“The Old Oak Tree”

Description

(Betsy) sets out from home to meet her love and never returns. Her widowed mother, after a long search, dies of grief. The girl's body is found during a hunt with the murderer's knife still there. He confesses the crime and (dies/kills himself)

Notes

Bodleian Library site Ballads Catalogue appears to have two broadsides for this ballad

Bodleian, Harding B 40(5), "The Old Oak Tree" ("The night was dark, cold blew the wind"), J.F. Nugent and Co.? (Dublin?), 1850-1899; also Harding B 26(481), "The Old Oak Three," P. Brereton (Dublin), c.1867

However, I was unable to read either of them. - BS

Recordings

• Robert Cinnamond, "The Old Oak Tree" (on IRRCinnamond02)
• Warde Ford, "Beneath the Old Oak Tree" (AFS 4195 A1; tr.; in AMMEM/Cowell)
• Tom Lenihan, "The Old Oak Tree" (on IRTLenihan01)

References

1. Laws P37, "The Old Oak Tree"
2. Doerflinger, pp. 283-285, "The Old Oak Tree" (1 text, 1 tune)
3. SHenry H207, pp. 417-418, "The Old Oak Tree" (1 text, 1 tune)
4. Morton-Ulster 15, "The Old Oak Tree" (1 text, 1 tune)
5. Morton-Maguire 49, pp. 141-143,175, "The Old Oak Tree" (1 text, 1 tune)
6. Munnelly/Deasy-Lenihan 11, "The Old Oak Tree" (1 text, 1 tune)
7. Gardner/Chickering 33, "The Old Oak Tree" (1 text plus mention of 1 more, 1 tune)
8. Greenleaf/Mansfield 55, "Squire Nathaniel and Betsy" (1 text, 1 tune)
9. Peacock, pp. 628-629, "The Old Oak Tree" (1 text, 1 tune)
10. Leach-Labrador 12, "The Old Oak Tree" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
11. Dibblee/Dibblee, pp. 80-81, "The Old Oak Tree" (1 text, 1 tune)
12. Manny/Wilson 66, "Eliza Long (The Old Oak Tree)" (1 text, 1 tune)
13. DT 514, OLDOAKTR
14. Roud #569
15. BI, LP37