delivers a son, and Bogie sends for the singer, who promises to marry her. Bogie says the singer's not worthy of his daughter. Bogie's daughter marries a tinker
AUTHOR: Unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1906 (Greig/Duncan7)
LONG DESCRIPTION: Singer, going to Huntley, meets Bogie and arranges to drive horses for him; his daugher Isabel chooses him for her guide, down by the river. Later, she delivers a son, and Bogie sends for the singer, who promises to marry her. Bogie says the singer's not worthy of his daughter, so (the singer takes his son away while) Bogie's daughter marries a tinker; the singer takes his leave (and boasts of having taken her maidenhead) (or he wishes her well)
KEYWORDS: hardheartedness courting seduction sex bragging pregnancy baby father lover
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber))
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Greig/Duncan7 1396, Greig/Duncan8 Addenda, "Bogie's Bonnie Bell" (13 texts, 11 tunes)
Kennedy-FolksongsOfBritainAndIreland 340, "Bogie's Bonnie Belle" (1 text, 1 tune)
MacColl/Seeger-TravellersSongsFromEnglandAndScotland 81, "Bogie's Bonnie Belle" (1 text, 1 tune)
Sedley/Carthy-WhoKilledCockRobin, pp. 200-203, "Bogie's Bonnie Belle" (1 text, 1 tune)
DT, BOGIEBEL*
Roud #2155
RECORDINGS:
Davie Stewart, "Bogie's Bonny Belle" (on FSB01)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Adieu to Bogie Side" (lyrics)
cf. "The Plains of Waterloo" (tune, per Greig/Duncan7)
cf. "Erin's Lovely Home" (tune, per Greig/Duncan7)
NOTES [203 words]: According to Kennedy, a "literary" version of the song by John Riddel [indexed as "Adieu to Bogie Side" - RBW] was printed in Ford's Vagabond Songs and Ballads of Scotland, 1900. - PJS
This is an instance of a difficult conundrum, which initially led me to lump the songs. There is good evidence that this "literary" version is a traditional song (Ford and Ord have very different versions, and Grieg found quite a few versions). And Ord's longish version has clear links to Kennedy's song. Links, but not really the same plot (e.g. the pregnancy vanishes). Still, I suspect there are versions which mix. Best to check the references to both songs.
I find myself wondering if Riddell didn't know both songs, and create his version (with its references to the muses, etc.) from scraps of both.
Sedley/Carthy-WhoKilledCockRobin cites Peter Hall to the effect that "Belle" was Isabel Morison, born September 1823. Her son James Morrison was born June 1843; the man who seduced/raped her and fathered the child was James Stephens. Apparently James Morrison was raised by the family of James Stephens, while Isabel married someone else. Sedley/Carthy-WhoKilledCockRobin do not report the ultimate fate of any of them. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.7
File: DTbogieb

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