Frances Jane RATCLIFF

  General Notes:

Seamstress, daughter of sheriff of Greenup Co, loved to dance, died at age of 33 of a broken heart-marital problems, loss of 2 children in house fire while she was gone to neighbors for mullen-leaf oil for her baby who was suffering with ear ache(See ballad below). She was described as having very fair completion and beautiful hands-long slender fingers. She lived at Olive Hill, KY as well as Springsville (now South Portsmouth) Ky. I could not locate her grave at the Siloam Cemetary at greenup several years ago. My grandfather Samuel also searched for same many years ago.

VERSIONS OF CARTER COUNTY BALLAD Robert E. McCormack p. 116 BALLAD MAKIN IN KY, Jean Thomas "Another story came to Jilson Setters' ears about a mother living in Carter Co. One night she went to a neighbor's to borrow some mullen-leaf oil for her baby, who was suffering with ear ache. While she was gone the house caught fire. To this day Jilson cannot sing the song without a tear in his eye, a plaintive lilt in his voice: Come all you tender hearted, Your attention I do call. I will t ell you how it started Come listen one and all.

On Wednesday night there was a light Seen shining on a hill. Dear mother run with all her might, While everything was still.

She went into a neighbor's house One hundred yards away. And there she sat and talked with them, But did not mean to stay.

Don't stay too long, mother, there, For we are lonesome here. I'll get some mullen oil, she said And then return again.

But when she started home again, Her house was in a flame, She cried,"Alas, my babes are gone And I'm the one to blame."


She heard a voice like thunder, As flames rolled over her head. She cried, "Have mercy, Lord, My poor babes are both dead."

The little ones lay on the ground, Quite close and face to face, Their little arms entwined around Each other did embrace.

Don't grieve for them, dear mother, For they are now at rest. They will be found on that great day In their Redeemer's breast. The singer brushed aside a tear. "That piece," he said in a trembling voice, "I ever called THE HOUSE BURNING IN CARTER COUNTY." Transcibed by Teresa Martin Klaiber

THE FIRE TRAGEDY

Sung by Wash Nelson, 1959 Collection of Mrs. Mary Stuart Nelson, for Professor Leonard Roberts Leonard Roberts Tape Collection at Berea College LR-OR-67 Collector heard speaking on tape may have been Orin Nelson Transcribed by Steve Green, June 28, 2000

Note: compare with "The House Burning in Carter County" in Jean Thomas, Ballad Makin' in the Mountains of Kentucky, pp. 108-109. See also "Come All You Tender Hearted" recorded by the Stanley Brothers.

Collector: Eh, Wash, we've been doing a lot of talkin' here and killin' a lot of time< there's some more songs we'd like to hear on this tape if you would. You had one I believe of a Fire Tragedy where there's some children involved in it, would you<

Wash: Now that's "Last Wednesday Night I Spied a Light Shinin' [Back] on Yon Hill." I'll sing that fer ya.

Last Wednesday night I spied a light Now shining on yondows hill [sic] What[?] mother run with all her might While everything were still.

These two little babes had gone to bed While mother a quilting Says "I'll go and get some liniment, But soon return again."

She went down to a neighbor's house One hundred yards away She did sit down to talk awhile But did not mean to stay.

At last they heard a rumbling noise Like thunder it did roar Away, it was amazing wonder But they did not go to the door.

Then at last she started home again Her house were in a flame She screamed "My darlin' babes, too late And I'm the one to blame."

She bursted the door like thunder The flames rolled over her head She screamed "My darling babes, too late For now you both are dead.

And there they lay just face to face And their arms around one another were twined Their flesh was burned to ashes Their bones lay scorched on the ground.

Jean Thomas' remarks imply that the piece was composed by Jilson Setters [J. W. Day] but she does not state that categorically. The song is rather sketchy and Mr. Nelson's version is perhaps a bit sketchier than the one printed by Jean Thomas, although he also provides additional details. The outline of the story can be grasped. Thomas' version omits the morbid details in Mr. Nelson's final verse, but hers includes religious sentiment at the song's close that Mr. Nelson leaves out. Strangely, the religious sentiment is also missing in the version found in the New Baptist Song Book. In Mr. Nelson's version the sound of thunder is interpreted to be the roar of the fire next door, a sound not investigated (until too late) by the ladies socializing. The Jean Thomas version misses that aspect of the story completely. In the Jilson Setters version, Jean Thomas may have taken liberties by introducing the sound as if it were the voice of God. However, I believe Thomas garbled the words making "They heard a noise like thunder" become "She heard a voice like thunder." That the two women did not investigate the sound makes the situation all the more tragic, and the following verse from Ruth Frank via Robert McCormack restores some of the impact that has slipped out of the other versions.

They heard a noise like thunder, As the flames began to roar. It was an awful wonder, That she did not go to the door...


Jean Thomas also suggested that the mother went to the neighbor's house to borrow mullen oil but this might have been her own invention< other versions say only that she went for liniment.

Transcription and notes by Steve Green. ----------_______________________________________________________ _______________________________ COME ALL YE TENDER HEARTED

Copied by Steve Green from lyric sheet accompanying Folkways LP The Country Gentlemen Sing and Play Folk Songs and Bluegrass, Vol. 2. Folkways FA 2410 c1961.

Come all ye tender hearted Your attention I will call; I'll tell you how it started Come listen one and all.

Last Wednesday night there was a light Seen shining on the hill A mother wept with all her might While everything was still.

She went into a neighbor's house Some hundred yards away She sat down and she talked with them But she did not mean to stay.

"Oh Mommy dear don't stay too long For we'll be lonesome here;" "I'll go and fetch some liniment Then I'll return to you dears."

But when she started home again Her house was in a flame She cried "Oh Lord my babies are gone And I'm the one whose to blame."

She cried "Alas how sad they seem Wrapped up in a red hot flame;" She bursted all asunder then As o'er her head rolled the flames.

*Her little boys lay on the ground They both lay face to face; Each other's arms they did entwine Each other did embrace.

NOTE: The children were definetly two little girls, Annie & Suvenia, as listed on the 1870 census. Robert E. McCormack



COME ALL YOU TENDER HEARTED

Copied by Steve Green from Ratliff, Foster, compiler. New Baptist Song Book: A Collection of Good Hymns, Songs and Ballads. Lookout, KY: Foster Ratliff, 1957, 1973. p.22.

Come all you tender hearted. Your attention I'd call, I'll tell you how it started, Come listen one and all.


Last Wednesday night there was a light Seen shining on the hill, There mother ran with all her might, While everything was still.

She went into the neighbor's house Some hundred yards away, She sat down and talked with them, But did not mean to stay.

Don't stay too long, mother, there For we are lonesome here, I'll give some liniment," she said, And then return again."

But when she started home again, Her house was in a flame, She cried "Alas, my babies are gone, And I'm the one to blame."

She bursted all asunder then, And the flames rolled o'er their heads, She cried "Alas, how sad they sleep Wrapped up in a red hot flame."

Their little bones lay on the ground, They both lay face to face. Each other did entwine Each other did embrace.

A few of the words here do not seem quite right but this is exactly the way it is printed in the book.

Marilee Russell: 1850 Census??? 81/83 Ratcliff, Saml 55, M Farmer $1500 KY '' Mary 33, F PA " Wm 27 M Laborer KY Parker 21 M KY Melvina 18 F KY Thompson 13 (?) M KY Frances 11 (!) F KY Isaac 9 M KY Hamilton 7 M KY Martha 5 F KY Rebecca 4 F KY (If my notes are correct this is in E.D. #1 Greenup County) Marilee

SG <> 1860 census - Olive Hill, Carter Co.KY McCormac, Floyd 25, Farmer Frances 23 housework Thompson 5 William 3 Samuel 2 (my grandfather)


1870 census-Precinct 2, Greenup, KY Pg. 6, P.O. *Springville KY 22 June 1870 42 40 Ratcliffe, Thomson W 33, Farmer KY 800, 10 (Probably a brother to Frances and lives 2 houses away) Nancy A. 29, House Keeping KY James S. 10, At Home KY John W. 8, At Home KY Charles W. 6, At Home KY Mary F. 4, KY Sarah J. 1 KY McCormack, Thomson 10, Works on Farm KY

44 42 Alcorn, Jeremiah 37 Cooper Ohio Elizabeth 43 House Keeping East Virginia

40 43 McCormack ,Frances 31, Seamstress KY Thomson W. 14, Works on farm KY William 13, Works on farm KY John S. 11, Works on farm KY (my grandfather) Sarah E. 8 KY Nancy 6 KY Annie 3 KY Suvenia 6/12 KY born Dec Williams, Elizabeth 67 House Keeping East Virginia *Springville , now a discontinued post office , was once an Ohio River port (With Suvenia on 6 months old and no record of Floyd, this census must have been taken shortly after their split and she settled close to family) Since there is later record of Nancy and no later record of Annie & Suvenia, the two grils who perished in the fire had to be Annie and Suvenia. Who is Elizabeth Williams, 76, born in East Virginia? Notice the family called on just before Frances has an Elizabeth, 43, born also in East Virginia. Is this a connection? Where is Floyd?








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  Research Notes:

I25

  Noted events in her life were:

• Occupation: Seamstress.

Frances married Floyd Alson McCORMACK, son of William McCORMACK and Lucinda (Lucy) BRUMFIELD, on 2 Dec 1854 in Judge Of Co Court At Sam Ratcliffe's, Carter Co, KY. (Floyd Alson McCORMACK was born on 14 Apr 1836 in Lawrence Co, KY, died on 20 Jun 1906 in Denton, Carter Co, KY and was buried in Denton, Lawrence Co, KY.)

  Marriage Notes:

based on entry in Carter CO marriage register--no bond found