Sun's Bright in France, The (My Ain Countree)

DESCRIPTION: The singer is in France (exiled after Culloden?) and looks across the sea toward home in Galloway, where he left Mary and their three children. "I'll meet ye aa again soon Frae my ain counterie"
AUTHOR: Allan Cunningham (source: Cunningham, but see notes)
EARLIEST DATE: 1810 (Cromek, but see the notes)
KEYWORDS: exile reunion separation France Scotland lament children wife
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Bord))
REFERENCES (3 citations):
McMorland/Scott-HerdLaddieOTheGlen, pp. 129-129, 155, "My Ain Counterie" (1 text, 1 tune)
ADDITIONAL: R. H. Cromek, Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song, (Paisley: Alexander Gardiner, 1880 reissue of 1810 edition ("Digitized by Google")), pp. 145-146, "The Suns Bright in France"
Willie Scott, "My Ain Counterie," School of Scottish Studies Archive SA1976.216,Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches accessed 14 September 2013 from http://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/en/fullrecord/60301/1
Roud #21757
ALTERNATE TITLES:
The Sun Rises Bright in France
NOTES [390 words]: As always, when referring to Cromek I must repeat this warning: "Cromek died [1812] shortly after the issue [1810] of Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song, which was mostly written by Cunningham, though palmed upon Cromek as recovered antiques" (source: J. Ross, The Book of Scottish Poems: Ancient and Modern, (Edinburgh, Edinburgh Publishing Co, 1878), "Allan Cunningham 1784-1842," p. 738; other sources agree). For more on Cunningham and Cromek see the notes to "The Bonnie House o Airlie" [Child 199].
In this case, Cromek has the source as "Miss MacArtney." I assume that that was what he had been told by Cunningham. Cromek's note suggests that this is one of "many affecting fragments of song which seem to have been the composition of those exiles [the "wretched fugitives" "after the battle of Culloden"].
Then, in Allan Cunningham, The Songs of Scotland Ancient and Modern (London: John Taylor, 1825 ("(Digitized by Microsoft"), pp. 304-305, Cunningham uses the McMorland/Scott-HerdLaddieOTheGlen title, "My Ain Countree," and lists himself as the author. In 1828, Jacobite Minstrelsy (Glasgow: R Griffin and Co, 1828 ("Digitized by Google")), pp. 269-270, the note to "The Sun's Bright in France" states, "The composition appears to have been by an exile of some note. Hogg ascribes it to Captain Stuart of Invershoyle"; but see the note at G. Farquhar Graham, The Popular Songs and Melodies of Scotland (Balmoral Edition) (Glasgow: J Muir Wood & Co, 1887 ("Digitized by Google")), p. 363.
Finally, Cromek's note lived on in this statement in Frank Kidson and Martin Shaw, Songs of Britain (New York: Boosey & Co, 1913 ("Digitized by Google")), p. 120 -- where the song is printed as a Jacobite song, "The Sun Rises Bright in France": "Many of those concerned in the Jacobite rebellions of 1715 and 1745 escaped to France and dared not return to the land of their birth."
Graham points out that Cunningham's 1825 version adds two verses and makes some other changes to the 1810 version. McMorland-Scott follows the 1825 changes -- with the single exception of not changing "high heaven" to "the high heaven" -- and changes some words besides. - BS
Whatever its origin, this should not be confused with the popular song "My AIn Countrie" attributed to Mary Lee Demarest, which occurs on p. 267 of Heart-Songs. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.0
File: McSc129

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