The Oak and the Ash

"The Oak and the Ash", also known as "The Oak and the Ash and the Bonny Ivy Tree", "North Country Lass", "The North Country Maid" and "Quodling’s Delight" is an Northumbrian air in 4/4 time and G Minor.
There is a black-letter copy of this ballad in the Roxburghe Collection (published in the 17th century). It appears in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book (circa 1608-16) as "Quodling's Delight" (attributed to Giles Farnaby).

Sir Walter Scott, in his novel of 'Rob Roy', makes the narrator of the tale (Francis Osbaldiston), in recounting the recollections of his childhood, tell how his Northumbrian nurse (old Mabel) amused him by singing the ditties of her native country, and specially names 'O! the Oak and Ash and the bonny Ivy Tree' as a Northumbrian ballad. (Bruce & Stokoe)

The tune is older than the ballad. It started life as a dance tune, found in many places and under many titles but especially in Sir James Hawkins' Transcripts of Music for the Virginals. There is a similar air in The Dancing Master (1651-1686) under the title "Goddesses"
It was printed in Bruce & Stokoe's Northumbrian Minstrelsy (1882) and William Cole's Folk Songs of England, Ireland, Scotland & Wales (1992).
It appears in the Roud Folk Song Index as #1367.
It was recorded by Isla Cameron and Louis Killen on The Waters of Tyne (1961), The Watersons on The Watersons (1966) (as "The North Country Maid"), The Galliard on England’s Great Folk Group (1963) (as "The North Country Maid"), Maddy Prior on Seven for Old England (2008) (as "North Country Lass"), Molly Drake on The Tide's Magnificence (2017) (as "The Oak and the Ash"), Megson on On the Side (2005) (as "Oak and Ash") and Paul and Linda Adams on Country Hirings (1976) (as "North Country Lass").