List of Ballads Variants of the Gosport Tragedy
This is a list of traditional[1] ballad variants of The Gosport Tragedy showing the relationship of the traditional version to the three main broadsides. The third broadside, "Polly's Love" is not considered to be a version of The Gosport Tragedy, but is a shorter version with the standard text and different ending. All three broadsides have the standard text found in all versions (see below). The standard text is about six stanzas of Gosport and is found in versions from the US and the UK that aren't considered to be "The Gosport Tragedy"[2] but rather are usually tiled "Pretty Polly." Many traditional versions of Gosport have similar stanzas from two or more of the three main broadsides. Each traditional stanza is associated with and may be identified by a broadside stanza or, the traditional stanza may be unique and not found in the three main broadsides.
The three main broadsides will be identified as Type Aa, the Roxburghe broadside printed between 1720 (British Library) and 1750 (Roxburghe- Ebsworth) by the printer John Cluer (before 1727), or , Elizabeth Cluer (from 1727 when John Cluer died to 1736 when William Dicey, her brother took over) or William Dicey (from 1736 to 1750) or Type Ba, The Deming Broadside printed circa 1835 in Boston by the printer Leonard Deming. In some cases the ballad may be associated to both broadsides or a third broadside called Type Ca, known as "Polly's Love" printed c. 1820 in the British Isles.
For a variant to be similar to, or based on one of the broadsides, the variant will need to have additional text from Type Aa or Ba not found in the standard text which identifies the ballad.
Standard Text Type A Roxburghe:
14. So with kind embraces he parted that night,
She went to meet him in the morning light;
He said, "Dear charmer thou must go with me,
Before we are wedded, a friend to see."
15. He led her through valleys and groves so deep,
At length this maiden began for to weep;
Saying, "William, I fancy thou leadst me astray,
On purpose my innocent life to betray."
16 He said, "That is true, and none you can save,
For I all this night have been digging a grave."
Poor innocent soul! when she heard him say so,
Her eyes like a fountain began for to flow.
(This next stanza (17) where she begs for her life is standard but the reference to her child is usually missing. The last two lines of 17 are included except for "infant":
O pity [the infant], and spare my life,
Let me go distress'd if I'm not thy wife.")
18. Her hands white as lillies in sorrow she wrung,
Beseeching for mercy, saying, "What have I done
To you my dear William, what makes you severe?
For to murder one that loves you so dear."
19. He said, "Here's no time disputing to stand,"
And instantly taking the knife in his hand;
He pierced her body till the blood it did flow,
Then into the grave her body did throw.
20. He cover'd her body, then home he did run,
Leaving none but birds her death to mourn;
Standard Text Type B: The Deming Broadside
12) With tender embraces, they parted that night,
And promised to meet the next morning at light
William said — Mary, you must go with me,
Before we are married, our friends for to see.
13) He led her through groves and valleys so deep
At length this young damsel began for to weep
Crying William, I fear you will lead me astray
On purpose my innocent life to betray.
14) He said you've guess'd right all earth can't you save
For the whole of last night I've been digging your grave,
When poor ruined Mary did hear him say so,
The tears from her eyes like a fountain did flow
15) A grave with a spade lying near she did see,
Which caused her to sigh and weep bitterly;
(Half of 15 and part of 16 are not standard. The text in brackets should not be part of the standard text)
16) Oh, pity [my infant] and spare my poor life,
Let me live full of shame if I can't be your wife,
Oh! take not my life, lest my soul you betray,
[And you to perdition be hurried away].
17) Her hands white as lilies, in sorrow she wrung,
Imploring for mercy, crying what have I done;
To you dearest William, so comely and fair,
Will you murder your true-love that loved you so dear?
18) He said, this is no time disputing to stand,
Then instantly taking a knife in his hand--
He pierced her fair breast, whence the blood it did flow,
And into the grave her fair body did throw.
19) He cover'd the body, and quick hastened home-
Leaving none but the small birds her fate to bemoan:
(Some standard modified versions have him boarding a ship where he sets sail and the ship sinks- this is not part of the broadside text)
Ballads that use a line or two, a phrase, or only several words from these two broadsides (not found in the standard text above) will be listed at the bottom under Appendix. Several ballads versions, for example, use the words "died distracted" but otherwise are not based on the two broadsides.
GOSPORT VERSIONS
A. British Isles (Title, Location, Informant, Collector, Approximate date; Associated broadside)
1. "The Gosport Tragedy", no location or informant given; taken from print; Peter Buchan, 1825. Type Aa
2. "The Gosport Tragedy" Port Gordon; Air by Jamie Coul, William Christie pre1881 [text from Buchan.]
3. "The Gosport Tragedy" [ ] Greig-Duncan vol. 2, p. 49, no. 201
4. The Gosport Tragedy," Orkney Island; Ethel Findlater, 1967
5. "Molly, Lovely Molly" Bellarena, Co Derry, Charlie Somers, 1969
B. North America (Title, Location, Informant, Collector, Approximate date; Associated broadside)
CANADA
a. Newfoundland
1) The Cruel Ship's Carpenter or Gosport Tragedy- King's Cove (NL); J. Hincock; Karpeles; 1929; Types Ba and Ca
2) Pretty Polly- St. Vincent's (NL); D. Dobbin; Leach; 1951; Types Aa; Ba and Ca
3) Gosport Tragedy- Seal Cove, White Bay (NL); J. Osborne; Peacock; 1960; Types Ba and Ca
b. Nova Scotia
1) The Gaspard Tragedy[3]- Tatamagouche (NS); Mrs. Margaret Curry; Mackenzie 1919 Type Ba
2) The Ship's Carpenter- West Petpeswick (NS); T. Young; Creighton A; c. 1933;
3) The Ship's Carpenter- Roman Valley (NS); Mrs. C. Kenny, Creighton B; pre1950; types Ba and Ca
4) The Ship's Carpenter- Dartmouth (NS); Mrs. R. W. Duncan, Creighton D; pre1950;
c. Ontario
1) Ship's Carpenter (ON) LaRena Clark; Fowke; c. 1930
2) Ship's Carpenter (ON) Leo Spencer; Fowke; 1962
d. New Brunswick
1) The Ship's Carpenter- Eel River Bridge (NB); G. Duplessis; Manny and Wilson
UNITED STATES
a. Maine
1) The Gosport Tragedy; Carrie Grover
b. Tennessee
1) "The Cruel Ship's Carpenter- (TN) J. Stockson; Sharp B, 1916
c. Virginia
1) In Gosport of Late- (VA) Alex S. Coffey ; Sharp MS
d. West Virginia
1) "Young Beeham"- (WV) Sung by Cunningham; Cox C, pre1925 Type Aa; other
2) "Pretty Polly" (WV) sung by S. L. Bunner of Catawba; 1953
e. Ohio
1) Ship's Carpenter (OH) Captain P. Nye; Lomax REC, 1937
f. North Carolina
1) The Gosport Tragedy[4] (NC) Pearl Webb; Brown A
2) The Gosport Tragedy[5] (NC) James York; Brown B
g. Florida
1) "The Ship Carpenter" Trenton (FL) Miss Inez Parrish; Morris; pre1950
h. Maryland
1) "Gospels of Libby" (MD) [ ] Carey, pre1970
i. Missouri
1) "The Ship's Carpenter" sung by Mrs Charles Huntoon, St. Louis, Mo., May 2, 1934. Randolph C
Footnotes:
1. Some versions given as "traditional" appear to be taken directly from the broadside text. They are either learned directly from print (Mackenzie- Nova Scotia) or written down from print (Brown Collection A and B). These versions are included but it will be noted that they probably are not traditional.
2. Versions of Gosport mention "ship's carpenter" (usually first stanza), have names Molly (Mary) and Willie (William); mention the ship (Bedford), have Gosport and Plymouth harbor, mention the crewman Charles Stuart (steward) who is visited by Molly's ghost; William is accused of (confesses to) the murder; William is visited by Molly's ghost; William dies "raving distrcated."
3. Learned from print
4. Copied from print, changed slightly, then learned
5. Ibid
_________________________________________________________________
Appendix
Come, Pretty Polly- E. Jarrell (WV) 1916 Cox A;
8. Come, gents and ladies, I bid you good-night, (bis.)
And raving distracted he died that same night.
--------
Polly and Sweet William- McKinney (WV) 1919 Cox B;
1 "O Polly, O Polly, O Polly," said he,
"You had better consent and be married to me."
"O William, O William, O William," said she,
"I am too young to be married to thee."
-----------------
Little Mollie- Varnell/Harmon (GA-TN) 1929 Henry B
retains name, Mollie also:
2. "Sweet Willie, sweet Willie," said she,
"I am afraid I am too young to get married to you."
6.3 Up stepped little Mollie all in a gore of blood,
Saying that "A debt you owe the devil, and now you have it to pay."
----------------------------
Pretty Polly- Rice (NC) 1916 Sharp A [retains "too young to marry" lines;
1. O Polly, O Polly, if you will agree,
If you will agree and get married to me.
O William, O William, that never will do,
For I am too young to get married to you.
7 Whilst he was lying there all in his sad surprise,
He saw pretty Polly all in a gore of blood.
O William, O William, you've no time to stay,
There's a debt to the devil that you're bound to pay.
------------------------------
Sharp E. The Cruel Ship's Carpenter- Single stanza sung by Mrs. SARAH BUCKNER at Black Mountain, N. C, Sept. 18, 1916.
There was a mason who lived by his trade,
And he had for his daughter a beautiful maid.
For wit and for beauty there was none to compare;
For old sweetheart was a ship's carpenter.
Also Sharp U- simliar text.
-----------------
Sharp O. [Pretty Polly] The Cruel Ship's Carpenter -Sung by Mrs. Sung by Mrs. NANNY SMITH at Manchester, Clay Co., Ky., Aug. 24, 1917. Pentatonic. Mode 2.
A ship it was sailing on the full flowing tide,
There he saw pretty Polly down by the sea side.
------------------------
Sharp Q. The Cruel Ship's Carpenter - Sung by Mr. CLINTON FITZGERALD at Royal Orchard, Afton, Va., April 28, 1918
Hexatonic (no 7th).
1. In sea-port of late a fair damsel did dwell,
For wit and for beauty few her did excel;
She was courted by William for to be his dear,
And he by his trade was ship's carpenter.
---------------
Sharp R. The Cruel Ship's Carpenter - Sung by Mrs. LAURA V. DONALD at Dewey, Va., June 8, 1918
Hexatonic (no 6th).
On last Friday morning just after break of day
The wind it blew both north-west, and ev'ry ship was free.
------------------
Sharp MS: A Ship Carpenter- Sung by Hannah Mitchell, of Burnsville, N. Carolina on 29 Sept., 1918. Collected by Cecil J. Sharp. Also sung by Effie Mitchel, her daughter.
There was a rich merchant in Knoxville he dwelt
He had for a daughter a beautiful maid,
She had for a sweetheart a ship carpenter,
She had for a sweetheart a ship carpenter.
He gathered her up, he carried her away,
To some foreign country with her friends for to stay;
He carried her through hollows and valleys so deep,
At length Pretty Polly began for to weep.
Over in them deep hollow her grave she did spy,
Her grave being diggin[1] and the spade standing by.
She wrung her hands for murder she cried,
You poor murdering villian, What have I done?
He pierce Pretty Polly, the blood it did flow,
And into her grave, her body do throw.
He covered her up and hastened on home,
Let none but death and the small birds to mourn.
One day he was laying in his cabin asleep,
He thought he heard the voice of Polly so sweet,
Saying, "Rise up false William, rise up and hear,
The voice of your Polly who once loved you dear."
---------------------
Sharp MS; Young Lady in London- Sung by Nola Hounchell of Beech Creek, Ky., on August 22, 1917. Collected by Cecil J. Sharp. [two other nearly identical version from KY cf. Short; Melton]
There was a young lady, in London she did dwell
There was a young lady, in London she did dwell,
Concerning her beauty there's no human tongue can tell.
----------------------
Sharp MS- Pretty Polly- Sung by Dorah Seagle of Clinchfield, N. Carolina on September 9 1918.
Pretty Polly, pretty Polly, pretty Polly said he,
o now do agree and be married to me.
O William, sweet William, Sweet William said she
I'm quite too young to be married to thee.
---------------------------
Sharp MS [A Ship Carpenter]- Sung by Hannah Mitchell, of Burnsville, N. Carolina on 29 Sept., 1918. Collected by Cecil J. Sharp.
There was a rich merchant in Knoxville he dwelt
He had for a daughter a beautiful maid,
She had for a sweetheart a ship carpenter,
She had for a sweetheart a ship carpenter.
He gathered her up, he carried her away,
To some foreign country with her friends for to stay;
He carried her through hollows and valleys so deep,
At length Pretty Polly began for to weep.
Over in them deep hollow her grave she did spy,
Her grave being diggin[1] and the spade standing by.
She wrung her hands for murder she cried,
You poor murdering villian, What have I done?
He pierce Pretty Polly, the blood it did flow,
And into her grave, her body do throw.
He covered her up and hastened on home,
Let none but death and the small birds to mourn.
One day he was laying in his cabin asleep,
He thought he heard the voice of Polly so sweet,
Saying, "Rise up false William, rise up and hear,
The voice of your Polly who once loved you dear."
------------------------
The Gosport Tragedy or The Perjured Ship-Carpenter: (34 sts unless otherwise stated.)
Bow Church Yard (Diceys)
Aldermary Church Yard
Johnson, Falkirk
Pitts, London
Besley, Exeter
Various Forget-me-not-Songsters
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