We are working on the assumption that The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard was based on a historical event; first written in the reign of Henry VIII. It was changed in James I of England's reign. This post asks who was there to write the original version.
Little Musgrave
The Musgraves were,
That's not their only feud with fellow Englishmen.
In 2008, on a lively discussion board of the Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard, “HughM” commented:
Musgrave Origins
Unlike many surnames, Musgrave has its origin in only one place and only one language.
"Musgrave was derived ...from the Old English words "mus" meaning "mouse" and "graf" or "grove." (It) was first found in Cumberland where there are villages named Great Musgrave and Little Musgrave. " House of Names
Cumberland was in the ominously called "Debatable Lands" because it was never clear whether they were in England or Scotland. The border of England and Scotland was divided into three sections: the East, Middle, and West Marches. The entire perimeter was - and still is - sparsely populated. But Cumbria is - to this day - one of the least populated areas in England. And ruling over this tiny kingdom was the powerful Musgraves.
They were big fish in a small pond.
Musgrave: The Place
Family historians have offered two reasons for the name of the Musgrave villages. Some think the 'moss' everywhere points to a Mossy Grove. But the word 'mus' for 'moss' isn't Olde English. A better explanation is Mouse Grove; one filled with mice. We offer a third explanation.
Border-reivers rode small ponies. They were smaller framed than their neighbors to the south. Was this field owned by a feisty little man, nicknamed Mouse, and it split into Little and Great Musgrave? Was this 'feisty little man' the ancestor of the mighty servants of The Crown? Everyone in the West Marches heard of the village, Little Musgrave; Little Mouse's Grove.
Little Musgrave: The Name
The name Little Musgrave gains sympathy and an image of peasant status, Historically, Musgrave might have come from Little Musgrave. But that isn't necessary.
This ballad was written in the era of the most famous Warden of the West Marches, Thomas Musgrave: Marhsall of Berwick. He was Lord of Hayton Castle. His brothers and cousins were knights and lords of castles all over the West Marches.
Everyone knew the whole family originated from Musgrave village. What better way to mock the authority of The Crown than calling an influential family member Little Musgrave?
Musgrave Feuds
Remember the Musgraves vendetta with the Dacres?
Hopefully, that ended by 1397 when Sir Thomas Musgrave, of Harclay Castle, married Joan Dacre. (different Thomas Musgrave, different castle and a century earlier than the previous Sir Thomas Musgrave.)
And remember that "ornate wooden chest given to the Barnard family in the 16th century by the Musgraves"?
That was sometime in the 1500s. The border-reivers "heyday was in the last hundred years of their existence, during the time of the Stewart Kings in Scotland and the Tudor dynasty in England." The Tudors reigned from Henry VIII in 1509 until James I in 1603. Already the King of Scotland, King James of the KJV fame united the territories and ended the lawlessness on the borders. Wikipedia
The Tiny Page
The discussion Musgrave ballad board above took a poll to see who was the hero and who, the villain, in this ballad. No one could find a hero, but the villain was widely viewed as that 'tiny page.' On September 1, 2000, "Troll" responded:
"The page would not have been a serf but the son of a noble house who was "fostered"... to learn to be-ultimately- a knight. He would start as a page and learn to serve the Lord and Lady as a messenger and general go-fer...Serfs were never used as pages etc. This was a privilege reserved for the gently born."
And the "bravest sir knight that ever rode on a steed" - the one Lord Barnard slew - would have had his own page. And both knights would have their minstrels with them.
Merry Men
In 1066, King William from Normandy (France) defeated Harold - the newly appointed King of England after King Edward died - at the Battle of Hastings. He brought minstrels with him. At the start of the battle, one minstrel broke ranks and rode to enemy lines to put on a show. He must have been entertaining. The English watched him from horseback.
"(He) sang the Chanson de Roland (Song of Roland ed.) at the English troops while juggling with his sword. An English soldier ran out to challenge him and was killed by Taillefer, who then charged the English lines and was engulfed. ...Strangely, Taillefer is not depicted, by name at least, on the Bayeux Tapestry."
We only know Taillefer's story from "Carmen Widonis, the earliest history of the Norman invasion of England, in Latin." - Wikipedia
The Bayeux Tapestry was commissioned by King William to convince the English he was the proper heir to their throne. There was no room for lowly minstrels on it. It was magnificent propaganda; the ancient form of 'Fake News.'
The journey from the Borderland to London
"Phillips Barry (July 18, 1880, Boston, Massachusetts – August 29, 1937) was an American academic and collector of traditional ballads in New England." - Wikipedia
In "British Ballads from Maine" (BBM), 1929 Barry says, "Nothing is clearer than that there were two very early forms of this ballad, one containing King Henry, the other 'Away Musgrave.' "
In their detailed study of "The Ballad of Little Musgrave," the editors of BBM believe all Child's English texts - 81A, B, C - are personal lampoons written in the reign of James I and directed against a prominent personage. We'll look at that in our next post.
For now, check out King William's Bayeux Tapestry.
Part of a series on The Ballad of Little Musgrave.
1. Distinguished Surname 4. Versions 7 Origin.
2. Border Reivers 5. History 8. Author
3. Ballad 6. Text 9. Story
10. Minstrels
Have you been following this series on the Ballad of Little Musgrave? Do you have any thoughts on it? Tell me below in the comment section.
Little Musgrave
The Musgraves were,
"A powerful family of Cumberland who had a long record of service to the English Crown, both as soldiers and March officers. ...One of the two 'greatest names' of the West Wardenry (the other was Salkfield), the Musgraves were constantly at feud on the Scottish side, and had a three century vendetta with their fellow Cumbrians, the Dacres."Steel Bonnets page 63 Kindle Unlimited
That's not their only feud with fellow Englishmen.
In 2008, on a lively discussion board of the Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard, “HughM” commented:
Rydal Hall, Cumbria
"Some time ago one of my friend was involved in a function at Rydal Hall in Cumbria (the north-west corner of England). He was shown an ornate wooden chest given to the Barnard family in the 16th century by the Musgraves on the occasion of a wedding in the Barnard family, in an attempt to end the long-running feud between them, said to have started in the 12th century."
Musgrave Origins
Unlike many surnames, Musgrave has its origin in only one place and only one language.
"Musgrave was derived ...from the Old English words "mus" meaning "mouse" and "graf" or "grove." (It) was first found in Cumberland where there are villages named Great Musgrave and Little Musgrave. " House of Names
 |
| Debatable Lands |
Cumberland was in the ominously called "Debatable Lands" because it was never clear whether they were in England or Scotland. The border of England and Scotland was divided into three sections: the East, Middle, and West Marches. The entire perimeter was - and still is - sparsely populated. But Cumbria is - to this day - one of the least populated areas in England. And ruling over this tiny kingdom was the powerful Musgraves.
They were big fish in a small pond.
 |
| Little Musgrave Village |
Family historians have offered two reasons for the name of the Musgrave villages. Some think the 'moss' everywhere points to a Mossy Grove. But the word 'mus' for 'moss' isn't Olde English. A better explanation is Mouse Grove; one filled with mice. We offer a third explanation.
Border-reivers rode small ponies. They were smaller framed than their neighbors to the south. Was this field owned by a feisty little man, nicknamed Mouse, and it split into Little and Great Musgrave? Was this 'feisty little man' the ancestor of the mighty servants of The Crown? Everyone in the West Marches heard of the village, Little Musgrave; Little Mouse's Grove.
Little Musgrave: The Name
The name Little Musgrave gains sympathy and an image of peasant status, Historically, Musgrave might have come from Little Musgrave. But that isn't necessary.
 |
| Berwick Castle |
This ballad was written in the era of the most famous Warden of the West Marches, Thomas Musgrave: Marhsall of Berwick. He was Lord of Hayton Castle. His brothers and cousins were knights and lords of castles all over the West Marches.
Everyone knew the whole family originated from Musgrave village. What better way to mock the authority of The Crown than calling an influential family member Little Musgrave?
Musgrave Feuds
Remember the Musgraves vendetta with the Dacres?
 |
| Harclay Castle ruins |
Hopefully, that ended by 1397 when Sir Thomas Musgrave, of Harclay Castle, married Joan Dacre. (different Thomas Musgrave, different castle and a century earlier than the previous Sir Thomas Musgrave.)
And remember that "ornate wooden chest given to the Barnard family in the 16th century by the Musgraves"?
That was sometime in the 1500s. The border-reivers "heyday was in the last hundred years of their existence, during the time of the Stewart Kings in Scotland and the Tudor dynasty in England." The Tudors reigned from Henry VIII in 1509 until James I in 1603. Already the King of Scotland, King James of the KJV fame united the territories and ended the lawlessness on the borders. Wikipedia
The Tiny Page
The discussion Musgrave ballad board above took a poll to see who was the hero and who, the villain, in this ballad. No one could find a hero, but the villain was widely viewed as that 'tiny page.' On September 1, 2000, "Troll" responded:
"The page would not have been a serf but the son of a noble house who was "fostered"... to learn to be-ultimately- a knight. He would start as a page and learn to serve the Lord and Lady as a messenger and general go-fer...Serfs were never used as pages etc. This was a privilege reserved for the gently born."
And the "bravest sir knight that ever rode on a steed" - the one Lord Barnard slew - would have had his own page. And both knights would have their minstrels with them.
Merry Men
In 1066, King William from Normandy (France) defeated Harold - the newly appointed King of England after King Edward died - at the Battle of Hastings. He brought minstrels with him. At the start of the battle, one minstrel broke ranks and rode to enemy lines to put on a show. He must have been entertaining. The English watched him from horseback.
 |
| Tallfier leads Battle of Hastings. |
"(He) sang the Chanson de Roland (Song of Roland ed.) at the English troops while juggling with his sword. An English soldier ran out to challenge him and was killed by Taillefer, who then charged the English lines and was engulfed. ...Strangely, Taillefer is not depicted, by name at least, on the Bayeux Tapestry."
We only know Taillefer's story from "Carmen Widonis, the earliest history of the Norman invasion of England, in Latin." - Wikipedia
The Bayeux Tapestry was commissioned by King William to convince the English he was the proper heir to their throne. There was no room for lowly minstrels on it. It was magnificent propaganda; the ancient form of 'Fake News.'
The journey from the Borderland to London
"Phillips Barry (July 18, 1880, Boston, Massachusetts – August 29, 1937) was an American academic and collector of traditional ballads in New England." - Wikipedia
In "British Ballads from Maine" (BBM), 1929 Barry says, "Nothing is clearer than that there were two very early forms of this ballad, one containing King Henry, the other 'Away Musgrave.' "
In their detailed study of "The Ballad of Little Musgrave," the editors of BBM believe all Child's English texts - 81A, B, C - are personal lampoons written in the reign of James I and directed against a prominent personage. We'll look at that in our next post.
For now, check out King William's Bayeux Tapestry.
The Bayeux Tapestry
1. Distinguished Surname 4. Versions 7 Origin.
2. Border Reivers 5. History 8. Author
3. Ballad 6. Text 9. Story
10. Minstrels
Have you been following this series on the Ballad of Little Musgrave? Do you have any thoughts on it? Tell me below in the comment section.
Having musgrave lineage, I prefer the "Marcher Lord" which seems logical since they situated at the borders or presumed to have been derived from Musgrave, Mewsgrave, or Musgreave: "the keeper of the king's hawks, or the king's equerry." (per wikipedia)
ReplyDeleteTrue per Wikipedia but I'm not convinced this is the etymology of our last name. I've a post planned about that you may find interesting. In fact, this comment may be the impetus to write it faster. You can "Subscribe" above for new updates. Thanks for the comment.
ReplyDelete