Pretty Polly - sung by Nancy Brewster (IN) 1885 Brewster B
[Fragment from: Ballads from Indiana; Brewster, 1940. His notes follow.
R. Matteson 2016]
64 PRETTY POLLY
The fragments which follow derive from "The Gosport Tragedy, or The Perjured Ship Carpenter" of about the middle of the eighteenth century, probably via "Polly's Love, or The Cruel Ship Carpenter," a condensed version.
According to the "Polly's Love" version, Polly's lover, a ship carpenter, goes to sea after the murder, but the ship is unable to sail because of the presence of a murderer aboard- The captain suspects, but, like the others of the crew, William protests his innocence. Polly's ghost then tears him to pieces. In the longer "Gosport Tragedy" the ghost appears before the sailing of the ship, and causes the murderer to die raving.
For other American and English texts, see Ashton, Real Sailor-Songs, p. 86; Ashton, A Century of Ballads, p. 101; Campbell and Sharp, No. 39; Cox, p. 308; Greenleaf and Mansfield, p. 120; Journal, XX, 262; XLII, 276; XLIV, 108; Mackenzie, Ballads, p. 55; Scarborough, Song Catcher, p. 128; Sharp and Marson, Folk-Songs from Somerset, IV, 8; Wyman and Brock-way, p. 79; JFSS, 1,172; Cox, Traditional Ballads, pp. 60, 62, 63; Cambiaire, East Tennessee and Western Virginia Mountain Ballads, p. 74; Henry, Folk-Songs from the Southern Highlands, p. 229; Henry, Songs Sung in the Southern Appalachians, p. 53.
B. "Pretty Polly." Contributed by Mrs. Nancy E. Brewster, of Oakland City, Indiana. Gibson County. Learned in Pike County about fifty years ago. February 26, 1935.
1. "Pretty Polly, pretty Polly, come go with me,
Before we get married, some friends to see."
2. "Weep on, pretty Polly, with all of your might;
I dug the biggest part of your grave last night."
3. He drew his sword; the blood it did flow,
And under the ground pretty Polly must go.