Box 1

Abstract Katherine Jackson French was influenced to collect mountain ballads through friends who had attended a lecture—in 1905—at which two instructors from Berea College, Kentucky, spoke about the uncollected ballads in the mountains of Kentucky.  She was writing her dissertation at Columbia University at the time and she delayed investigating the matter of collecting mountain ballads until 1909 when she returned to London, Kentucky, to attend her mother who was ill. On at least two occasions in...

Scope and Contents From the Series: Series 1: Correspondence and Miscellaneous Notes Letters, notes, and some news photographs of mountain people.  This series includes correspondence from French to Berea College’s president, William Frost, concerning the publication of the ballad manuscript: English-Scottish Ballads from the Hills of Kentucky.  Also included is a letter from Professor Gummere, Haverford College, Pennsylvania, addressed to French.  Some miscellaneous notes and a few news photographs of...

Scope and Contents Barbara Allen's Cruelty, or The Young Man's Tragedy The Bailiff's Daughter of Islington Confession of Edward W. Hawkins The Douglas Tragedy [Fair Ellender] Edward [The Waxford Girl and The Miller Boys are derived from this ballad] Fair Margaret and Sweet William The House Carpenter, or The Old, Salt Sea [from The Demon Lover] Lady Gay [from the Wife of Usher's Well] Little Hugh, or the Jew's daughter Little Willie, The Twa Brothers Lord Bateman, or The Turkish Lady, or Young Beichan and...

Scope and Contents From the Series: Series 1: Correspondence and Miscellaneous Notes Letters, notes, and some news photographs of mountain people.  This series includes correspondence from French to Berea College’s president, William Frost, concerning the publication of the ballad manuscript: English-Scottish Ballads from the Hills of Kentucky.  Also included is a letter from Professor Gummere, Haverford College, Pennsylvania, addressed to French.  Some miscellaneous notes and a few news photographs of...

Scope and Contents From the Series:

Series 3: Manuscript of “A Fortnight in Ballad Country”
A corrected copy, in manuscript form, of “A Fortnight in Ballad Country” by French is included in this series as are several typed copies.  The Article, in published form, is also included in this series from the magazine Mountain Life and Work. 

Scope and Contents Barbara Allen [words and musical notation] Barbara Ellen - Bonny Barbara Allen The Beggar Girl - The Bailiff's Daughter of Islington Edward Fair Ellender - Earl Brand The Green Willow Tree - The Golden Vanitee The Greenwood Side - The Cruel Mother The House Carpenter [musical notation only] The House Carpenter - The Daemon Lover It Rains a Mist - Sir Hugh Jackaro, [or] The Wealthy Merchant of London - The Merchant's Daughter of Bristow The Jew's Daughter [words and musical notation] The...

Scope and Contents The Bailiff's Daughter of Islington Barbara Allen [words and musical notation] Barbara Allen's Cruelty, or The Young Man's Tragedy [another version is known as Bonny Barbara Allen] Confession of Edward W. Hawkins The Douglas Tragedy [or Fair Ellender] Edward [model for The Waxford Girl and The Miller Boy] Fair Margaret and Sweet William Fair Margaret and Sweet William (Old English) [words and musical notation] The House Carpenter [words and musical notation] The House Carpenter, or The Old,...

Scope and Contents From the Series: Series 4: Biographical Material This series includes a brief history of French typed on the reverse side of a handwritten letter from French to Elisabeth Peck, college historian.  A few of the historian’s notes pertaining to French’s ballad collecting are located here as is an unpublished manuscript copy of “Berea’s Ballad Collectors:  James Watt Raine, John F. Smith, Katherine Jackson French, and Glady’s V. French,” by Sidney Saylor Farr, dated 1980, in...

Scope and Contents The Bailiff's Daughter of Islington [model for William Hall] Barbara Allen's Cruelty, or the Young Man's Tragedy [another version is entitled Bonny Barbara Allen] Confession of Edward W. Hawkins The Douglas Tragedy Edward [model for The Waxford Girl and The Miller Boy] Fair Margaret and Sweet William The House Carpenter, or The Old, Salt Sea [from the Demon Lover] Little Hugh, or The Jew's Daughter Loving Henry, or William and Ellender Lord Bateman [Originally Young Beichman and Susie Pye,...