> Folk Music > Books > Francis James Child: The English and Scottish Popular Ballads

Francis James Child
The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (1882-1898)

The English and Scottish Popular Ballads Volume 1

Francis James Child,
The English and Scottish Popular Ballads
in five volumes
New York: Dover, 1965.
Northfield: Loomis House Press, 2001-2011.

Other books of (mostly) Child Ballads

The Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads Volume 1

Bertrand Harris Bronson,
The Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads
in four volumes.
Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1959,
Northfield: Loomis House Press, 2009.

James Kinsley: The Oxford Book of Ballads

James Kinsley (editor),
The Oxford Book of Ballads.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1969,
ISBN 19 812133 4

John Jacob Niles: The Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles (University Press of Kentucky ISBN 978-0813109879)

John Jacob Niles
The Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles.
Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2000
ISBN 978-0813109879

Albums of (mostly) Child Ballads

The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume I (Riverside RLP 12-621/622) The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume 1 (Washington WLP 715) The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume 2 (Washington WLP 716) A.L. Lloyd, Ewan MacColl, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume I, 2 LP, Riverside RLP 12-621/622, 1956

The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume II (Riverside RLP 623) The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume 3 (Washington WLP 717) The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume 4 (Washington WLP 718) —, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume II, 2 LP, Riverside RLP 12-623/624, 1956

The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume III (Riverside RLP 12-625/626) The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume 5 (Washington WLP 719) The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume 6 (Washington WLP 720) —, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume III, 2 LP, Riverside RLP 12-625/626, 1956

The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume IV (Riverside RLP 627) The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume 7 (Washington WLP 721) The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume 8 (Washington WLP 722) —, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume IV, 2 LP, Riverside RLP 12-627/628, 1956

Note: These albums have been re-released in the 1960s as The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volumes 1-8, 8 LP, Washington WLP 715 - WLP 722

Jean Ritchie: British Traditional Ballads in the Southern Mountains, Volume 1 (Folkways FA 2301) Jean Ritchie, British Traditional Ballads in the Southern Mountains, Volume 1, LP, Folkways FA 2301, 1960

Jean Ritchie: British Traditional Ballads in the Southern Mountains, Volume 2 (Folkways FA 2302) —, British Traditional Ballads in the Southern Mountains, Volume 2, LP, Folkways FA 2302, 1960

The Child Ballads 1 (Topic 12T160) The Child Ballads 1 (Topic 12T160) The Child Ballads 1 (Topic 12T160) Classic Ballads  of Britain and Ireland Volume 1 (Rounder 11661-1775-2) Various Artists, The Child Ballads 1 (The Folk Songs of Britain Vol. 4), LP, Caedmon TC1145, 1961; Topic 12T160, 1968; CD, Rounder 1775, 2000

The Child Ballads 2 (Caedmon TC1146) The Child Ballads 2 (Topic 12T161) The Child Ballads 2 (Topic 12T161) Classic Ballads  of Britain and Ireland Volume 2 (Rounder 11661-1776-2) Various Artists, The Child Ballads 2 (The Folk Songs of Britain Vol. 5), LP, Caedmon TC1146, 1961; Topic 12T161, 1968; CD, Rounder 1776, 2000

Lucy Stewart: Traditional Singer from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Vol. 1 - Child Ballads (Folkways FG 3519) Lucy Stewart, Traditional Singer from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Vol. 1 - Child Ballads, LP, Folkways FG 3519, 1961

Ewan MacColl: The English and Scottish Popular Ballads: Vol. 1 (Folkways FG 3509) Ewan MacColl, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads: Vol. 1—Child Ballads, LP, Folkways FG 3509, 1961

Ewan MacColl: The English and Scottish Popular Ballads: Vol. 2 (Folkways FG 3510) —, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads: Vol. 2—Child Ballads, LP, Folkways FG 3510, 1964

Ewan MacColl: The English and Scottish Popular Ballads: Vol. 3 (Folkways FG 3511) —, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads: Vol. 3—Child Ballads, LP, Folkways FG 3511, 1964

A.L. Lloyd, Ewan MacColl: English and Scottish Folk Ballads (Topic 12T103) A.L. Lloyd, Ewan MacColl, English and Scottish Folk Ballads, LP, Topic 12T103, 1964

The Muckle Sangs (Greentrax CDTRAX9005) Various Artists, The Muckle Sangs (Scottish Tradition 5), LP, Tangent TNGM 119, 1975, CD, Greentrax CDTRAX9005, 1992

Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger: Blood & Roses Volume 1 (Blackthorne ESB79) Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger: Blood & Roses Volume 1 (Blackthorne CD79) Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger, Blood & Roses Volume 1, LP, Blackthorne ESB 79, 1979; Camsco Blackthorn CD 79; 2006

Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger: Blood & Roses Volume 2 (Blackthorne ESB80) Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger: Blood & Roses Volume 2 (Blackthorne CD80) —, Blood & Roses Volume 2, LP, Blackthorne ESB 80, 1982; Camsco Blackthorn CD 80; 2006

Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger: Blood & Roses Volume 3 (Blackthorne ESB81) Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger: Blood & Roses Volume 3 (Blackthorne CD81) —, Blood & Roses Volume 3, LP, Blackthorne ESB 81, 1982; Camsco Blackthorn CD 81; 2006

Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger: Blood & Roses Volume 4 (Blackthorne ESB82) Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger: Blood & Roses Volume 4 (Blackthorne CD82) —, Blood & Roses Volume 4, LP, Blackthorne ESB 82, 1986; Camsco Blackthorn CD 82; 2006

Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger: Blood & Roses Volume 5 (Blackthorne ESB83) Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger: Blood & Roses Volume 5 (Blackthorne CD83) —, Blood & Roses Volume 5, LP, Blackthorne ESB 83, 1986; Camsco Blackthorn CD 83; 2006

Various Artists: Early Ballads in Ireland 1968-1985 (An Goílín 007-8) Various Artists, Early Ballads in Ireland 1968-1985, 2 cassettes, 1985; 2 CD, An Goílín 007-8, 2015

Ballads (Fellside FECD110) Various Artists, Ballads, CD, Fellside FECD110, 1997

Alison McMorland & Geordie McIntyre: Ballad Tree (Tradition Bearers LTCD1051) Alison McMorland & Geordie McIntyre, Ballad Tree, CD, Tradition Bearers LTCD1051, 2003

Katherine Campbell: The Songs of Amelia and Jane Harris (Springthyme SPRCD 1041) Katherine Campbell, The Songs of Amelia and Jane Harris, CD, Springthyme SPRCD 1041, 2004

Brian Peters: Songs of Trial and Triumph (Pugwash PUG CD 007) Brian Peters, Songs of Trial and Triumph, CD, Pugwash PUG CD 007, 2008

Ewan MacColl: Ballads (Topic TSCD576D) Ewan MacColl, Ballads: Murder·Intrigue·Love·Discord, 2 CD, Topic TSCD576D, 2009

A.L. Lloyd: Bramble Briars and Beams of the Sun (Fellside FECD219) A.L. Lloyd, Bramble Briars and Beams of the Sun, 2 CD, Fellside FECD240, 2011

Note: These two albums are CD reissues of ballads from Lloyd and MacColl’s 1956 Riverside albums.

Rosaleen Gregory: Sheath and Knife Rosaleen Gregory, Sheath and Knife, CD, Rosaleen Gregory, 2012

Rosaleen Gregory: Serpent’s Knee Rosaleen Gregory, Serpent’s Knee, CD, Rosaleen Gregory, 2013

Anaïs Mitchell & Jefferson Hamer: Child Ballads (Wilderland WILDER 002) Anaïs Mitchell & Jefferson Hamer, Child Ballads, CD, Wilderland WILDER 002, 2013

Helen Lindley: Awakening the Lady (Helen Lindley) Helen Lindley, Awakening the Lady, DL EP, Helen Lindley, 3 November 2023

Texts

There used to be texts for a few Child Ballads in this place but there is not much sense in doubling the work that has been done on the net in several places. I have replaced them with links to Wikisource in the head of the individual song pages, see e.g. Child 1, Riddles Wisely Expounded.

Links