Richie Story (

Roud The Roud Folk Song Index is a database of around 250,000 references to nearly 25,000 songs collected from oral tradition in the English language from all over the world. It is compiled by Steve Roud. Roud's Index is a combination of the Broadsid ...

Child A child () is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking ...

232), also called The Earl of Weymss, is an English-language folk song existing in several variants. According to Francis James Child, the ballad is based on historical events that happened around 1673.

Synopsis

Of a group of sisters (three, five, or seven in different variants), one (the youngest, the oldest, or the bonniest) falls in love with Richie Story (or some variant on the name Richard) and rejects an earl for him. She runs off with Richard. In one variant, he proves rich, but in most, she lives in poverty with him, and on being asked if she regretted it, asks how could she, when she gained her heart's desire. In another variant, 'Richie' turns out to be the 'King of all England'.

Commentary

Falling in love with an apparently poor suitor is common in ballads -- ''

The Beggar-Laddie The Beggar-Laddie is a traditional English ballad that exists in several variants. It was collected by Francis James Child as Child ballad 280 (Roud 119Sehere). Synopsis A man tells a woman that he is a beggar, making his living from spindles or ...

'', ''

Dugall Quin Dugall Quin (Roud 3928, Child 294) is a traditional English-language folk ballad. Synopsis Dugall Quin woos Lisie Meanes, asking her how she likes him in his ragged dress; she answers that she likes him and asks how he likes her in her fine cloth ...

'', ''

Lizie Lindsay "Lizie Lindsay" (Roud 94, Child 226), also known as "Lizzie Lindsay" or "Leezie Lindsay", is a traditional English-language folk song most likely originating in Scotland. It exists in several variants. Synopsis A highland Laird courts Lizie Linds ...

'', ''

Glasgow Peggie Glasgow Peggie or Glasgow Peggy (Child 228, Roud 95) is a traditional English-language folk song, existing in several variants. Synopsis A Highlander comes to steal Peggie. In most variants, her father (and in some, her mother), declare that he m ...

''—but he generally proves a rich man after all; often this is after she regrets the poverty they travel in. This ballad usually shows a rare actual rejection of wealth for true love. A similar motif is found in the ballad '' Tom Potts''.Francis James Child, ''The English and Scottish Popular Ballads'', v 2, p 441, Dover Publications, New York 1965

References

Child Ballads {{Folk-song-stub