British & other versions 1. Gosport Tragedy/Ship's Carpenter/Polly's Love/Dublin Murder Ballad
[Aside from a two-line fragment from George Dunn, a two-line fragment from Greig/Duncan, the "Gosport" versions sung by Ethel Findlater (with Elsie Johnston) in Orkney, (recorded in 1955, 1961 and 1967) and the Irish version, sung by Charlie Somers-- no trace of Gosport has been found in tradition in the UK. Christie's text (1881) was taken from Buchan is not traditional and Findlater's text is probably derived from print. That leaves the abbreviated Irish version, sung by Charlie Somers, as the sole traditional heir of the original broadside in the UK.
There is also no record in Britain of traditional versions similar to those found mostly in the Appalachian region. Except for C, the broadside "Polly's Love," the ballad had died out in Britain in the 1800s. It's no wonder that Gosport was not considered by Child for inclusion in his English and Scottish Popular Ballads in the late 1870s: there were no extant traditional versions. The first traditional version similar to the broadside "Polly's Love" was collected in Sussex in 1893[1].
Another ballad, The Dublin Murder Ballad which was loosely based on the early 1800's broadside "Polly's Love," or traditional versions thereof, surfaced in the early 1900s among travellers and was recorded in the 1950s-- both Ireland and Scotland. The first recording titled, "Miss Brown of Dublin City," was made by the famous Scottish traveller, Jeannie Robertson and was recorded in September of 1953 at the time when Robertson, from Aberdeen, was staying at Alan Lomax's flat in London. According to Steve Gardham[2], "British Isles travellers are particularly noted for stringing together fragments of different ballads into some sort of cohesive narrative. Not all travellers do this and the method is not exclusive to travellers."
Robertson said in 1953[3] that she learned the ballad "over thirty ago" when she was about nine from and old woman in Aberdeen. Since Robertson was born in 1908 that would date the ballad about 1917. If I assume that the "old woman" knew the ballad when she was young, it would take it back to the mid-1800s. The Dublin Murder Ballad has been in circulation in Ireland and three traditional recordings have been made-- the first by Patrick Galvin in 1956. Galvin's last verse is not found in the Scottish versions and the first lines are from "Green Grows The Laurel." A rare Irish version similar to Polly's Love[4] collected in 1953 begins somewhat similarly to "Miss Brown" and identifies the murdered girl as Miss Brown.
The Gosport Tragedy broadside, Aa, was printed in London between 1720 and 1750. It was either: 1) based on the events of 1726 as proposed by David Fowler[5], 2) based on a similar murder in that region or 3) based on an earlier traditional ballad of unknown origin or date. The broadside is written in a semi-florid style which would not be found in tradition. The early broadside was reprinted and appeared as a broadside and in chapbooks which is the likely source of Buchan's version in "Gleanings of Scotch, English, and Irish, scarce old ballads, etc.," 1825. Christie printed an air to the ballad in 1881 using Buchan's text.
A second broadside, called the Deming Broadside (or B) was printed in the United States in the early 1800s[6]. The 1835 Deming broadside was 7 stanzas shorter but had two additional new stanzas not found in A. Parts of these stanzas were found in Ethel Findlater and Elsie Johnston's version from Orkney recorded in 1955, 1961 and 1967 indicating a print source.
The third important broadside, "Polly's Love, or, The Cruel Ship's Carpenter," C, was printed in the early 1800s (also titled, 'Love and Murder"). A nearly identical traditional version was collected from Henry Burstow of Horsham, Sussex by Broadwood in 1893. The only other broadside that was significantly different from A, The Gosport Tragedy was "Nancy's Ghost," a short ten stanza version printed by Angus in Newcastle between 1774 to 1825. "Nancy's Ghost" has not appeared in tradition in North America and Great Britain as "Polly's Love" did. Immediately below is a chart prepared by Steve Gardham of some of the broadsides issued in the UK:
British Broadsides:
by Steve Gardham
The Gosport Tragedy or The Perjured Ship-Carpenter: (34 sts unless otherwise stated.)
Bow Church Yard (Cluer; Diceys)
Aldermary Church Yard
Johnson, Falkirk
Pitts, London
Besley, Exeter
Robertson, Glasgow (35)
Harward, Tewkesbury (33)
(All the rest have 11 sts unless otherwise stated.)
Polly's Love or The Cruel Ship Carpenter:
Pitts/Catnach/Ryle/Fortey/Hodges, London
Harkness, Preston
W. Ford, Sheffield
Polly's Love:
Hook Brighton
The Cruel Ship's Carpenter:
Just about everybody following on from Pitts/Catnach all over the country.
Ship Carpenter:
Russell, Birmingham
Wm Walker, Newcastle
Wilson, Cambridge
Love and Murder:
Armstrong, Liverpool
Williams, Plymouth
Marshall, Newcastle
Pollock, North Shields
Bloomer, Birmingham
Nancy's Ghost: (10 sts)
Angus, Newcastle
Baring Gould in Songs of the West refers to a version[7] in The Rambler's Garland (probably Gosport Tragedy). And I have a BL copy of 'The Gosford Tragedy or the Perjured Carpenter' with no imprint but dated 1775. It has 17 and a half double sts. There are 2 printings of this in the BL.
The Rambler's Garland version (ref. Baring-Gould) is "The Distressed Ship Carpenter" (“The Daemon Lover” --Child 243). With the large number of print versions (Steve's list doesn't include chap-books) you'd expect a number of traditional versions of Gosport to be collected. However, this was not the case. In 1881 Christie printed an air with Buchan's text and these comments[8]:
The Editor noted this Air from the singing of Jamie Coul, Port-Gordon. The Ballad is given in Mr Buchan's "Gleanings of Scotch, English, and Irish, scarce Old Ballads," (1825) and consists of thirty-four verses of four lines each. When Jamie sung the whole of the Ballad, some of his auditors would say, "Jamie, that's a lang sang;" and Jamie always answered, — "I wouldna care sae muckle for the lenth o't gin it werena sae vicious cruel on the voice." As may be supposed, Jamie's stories were unique and racy, as is referred to in the note Vol. I. p. 94. Only a few verses of the Ballad are given here, the whole being unsuited for this work. See Buchan's "Gleanings,'' p. 46. The second set of the Air is in the Appendix. It was taken from singing in Buchan.
Despite Christie's claim that Jamie Coul knew the whole 34 stanzas, only 33 stanzas appear in Buchan's "Gleanings." Buchan's text seems to be taken from a chapbook with 33 stanzas and not from tradition[9]. Greig and Duncan could find only two lines of the ballad in Northern Scotland making it obvious that the traditional ballad was extremely rare. Traditional versions of Gosport or the shortened "Polly's Love" ballad were not found at that time-- making Christie's claim of the entire ballad being sung-- highly unlikely. It wasn't until 1893 that a version similar to "Polly's Love" was collected, and after that over a dozen tradition versions of Polly's Love were collected in England.
According to Brian Peters[10]: It's worth mentioning that the broadside is one of the small family of 'Jonah Ballads' (also including 'The Ghost so Grim', 'Sir William Gower' and 'The Banks of Green Willow') in which a ship's voyage is disrupted by the presence on board of a miscreant, who must be disposed of before the vessel can sail ahead:
"There's a murderer on board, and he[11] it lately has done
Our ship is in mourning and cannot sail on."
All three of the main broadsides including the excerpt from "Polly's Love" (above) have the "Our ship in great danger" type lines associated with having a a murdered on board. Polly's love" was also known among Gloucestershire gypsies and the following text is from Wiggy Smith with a few lines from other travellers:
The Ship’s Carpenter’ Mate- sung by Wiggy Smith and other travellers
In fair Worcester city in fair Worcestershire
A handsome young damsel and she lives there
A long time I courted her to be my dear
And I lived by the trade of a ship carpenter.
Now our Captain wanted seamen to sail on the sea
Which was the first parting of Willy and me
"Oh Billy, oh Billy don't you go to sea
Remember the vows you have made unto me."
He covered her over, so safe and so sure
And just to make sure, he went straightaway
[And he stepped on board a ship for to sail the world round]
For to ’list for some soldier, some ship carpenter’s mate.
[It was early one morning by the dawn of the day
Our captain cried ’Order, all hands come this way.]
"There is murder, there is murder, so latelye been done
And our ship lays in mourning and cannot sail on."
For it’s jumped up one of them, "Indeed sir, not me,"
Up jumped another, "Indeed sir, not me,"
Up jumped Sweet William with these words so unkind,
"Your honour, dear Captain, indeed sir, not me."
Now when he was a-leaving his captain in full speed
He met his lovely Betsy, it made his heart bleed
She ripped him, she tore him, and she laid him all three
Because he had murdered both baby and she.[12]
A rare version of Gosport was collected from Charlie Somers of County Derry, Ireland in 1969 by Hugh Shields which can be heard online[13]. Somers is part of the friends and extended family of Eddie Butcher, who also sang Somers' version. From the last lines of the 6th stanza on Somers' version is similar to The Gosport Tragedy broadside (Roxburghe), although the setting of Plymouth is found in The Deming broadside.
Ethel Findlater's version, collected in Orkney and first sung for a BBC recording made by Peter Kennedy in 1955, is of mysterious origin. The text comes from from a MS of her neighbor, Violet Harvey, who likely got it from print. The text is similar to the Deming Broadside (also printed in the Forget-Me-Not Songster) and appears to be taken and adapted from that text. Several stanzas are missing from the Deming and various minor changes made. Various recordings of her ballad can be heard online[14].
Summary: The Gosport Tragedy was printed as a broadside and in chapbooks from the mid-1700s and as early as 1720 in the UK. It's either based on the events of 1726 given by David Fowler, a similar murder or on an early murder ballad from the Portsmouth area. The ballad, published again in Buchan's "Gleanings" in 1825 from a chapbook edition, did not enter tradition and was not collected in the early 1800s. Christie's version, published in 1881, gives Buchan's text and not a variant text. By the date Christie published his melody, the ballad still does not appear to have entered tradition. Only two lines of Gosport where collected by Grieg/Duncan in circa 1908 and only two lines were sung by George Dunn-- sixty years later. An unknown Irish tradition was discovered in 1969 by Hugh Shields of Charlie Somers' singing of Molly, Lovely Molly. Ethel Findlater's version of Gosport is likely based on print.
A shorter 11-stanza version titled "Polly's Love" (also "Love and Murder") was printed as a broadside in the early 1800s. Similar versions were collected in the US and UK in the late 1800s and over a dozen traditional versions were collected in England in the early 1900s (1904-1915). In the early 1900s a "Polly's Love" variant ballad, The Dublin Murder Ballad[15], was circulating among travellers in Scotland and Ireland and was recorded by Jeannie Robertson in 1953 titled, "Miss Brown of Dublin City." An additional stanza was found in Irish versions (Irish Street Ballads- Galvin, 1956) with text taken from "Green Grows The Laurel."
R. Mattteson 2016]
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Footnotes:
1. Published in the 1902 JFSS; sung by Henry Burstow of Horsham, Sussex; collected by Broadwood in 1893.
2. The quote from Steve Gardham is from the Mudcat Disscussion Forum thread on the ballad in July, 2016.
3. From: School of Scottish Studies. Original Tape ID - SA1953.198. Classification - GD201; LP36; R15. Listen: http://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/fullrecord/24303/1
4. From the Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, 1956. Sung by Paddy McCluskey, Clough Mills, Co. Antrim on 5th August, 1953. Recorded by Peter Kennedy and Sean O'Boyle.
5. D.C. Fowler, "The Gosport Tragedy: Story of a Ballad", Southern Folklore Quarterly 43 (1979), 157-96.
6. Deming was not the first publisher of the text called The Deming Broadside (1835), which is available online at the Library of Congress. The American Antiquarian Society houses an earlier version published in Baltimore between 1810-1819.
7. Baring-Gould's The Rambler's Garland version is "The Distressed Ship Carpenter" known as “The Daemon Lover” --Child 243.
8. From Christie's "Traditional Ballad Airs - Volume 2," p. 98, 1881.
9. Jim Brown (see: Mudcat Disscussion Forum) reported a 33 stanza version in a Scottish Chapbook circa 1800 that is the likely source of Buchan's 33 stanza version.
10. See Peters' remarks in the Mudcat Discussion Forum.
11. The text is poorly constructed here-- other print versions are better.
12. Sung by Wiggy Smith, Cheltenham. Recorded by Gwilym Davies and Paul Burgess in 1998. Wiggy’s version has been supplemented with words in brackets from other Gloucestershire gypsy versions.
13. Listen: http://www.itma.ie/inishowen/song/molly_lovely_molly_charlie_somers
14. Listen: http://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/fullrecord/64318/1
15. The Irish title, as recorded by Galvin in 1956.
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CONTENTS: (Access individual versions by clicking on the blue highlighted title below or on the title attached to this green highlighted page on the left-hand column)
1) The Gosport Tragedy- (Lon) c.1720s Cluer broadside Aa.
2) Nancy's Ghost (Newcastle) c.1774 Angus broadside
3) Polly's Love (London) c.1819 Pitts broadside Ca.
4) The Gosport Tragedy- (Scot) 1825 Buchan
5) Molly The Betrayed- Cowell (London) c.1854, broadside 1958
6) The Gosport Tragedy- Jamie Coul (Moray) 1881 Christie
7) Polly's Love- Henry Burstow (Sus) 1893 Broadwood
8) Polly's Love- Mrs. Gulliver (Som) 1904 Hammond
9) O Dearest Polly- W. Spearing (Som) 1904 Sharp MS
Ship's Carpenter- Betsy Pike (Som) 1906 Sharp MS
Ship Carpenter- David Marlow (Hants) 1906 Gardiner
Ship's Carpenter- James Thomas (Som) 1906 Sharp
Ship's Carpenter- Jos Taylor (Linc) 1906 Grainger
Ship's Carpenter- George Blake (Ham) 1907 Gardiner
Ship's Carpenter- Mrs. Case (Dor) 1907 Hammond
Ship Carpenter- George Baldwin(Hants)1907 Gardiner
Pretty Polly- Alfred Stride (Hamp) 1907 Gardiner
Ship's Carpenter- William Tucker (Som) 1907 Sharp
Ship Carpenter- Mrs. Barnes (Ham) c.1908 Gardiner
Willie and Nancy of Yarmouth- (Scot) c.1908 Grieg
Vill, The Ship's Carpenter- (Scot) c.1908 Greig B
Ship's Carpenter- Mrs. Smithers (Glo) 1908 Sharp
He Covered Her Up- Mrs. Bowker (Lnc)1909 Gilchrist
Ship's Carpenter- James Smith (Sus) 1909 Gardiner
Johnny, the Ship's Carpenter- Hancock (Wilt) 1915
Miss Brown of Dublin City- Robertson (Aber) c.1917
Young Willie- Paddy McCluskey (Ant) 1953 Kennedy
Murder of Miss Mary Brown- Stewart (Aber) 1954
Gosport Tragedy- Ethel Findlater (Ork) 1955 REC Kennedy
Dublin Murder Ballad- Patrick Galvin (Cork) 1956
In Worcester City- Harry Cox (Nor) c.1958 REC
The Ghost Song- Sam Larner (Nor) c.1960 REC
Dublin Murder Ballad- Joe Heaney (Gal) 1963 REC
Ship Carpenter’s Mate- Wiggy Smith (Glou) c.1966
Ship's Carpenter- D. Brazil (Glou) 1966 Shepheard
Molly, Lovely Molly- Charlie Somers (Derry) 1969
Ship's Carpenter- George Dunn (Staf) 1971 Palmer
Miss Brown - Frank Harte (Dublin) 1975 REC
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NANCY'S GHOST (This broadside was printed by Angus in Newcastle from 1774 to 1825. This is a rare shortened print version that is different than the three main broadsides. The lack of rhyme in stanzas 3, 4 and 7 is curious.)
In Gosport of late a young damsel did dwell,
For wit and for beauty none could her excel.
A young man courted and loved her dear,
And he by trade was a ship-carpenter.
He had not long courted till this fair one prov'd kind,
When he sent for his true love to tell her his mind,
He said my dearest Nancy will you go with me,
Before we are married my friends for to see.
He led her thro' groves and valleys so deep,
Till the innocent fair one began for to fret[1].
I find my dear William you've led me astray.
On purpose my innocent life to betray.
That's true my dear Nancy the truth you've said
For I was up last night digging your grave,
Not far distant the grave's waiting for thee,
And I am resolved thy butcher to be.
O spare my life William, O spare but my life,
Let me run distracted and be not your wife,
Spare my life, least my soul you betray,
Must I in my bloom be hurried away.
He said there's no time for to argue nor stand,
With that a pen-knife he took in his hand,
And he pierced her body till the blood did flow,
And into the grave her fair body did throw.
He covered her up then with the small mould,
And left none to mourn but birds and fowls,
Straight for the water he then took his way.
And entered a ship that was bound for sea.
One night in his cabin he chanced to lye,
The voice of his true love he heard passing by,
Saying, awake false William and hear,
The voice of your true love that lov'd you dear.
O talk not of valour nor courage so bold,
One night as he was going down to the hold,
A beautiful damsel to him did appear,
And she in her arms had a baby most fair[2].
The she did vanish with shrieks and loud cries,
And flashes of lightning flew from her eyes,
Saying, a ship out of Gosport never shall go,
Till I am revenged for my overthrow.
1. weep
2. dear
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Cb. "Love and Murder," Amstrong broadside c. 1820, Liverpool; see also J. K. Pollock, Printer, North Shields; Harding B 25(1156)
In Worcestertown and in Worcestershire,
A handsome young damsel she lived there,
A handsome young man he courted her to be his dear,
And he was by trade a ship carpenter.
The king wanted men to go out upon the sea,
Which caus'd this young damsel to sigh and to say,
O Billy, O Billy, don't you go to sea.
Don't you remember what you promis'd me.
Early one morning before it was day,
He went to his Polly, these words he did say,
O Polly, O Polly, you must go with me,
Before we are married my friend for to see.
He led her through woods and valleys deep
Which caused this maiden to sigh and to weep,
O Billy, O Billy, you have led me astray,
On purpose my innocent life to betray.
It is true, it is true these words he have said,
For all this night I have been digging your grave;
The grave being open, and she (the spade) standing by,
It caus'd this fair maid to sigh and to say,
O Billy, O Billy, O pardon my life,
I never will covet to be your wife
I will travel the world over to set you free,
O pardon O pardon, my baby and me.
No pardon here is, there's no time for to stand
With that he had a sharp knife in his hand
He stabb'd her heart till the blood it ran through,
Then into the grave her fair body he threw.
He covered her up so safe and secure,
Thinking no one could find her he was sure
He went on board to sail the world round,
Before the murder ever was found.
One morning before it ever was day,
Our captain came up thus he did say,
There is a murder on board, that has lately been done
Our ship is in mourning, we cannot sail on.
Then up steps one indeed it's not me
Then up steps another, the same he did say
At length up steps Billy and this he did swear
Indeed it's not me, I vow and declare.
As he was a running from the captain with speed
He met his Polly which made his heart bleed
She stripped and tore him, she tore him in three,
Because that he murder'd her baby and she.
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Roxburghe Ballads; Chappell- 1871 also 1859
As to the sixth manuscript, which Mr. Dauney considers to be “evidently the oldest of all,” the first fourteen airs in the fifth, and the whole of the sixth, are, in my opinion, in the same handwriting. The music is there written in the lozenge-shaped note, which is nowhere else employed. Among the airs in the fifth, we find Adieu, Dundee, which was not included in The Dancing Master before the appendix of 1688; and Three Sheep-skins, an English country-dance (not a ballad tune), which first appeared in The Dancing Master of 1698. In the sixth, “ Peggy is over the sea with the Soldier,” which derives its name from a common Aldermary churchyard ballad, to which, I believe, no earlier date than 1710 can reasonably be assigned. It is “The Gosport Tragedy: Peggy’s gone over the sea with the Soldier; ”commencing
“In Gosport of late there a damsel did dwell."
When Mr. Dauney expressed his opinion that the sixth was the oldest part, he was evidently deceived by the shape of the note; but as round notes were used in manuscripts in the reign of Henry VIII., it must have been quite a matter of fancy whether the round or lozenge should be employed one or two centuries later.
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The Gosport tragedy or, the perjur'd ship-carpenter. [print versions]
Published 1775 by printed and sold by S. Harward; sold also at his shops in Glocester and Cheltenham; and by Miss Holt, in Upton in Tewkesbury.
Broadside Ballads: 18th/19th Century single sheets to include The Oxfordshire Tragedy or the Virgins Advice printed and sold by J. Pitts, Andrew Street, Seven Dials together with The Gloucestershire Tragedy or The True Lover`s Downfall, The Ulster Tragedy and The Plymouth Tragedy, printed by John Evans, Smithfield, London, The Northamptonshire Tragedy, The Gosport Tragedy and The Yarmouth Tragedy printed and sold by J.Pitts, Seven Dials, also Blessed are the Merciful, printed by Wm. Broadhurst, Norwich, circa 1800(?).
Printed and Sold at the Prnting-Office in Bow-Church-Yard, London.
Collection National Library of Scotland - Crawford
Location National Library of Scotland
Shelfmark Crawford.EB.655
The Gosport Tragedy (one recalls its appearance as printed by Healey in Exeter) was printed by Pitts, Catnach, Jennings, Davenport and Evans and, through this set of names, can be seen to have entered familiar broadside repertoire during an early nineteenth century period; besides being also found in the stock of Dicey and Marshall issued from Aldermary Churchyard between 1764 and 1775; and, further, to be found in the Roxburghe collection where a date of 1750 is given for genesis [7] -
7. In most cases here and below in footnotes only selected broadsides have been cited. For Gosport Tragedy see Pitts in Madden, Reel 70, Number 370; Turner of Coventry in Madden, Reel 70, Number 380 and in the Bodleian Allegro archive as Harding B 3(34); Davenport in Madden, Reel 70, Number 3712; from Stonecutter Street in Madden, Reel 70, Number 372; and from Evans (London) in Madden, Reel 70, Number 378.7
The Gosport Tragedy; Or Murder of Lovely Molly.
William and Molly's Courtship, Or, the Gosport Tragedy: To which is Added, The Land in the Ocean (Printed by T. Johnston) 1820. [read online: google books]
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Missing versions (several of the missing versions have no text and will not be added until the music is added)
The Cruel Ship's Carpenter
Roud Folksong Index (S172793)
First Line: [no text]
Source: Cecil Sharp MSS, Folk Tunes p.1063
Performer: Adams, Richard
Date: 1906 (25 Aug)
Place: England : Somerset : East Harptree
Collector: Sharp, Cecil J.
Cruel Ship's Carpenter
Roud Folksong Index (S299873)
First Line:
Source: Clive Carey MSS (VWML) Sx 200 / nb 7/10
Performer: Randall, Mr.
Date: 1912 (11/13 Sep)
Place: England : Sussex : Bowley Hill
Collector: Carey, Clive
The Ship's Carpenter
Roud Folksong Index (S221314)
First Line: In Gosport of late a young damsel did dwell
Source: Outlet OAS 3019 ('Diamond Green')
Performer: McAlindon, Hugh
Date:
Place: N. Ireland : Co. Down : Rathfriland
Collector: Hanvey, Bobby
The Cruel Ship's Carpenter
Roud Folksong Index (S141716)
First Line:
Source: Karpeles, Cecil Sharp Collection 1 p.239 (Version b)
Performer: Pope, Robert
Date: 1906 (12 Jan)
Place: England : Somerset : Minehead
Collector: Sharp, Cecil J.
Roud No: 15
Subjects: Cruel ship's carpenter : etc.
The Cruel Ship's Carpenter
Roud Folksong Index (S141717)
First Line:
Source: Karpeles, Cecil Sharp Collection 1 p.239 (Version c)
Performer: Bailey, Bill
Date: 1907 (8 Apr)
Place: England : Somerset : Cannington
Collector: Sharp, Cecil J.
Roud No: 15
Subjects: Cruel ship's carpenter : etc.
The Ship's Carpenter
Roud Folksong Index (S328673)
First Line:
Source: Ralph Vaughan Williams MSS Collection (British Library 54191) Vol.3, MS bk 3, p.80; RVW2/3/34
Performer: Booker
Date: 1904 (23 Dec)
Place: England : Sussex : Kingsfold
Collector: Vaughan Williams, Ralph
Roud No: 15
Cruel Ship's Carpenter (the Murderer)
Roud Folksong Index (S299984)
First Line: In Worcester City in Worcestershire
Source: Clive Carey MSS (VWML) Sx 308 / Ms DM 4
Performer: Rowe, John
Date:
Place: England : Sussex : Duncton
Collector: Carey, Clive
Molly Lovely Molly [obviously related to Charlie Somers version]
Roud Folksong Index (S245180)
First Line:
Source: Ulster Folk & Transport Museum collection (Holywood, Co. Down) No.6926
Performer: Butcher, Eddie
Date: 1969
Place: N. Ireland : Londonderry : Magilligan
Collector: Shields, Hugh
Cruel Ship Carpenter
Roud Folksong Index (S394300)
First Line:
Source: West Sussex Gazette (12 Jan 1905)
Performer: Luxford, Mrs.
Date: 1905 (12 Jan)
Place: England : Sussex : Wisborough Green
The Cruel Ship's Carpenter
Roud Folksong Index (S172793)
First Line:
Source: Cecil Sharp MSS, Folk Tunes p.1063
Performer: Adams, Richard
Date: 1906 (25 Aug)
Place: England : Somerset : East Harptree
Collector: Sharp, Cecil J.
Roud No: 15
Cruel Ship's Carpenter
Roud Folksong Index (S299873)
First Line:
Source: Clive Carey MSS (VWML) Sx 200 / nb 7/10
Performer: Randall, Mr.
Date: 1912 (11/13 Sep)
Place: England : Sussex : Bowley Hill
Collector: Carey, Clive
Roud No: 15
Cruel Ship's Carpenter
Roud Folksong Index (S172782)
First Line:
Source: Cecil Sharp MSS, Folk Tunes p.1792
Performer: Lovell, James
Date: 1908 (18 Aug)
Place: England : Somerset : Ball Covert
Collector: Sharp, Cecil J.
The Cruel Ship's Carpenter
Roud Folksong Index (S172794)
First Line: [no text]
Source: Cecil Sharp MSS, Folk Tunes p.1334
Performer: Bailey, Bill
Date: 1907 (8 Apr)
Place: England : Somerset : Cannington
Collector: Sharp, Cecil J.
Ship's Carpenter
Roud Folksong Index (S190243)
First Line: [no text]
Source: Cecil Sharp MSS, Folk Tunes p.2434
Performer: Robinson, Matilda
Date: 1910 (7 Jan)
Place: England : Oxfordshire : Bampton
Collector: Sharp, Cecil J.
The Ship's Carpenter
Roud Folksong Index (S328787)
First Line:
Source: Ralph Vaughan Williams MSS Collection (British Library 54191) Vol.3, MS bk 8, p.321; RVW2/3/158
Performer: Norman, Mr.
Date: 1906 (10 Jan)
Place: England : Sussex : Rodmell
Collector: Vaughan Williams, Ralph
Roud No: 15
Cruel Ship's Carpenter
Roud Folksong Index (S299669)
First Line: In Manchester city in Manchester shire
Source: Clive Carey MSS (VWML) Sx 7 / nb 2/16
Performer: Lemming, William [LEMON]
Date: 1911 (27/28 Feb)
Place: England : Sussex : Terwick
Collector: Carey, Clive
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"The Dublin Murder Ballad" [Galvin's version] sung by Ed McCurdy 1956 Electra EEL 108 (Mono) Blood Booze 'n Bones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll4oQvP4QFI "In Dublin's fair city," also found in opening of Molly Malone.
Jack Horntip Collection.
The Dublin Murder Ballad- Ed McCurdy
In Dublin's fair city, in Dublin's fair town,
There lived a young maid by the name of Miss Brown.
She courted a sailor for seven long year,
And from the beginning he called her his dear.
One morning so early, by the break of the day,
He came to her window and to her did say:
"Rise up, bonny Mary, and come you with me;
Such things they will happen, such things you will see.
He took her o'er mountain, he took her o'er dell;
She heard, through the morning, the sound of the bell.
All over the ocean, all over the sea:
"You maidens of Dublin, take warning by me."
"Oh, sailor, oh, sailor, come spare me my life!"
But out of his pocket he took a penknife.
He stabbed her and ripped her and he cut her in three
And he buried poor Mary beneath a green tree.
Now green grows the laurel and red blows the rose
And the dark birds will follow wherever he goes,
Singing, "Sailor, oh, sailor, wherever you be,
The blood flows forever, beneath the green tree."