Pretty Betsey [Laws M18]

DESCRIPTION: Betsey loves William; her father so despises him that he brutally abuses Betsey. With Betsey's mother's help, William is able to pay a last visit, only to have Betsey die in his arms
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1952
KEYWORDS: courting abuse death
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Laws M18, "Pretty Betsey"
Brown/Belden/Hudson-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore2 75, "Pretty Betsey" (1 text)
DT 722, PRETBETS
Roud #1911
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Andrew Lammie" [Child 233] (plot)
NOTES [38 words]: This presence of this song in Laws is rather a curiosity: Laws knows only of the copy in Brown, and the notes to that book admit of no other version -- but Laws not only lists it as traditional but as being of British origin. - RBW
File: LM18

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