141: Robin Hood Rescuing Will Stutly

This ballad is to be found in all of the well-known collections of seventeenth century broadsides and it is found in the 1663 and 1670 Garlands. It continued to be printed in the eighteenth century. Child states, ‘This is a ballad made for print, with little of the traditional in the matter and nothing in the style. It may be considered as an imitation of 140.’ Child gives a version ‘RH and the Sheriff’ in an appendix, from Kinloch’s Mss in Kinloch’s own handwriting.

Bronson supplies some conjecture on the original tune which contains contradictory evidence. He gives the only known oral version, of twenty-one stanzas, from the singing of Martha Davis of Virginia of Scottish/Irish ancestry who sang versions of several scarce RH ballads. Copy posted on request.