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The Laird o’ Drum

[ Roud 247 ; Child 236 ; G/D 4:835 ; Ballad Index C236 ; Bodleian Roud 247 ; DT LAIRDDRM ; Mudcat 62992 ; trad.]

John Strachan of Fyvie, Aberdeenshire, sang The Laird o’ Drum on 16 July 1951 to Alan Lomax and Hamish Henderson. This recording was included in 2002 on his Rounder anthology CD, Songs From Aberdeenshire. Another recording made by Hamish Henderson, of William Sharp Lonie of Loanhead, Midlothian, singing The Laird o’ the Drum in 1962, was included in 2006 on the Kyloe CD Hamish Henderson Collects Volume 2. Hamish Henderson and Ewan McVicar noted:

Another song of class distinctions overcome by love. The shepherd’s lass says she is too low in social status for the Laird, and her father agrees with her, although he seems to offer her as a body servant to the Laird. The Laird insists, although his “gentlemen” relatives and friends are angry and rude to her. In other versions he explains that his first wife was too fine and haughty, so he has married a practical girl this time. Gavin Greig detailed how in 1681 or 1682, Alexander Irvine of Drum, aged 63, married Margaret Coutts, the 16 year-old daughter of a local shepherd. He died in 1687. Margaret remarried.

Togo Crawford of Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbrightshire, sang The Gates o’ the Drum to Séamus Ennis on 28 May 1953. This recording was included in 2012 on the Topic anthology Good People, Take Warning (The Voice of the People Volume 23).

Lucy Stewart of Fetterangus, Aberdeenshire, sang The Laird o’ Drum in 1955 to Peter Kennedy. This recording was included in 2000 on the Rounder CD Classic Ballads of Britain and Ireland Volume 2 which is an extended re-issue of the Caedmon/Topic anthology The Folk Songs of Britain Volume 5. Another recording made by Kenneth S. Goldstein was included in 1961 on her Folkways album Traditional Singer from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Vol. 1 - Child Ballads. Kenneth Goldstein commented in the album notes:

The earliest version of this ballad dates from the beginning of the 19^th century. The ballad concerns the marriage, in 1681, of Alexander Irvine, Laird of Drum, then 63 years old, to Margaret Coutts, a 16-year old girl of inferior birth. The marriage caused considerable consternation in the Irvine family, though after the death of the Laird in 1687, his young widow proceeded to marry still another member of the Irvine family.

The ballad has long been popular in the northeast of Scotland, and is still widely known there today.

Ewan MacColl sang The Laird o’ Drum in 1956 on his and A.L. Lloyd’s Riverside anthology The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (The Child Ballads) Volume I. This and 28 other ballads from this series were reissued in 2009 on MacColl’s Topic CD Ballads: Murder·Intrigue·Love·Discord. Kenneth S. Goldstein commented in the album’s notes:

The earliest known version of this ballad is from the beginning of the 19^th century. The ballad concerns the marriage, in 1681, of Alexander Irvine, Laird of Drum, then 63 years old, to Margaret Coutts, a 16-year old girl of inferior birth. The marriage caused considerable consternation in the Irvine family, though after the death of the Laird in 1687, his young widow proceeded to marry still another member of the Irvine family.

At one time the ballad was one of the most popular found in the northeast of Scotland, and is. It has been reported only twice from tradition in North America, and in both cases the American text contain only the first part of the full ballad tale.

MacColl sings a version learned in fragmentary form from his father and collated with the version in Greig and Keith [Last Leaves of Traditional Ballads and Ballad Airs].

Jeannie Robertson sang The Laird o’ Drum on her 1963 Prestige album The Cuckoo’s Nest and Other Scottish Folk Songs.

Jock Tamson’s Bairns sang The Laird o’ Drum in 1982 on their Topic album The Lasses Fashion. They noted:

This ballad apparently refers to Alexander, Laird of Drum, whose first wife was a daughter of the Marquis of Huntly. His second wife was one Margaret Coutts. Despite his relatives’ opposition to her, it’s Peggy Coutts who has the last word in the song which can be found in Robert Ford’s Vagabond Songs.

Andy Hunter sang The Laird o’ Drum in 1984 on his Lismor album King Fareweel.

Norman Kennedy sang The Laird o’ Drum in 1996 at a concert in Aberdeen. This recording made by Tom Spiers was included in 2002 on Kennedy’s Tradition Bearers CD Live in Scotland.

Jane Turriff sang I Canna Wash (The Laird o Drum) on Topic’s 1968 album of songs and ballads from the Lowland East of Scotland, Back o’ Benachie.

Gordeanna McCulloch sang The Laird o’ Drum in 1997 on her Greentrax CD In Freenship’s Name. She noted:

When I went down to sing in London for the first time Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger gave me a bed for the week I was there. But more importantly I had free access to Ewan’s books, records and tapes! I spent every free minute listening and copying words, and this song was one that attracted me instantly, although I wanted to tackle it more vigorously than MacColl seemed to. It wasn’t until very many years later when I heard Peggy accompany him on guitar on what was possibly their last visit to Glasgow, that I heard the underlying rhythm of horses hooves, which is the feeling we have tried to re-create here.

Mick West sang As I Went Out ae May Morning in 1998 on the anthology The Complete Songs of Robert Burns Volume 4.

Frankie Armstrong sang The Laird o’ Drum in 2000 on her Fellside CD The Garden of Love. She commented in her sleeve notes:

A ballad, possibly based on fact, with a down to earth and very composed heroine who is more than capable of dealing with her aristocratic fool of a husband. The absolutely undeferential tone of the text is unmistakably Scottish.

Duncan Williamson of Ladybank, Fife, sang The Laird o Drum in 2001 to Mike Yates. This recording was included in 2006 on Yates book and CD of songs of English and Scottish travellers and gypsies, Traveller’s Joy.

Gordon Easton sang The Laird o Drum at the Fife Traditional Singing Festival, Collessie, Fife in between May 2004 and May 2007. This recording by Tom Spiers was included in 2007 on Easton’s Autumn Harvest CD The Last of the Clydesdales. The album’s booklet commented:

The laird of the Castle of Drum had been married to a daughter of the Gordons of Huntly. While the laird was away to the Jacobite wars she divorced him. When he came home he fell for a young shepherd lass and asked her to marry. His brother and family did not approve and when the wedding party arrived at the castle none of the lords and lairds would acknowledge the new lady of the Drum.

A fine old ballad still well known in the northeast (Child 236) that Gordon learnt from his granny—and based on an event dating from the early 1680s when Alexander Irvine of Drum then aged 62 married the pretty and youthful Margaret Coutts aged 16.

Alasdair Roberts and Mairi Morrison sang The Laird o’ the Drum in 2012 on their album Urstan.

Fiona Hunter sang The Laird o’ Drum in 2014 on her eponymous CD Fiona Hunter. She commented in her liner notes:

Alexander Irvine, Laird of Drum, married a second wife, a beautiful young working class girl called Margaret Coutts. This was much to the displeasure of his brother John who would rather the laird remain unhappy and alone than marry a girl beneath his station. On the night of the wedding, Margaret ably rebuffs this bigotry and informs the company that when laid side by side in their graves, none could tell their dust apart. This is another song I learned from the singing of Andy Hunter.

Lyrics

John Strachan sings The Laird o’ Drum

The Laird o Drum is a huntin gaen
All in a mornin early,
And there he spied a weel-faured maid
Shearin her father’s barley.

“And wid ye fancy, me bonny maid,
And lat the shearin be o?
And I’ll mak ye the Lady o Drum
O, wid ye fancy me o?”

“I widnae fancy you, kind sir,
Be ony man I see o,
For I am come o ower low kin,
And your wife I canna be o.

“My father he’s an auld shepherd man.
Herds sheep on yonder hill o,
And every thing he bids me do
I’m ready at his good will o.”

So he has to her father gaen,
Wi his hoggs on yonder hill o.
“I want to marry your daughter, kind sir,
Will ye gie me your goodwill o?”

“I winna gie you my daughter”, he says,
“She wis never at the school o,
Though weel can she milk yowes and cows
With the cogie on her knee o.

“She’ll winnow your corn and gang tae the bam,
And thnn to mill or kil o,
She’ll saiddle your steed in time o need
And draw your beets hersel o.”

“And fa will bake my bridal breid?
And fa will brew my ale o?
And fa will welcome my lady hame
Is mair than I can tell o.”

“O, she will bake your bridal breid.
And she will brew your ale o,
And fa wid welcome your lady hame
But the Laird o Drum himsel o?”

And five-and-twenty gentlemen
Stood at the gate o Drum o,
And never a yin put his hand tae his hat
Tae welcome the lady hame o.

But he has taen her hy the hand
And he led her but and ben o.
And he put the keys into her rieht hand,
And he’s welcomed her hame himsel o.

Jock Tamson’s Bairns sing The Laird o’ Drum

The Laird o’ Drum has a-hunting gane,
All in the morning early.
And he has spied a weel-taur’d May,
A-shearing her father’s barley.
“My bonnie May, me weel-faur’d May,
It’s will ve gang wi’ me, O?
And will ye gang and be Leddy o’ the Drum,
And leave your shearing a’-be, O?”

“I canna gang wi’ you, kind sir,
Not leave my shearing a’-be, O;
For I’m ower low to be Leddy o’ the Drum,
And vour Miss I scorn to be, O.
My father he is a shepherd mean,
Keeps sheep on yonder hill, O,
And ye may gang and speir at him,
I’m entirely at his will, O.”

Drum has to her father gane,
Keeping sheep on yonder hill, O:
“I’ve come to marry your ae dochtar,
Gin ye’ll gie your goodwill, O.”
“My dochter can neither read nor write,
Nor was she bred at the school, O:
But she can work, baith oot and in,
For I’ve learned the girlie mysel’, O.

“She’ll work in your barn, and at your mill,
And brew your malt and your ale, O;
And saddle your steed in rime o’ need,
And draw aff your boots hersel’, O.”
“I’ll learn the lassie to read and write,
And put her to the school, O;
And she’ll never need to saddle my steed,
Nor draw aff my boots hersel’, O.”

“But wha will bake my bridal bread,
And wha will brew my ale, O;
And wha will welcome my lowly bride,
Is mair than I can tell, O.”
Ah but four-and-twenty gentle knights
Gaed in at the yett o’ Drum, O.
And there’s never a one has lifted his hat
When the Leddy o’ the Drum cam in, O.

Up and spake his brother John,
He says, “Ye’ve done us meikle wrang, O;
Ye’ve married a wife o’ low degree,
She’s a mock to a’ our kin, O.
It’s Peggy Coutts is a bonnie bride,
And Drum is big and gaucey;
But ye micht hae chosen a higher match
Than just a shepherd’s lassie.”

Up and spake the Laird o’ Drum;
He says, “I’ve dune ye nae wrang, O;
I’ve married a wife to work and win.
And ve’ve married ane to spend, O.
Now’ the first time that I took to me a wife,
Whe was tar abune my degree, O;
And I durstna gang in to the room where she was.
But my hat below’ my knee, O.”

It’s twice he’s kissed her cherry cheek,
And thrice her cherry chin, O.
And twenty times her comely mou’–
And “Ye’re welcome, my Leddy Drum, O!”
And when a had eaten and drunken weel,
And they were bound for bed, O,
The Laird o’ Drum and his Leddy fair
In ae bed they were laid, O.

“Gin ye had been o’ high renown,
As ye’re o’ low degree, O,
We micht hae gaed down to the yett o’ Drum
Amang gude companie, O.
And o’ a’ yon four-and-twenty knights
That gaed in at the yett o’ Drum, O,
There ne’er was a one wadna lifted his hat
When the Leddy o’ the Drum cam in, O.”

“I tell’d ye w’eel ere we were wed,
Ye was far abune my degree, O;
But now we’re married, in ae bed laid,
I’m just as gude as ye, O.
And when you are dead, and I am dead,
And baith in ae grave laid, O.
Ere seven years are at an end,
They’ll no ken your dust frae mine, O.”

Gordon Easton sings The Laird o Drum

The laird o Drum a huntin gaed,
’Twas in the mornin early,
An there he met wi a fair young maid,
She wis shearin her faither’s barley.

“Could ye fancy me my bonnie young lass,
And let your shearin be O,
And come wi me tae the castle o Drum,
My lady for tae be O.”

“No I couldnae fancy you kind sir,
Nor let ma shearin be O,
For I am come o ower low degree,
Your lady for tae be O.

“Noo ma faither he’s a peer shepherd man,
Herdin sheep on yonder hill O,
And the only thing he wants me tae dee,
Aye dee it tae his will O.”

So the laird has gane tae her faither dear,
Herdin hoggs on yonder hill O, [hogg - lamb
Saying, “I’d like tae mairry your ae dochter,
If ye’ll gie’s your gweed will O.”

“Noo the lassie canna read nor write,
She wis nivver at the schule O,
But for on either word she can dee it richt weel,
For I learned the lassie masel O.

“She’ll thresh in yer barn, she’ll winnie yer corn,
She’ll wark in kill or mill O. [kiln
An she’ll saiddle your steed in time o need,
And she’ll draw up yer boots as weel O.”

“No she’ll nivver hae tae wark in the barn,
Or wark in mill or kill O,
Nor saiddle ma steed in time o need,
And I’ll draw up ma boots masel O.”

“It’s faa will bake my bridal breid?
And faa will brew ma ale O?
And faa will welcome ma bonnie lassie hame,
It’s mair than I can tell O.”

“Oh the baker will bake your bridal breid,
And the brewer will brew your ale O,
And as for tae welcome your bonnie lassie hame,
Ye can dee it right weel yersel O.”

There wis fower an twenty lords and lairds,
Rade in at the yett o Drum O,
Yet neen o them pit their hand tae their hat,
Tae welcome the lassie hame O.

But the laird has taen her by the hand,
And led her through the haa O,
And he’s gien tae her the keys tae aa the rooms,
Saying, “Ye’re welcome ma lady tae Drum O.”

And then up spoke his brither John,
“Ye hae deen us muckle ill O,
For ye’ve mairrit a maid alow oor degree,
Bringing shame tae aa wir kin O.”

“Noo it’s haud yer tongue my brither John,
I’ve deen ye little ill O,
For I’ve mairrit a wife tae mak and tae mend,
And ye mairrit een tae spen O.”

Aifter they had dined and wined,
And the nicht it wis far gane O,
The shepherd’s lassie an the laird o Drum,
They were in ae bed laid O.

“Noo I telt ye weel afore we were wed,
I wis come o low degree O,
But noo that we are baith in ae beddie laid,
Am I nae jist as gweed as ye O?”

“And am I nae come o Adam’s kin,
Wha ate the forbidden tree O?
It’s whaur were aa your gentry then,
Am I nae jist as gweed as they O.

“And if I were deid and ye were deid,
And baith in ae grave laid O,
Gin sax lang years had come and gane,
Wad ye ken your dust fae mine O?
Aye gin sax lang years hae come and gane,
Wad ye ken your mould fae mine O?”