64. The Gosport Tragedy

NATIVE AMERICAN BALLADS: 64. The Gosport Tragedy  


                 Painting by Richard Matteson C2009

BESIDES the ancient ballads of the Child canon and their close congeners given above, ballad singers of North Carolina have kept in memory a store of other old songs current in Britain as broadside or stall ballads. These are most often of tragic content: a man treacherously kills his sweetheart, as in 'The Gosport Tragedy,' 'The Lexington Murder' (known also as 'The Bloody Miller' and 'The Knoxville Girl,' and in the old country as 'The Wittam Miller' and 'The Berkshire Tragedy'), 'Handsome Harry'; the man, or the woman, or both, die of thwarted love, as in 'Beautiful Susan,' 'The Lancaster Maid,' 'The Silver Dagger,' 'Chowan River'; a lover is killed by his sweetheart's cruel and greedy father, as in 'Young Edwin in the Lowlands'; or the lover shoots his sweetheart mistaking her for a swan, as in 'Molly Bawn' (the name undergoes many changes).

Others are rather romantic than tragic: they tell of a bride carried off despite parental or other objection, as in 'Locks and Bolts' and "The Soldier's Wooing'; of a test of love, as in 'The Glove' (a folk tale that Schiller and Leigh Hunt and Browning also used though not quite with the same intent); or of lovers changing places, as in 'A Brave Irish Lady' and 'Servant Man'; or of a lover returning in disguise from foreign parts to test his mistress's faithfulness, a favorite theme of the street balladist and represented in our collection by 'A Pretty Fair Maid Down in the Garden,' 'Johnny German,' and 'John Reilley'; or of a girl seeking her lover in disguise as a man, as in 'Polly Oliver.' Many of them are songs of the sea or rather of sailors. A favorite in this field is 'Jack Munro,' where a girl in love with a sailor disguises herself as a man, ships with him, saves his life in battle, and comes triumphantly home with him. Others are 'The Silk-Merchant's Daughter,' 'Green Beds,' and 'The Sailor Boy.'

Goodnights — professedly the last words of criminals at the gallows — which made up a large part of the stock in trade of professional ballad makers, are but slightly represented; 'The Sheffield Apprentice,' who was framed as a thief by his mistress because he repulsed her amorous advances, is there, and so are 'The Ramblin' Boy' and Turpin's 'Bonnie Black Bess.' A few songs seem clearly of Scottish origin: 'Caroline of Edinburgh Town," 'Roy's Wife of Aldivalloch,' and perhaps 'I Wish My Love Was in a Ditch.' Slightly more numerous are Irish or Anglo-Irish pieces : 'William Riley,' 'The Irish Girl,' and others.

[Above is my painting of Pretty Polly. Here's a youtube perfromance of my version:
Pretty Polly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASJjrxxCNmc

RECORDING INFO:
Estil C. Ball, "Pretty Polly" (on LomaxCD1701, LomaxCD1705); "Pretty Polly" (AFS, 1941; on LCTreas)
Frank Bode, "Pretty Polly" (on FBode1)
Dock Boggs, "Pretty Polly" (Brunswick 132A, 1927); (on Boggs1, BoggsCD1)
Coon Creek Girls, "Pretty Polly" (Vocalion 04659, 1939; Perfect 16102, 1935?)
Bill Cornett ,"Pretty Polly" (on MMOKCD)
Cranford & Thompson, "Pretty Polly" (Melotone 45092, 1935)
John Hammond, "Purty Polly" (Challenge 168, 1927)
Lester McFarland & Robert Gardner, "Pretty Polly" (Brunswick 116, 1927)
Ivor Melton & band, "Pretty Polly" (on Persis1)
Pleaz Mobley, "Pretty Polly" (on JThomas01)
New Lost City Ramblers, "Pretty Polly" (on NLCR13)
Jean Ritchie, "Pretty Polly" (on RitchieWatson1, RitchieWatsonCD1)
Sauceman Brothers, "Pretty Polly" (Rich-R-Tone 457, n.d.)
Pete Seeger, "Pretty Polly" (on PeteSeeger16)
Lee Sexton, "Pretty Polly" (on MMOKCD)
B. F. Shelton "Pretty Polly" (Victor 35838, 1927; on BefBlues1)
Stanley Brothers, "Pretty Polly" (Columbia 20770, 1951)
Pete Steele, "Pretty Polly" (AFS 1587/1702, 1938; on PSteele01, KMM)
Turner & Parkins, "Pretty Polly" (Superior 2635, 1931)
Jack Wallin, "Pretty Polly" (on Wallins1)

OTHER NAMES
The Cruel Ship's Carpenter
The Gosport Tragedy]

64. The Gosport Tragedy
Of the many ballads sung in America about the man who murders his sweetheart, sometimes from jealousy but more often because, having got her with child, he wants to be rid of her — 'Florella,' 'Oma Wise,' 'Pearl Bryan,' 'Leo Frank and Mary Fagan,' etc. — two go back definitely to English broadsides : 'The Gosport Tragedy' ('Pretty Polly,' 'The Cruel Ship's Carpenter') and 'The Wexford Girl' ('The Oxford Girl,' 'The Lexington Girl,' 'The Wittam Miller,' 'The Berkshire Tragedy'). Much alike in plot and sometimes fading into one another, they may conveniently be distinguished by certain items in the story. In 'The Gosport Tragedy' the killer tells his victim that he has been digging her grave all the night before; in 'The Wexford Girl' he explains the blood on his clothes by saying that it was 'bleeding at the nose.' These items mark the respective original broadsides and can be traced through most if not all the later traditional versions.

The earliest known form of 'The Gosport Tragedy' is a "garland" in the Roxburghe collection (Roxb. Ballads viii 143-4, 173-4), dated by Ebsworth "circa 1750." In modern times it has been reported from tradition in Sussex (JFSS i 172-3), Nova Scotia (BSSNS 96-8), Virginia (SharpK i 326-7, SCSM 131-4), West Virginia (FSS 308-10), Kentucky (JAFL xx 261-4, where Kittredge points out in a note that the Harvard Library has copies of both the original garland and later English broadsides, JAFL xiii 276-8, LT 79-81, BKH 69-70, SharpK i 319-20, 321-5, FSSH 229-30, 222; it is listed also in Shearin's syllabus), Tennessee (ETWVMB 74-5. SharpK i 318-19, BTFLS iii 85), North Carolina (SharpK I 317, 320-1. 327, SCSM 128-31, SSSA 53-4, JAFL xiv 134-5). Georgia (JAFL xiiv 107-8, FSSH 231-2), Florida (FSF 341-2), Missouri (OFS 11 112-14), and Indiana (BSI 298-9). It is perhaps worth remarking that with the exception of Mackenzie's Nova Scotia text it does not appear in the Northeast.

There is an excellent recording of a Virginia version of 'The Gosport Tragedy,' under the title 'Pretty Polly,' in the Library of Congress. Music Division, Archive of American Folk Song (Folk Music of the United States, Album I), which, according to Alan Lomax, illustrates unconscious editing of the English broadside by the American folk. "The product of this process of folk editing — Pretty Polly — is The American Tragedy in six brilliant stanzas (the same subject that occupies a ponderous volume in Theodore Dreiser's work of that name)."

A. 'The Gosport Tragedy.' Contributed by Miss Pearl Webb of Pineda, Avery county, in 1921 or 1922. It has the appearance of having been copied from print; see under version B.

1. In Gosport of late a young damsel did dwell;
For wit and for beauty few did her excel.
A young man did court her for to be his dear,
And he by his trade was a ship carpenter.

2 He said, 'Dearest Mary, if you will agree
And give your consent for to marry me,
Your love it can cure one of sorrow and care.
Consent then to wed with a ship carpenter.'

3 With blushes as charming as roses in June,
She answered. 'Sweet William, to wed I'm too young;
For young men are fickle, I see very plain,
If a maiden is kind they soon her disdain.'

4 'Why, charming sweet Mary, how can you say so?
Thy beauty, the heavens to which I would go,
If there I find channel when I chance for to steer
I then will cast anchor and stay with my dear.

5 'I never will be cloyed^ with the charms of my love ;
My heart is as true as the sweet turtle dove,

And what I now crave is to wed with my dear,
For when we are married no danger I'll fear,'

6 'The state of a virgin, sweet William, I prize,
For marriage brings trouble and sorrow likewise.
I'm afraid for to venture for fear.^
I will never wed with a ship carpenter.'

7 But yet it was in vain she strove to deny,
For he by his cunning soon made her comply;
And by base deception he did her betray,
In sin's hellish paths he did her betray.

8 Then when this young damsel with child did prove
She quickly sent the tidings to her faithful love,
Who swore by the heavens he would prove true
And said, 'I'll marry no damsel but you.'

9 Things passed on a while. At length we did^ hear
His ship must be sailing, for sea he must steer;
Which grieved this poor damsel and wounded her heart
To think with her true love she so suddenly must part.

10 Cried she, 'Dearest William, ere you go to sea
Remember the vows you've made unto me.
If at home you don't tarry I never can rest,
How can you then leave me with sorrow distressed?'

11. With tender embraces they parted that night
And promised to meet the next morning at light ;
When William said, 'Mary, you must go with me.
Before we are married, our friends for to see.'

12. Then he led her through groves and valleys so deep.
At length this young damsel began for to weep,
Saying, 'William, I fear you have led me astray
On purpose my innocent life to betray.'

13. Said he, 'You have guessed right, and 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.''
When poor innocent Mary did hear him say so
The tears from her eyes like a fountain did flow.

14 A grave with a spade lying near did she see,
Which caused this young damsel to weep bitterly.
'Oh. perjurer William, the worst of mankind,
Is this the bride's bed I expected to find?'

15 Her hands white as lilies in sorrow she wrung,
Imploring for mercy, cries 'What have I done
To you. dearest William so comely and fair?
Will you murder your true love who loves you so dear ?'

16 Said he, 'There's no time disputing to stand.'
Then instantly taking a knife in his hand
He pierced her fair breast when^ the blood it did flow
And into the grave her fair body did throw.

17 He covered the grave and quick hastened home.
Leaving none but small birds her sad fate to bemoan.
On board ship he entered without more delay
And set sail from Plymouth to plow the salt sea.

18 A young man, a steward, of courage most bold,
One night happened late to go into the hold,
WHien a beautiful damsel to him did appear
And in her arms she held an infant most fair.

19 Being wary, with quickness he went to embrace.
Transplanted with joy at beholding her face ;
But when to his amazement she banished away,
Which he told the captain without more delay.^

20 The captain soon summoned the jovial ship crew
And said: 'My brave fellows, I fear some of you
Have murdered some damsel ere he came away.
Whose injured ghost now haunts you on the sea.

21 'W^hoever you be, if the truth you deny.
When found out you'll be hung on the gallows so high ;
But he who confesses his life we'll not take
But leave him upon the first island we make.'

22 Then William entreatingly fell on his knees,
The blood in his veins with horror did freeze;
He cried, cried 'Murder! What have I done?^
God help me, I pray ; my poor soul is undone.

23 'Poor njured ghost, thy full pardon I crave,
For soon I must follow you down to the grave.'
None else but this wretch beheld that sad sight,
And raving distracted he died that same night.

24 Then when her sad parents these tidings did hear
They sent out to search for their daughter so dear.
Near the town of Southampton in a valley most deep
Her body was found, which caused many to weep.

25 In Gosport's Green her body now lies,
And we hoi^e that soul is with God in the skies.
Then let this sad tale be a warning to all
Who would dare a poor innocent maid to enthrall.
 

[* The manuscript has here "coyed," as does also our B text in the same place. But it seems clear that "cloyed" is meant.]

' The B text has "therefore for fear," improving the sense and the versification and probably representing the original print.

' B has here "do," which seems better.

* Here the A text is better than the B, which runs:

Said he, 'You have guessed right.
For the whole of last night
I've spent digging your grave.'

* B has the same reading. I do not know what the reading should be.

' B corrects at least one of the errors in this stanza, perhaps two, but leaves it still unconstruable :

Being Mary, with liking he went to embrace,
Transported with joy at beholding her face,
But when to his amazement she banished away,
Which he told the captain without more delay.

^ B improves this a little :

He cried, 'Cruel maiden, what have I done?'


B. 'Gosport Tragedy.' Collected from James York of Olin, Iredell county, in August 1939. It is the same text as A, sometimes better taken down, sometimes not so well. Most of the differences between it and A have been noted under A.

C. 'Polly.' Another text furnished by Miss Webb. Very much reduced, and differing in other ways.

1 'Oh, Polly, oh, Polly, oh, Polly,' said he,
'Oh, now do consent and be married to me.'
'No, William, no, William, no, William,' said she,
'I am too young to be married to thee.'

2 'Oh, Polly, oh, Polly, oh, Polly,' said he,
'Now do consent, and a friend we'll go see.'
Immediately he took her by her lily-white hand.
He led her through sorrow, grief, sorrow, and woe.

3 He led her over hills and through valleys so deep,
And at last pretty Polly began for to weep.
'Oh, William, oh, William, you're leading me astray
On purpose my innocent body to betray.'

4 'Oh, yes, my pretty Polly, now you have guessed right.
I was digging your grave the best part of last night.'
They went a little further before she did spy
Her grave ready dug and a spade a-setting by.

5 She threw her arms around him, said: 'Don't you infer ?^
How can you kill a girl that loves you so dear?'

6 He opened her bosom that was whiter than- snow,
And out of her eyes the tears they did fiow.
He pierced her to the heart, which caused the blood to flow.
And down in her grave her pale body he throwed.

7 He covered her up and turned round to go home,
Leaving only small birds to lament or mourn.
He went to the ship that was on the other side
And he swore by his Maker that he'd sail the other side.

8 He hoisted the sails and away he did ride,
A-thinking of poor Polly, how hard she had died.
He sailed all along till his heart did contend.
The ship struck a rock and to the bottom it went.

9 Then he saw his pretty Polly all floating in blood.
The scii)s and her screams she banished away.

A debt to the devil — a due was paid.-

 ^ The other texts throw no light on this unintelligilile passage.

D. 'Pretty Polly.' Contributed by Mrs. R. C. Vaught (then Miss Gertrude Allen) from Oakboro, Stanly county. It is a reduced form, though it has the gist of the story. Many of the lines are repeated, in the fashion shown by the concluding stanzas, which run:

9 He threw some sod over her and started for home,
He threw some sod over her and started for home,
Leaving no one with pretty Polly but the wild beast to roam.

10 He saw a ship come a-sailing around the sea side,
He saw a ship come a-sailing around the sea side.
He bid that ship for to take him a ride.

11 He sailed the ocean over. His heart was content.
He sailed the ocean over. His heart was content.
But the ship struck a iceberg and to the bottom it went.

12 On to hell Sweet Willie did go ;
On to hell Sweet Willie did go
To pay to the Devil the debt he did owe.

13 Pretty Polly, pretty Polly, she's gone on to rest.
Pretty Polly, pretty Polly, she's gone on to rest.
Where is Sweet Willie? In hell, I do guess.
 

^The last two lines are unintelligible as they stand, though the general idea is that the vision of the murdered girl vanishes away in a scream and the murderer is seized by the devil.

E . 'Pretty Molly.' Contributed by Thomas Smith of Zionviile, Watauga county, in 1915, as sung by Mrs. Lillie Perry and her daugliter Susie, who had learned it from the singing of others. A much reduced and imperfect text. It is not easy to make out from the manuscript whether the stanzas should be of three Hnes, or two, or four. No attempt therefore is here made to fill it out.

'O come, pretty Molly, and go with me,
come, pretty Molly, and go with me,
We'll go and get married some pleasure to see.'

They traveled over mountains and valleys so deep {repeat)

They rode a piece further and what did they spy {repeat)
Her grave had been made and a spade close by.

He threw the dirt o'er her and turned for home

'Now a debt to the devil I have to pay
For stealing pretty Molly and running away.

1 courted pretty Molly one eve and night
And left the next morning before it was light.'

------------------------

64 The Gosport Tragedy (Music)

A. 'Polly.' Miss Pearle Webb. No date or place given. Although the tune is totally different, the text is very closely related to that of 'The Cruel Ship's Carpenter.' Cf. SharpK I 317, No. 49A.

Scale: Hexatonic (3). Tonal Center: d. Structure: abab (4,4,4,4) = aa (8,8',)

B. 'Pretty Molly.' Sung by Mrs. James York. From previous recording of Dr. W. A. Abrams, Boone, August 8, 1940. This is the last stanza. Owing to the condition of the record, the words of the other stanzas cannot be understood. The only thing certain is that the name 'Polly' does occur. The text is closely related to that of SharpK I 324, No. 49L ; also, FSUSA 304-5, No. 84.


Scale: Triadic, plagal. Tonal Center: f. Structure ababkb (2,2,2,2,2,2) = aab (4,4,4) = mmn = barform; the b is partly related to a.

E(I) 'Pretty Polly.' Sung by Mrs. J. Church. Recorded at Heaton, Avery county, August 10, 1939. This text is very closely related to that of SharpK i 321 and 325, No. 49 F and N; cf. also MSHF 3, No. 1.

For melodic relationship cf. **SCSM 397, version E, melodic line; SharpK I 324, No. 49L, measures 1-4, melodic progression only. Since the tune of this version is in % and that of the former in %, the rhythmic shift produces an entirely different melody despite the tonal material.

Scale: Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center: g. Structure: aba1b1ab (2,2,2.2,2,2) = aa1a (4,4,4)