Gosport Tragedy- Jamie Coul (Moray) 1881 Christie
[From Christie's "Traditional Ballad Airs - Volume 2," p. 98, 1881. The account of this ballad by Christie (given below) is suspicious. Since there have been no reported traditional versions of Gosport in the UK until 1955 (Findlater's based on print) and it was not collected but only reprinted by Peter Buchan, 1825 in his "Gleanings of Scotch, English, and Irish, scarce old ballads, etc." Christie's claim that Jamie Coul of Port-Gordon sang the whole ballad is very difficult to believe-- especially since Buchan's version is only 33 stanzas (missing Roxburghe broadside's 7th stanza beginning, "For in the time of war. . .") and Christie said Coul sang Buchan's 34 stanzas!!! Since only 2 lines have been reported in tradition twice since the mid-1700s the Gosport broadside clearly never entered tradition in the UK. Christie only gives 6 stanzas and a melody and says another melody is found in the Appendix but he never gives it!!
R. Matteson 2016]
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.
The Gosport Tragedy.
In Gosport of late a young damsel did dwell,
For wit and for beauty did many excel,
A young man did court her for to be his dear,
And he by his trade was a ship carpenter. A young man, &c.
He said, "My dear Molly, if you will agree,
And now will consent, love, for to marry me,
Your love it will ease me of sorrow and care,
If you will but marry a ship carpenter." Your love, &c.
"The life of a virgin, sweet William, I prize;
For marriage brings sorrow and trouble likewise;
I'm loth [sic] for to venture, and therefore forbear,
For I will not marry a ship carpenter." I'm loth, &c.
This pass'd on a while, at length we do hear,
The king wanted sailors, to sea he must steer;
Which griev'd the young damsel indeed to the heart,
To think that with William she now soon must part. Which griev'd, &c.
She said, "My dear William, ere you go to sea,
Remember the vows which you made unto me;
And if you now leave me, I ne'er shall have rest,
Oh, why will you leave me with sorrow oppress'd!" And if, &c.
The kindest expressions to her he did say,
"I'll marry my Molly ere I go away;
And if that to me to-morrow you'll come,
The priest shall be brought, love, and all shall be done." And if, &c.