> A.L. Lloyd > Songs > The Girl With the Box on Her Head
> Martin Carthy > Songs > Box on Her Head

The Box Upon Her Head / The Girl With the Box on Her Head / The Staffordshire Maid / Undaunted Female

[ Roud 289 ; Master title: The Box Upon Her Head ; Laws L3 ; G/D 2:268 ; Ballad Index LL03 ; VWML AW/3/135 ; Bodleian Roud 289 ; GlosTrad Roud 289 ; Wiltshire 849 ; trad.]

A.L. Lloyd sang The Girl With the Box on Her Head in about 1956 on his Riverside album English Street Songs. This album was reissued in 2008 as part of his Fellside compilation Ten Thousand Miles Away. He noted:

This ballad has many titles, three of which are The Undaunted Female, The Staffordshire Maid, and The Serving Girl and the Robber. Nearly every ballad-sheet publisher in the North of England issued a version of this favourite ballad of the simple girl who outwitted a whole gang of robbers and mowed them down by gun-fire, to the admiration of a rich young stranger who proposed marriage to her on the spot.

George ‘Pop’ Maynard sang Box on Her Head in a recording made by Brian Matthews at The Cherry Tree, Copthorne in 1961. It was included in 2000 on his Musical Traditions anthology Down the Cherry Tree.

Martin Carthy sang Box on Her Head in 1966 on his Second Album. He noted:

As the treacherous girl is regarded with the utmost hatred, so is the resourceful girl regarded with the greatest admiration. Having shot the young man who has tried to rob her, she then helps a gentleman who has heard the noise to shoot the rest of the robbers who are in hiding nearby chalking up three to his one. The version here is basically from the Lucy Broadwood collection.

Alec Bloomfield sang Shoot Them All (The Box Upon Her Head) in a recording made by Keith Summers in 1971-77 on the Veteran anthology of traditional folk songs, music hall songs, and tunes from Suffolk, Good Hearted Fellows. Mike Yates noted:

The earliest known version of this popular song can be found in the Andrew Crawfurd Collection (Edinburgh. The Scottish Text Society. 1975. Volume 1. pp. 143-44), where it is titled A Yarmouth Story. Crawfurd had collected the song in 1827 from Meg Walker (Mrs Caldwell), a widow living at Bridgend in Lochwinnoch, Ayrshire, and may have been aware that the song was then being produced by numerous broadside printers throughout England and Scotland. Most printers called the song The Undaunted Female, although Stephenson, a Gateshead printer, titled his sheet The Fair Maid and the Robber. Just about every Edwardian English collector found a version or two of the song and some noted quite a few versions, although, as Cecil Sharp observed, most were sung to the tune used for The Banks of the Sweet Dundee (Roud 148), another highly popular broadside ballad. Alec probably learnt his version of the song from Bud Burrows, who sang it in Bruisyard Butcher’s Arms.

Jackie Oates sang this song as The Staffordshire Maid in 2006 on her eponymous first album, Jackie Oates.

Rosie Hood sang Undaunted Female on her 2011 eponymous EP Rosie Hood and on her 2017 RootBeat CD The Beautiful & the Actual. She noted:

Collected from Thomas Smart, Blunsdon, and Henry Potter, Standlake. Published in [Alfred Williams’] Folk Songs of the Upper Thames, 1923. “Formerly a very special favourite in the Vale. I have been offered the piece at least twelve times though I have heard it but once accurately—assuming that the following version is accurate: it is the best I have obtained.”

I learnt the melody from Martin Carthy & Dave Swarbrick’s version of Box on Her Head.

This video shows Rosie Hood at Cecil Sharp House, London, in December 2015:

Rob Williams sang The Lady and the Box in 2012 on his album of songs from around the Quantock Hills, Outstanding Natural Beauty. It was collected in April-June 1905 from Jane Gulliford by the brothers Henry and Robert Hammond.

Pilgrims’ Way sang Shoot Them All! (Box on Her Head) on their 2017 album Stand & Deliver.

Anna Tam sang Undaunted Female in 2022 on Coracle’s album Murmuration. She noted:

Tune sung by Harry Cox, Norfolk 1958-60 [VWML RoudFS/S436259] , with many sources for the words. Also known as The Box Upon Her Head, and other titles, the ballad was widely collected from the early 19^th century onwards. Unimpressed by the gentleman, we added our own final two lines!

Lyrics

A.L. Lloyd sings The Girl With the Box on Her Head

It’s of a pretty servant girl, in the Western country,
With her cruel mistress she couldn’t agree.
It was early one mornin’ she quickly arose,
She demanded her wages, her box and her clothes.

With the box on her head she went marching along,
And the first that she met was this stout looking man.
He says, “Deliver up your money, without fear or strife,
Or else this very moment I’ll take your young life.”

Well the tears from her eyes like two fountains did flow,
Saying, “Where can I run to? And where shall I go?”
He stooped to his bundle to take out his knife
And while he was stooping she killed him with his staff.

With her box on her head she was marching along,
And the next that she met was a fine gentleman,
He says, “You’re trembling and pale, girl, you’ve done something wrong,
And the box on your head to yourself don’t belong.”

“To my master and my mistress I’ve done nothing ill
But I’m afraid in my heart a young man I’ve killed.”
She took him by the hand and she led him to the place
Where this stout able fellow lay a-bleeding on his face.

They searched him all over to see what he had got;
He had three loaded pistols, some powder, and shot,
He had three loaded pistols, some powder, and ball,
And likewise a whistle, his robbers for to call.

She put the whistle to her mouth and blew both loud and shrill,
And four able robbers came a-running over the hill.
The gentleman shot one of them, and that speedily,
But this beautiful young servant girl she shot the other three.

Now when this fine gentleman saw all the robbers dead
He took her by the hand and to her he did say,
“I’ll take you for my lawful bride for the deed that you’ve done
In the taking your own part and the firing of your gun.”

Martin Carthy sings Box on Her Head

There was a fine young damsel that in London town did dwell,
For wit and for beauty there was none could her excel.
She took her box all on her head and so she travelled along
And the first one that she met with was a strolling naval man.

He says, “My pretty fair maid why do you go this way?
I’ll show you a quicker road across the country.”
He’s taken her by the lily-white hand and he’s led her down the lane,
But he turned and said, “Deliver your gold or else your life I’ll have.”

While this young feller was a-feeling for his knife
She stole his pistol from his belt and she took away his life.
She took her box all on her head and so she travelled along
And the next one that she met with was a noble gentleman.

Oh he says, “My pretty fair maid where are you going so late?
And what was the noise that I heard be yonder gate?
That box you carry upon your head it doesn’t to you belong,
To your master or your misteress, oh you have done something wrong!”

“My master or my misteress I have done something new
But I feel it in my own heart that the man that I have killed.”
She took his horse by the bridle rein and she led him to the place
Where this bold young robber lay a-bleeding on his face.

The gentleman knelt down for to see what he had got,
He’d two loaded pistols, some powder and some shot.
He’d two loaded pistols, some powder and some ball,
A knife and a whistle his comrades for to call.

He put the whistle to his lips and he blew both loud and shrill
And four more bold young robbers came a-running o’er the hill.
The gentleman he shot one of them and that right speedily
And this beautiful young damsel she shot the other three.

Alec Bloomfield sings Shoot Them All

A young country maiden did leave her home one day,
And many miles she had to walk to where she meant to stay.
She met a roving gentleman who tried to force his will.
She struck him with her box, but she never meant to kill.

Then with the box upon her head she carried it along.
The next man who stopped her was a hunting gentleman.
“Your master or your mistress you have done something ill.”
“No, the one thing I fear is a man that I did kill.”

He took her on his horse and they rode back to the place.
The two of them sat looking down upon the gruesome face.
“Cast fear aside, my bonny girl, there’s nothing I will do,
For the moment we met I have been in love with you.”

He got from off his horse for to see what he had got.
He got three loaded pistols, some powder and some shot.
He got three loaded pistols, some powder and some ball,
A knife and a whistle, the robbers for to call.

He put the whistle to his lips and blew it loud and shrill,
Four ruffian fellows came running down the hill.
He shot one of them and she, most speedily,
This beautiful damsel, she shot the other three.

Rosie Hood sings Undaunted Female

It’s of a pretty fair maid in London town did dwell,
Of wit and of beauty, though none that could excel.
To her master and her mistress she served seven years,
And what follows after you quickly shall hear.

She put the box upon her head, and so she went along,
The first that she met was a stout and able man.
Said he, “My pretty fair maid, where are you going this way?
I’ll show you a shorter road across the country.”

Along he took her by the hand and led her to a lane,
He said, "My pretty fair maid, I mean to tell you plain:
Deliver up your money without you fear or strife,
Or else this very moment I’ll take away your life.”

The tears from round her eyes like two fountains did flow,
“O, where shall I wander? O, where shall I go?”
But whilst this young fellow was a-feeling for his knife,
This damsel found his pistol and took away his life.

She put the box upon her head, and so she went along,
The next that she met was a noble gentleman,
Said he, “My pretty fair maid, where are you going this late?
And what was that noise that I heard at yonder gate?

The box upon your head to yourself does not belong,
To your master or your mistress you have done something wrong!
To your master or your mistress you have done something ill,
For one moment from trembling you cannot keep still.”

“The box upon my head to myself it does belong,
To my master or my mistress I have done nothing wrong!
To my master or my mistress I have done nothing ill,
But I fear in my heart it’s a man I have killed.

He asked me for my money, and soon I let him know,
And when he took his knife I proved his overthrow!”
Along she took him by the hand and led him to the place
Where this stout and able fellow lay a-bleeding on his face.

They searched him all over to see what he had got;
He had three loaded pistols, some powder, and some shot,
He had three loaded pistols, some powder, and some ball,
A knife and a whistle, more robbers for to call.

He put the whistle to his lips and blew both loud and shrill,
And four stout able fellows came a-traipsing down the hill.
The gentleman shot one of them, and that most speedily,
But this beautiful young damsel she shot the other three.

Anna Tam sings Undaunted Female

It’s of a young serving maid in London town did dwell,
For wit and for courage, there’s none could her excel.
To her master and her mistress she served seven years,
And what follows after you quickly shall hear.

She put her box upon her head, and carried it along,
The first that she met was a stout and able man.
He said, “My pretty fair maid, where are you going this way?
I will show you a nearer road across the counterie.”

Along he took her by the hand and led her to a lane,
He said, “My pretty fair maid, I mean to tell you plain:
Deliver up your money without either fear or strife,
Or else this very moment I’ll take away your life.”

The tears from around her eyes like fountains did flow,
“O, where shall I wander? O, where shall I go?”
But whilst this young fellow was a-looking for his knife,
The damsel found his pistol and took away his life.

She put the box upon her head, and so she went along,
The next that she met was a noble gentleman,
He said, “My pretty fair maid, where are you going this late?
And what was that noise that I heard at yonder gate?

“The box upon your head to yourself does not belong,
To your master or your mistress you have done something wrong!
To your master or your mistress you have done something ill,
For one moment from trembling you cannot keep still.”

“The box upon my head to myself it does belong
To my master or my mistress I have done nothing wrong!
To my master or my mistress I have done nothing ill,
But I fear in my heart ’tis a man that I have killed.

He asked me for my money, but soon I let him know,
And whilst he looked for his knife I proved his overthrow!”
She took his horse by the reins and led him to the place
Where the stout and able fellow lay a-bleeding on his face.

The gentleman got off his horse to see what he had got;
He had three loaded pistols, some powder, and some shot,
He had three loaded pistols, some powder, and some ball,
A knife and a whistle, more robbers for to call.

He put the whistle to his lips and blew it loud and shrill,
And four stout able fellows came a-traipsing down the hill.
The gentleman shot one of them, and that most speedily,
But this undaunted damsel she shot the other three.

He said, “My pretty fair maid, for what you now have done
I’ll make you my charming bride before it is too long.”
She put the box back on her head, to his offer she said nay
But put her foot onto the road and carried on her way.

Acknowledgements

Transcribed from the singing of Martin Carthy by Garry Gillard.