Here is the tale of the unfortunate little "Sir Hugh," murdered by "The Jew's Daughter" in her garden - at least that's how early versions would have it. Child (#155) and others cite an incident in Lincoln, England, which was reported from ca. 1255 involving the ritualistic crucifixion of a boy named Hugh and the subsequent supernaturally perpetrated retribution of the guilty parties, who were a group of Jews. Although more than half of American versions attribute the murder to a Jewish woman, the anti-Semitic sentiments and supernatural elements of Old World examples of the story have all but vanished. In other American versions the villain is a king or duke's daughter, estranged mother, aunt, unspecified person, "they," etc. An excellent summary with sources can be found in Tristram Potter Coffin and Roger deV. Renwick's The British Traditional Ballad in North America (1977), pp. 107-109. In addition, there have been at least a dozen articles written on aspects of this ballad and its antecedents.
Peggy's version is from Nelstone's Hawaiians (southern Alabama musicians Hubert Nelson and James D. Touchstone), who recorded it 1929 in Atlanta for Victor Records (issued as V40193 in 1930). This was in turn reissued 22 years later on Harry Smith's influential Anthology of American Folk Music (Folkways FP 251 and FA 2951 which was in turn reissued on Smithsonian Folkways 40090). Peggy also recorded it on Argo (Z)DA 70, vol. 5 of the Long Harvest ballad series (1966-68 with Ewan McCall). She and her brother Mike sing a fragment of a different version titled "It Rained a Mist" on Rounder CD 11543, vol. 1 of American Folk Songs for Children. (Joe Hickerson, August 2003)
Peggy comments: With Ewan Ewan MacColl, I recorded several versions of this song in England, notably from the Dorset Gypsy, Queen Caroline Hughes and the English Traveller Nelson Ridley. Queen Caroline, when asked about the song, told its story in prose, recited its text as poetry and then lilted the tune but refused to sing the song as a whole. She professed to disliking the song even though she kept it in her memory. Ridley also gave us the text and also refused to sing it. I sing it because I placed it in my memory banks in my teens and because I love the harmonies but I too dislike the story. But if one were to avoid singing violent songs, one would probably removed the majority of the Anglo-American tradition.
In Lincoln (England) there is old cobbled hil about a mile long that leads up to the cathedral. On this narrow street, now closed to automobile traffic, is a very old building called 'The Jew's House' where the little Sir Hugh was supposedly murdered. In the cathedral there is also a plaque to the effect that rumours and folklore such as that contained in the legend of the boy's murder are dangerous and deadly and, in the end, partly responsible for the horrendous mass massacres of Jewish people that have taken place in the past few centuries. When I next visit Lincoln I will get the exact wording, for it was excellently written.
lyrics
It rained, it poured, it rained so hard,
Rained so hard all day.
That all the boys in our school
Came out to toss and play.
They tossed their ball again so high,
Then again so low;
They tossed into a flower garden
Where no one was allowed to go.
Up stepped a beautiful lady
All dressed in yellow and green;
Come in, come in, my pretty little boy
And fetch your ball again.
I won't come in, I shan't come in
Without my playmates all;
I'll go to my father and tell him about it,
And that'll cause tears to fall.
She first showed him an apple seed,
Then a guinea gold ring;
Then she showed him a diamond,
And that enticed him in.
She took him by his lily white hand
And she led him through the hall;
She put him into an uppermost room
Where no one could hear him call.
O, take these finger-rings off my fingers,
Smoke them with your breath;
If any of my friends should call for me,
Tell them that I'm at rest.
Tether the Bible at my head,
The Testament at my feet,
If my dear mother should call for me,
Tell her that I'm asleep.
Tether the Bible at my feet,
The Testament at my head;
If my dear father should call for me,
Tell him that I am dead.
Peggy is one of the most influential folk singers on either side of the Atlantic. She is Pete Seeger’s half-sister and Ruth
Crawford Seeger’s daughter; her first life partner was the English songwriter Ewan MacColl, who wrote First Time Ever I Saw Your Face for her. She has made more than 22 solo recordings to date. Please check ewanmaccoll.bandcamp.com for other albums featuring Peggy....more
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