“Geordie”

Description

Geordie is taken (for killing a man or the king's deer). When word comes to his lady, she sets out to do all possible to save his life. In most accounts she raises his ransom, though in others Geordie is executed

Notes

The historical antecedents of this ballad are disputed. Some suggest that it is based on the life of George Gordon (1512-1562), Fourth Earl of Huntley, the son of Margaret Stewart, she being an illegitimate daughter of James IV. A blackletter ballad cited by Lloyd names Geordie as George Stoole of Northumberland, executed in 1610, but Lloyd suggests the ballad itself predates the 17th century. - PJS, RBW

To the above list of possibilities, I'm going to add one other possibility, though it is later than Lloyd's broadside. But it might have caused the song to be reshaped. According to Susan Maclean Kybett, _Bonnie Prince Charlie_, Dodd Mead, 1988, pp. 16-17, after the 1715 Jacobite rebellion, several peers (including, e.g., Lord Derwentwater) were condemned to death. One of them was William Maxwell of Nithsdale. His wife Winifred begged before George I for his life. Her request was refused, but she was granted a last visit -- and managed to help him escape.

I must admit to sometimes wondering if this is really a single ballad. In most texts, of course, Geordie is charged with murder. But in a few texts, such as Child's "H" and Ord's version "Gight's Ladye," the charge is poaching, and the whole feeling of the song (as well as the lyrics) is different. Coffin's notes in Flanders-Ancient3 observes that there are two endings, one with Geordie ransomed, one with him executed, and that these seem to form distinct family groups. I wouldn't be surprised if two separate songs were mixed. - RBW

Cross references

• cf. "The Prisoner at the Bar (The Judge and Jury)" (plot)

Broadsides

• Bodleian, Harding B 11(1797), "The Life of Georgey," H. Such (London), 1849-1862; also Harding B 25(488), "Death of Georgy", W. Armstrong (Liverpool), 1820-1824; also Firth c.21(20), Harding B 11(2297), "Maid's Lamentation for her Georgy"

Recordings

• Harry Cox, "Georgie (Geordie)" (on FSB5, FSBBAL2) {Bronson's #24}
• Paul Joines, "The Hanging of Georgie" (on Persis1)
• Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, "Georgie" (on ENMacCollSeeger02)
• Levi Smith, "Georgie" (on Voice11)

References

1. Child 209, "Geordie" (15 texts)
2. Bronson 209, "Geordie" (58 versions)
3. BarryEckstormSmyth p. 475, "Geordie" (notes only)
4. Flanders-Ancient3, pp. 231-235, "Geordie" (2 texts, 1 tune)
5. Belden, pp. 76-78, "Geordie" (3 texts)
6. Randolph 28, "The Life of Georgie" (3 texts plus 1 excerpt, 2 tunes) {Randolph's A=Bronson's #36, D=#40}
7. Randolph/Cohen, pp. 52-53, "The Life of Georgie" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 28D) {Bronson's #40}
8. Davis-Ballads 39, "Geordie" (3 texts plus a fragment, 1 tune entitled "Georgie") {Bronson's #30}
9. Davis-More 34, pp. 262-266, "Geordie" (1 text, 1 tune)
10. BrownII 38, "Geordie" (1 text, in which the condemned man is "Georgia"!)
11. Scarborough-SongCatcher, pp. 213-215, "Geordie" (1 text, with local title "Georgy-O," plus an excerpt from Christie; 1 tune on p.411) {Bronson's #5}
12. Chappell-FSRA 17, "Johnny Wedlock" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #49}
13. Flanders/Brown, pp. 241-242, "Charley's Escape" (1 text from the Green Mountain Songster)
14. Greenleaf/Mansfield 17, "Lovely Georgie" (1 text)
15. Creighton-Maritime, p. 27, "Geordie" (1 text, 1 tune)
16. Creighton/Senior, pp. 73-75, "Geordie" (2 texts plus 1 fragment, 1 tune) {Bronson's #23}
17. Gardner/Chickering 128, "Georgie" (1 fragment)
18. Leach, pp. 554-559, "Geordie" (3 texts)
19. Sharp-100E 9, "Geordie" (1 text, 1 tune)
20. Niles 53, "Geordie" (1 text, 1 tune)
21. SharpAp 34, "Geordie" (4 short texts plus 2 fragments, 6 tunes){Bronson's #50, #31, #51, #30, #55, #41}
22. Sharp/Karpeles-80E 24, "Georgie" (1 text, 1 tune -- a composite version) {Bronson's #30}
23. Vaughan Williams/Lloyd, pp. 42-43, "Geordie" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #27}
24. Hodgart, p. 135, "Geordie" (1 text)
25. JHCox 23, "Geordie" (1 text)
26. Ord, pp. 408-410, "Gight's Ladye"; pp. 456-457, "My Geordie, O, My Geordie O" (2 texts, 1 tune) {Bronson's #4}
27. MacSeegTrav 16, "Geordie" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
28. Silber-FSWB, p. 220, "Geordie" (1 text)
29. BBI, ZN279, "As I went over London Bridge"
30. DT 209, GEORDI GEORDI2* GEORDI4*
31. Roud #90
32. BI, C209