Gosport Tragedy- Pearl Webb (NC) 1921 Brown A
[From: Brown Collection of NC Folklore II; 1953. Their notes follow. It seems this was learned from print and forgotten somewhat so that parts of it changed. The print source is The Deming Broadside/For-Get-Me Not Songster text. The name is Mary throughout. The fact that some changes have been made indicates that it either was learned from print or from a singer that learned it from print or the text was copied down and changed. Apparently this was not sung by Miss Webb, only the other traditional version (Brown C) was taken down.
Since B from James York is similar but has some changes indicates it was learned from Webb and that Webb by James York many years later (in the late 1930s). York tried to fix a few spots he didn't understand that Webb had changed. Since York didn't record the ballad - apparently, there only is one poorly recorded stanza of B taken from his wife, and I assume he supplied the text. What is appalling is that both Abrams and the Brown Collection should have had no problem identifying the source of A or B by asking either Webb or York- but this was not done.
R. Matteson 2016]
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[1] 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,[2]
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[3] 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.[5]
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[6] 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,
When 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.[6]
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 'Whoever 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?[7]
God help me, I pray ; my poor soul is undone.
23 'Poor injured 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 hope 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.
Footnotes;
[1] The manuscript has here "coyed," as does also our B text in the same place. But it seems clear that "cloyed" is meant.
[2] The B text has "therefore for fear," improving the sense and the versification and probably representing the original print. [The print text is: therefore forbear,]
[3] B has here "do," which seems better.
[4] 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.'
When poor innocent Mary did hear him say so
The tears from her eyes like a fountain did flow.
[5] B has the same reading. I do not know what the reading should be. [then then blood]
[6] 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.
[print: Being merry with liquor, he went to embrace,
Transported with joy at beholding her face;
When to his amazement, she vanished away,
Which he told to the captain without more delay.]
[7] B improves this a little:
He cried, 'Cruel maiden, what have I done?'
[print: He cried, cruel murder, oh ! what have I done
God help me, I fear my poor soul is undone.]