> Folk Music > Songs > Jamie Telfer of the Fair Dodhead

Jamie Telfer of the Fair Dodhead

[ Roud 3364 ; Child 190 ; Ballad Index C190 ; trad.]

James Kinsley: The Oxford Book of Ballads Sir Walter Scott: Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border Willie Scott: Herd Laddie o’ the Glen

Willie Scott sang two verses of Jamie Telfer o’ the Fair Dodhead (School of Scottish Studies recording SA 1974/66) on the 1975 Tangent anthology of classic Scots ballads, The Muckle Sangs (Scottish Tradition 5). This track was also included in 2018 on the Greentrax anthology Scotland’s Voices. Hamish Henderson and Ailie Munro noted in the Tangent album’s booklet:

The riding ballads of the Scottish border—which, thanks to Sir Walter Scott, are among the most famous of all the songs in this particular genre—had their origin in just the sort of community which David Buchan (adapting and adding to J.E. Housman) has described as the ideal matrix of the kind of folksong we are discussing. “Traditional balladry flourished in a nonliterate, homogeneous, agricultural society, dominated by semi-independent chieftains, that is situated in a remote, hilly, or border region where cultures meet and feuds and wars abound.” For an exceedingly well-written and well-documented description of the Borders in their lawless heyday, “when life was short, and death was violent”, see George MacDonald Fraser, The Steel Bonnets; for a thought-provoking examination of the local tradition itself, see James Reed, The Border Ballads.

What we have here is part of a ballad which (as William Motherwell said with reference to the version of Fause Foodrage, Child 89, in Scott’s Minstrelsy) has been “distilled through the alembic established at Abbotsford for the purification of Ancient Song”. In Scott’s version, the Captain of Bewcastle in Cumberland makes a deep raid into Scotland to steal cattle, and drives ten milk-kye from the Fair Dodhead. Jamie Telfer, the proprietor—or, as seems likely from another copy—the tenant of the Dodhead, runs ten miles to the Elliots of Stobhills, but getting no help from them, “takes the fray” to Buccleuch at Branksome. Buccleuch musters the Scotts—the two verses Willie sings are from this part of the ballad—and they ride away under the command of Willie Scott, the chief’s son. They overtake the reivers; Willie is killed, but the Scotts are victorious. The Captain is sorely wounded, and taken prisoner.A “wild gallant”, Watty wi the Wudspurs, takes a party of Scotts into England; they loose the Captain’s kye, and bring them back to give to Jamie Telfer.

In the Additions to his Vol. iv (Vol. v, p.249) Child prints a version from the papers of Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe which was sent to him by the redoubtable William Macmath, his principal Scottish helper. In this version, it is not the Scotts but the Elliots who recover Jamie’s cattle for him, and capture the Captain of Bewcastle; old Martin Elliot sends out men of his clan under his son Sim, and Sim gets killed (like Willie Scott, in the Minstrelsy version).

It is noteworthy that our singer’s version has a line (“gar them ride Borthwick water side”) which recalls a line in the ‘Elliot’ version “Fy gar warn the water side”; however, the reference to “Wat o’ Harden and his sons” belongs unquestionably to the Scott camp. Probably Willie’s version is a sort of blend of the two, a traditional variant having been invaded at some point by Scott’s rifacimento, which gives all the glory to his own clan. Willie got this fragment from his mother.

Willie Scott, now 77, was a retired shepherd. He was born at Canonbie, in Dumfriesshire, which is about as near the Border as you can get in that area: there was a lot of riding (in both directions) across Canonbie Lea in the 16^th century. For many years Willie shepherded in Fife, and his entree to the modern folk scene was via John Watt’s ‘Howff’ in Dunfermline. He and his brother Tom were first recorded for the School by Francis Collinson in 1953. Both brothers, plus Willie’s son Sandy (now in Australia) can be heard on the Folkways LP The Borders (FW 8776), and Willie has a Topic LP of his own (The Shepherd’s Song 12T183). On the latter he can be heard singing one of the most famous of all Border ballads The Dowie Dens o’ Yarrow.

The fragment here recorded (too late tobe sent to Bronson for inclusion in his Vol iv. Addenda) is the first tune ever to be recorded for this Border ballad, and this is its first publication. It’s a stirring and finely-shaped performance, and Willie Scott’s Border accent increases the authentic feel of the whole.

Andrew Calhoun sang Telfer’s Cows to his own tune as the title track of his 2004 album of folk ballads from Scotland, Telfer’s Cows. He noted:

Martinmas is in early November. Another that Sir Walter Scott collected. Felicia Dale tells me that steeds fed on corn and hay have more endurance than those pastured, and that ‘corn’ refers to various grains. Thanks to Tracy Grammer, who insisted on a ‘B’ part to the tune.

Calhoun also sang Jamie Telfer of the Fair Dodhead on his 2016 album of ballads of the Anglo-Scottish border, Rhymer’s Tower. on which he noted:

Concerns a “hot trod”, in which one’s neighbors are legally obligated to join in hunting down the reivers of one’s livestock—or “gear” as it was called.

Child #190, based on text from C.K. Sharpe manuscript, tune from Willie Scott on The Muckle Sangs.

He also noted on the Bandcamp song page of the first album:

Adapted from Sir Walter Scott’s corruption of Jamie Telfer in the Fair Dodhead. I found the rough-hewn original, plus an authentic tune, several years after recording this, and re-recorded this on Rhymer’s Tower.

Lyrics

Willie Scott sings Jamie Telfer o’ the Fair Dodhead

Warn Wat o’ Harden and his sons
And gar them ride Borthwick water side;
Warn Gowdilans and Allanhaugh
And Gilmanscleuch and Commonside.

As he passed the yett o Priesthaughswire,
Warn the courier o’ the Lee;
An as ye come doon the Hermitage Slack,
Warn doughty Willie o Gorrinberry.

Andrew Calhoun sings Jamie Telfer of the Fair Dodhead

It fell about the Martinmas,
When steeds were fed with corn and hay,
The Captain of Bewcastle said to his lads,
“We’ll into Tiviotdale and seek a prey.”

The first guide that they met with
Was high up in Hardhaugh swire,
The second guide that they met with
Was low down in Borthick water.

“What tidings, what tidings, my bonny guide?”
“No tidings no tidings I have for thee;
But if ye’ll go to the Fair Dodhead
Many a cow’s calf I’ll let you see.”

When they came to the Fair Dodhead,
Right hastily they climbed the wall,
They ransacked the house right well.
And loosed the cows out, one and all.

Now Jamie Telfer’s heart was sore,
The tear a-rolling in his eye;
He pled with the captain to leave his cows,
Or else revenged on him he’d be.

But the Captain turned himself about,
Said, “Man, there’s nothing in your house
But an old sword without a scabbard,
That scarcely now would fell a mouse.”

The moon was up and the sun was down,
In a dusting of new-fallen snow;
Jamie Telfer ran eight miles barefoot
Between Dodhead and Branxholm Hall.

And when he came to Branxholm Hall
He shouted loud and cried well he,
Up spoke the warden, Walter Scott,
“Who’s this that brings the fray to me?”

“It’s I, Jamie Telfer in the Fair Dodhead,
And a harried man I trust I be;
There’s nothing left in the Fair Dodhead
But only wife and children three.”

“Go seek your succour from Martin Elliot,
For succour ye will get none from me;
Go seek your succour where ye paid black-mail,
For, man, ye never paid money to me.”

Jamie turned him round about,
And oh the tear blinded his eye:
“I’ll never pay meal to Scott again,
Though the Fair Dodhead I never see.”

Now Jamie is up the water road,
Even as fast as he can flee,
Till he came to the Coultart Cleugh,
And there he shouted and cried well he.

“Who’s that, who’s that?” said old Jock Grieve,
“Who’s this that brings the fray to me?”
“It’s I, Jamie Telfer in the Fair Dodhead,
And a harried man I trust I be.

“There’s nothing left in the Fair Dodhead,
But only wife and children three,
And six poor calves stand in the stall,
Wondering where their mothers be.”

“Ever alack!” said old Jock Grieve,
“My heart is sore for all thy care!
I never came by the Fair Dodhead
That ever I found thy basket bare.”

Then he took out a bonny black,
It was well fed with corn and hay,
And set Jamie Telfer on his back
To the Braidley Hall to take the fray.

When he came to the Braidley Hall,
He shouted loud and cried well he,
Up then spoke old Martin Elliot,
“Who’s this that brings the fray to me?”

“It’s I, Jamie Telfer in the Fair Dodhead,
And a harried man I trust I be;
There’s nothing left in the Fair Dodhead
But only wife and children three.”

“Ever alack!” old Martin did say,
“And man my heart is sore for thee!
But fly, go call on Simmy my son,
And see that he come hastily.

“Fie, go warn the water-side,
Go warn it soon and hastily
Them that won’t ride for Telfer’s cows,
Let them never look in the face of me.

“Go warn the water, broad and wide
And warn the Currers in the grove
When ye come in at the Hermitage slack
Warn stout Willie o Gorrenberry.”

The cows were driven up the Frostily,
And from the stream into the plain;
When Simmy looked before him,
He saw the cows right fast driving.

“Who drives the cows,” then Simmy did say,
“To make a laughing stock of me?”
“It’s I, the Captain o Bewcastle, Simmy,
I won’t hide my name from thee.”

“O will ye let the cows go back?
Or will ye do any thing for me?
Or by my sooth,” then Simmy did say,
“I’ll ply my mother’s whip on thee.”

“I won’t let the cows go back
Nor nothing, Simmy, I’ll do for thee.
But I’ll drive Jamie Telfer’s cows
In spite o Jamie Telfer’s teeth and thee.”

“Fie, fall on them!” Then Simmy did cry,
Fie lads, fall on them cruelly
For ere they get to the Ritter Ford,
Empty saddles there shall be.”

But Simmy was stricken o’er the head,
Through the steel cap the sword is gone,
And Moscrop made a doleful rage
When Simmy on the ground lay slain.

“Fie! Lay on them!” old Martin did cry,
“Fie lads, lay on them cruelly!
For ere they get to the Kershope ford
Empty saddles there shall be.”

John o Biggam he was slain,
And John o Barlow, as I heard say,
And fifteen o the Captain’s men
Lay bleeding on the ground that day.

The Captain was shot through the head,
And also through the left ball-stone;
Though he had lived this hundred years,
He ’d never make love to a woman again.

There was a man in our company
Called Willie o the Woodspurs,
Says “I know his house in the Stanegarside
If any man will ride with us.”

When they came to the captain’s house,
They banged with trees and broke the door,
They loosed the cows out one and all,
And set them forth our lads before.

Now on they came to the Fair Dodhead,
They were a welcome sight to see,
Instead of his own ten milk cows,
Jamie Telfer’s gotten thirty and three.