Martinmas Time

DESCRIPTION: A troop of soldiers forces farmer's daughter to promise she will come to their quarters that night. She arrives in disguise, but the quartermaster sends her away. She leaves her garters and ribbons tied to the gates to prove she'd been there.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1905 (Greig/Duncan1)
LONG DESCRIPTION: Troop of soldiers forces farmer's daughter to promise she will come to their quarters that night; she has her hair cut off and dresses in men's clothes. She goes to the soldiers' quarters, asking for lodgings for another troop of soldiers, but the quartermaster sends her away, saying there is no more room. She persists; he gives her money, for "tonight there comes a wench." She leaves her garters and ribbons tied to the gates to prove she'd been there, then blows a whistle, saying "you're not for a girl at all," and goes home in triumph
KEYWORDS: sex rape trick soldier cross-dressing disguise escape
FOUND IN: Britain(England(North),Scotland)
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Greig-FolkSongInBuchan-FolkSongOfTheNorthEast #84, p. 2, "It Fell Aboot the Mart'mas Time" (1 text)
Greig/Duncan1 161, "The Irish Dragoons" (16 texts, 10 tunes)
Ord-BothySongsAndBallads, pp. 308-309, "It Fell About the Martinmas Time" (1 text)
DT, MARTINMA*
Roud #2173
RECORDINGS:
Anne Briggs, "Martinmas Time" (on BirdBush1, BirdBush2, Briggs3)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Broomfield Hill" (Child 43) and references there
cf. "The Brisk Young Rover" (tune)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
The Troop o' Soldiers
File: DTmartin

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