Tom Potts

[ Roud 66 ; Child 109 ; Ballad Index C109 ; trad.]

Helen Lindley sang Tom Potts on her 2023 EP of rare Child ballads, Aweakening the Lady. She noted:

Tom Potts is one of those songs in traditional folk music for which we have no idea of the original tune. It‘s Child Ballad 109 and has several versions, all of which are long and somewhat unwieldy, which is perhaps why there are no recorded versions! It has Roud Index number 66, which brings us to why I‘ve recorded a version.

It was Karl Sinfield, of Sing Yonder Publications (who are undertaking the immense task of sharing simplified songs from the Roud Index, 10 songs at a time in order to encourage the singing of folk songs by those of all ability levels) who discovered the lack of recordings of the song, mainly because there seems to no tune anywhere. Knowing my liking for such challenges, Karl asked me if I‘d join the Sing Yonder team and compose a tune for the song. But there was a bigger challenge—the lengthy ballad (which has either 66, 96, or 105 verses depending on the entry in Child) needed to be condensed into a maximum of 16 verses in order to fit into the Sing Yonder booklet and be suitable for singers of all abilities!

A very abbreviated synopsis is: Lady Anne, the Earl of Arundel‘s daughter has fallen in love with a serving man, Tom Potts, and wants to marry him rather than the rich Lord Fenix her father wants. After a bit of an argument between her father, Lord William Fenix and Tom Potts, in the end Anne gets her man!

Historically the ballad poses some interesting questions about which Earls and Lords are involved. There‘s been an Earl of Arundel since 1138 until the present day. There was a Sir William Fenwick in the early to mid 1600s. The Earls of Arundel are based in Sussex at Arundel Castle and in the early to mid 1600s there was a Henry Howard (the 15^th Earl) with a Scottish wife. Their eldest daughter was called Anne, although she died a baby. But there was a very strong willed Anne, Countess of Arundel in the 1500s to early 1600s so I do wonder if the song is based on more than one character. There are two locations mentioned in the song, Guilford Green and Strawberry Castle, and given the location of Arundel Castle, it could well be that modern day Strawberry Hill (Twickenham) and Guildford are the locations being referred to. It‘s certainly something to be delved into for anyone interested in discovering if there are any real-life links to the characters and places!

Lyrics

Helen Lindley sings Tom Potts

In Scotland there are Ladies fair,
Those of honour and high degree.
But one excels above all the rest,
Earl of Arundel’s only child is she.
Knights and Lords courted Lady Anne,
But none she liked enough to wed.
Then came the day Anne had to choose.
“You should choose Lord Fenix,” Earl Arundel said.

Poor Anne had tears coming from her eyes.
“You are my father, who dear loves me.
But I love a serving-man so poor
And all he has is but pounds three.”
Her father was angry, to Fenix he rode,
And Anne called up her servant boy.
“To Strawberry Castle please will you ride,
Where my Tom Potts is in employ?”

“Take this letter that’s writ in my hand
And watch when Tom it looks upon.
And if he laughs or if he smile
I must seek a new love and Tom will be gone.
But if he has tears within his eyes,
To Tom I’ll be true for all my life.
But tell him that in fourteen nights,
I must be Lord William Fenix’s wife.”

So Jack rode off to see Tom Potts, saying,
“Read this letter from your love, Anne.”
The tears ran from poor Tom Potts eyes.
He said, “Fenix must win her by his own hand.”
“On Guilford Green I will him meet
And stay the wedding or lose my life.”
Young Jack raced back to his mistress, Anne,
Saying Tom wanted her for his wife.

Tom Potts went to his master’s door,
Saying, “I have a lady true to me,
And unto her I’ll ne’er be false
But must lose my love to poverty.
Lord Fenix will have her as his wife.”
“Now hold your tongue!” his master cried.
“There’s something I will do for thee:
Give Strawberry Castle for you and your bride.”

“I’ve horses, spears and armour too,
And I’ll ride as your man at your rear.”
“Thank you, Sir, for your kindness,
But I’ll just take a nag and a single spear.”
Tom early rode out to Guilford Green.
Told Fenix, “You’re taking my true love from me.”
Lord Fenix was angry, said “Heaven forbid!
A serving man won’t take my lady.”

Early next morning both Fenix and Potts
Met at Guilford Green full eagerly.
Fenix speared Potts right through his thigh,
But Tom soon sprang up with energy.
Tom speared Fenix straight through the arm,
Saying “Fight or yield the Lady to me.”
“I can’t hold my spear so the Lady I’ll yield.
I won’t keep this serving-man from his Lady.”

“To save my honour, let Lady Anne choose.
We’ll stand at each end of Two Mile Lane,
And set the Lady in our midst.
If she chooses you the Lady you’ll gain.”
The Lady and maids walked Two Mile Lane,
Anne said, “Tommy Potts, I’ll now be your bride.”
And to all you Ladies of high degree,
Marry for love, not money or pride.