Wife o' Denside, The

DESCRIPTION: "Ye'll hae heard o' the Wife o' Denside... Wha pushioned [poisoned] her maid to keep up her pride, And the devil is sure o' the Wife o' Denside." She poisons a mother and her illegitimate child. She buys her way out of trouble. The gallows has been robbed
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1923 (A. H. Miller, Haunted Dundee, according to Gatherer-SongsAndBalladsOfDundee)
KEYWORDS: bastard children mother death homicide poison
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
Sep 8, 1826 - Margaret Walden, servant to the Smith family, dies of poison. Mrs. Smith is accused of murder, but at trial, the verdict "not proven" is found. The people of Dundee still think her a murderer (source: Gatherere)
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Gatherer-SongsAndBalladsOfDundee 9, "The Wife o' Denside" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #22215
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Laird o Cockpen" (tune)
File: Gath009

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