Bessie of Ballington Brae [Laws P28]

DESCRIPTION: Bessie appears to her former lover as he lies sleeping, saying that she is dead and he has led her astray. He goes to her home and learns that she is indeed dead. He admits to the betrayal, says he intended to marry her, and stabs himself to death
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: before 1859 (broadside, Bodleian 2806 b.11(245)); before 1845 (broadside, Bodleian Harding B 11(677) if the broadside is this ballad; see notes)
KEYWORDS: ghost seduction death suicide betrayal
FOUND IN: US(MW,NE) Canada(Mar) Ireland
REFERENCES (10 citations):
Laws P28, "Bessie of Ballington Brae"
Gardham-EarliestVersions, "BALLINDOWN BRAES"
Flanders/Ballard/Brown/Barry-NewGreenMountainSongster, pp. 90-91, "Bessie of Ballydubray" (1 text, 1 tune)
Henry/Huntingdon/Herrmann-SamHenrysSongsOfThePeople H73, pp. 412-413, "Ballindown Braes" (1 text, 1 tune)
OCroinin/Cronin-TheSongsOfElizabethCronin 32, "Betsy of Ballindorn Brae" (3 texts)
McBride-FlowerOfDunaffHillAndMoreTradSongsInnishowen 3, "Ballintown Brae" (1 text, 1 tune)
Gardner/Chickering-BalladsAndSongsOfSouthernMichigan 31, "Jessie of Ballington Brae" (1 text, 1 tune)
Dean-FlyingCloud, pp. 44-45, "Ballentown Brae" (1 text)
Mackenzie-BalladsAndSeaSongsFromNovaScotia 31, "Bessie of Ballington Brae" (1 text)
DT 596, BESSBAL
Roud #566
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, 2806 b.11(245), "Answer to Betsy of Ballantown Bray," J.O. Bebbington (Manchester), 1855-1858; also 2806 c.15(155), 2806 b.9(233), "Answer to Ballindown Brae"
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Ballan Doune Braes" (prequel)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Bessie of Ballydubray
NOTES [81 words]: Mackenzie-BalladsAndSeaSongsFromNovaScotia's notes to "Bessie of Ballington Brae" include the first verse from a broadside that is "quite certainly" connected to his ballad. Laws, having as an example, a broadside entitled "Answer to Betsy of Ballantown Bray" concludes that P28 is the sequel to Mackenzie's broadside. That prequel is indexed here as "Ballan Doune Braes." The Bodleian broadsides noted here, which are examples of Laws P28, are likewise entitled "Answer to ...." - BS
Last updated in version 6.8
File: LP28

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