MF 077 Sister Saint Jude Poulin Folksong Collection

Northeast Archives of Folklore and Oral History: MF 077 Sister Saint Jude Poulin Folksong Collection

Number of accessions: 1
Dates when interviews were conducted: 1962
Time period covered: mid- 20th century
Principal collectors: Sister St. Jude Poulin
Finding aides: brief indexes
Access restrictions: yes
Description: NA0331 Linwood Brown, Carl E. Kelley, Robert French, Mrs. Elwood Nickerson, Dale Potter, others, interviewed by Sister St. Jude Poulin, 1962, Machias, Vanceboro, Franklin, Kingman, and Gardiner, Maine. Interviews, correspondence, and notes pertaining to Sister Poulin’s M.A. thesis titled “A Classification and Literary History of the Ballads Known in Hancock and Washington Counties, Maine, Mid-Century” (Boston College, 1962). Accession includes correspondence, song texts, manuscript texts from her informants, field notes, and a photocopy of the thesis. A Maine native, Sister Poulin interviewed 23 individuals (including Nickerson of Corrina and Potter of Mattawamkeag) but based her thesis only on contributions from three Brown of Vanceboro; Kelley of East Machias; French of Franklin).

CONTENTS LISTING:

I. Letters to Sister Saint Jude
Informant: Linwood C. Brown
-A letter explains the tiff over where Gerry’s Rock is located.
-A letter includes the words to Tomah Stream composed by Larry Gorman.
-Lindy Brown talks about the songs “Jam on Gerry’s rock,” “St. Croix’s Long
Winding shores.”
-The words to the song “Howard Carey.”
-A letter mentioning the songs, “The Red Light Saloon,” “Lord Banner,” “Jim
Morrow.”
-The words to a song possibly titled, “Rise Up”
-The words to the song “St. Croix’s Long Winding Shores”
-The words to the song “The Banks of the Gaspereaux”
-The words to the song “Jam on Gerry’s Rock”
-The words to the song “Tomah Stream”
-The words to the song “John Morrisey”
-The words to the songs “John Thompson’s Hill,” “Lord Banner”
-The words to the song “Paddy Miles”
-Lindy Brown’s genealogy
-The words to “The Black Cock and the Brown Cock”

II. Tape 247 side A: Forrest Libby and Robert French
-Libby recites “The Old Pod Auger Days”
-A discussion of Mt. Kineo, Rockwood and Greenville.
-A story of a man who worked the Kennebec.
-Discussion of the “Wreck of the Flying Cloud.”
-Talk of an Indian who was head of the camp.
-Discussion about John Ross, the big boss of the drive.
-Libby sings “Lass of the Mohee.”
-Libby sings “Champion of Moose Hill”
-Discussion of the area.
-Libby sings “Canady-I-O”
-French sings “Jim Whelan” and “Jam on Gerry’s Rock”
-Discussion of someone named Lone Pine?

III. Tape 247 side B: Robert French
-French sings “Derry Down”
-French sings “Larry Gorman”
-Discussion of Mr. French’s genealogy along with a couple Irish stories.
-French sings “Highland Laddie” and “The White Pines of Arkansas”

Informant: Mrs. Nickerson
-Singing of “Jam on Gerry’s Rock”
-Singing of “The Maid of the Mountain Brow,” “The Black Cock,” “The Wise
Doctor,” “Johnny Bull,” and Pretty Mohee.”

Informant: Mr. Potter
-Sing-song recitation of “India’s Burning Sands.”
-Talks about his father.
-Sings “Jacket of Blue.”
-Sings “Enoch Arden’s Farewell to Ireland.”

Informant: Mrs. Hatch
-Sings “Jam on Gerry’s Rock”
-Sings “The Montreal Express.”

IV. Tape 248 side A: Mr. Kelley
-Talks of “Lord Randall” means Fannie Moore.
-Sings “Texas Rangers”
-Discussion of Greenville, then sings “Jack Haggerty.”
-Sings “Jam on Gerry’s Rock” then discusses origin.
-Sings “Fannie Moore”

Informant: Mr. Brown
-Plays a recording of “Lord Randall”
-Sings “Peter Emberly”
-Sings “The Dunbarton Hooper” [Dungarvon Whooper, etc.]
-Sings “St. Croix’s Long Winding Shores,” “The Bull Moose Song”
-Sings “Be it ofttimes I wonder how women love men?” and “Matty Groves”

V. Letters from Sister St. Jude to Sheryl Spurl and Sandy Ives.
-Sister St. Jude’s letters are mostly about the work she is doing collecting
the folklore material.
-Includes the words to “The Sad Ballad of Jack Haggerty.” “The Shacker Boys of
Wesley.” “Down Went McGinty.” “The Jam at Gerry’s Rock.” “Texan Rangers,””Fannie Moore.”
-The last letter includes a list of the songs she used in her research paper.
-Also included is a short paper entitled “A Classification and Literary History of the Ballads known in Hancock and Washington Counties, Maine, Mid- Century”

VI. Sister Saint Jude Poulin’s Thesis Paper
Entitled “A Classification and Literary History of the Ballads known in Hancock
and Washington Counties, Maine, Mid-Century”
-Outline (three chapters)
-Paper includes the words and music to many of the songs collected from the informants.