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The Banks of Claudy / Claudy Banks

[ Roud 266 ; Master title: The Banks of Claudy ; Laws N40 ; G/D 5:1036 ; Henry H5, H693 ; Ballad Index LN40 ; BanksClaudy at Old Songs ; VWML GG/1/7/388 ; GlosTrad Roud 266 ; Wiltshire 89 , 753 ; DT CLAUDYBK ; Mudcat 28611 ; trad.]

Claudy Banks is one of the best-known songs from the repertoire of the Copper Family. They sang it in a recording made by Peter Kennedy at Cecil Sharp House that was published in 1960 on the HMV LP A Pinch of Salt. Later they recorded of for their albums and later on their albums A Song for Every Season (1971), Coppersongs: A Living Tradition (1988), and Coppersongs 3: The Legacy Continues (1998).

This YouTube video shows the Copper Family at Crawley Folk Festival on 1 July 2007:

The Copper Family also sang it in 2003 on the Fellside anthology of English traditional songs and their Australian variants, Songlinks, with Kate Burke and Ruth Hazelton singing an Australian variant of The Banks of Claudy. Paul Adams noted:

Claudy is in the north of Ireland, and the Australian version of the song refers also to Newry, not too far from Claudy. So we may reasonably conclude that this ballad began life in Ireland. But it has long been acclimatised in Britain, and some nineteenth century Scottish collectors indeed claimed that it originated in that country. It belongs to a kind of broadside balladry that flourished during that long period of struggle between Britain and France for imperial domination outside Europe, when a sailor might be away for many years with little chance of communicating with a lover at home.

Along with Ginny/Jenny on the Moor, Claudy Banks belongs to a group of songs known as “Broken Token Ballads”. Quite often the “token” has disappeared from the text (as here) but it is usually a ring which was broken and each of the lovers kept half while the young man went off to war. He comes back in disguise and attempts to test his lover’s fidelity. When he has done so and she proves constant he reveals himself. Although it is not a “Broken Token Ballad” Here’s Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy is almost an earlier part of the story because it has a line about exchanging rings. The song became well known in North America as well as throughout the British Isles. It was published as a broadside, and in songsters, and has been recorded from oral tradition in most parts of the English-speaking world.

and said about the Australian version:

This song has been widely collected in the British Isles and in North America, but only a few times in Australia. Kate Burke and Ruth Hazleton learnt their version from a recording of Simon McDonald of Creswick. Creswick is a smallish town not far north of Ballarat, which was the great centre of the early goldrushes. Creswick itself was for a time an important goldmining town. Many recordings of Simmy McDonald’s songs and fiddle tunes were made over a number of visits by a team from the now-defunct Folklore Society of Victoria. McDonald’s account of his family history was somewhat confused, but it appears that a Scottish sailor named McDonald married a Belfast girl named Gannon, and that the married couple migrated to Victoria before the goldrushes began, accompanied by the wife’s parents. Both sides of the family, incidentally, were Catholic. Simon McDonald spent all his life as an unmarried, itinerant bush worker. Most of the songs from the British Isles in his repertory seem to have been handed down from his Belfast great-grandfather, and a few from his Belfast great-grandmother. Oddly enough, many of them seem fairly certainly of English rather than Irish origin.

George ‘Pop’ Maynard sang The Banks of Claudy in a December 1955 recording made by Peter Kennedy that was included in 1976 on his posthumous Topic anthology of traditional songs from Sussex, Ye Subjects of England. Mike Yates noted:

… Finally we include two fragments from Pop’s repertoire, Jack the Jolly Tar-O, which seems to be based on the classic ballad of Glasgerion (Child 67), and The Banks of Claudy, Pop’s favourite song. A complete version of the latter is given in Ken Stubbs’ book The Life of a Man (1970) together with some of Pop’s other songs.

The Young Tradition sang Banks of Claudy on their eponymous debut album of 1966, The Young Tradition. They also sang it on 17 November 1968 at their concert at Oberlin College, Ohio, that was published in 2013 on their Fledg’ling CD Oberlin 1968. Their original album’s liner notes commented:

The Banks of Claudy, along with John Riley, is probably the most widespread of the “broken token ballads”; the theme of the returned sailor whom the faithful girlfriend fails to recognise, being one of the top three tales in folklore all over the English-speaking world. This version is as true to type as any, except that the actual token is not mentioned. Like The Innocent Hare we adapted this for three voices from the singing of the Copper Family of Rottingdean.

Rosemary Hardman sang Banks of Claudy on her 1969 Folk Heritage album Queen of Hearts, which was recorded live at the Bate Hall Hotel in Macclesfield on 29 December 1968. She noted:

Together with John Riley and The Bleacher Lassie of Kelvinhaugh this is one of the most popular of the ‘broken token’ ballads despite the fact that the token is not actually mentioned in this version. Although the song is Irish in origin this particular version comes from Sussex and is adapted from the singing of the Copper Family of Rottingdean. (I recently heard an entirely different song The Lass of Sweet Claudy sung to the same air and would be interested to know if there is any relationship between the two songs, which appear so completely different in character.)

Shirley Collins learnt Claudy Banks from the Copper Family too and sang it on her 1971 album with the Albion Country Band, No Roses. She noted on the album’s Mooncrest CD reissue:

A favourite song from the repertoire of the Copper Family who have lived in and around Rottingdean for centuries. On of the genuine traditional singing families, their contribution to the English folk song stock is inestimable. To listen to Bob Copper singing and talking about Sussex rural life is one of the greatest delights I have known, and I’m glad I was born in the same [country].

(Note: Terry McDonald pointed out to me that the last sentence would make more sense if it ended “born in the same county”. Strange as it is, the Castle CD reissue quotes her with “… born in the same century”.)

Martyn Wyndham-Read sang Banks of Claudy in 1971 on his eponymous Trailer album, Martyn Wyndham-Read, and in 1992 on his Fellside CD Beyond the Red Horizon.

Mick Hanly and Mícheál Ó Domhnaill sang The Banks of Claudy in 1974 on their Polydor album Celtic Folkweave.

Shropshire farm worker Fred Jordan sang The Banks of Claudy on his 1974 Topic LP When the Frost is on the Pumpkin. Another version, recorded in 1978/79, was included in 2003 on his Veteran anthology A Shropshire Lad. Mike Yates noted:

The motif of the sailor returning home in disguise to test the fidelity of his loved one is as old as Homer. It has lasted well throughout history and may be considered to be among our most ancient folklore themes. Several of the ballads in Professor Child’s collection are based on the idea, Hind Horn being perhaps best known. Though The Banks of Claudy belongs to the Irish broadside press, it would seem to stem from a long seventeenth century blackletter sheet The Valiant Seaman’s Return to His Love in which the sailor returns wearing a definite and carefully planned disguise. The song has lasted well, having been collected frequently in Britain, North America and Australia. Fred learnt his version, indirectly via the folkclub scene, from that sung by the Copper Family of Rottingdean, Sussex.

Contraband sang The Banks of Claudy in 1974 on their eponymous Transatlantic album, Contraband.

Maggie Boyle sang The Banks of Claudy accompanied by Steve Tilston on arpeggione on their 1992 album Of Moor and Mesa. They noted:

This Ulster song uses a popular theme of the roving lover returning to his sweetheart to cruelly test her emotions by disguising himself and telling her that not only was he false, but that he had been killed. A good story, but it casts serious doubt on the optical ability of the unfortunate female!

Eliza Carthy sang Claudy Banks in 1996 on Waterson:Carthy’s second album, Common Tongue, and on the World Music Network anthology The Rough Guide to English Roots Music. Martin Carthy noted on the original album:

Claudy Banks is a small pearl. We have (probably) Vaughan Williams to thank for recording this on a cylinder around 1908-10 from a sweet Southampton singer called Frederick White [VWML GG/1/7/388] , whose recording survives rather damaged but still to be relished. It’s one of the so-called Broken Token songs—albeit one that has no broken token!

The cylinder recording of Frederick White singing Claudy Banks in 1909 mentioned in the last comment was included in 1998 on the EFDSS CD A Century of Song together with the Copper Family’s 1998 version from Coppersongs: A Living Tradition.

Jane and Amanda Threlfall sang Claudy Banks on their 2000 CD Morning Tempest and on their 2007 CD Revisited. They noted:

This, the most famous version of Claudy Banks was collected from the Copper family in 1898 by Kate Lee. It appeared in the very first Folk Song Journal. Another version had been published by Kidson in Traditional Tunes in 1891, collected in the Dumfries area. The song is widespread throughout Britain and has several alternative melodies. It is also widely known in Ireland, which may well be its country of origin—Claudy is a few miles south east of Londonderry.

Geoff Jerram sang The Banks of Claudy in 2006 on his Forest Tracks album Bedlam. He noted:

One of the classic group of songs where a man, returning from the wars or other travels, tests his girl’s fidelity by some form of deception, in this case, disguise. One of the ‘Broken Token’ theme but here there’s no token. The song is very widespread with references found in USA, Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, and Australia. I’m told it’s Irish in origin and certainly there is a Claudy in Co. Derry but, there again, the teller is a Derryman. This version is from Hampshire.

Craig Morgan Robson sang Claudy Banks on their 2009 CD Hummingbird’s Feather. They noted:

Like anyone who sings English folk songs in harmony, we owe an enormous debt to the singing and repertoire of the Copper Family. Here’s one of their best known and loved songs which we all learned individually, almost by osmosis. We’ve borrowed a few lines from another marvellous Sussex singer, Pop Maynard.

Jon Boden sang Claudy Banks as the 31 May 2011 entry of his project A Folk Song a Day.

Finest Kind sang Claudy Banks on their 2010 album For Honour & for Gain. They noted:

An English folksong classic from the wellspring repertoire of the Copper family of Rottingdean, Sussex. Claudy Banks has the distinction of being the first song ever collected for the English Folk Song Society, when Mrs. Kate Lee wrote it down during a visit to James ‘Brasser’ Copper and his brother Tom in 1897. We sing this in belated tribute to Brasser Copper’s grandson Bob Copper, who passed away at the age of 89 in 2004. A grand singer, a wonderful writer and a great human being.

Steve Roud included Claudy Banks in 2012 in The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs. James Findlay sang it a year later on the accompanying Fellside CD The Liberty to Choose.

Steve Turner sang Claudy Banks in 2012 on his Tradition Bearers album Rim of the Wheel. He commented:

This is a broken token ballad without an actual broken token. The fact that it already has perfectly adequate tunes for the several different versions didn’t put me off writing a new one. The song, said to be an Irish broadside, is extremely widespread, having been collected frequently in Britain, North America and Australia, and seems to have been especially prevalent in Sussex where the Coppers and George ‘Pop’ Maynard sang classic versions.

Danny Spooner sang Claudy Banks on his 2013 CD Gorgeous, Game Girls. He noted:

This is one of many broken token ballads popular among traditional singers. Versions of this song appear all over the British Isles generally in broadside from. It is hardly surprising that a young woman wouldn’t be able to recognise her sailor love returning after years at sea, so she’d want proof of his identity in the token she’d kept the other half of all the while.

Pete Wood sang The Banks of Claudy on his 2014 CD Young Edwin. He noted:

Although the best known version is the one from the Copper family of Sussex, the song is widespread, especially in Scotland, and is set to a range of fine tunes. In re-singing it, I found myself using [the] The Lovely Irish Maid tune.

Ange Hardy sang Claudy Banks in 2017 on her CD Bring Back Home.

The Dovetail Trio sang Claudy Banks on their 2019 CD Bold Champions. Matt Quinn noted:

The best known song from the Copper Family of Rottingdean, Sussex. In the song, the man returning from war, decides that the best way to make sure his true love has been faithful, is to pretend to be someone else and then suggest that her love might be dead. Of course a great song though!

Julie Abbé sang Claudy Banks on her 2020 album Numberless Dreams. She noted:

A shortened version of the original which I found was too long!

Lyrics

The Copper Family sing Claudy Banks

Twas on one summer’s evening all in the month of May
Down by a flow’ry garden where Betsy did stray.
I overheard a damsel in sorrow to complain,
All for her absent lover that ploughs the raging main.

I stepped up to this fair maid and put her in surprise,
She owned she did not know me, I being all in disguise.
I said, “My charming creature, my joy and heart’s delight,
How far have you to travel this dark and rainy night?”

“Away, kind sir, to the Claudy banks if you will please to show,
Pity a poor girl distracted for there I have to go.
I am in search of a young man and Johnny is his name,
And on the banks of Claudy I’m told he does remain.”

“If Johnny he was here this night he would keep me from all harm
But he’s in the field of battle all in his uniform,
He is in the field of battle his foes he will destroy,
Like a roaring King of honour all in the wars of Troy.

“It was six months or better since my Johnny left the shore,
He’s a-cruising the wide ocean where the foaming billows roar,
He’s a-cruising the wide ocean for honour or for gain,
But I’m told his ship got wreck-ed all on the coast of Spain.”

When Betsy heard this dreadful news she fell into despair,
In a-wringing of her hands and a-tearing of her hair.
“Since Johnny has gone and left me no man on earth I’ll take,
Down in some lonesome valley I’ll wander for his sake.”

Young Johnny hearing her say so he could no longer stand,
He fell into her arms crying, “Betsy, I’m that man,
I am that faithful young man and whom you thought was slain,
And since we met on Claudy banks we’ll never part again.”

The Young Tradition sing Banks of Claudy

’Twas on one summer’s evening all in the month of May
Down by a flowery garden where Betsy she did stray.
I overheard a fair maid in sorrow to complain,
All for her absent lover who ploughs the raging main.

I stepped up to this fair maid and put her in surprise,
I owned she did not know me, I being all in disguise.
Said I, “My charming creature, my joy and heart’s delight,
How far have you to travel this dark and rainy night?”

“Away, kind sir, to the Claudy banks if you will please to show,
Pity a poor girl distracted, it’s there I have to go.
I’m a-looking for a young man and Johnny is his name,
And I’m told it’s there on Claudy banks today he do remain.”

“If my Johnny he was here this night he’d keep me from all harm,
But he’s cruising the wide ocean in tempest and in storm,
He’s a-cruising the wide ocean for honour and for gain.”
“But I’m told his ship got wreck-ed all on the coast of Spain.”

Now when she heard this dreadful news she fell into despair,
All wringing of her hands and a-tearing of her hair.
“Since my Johnny’s gone and left me no man on earth I’ll take,
But it’s all my life on Claudy banks I’ll wander for his sake.”

Now Johnny hearing her say so he could no longer stand,
He fell into her arms crying, “Betsy, I’m that man,
I am that faithful young man and whom you thought was slain,
And since we’ve met on Claudy banks we’ll never part again.”

Shirley Collins sings Claudy Banks

’Twas on a summer’s evening all in the month of May
Down by a flowery garden where Betsy she did stray.
I overheard a fair maid in sorrow to complain,
All for her absent lover that ploughs the raging main.

I stepped up to this fair maid and put her in surprise,
She owned she did not know me, I being all in disguise.
Says I, “My charming creature, my joy and heart’s delight,
How far have you to travel this dark and rainy night?”

“And if Johnny he was here tonight he’d keep me from all harm,
He’s a-cruising the wide ocean in tempest and in storm,
He’s a-cruising the wide ocean for honour or for gain.”
“But I’m told his ship’s got wreck-ed all on the coast of Spain.”

Now when Betsy heard this dreadful news she fell into despair,
With a-wringing of her hands and a-tearing of her hair.
“Now Johnny’s gone and left me no man on earth I’ll take,
But in some lonesome valley I’ll wander for his sake.”

Young Johnny hearing her say so he could no longer stand,
He fell into her arms crying, “Betsy, I’m that man,
I am your faithful young man and whom you thought was slain,
But since we meet on Claudy banks we’ll never part again.”

Fred Jordan sings Claudy Banks

Twas on one summers evening all in the month of May,
Down by a flowery garden I pensively did stray.
I overheard a fair maid in sorrow to complain,
All for her absent lover who ploughed the raging main.

I stepped up to this fair maid, I took her by surprise,
I own she did not know me I being all in disguise.
I said, “My charming creature, my joy and my delight,
How far have you to travel this dark and rainy night.”

“It’s to the banks of Claudy, kind sir, I’d have you show,
Take pity on a poor maid who knows not where to go.
I’m looking for a young man, Johnnie is his name,
And it’s on the banks of Claudy I’m told he does remain.”

“These are the banks of Claudy,” I said, “Whereon you stand,
But do not trust your Johnnie for he’s a false young man.
O. do not trust your Johnnie for you’ll not find him here,
But tarry with me in yon green wood no danger need you fear.”

“If my Johnnie he was here this night he’d keep me from all harm,
But he’s in the field of battle and he wears a uniform.
He’s in the field of battle and his foes he will destroy,
Just like the king of honour all on the walls of Troy.”

“’Tis six long months or better since Johnnie left this shore,
A-cruising the wild ocean where the foaming billows roar.
A-cruising the wild ocean for honour and for gain,
But I’m told his ship was wrecked nigh to the coast of Spain.”

Well when she heard this dreadful news she fell in deep despair,
a-wringing of her hands and a-tearing of her hair.
“If my Johnnie he is drownd-ed no man on earth I’ll take,
But I’ll wander through some valley so lonesome for his sake.”

Well when Johnnie he heard her say so he could no longer stand,
He fell into her arms crying, "Betsy I’m that man,
I am that faithful young man and whom you thought was slain,
And since we’ve met on the Claudy’s banks we’ll never part again.

Eliza Carthy sings Claudy Banks

As I rode out one evening all in the month of May
Down by the banks of Claudy I carelessly did stray.
There I beheld a fair maid in sorrow did complain,
Lamenting of her own true love who had crossed the raging main.

Chorus (after every other verse):
Ey-oh ey-oh he is my darling boy
He is the darling of my heart
All on the walls of Troy

I stepped up unto her and caught her in great surprise.
I own she did not know me for I was in disguise.
I said, “My pretty fair maid, my joy and heart’s delight,
How far do you mean to wander on this dark and dreary night.”

“Oh, the banks of Claudy I wish you would me show,
Take on a fair young maid who has nowhere else to go.
For I’m in search of a young man, young Johnny it is his name,
And on the banks of Claudy I hear he does remain.”

“This is the banks of Claudy, on them you do now stand.
Do not believe your Johnny for he is a false young man.
Do not believe young Johnny he will not meet you here.
Through the green woods you may tarry, no danger you may fear.”

“Oh, but if Johnny he was here tonight he would keep me from all harm.
But he’s on the field of battle and in his uniform,
He’s on the field of battle, all danger does defy,
Like a royal king of honour all in the wars of Troy.”

“It’s six long months and better since my Johnny left the shore
To cross the raging ocean where the thundering billows roar,
To cross the raging ocean for honour and for fame.”
“And I heard his ship was wrecked all on the cruel coast of Spain.”

As soon as she had heard this she fell in a deep despair,
A-wringing of her lily-white hands and a-tearing of her hair.
Saying, “If my Johnny’s drownded no other man I’ll take,
Through lonesome woods and valleys will I wander for his sake.”

As soon as he had heard this no longer could he stand,
He flew into her arms, crying, “Betsy, I’m the man.”
Saying, “Betsy I’m the young man who’s caused you grief and pain.
And since we’ve met on Claudy banks we will never part again.”

Kate Burke and Ruth Hazleton sing The Banks of Claudy

As I strayed out one evening, ’twas in the month of May
Down by a flowery garden I carelessly did stray,
I overheard a fair maid in sorrow did complain
All about her absent Johnny who crossed the raging main.

I gently slipped up to her, and took her by surprise,
I own she did not know me, for I was in disguise.
I said, “My pretty damsel, my joy on earth’s delight,
How far have you to wander this dark and stormy night?”

“I have to go to Claudy banks, if you will please to show,
And pity a poor distressed maid who knows not where to go;
For I’m in search of a young man and Johnny is his name
Tis on the banks of Claudy I’m told he does remain.”

“This is the banks of Claudy, fair maid, you’re standing on.
But don’t depend on Johnny, for he’s a false young man;
Don’t depend on Johnny, for he won’t meet you here.
So come with me to yon green wood, no danger need you fear.

“It’s six months and better since your Johnny left this shore,
He was crossing the wide ocean where foaming billows roar.
He was crossing the wide ocean for honour and for fame;
The ship was wrecked, all lives were lost, going past the coast of Spain.”

Oh when she heard this dreadful news she could no longer stand.
I flew into her arms, saying, “Betsy, I’m the man,
I am that unconstant lover the cause of all your pain,
And since we’ve met on Claudy banks we ne’er shall part again.”

Acknowledgements

Transcribed from the singing of Eliza Carthy by Garry Gillard.