There Was a Lady in the East

DESCRIPTION: A lady with many suitors loves Jimmy, her father's clerk. Her father would disown her but she says she wants Jimmy more than treasure. Her father shoots her. Her mother faints and Jimmy commits suicide.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: before 1820 (broadside, Bodleian 2806 c.18(76))
KEYWORDS: grief courting love homicide suicide father mother money
FOUND IN: Canada(Mar,Newf)
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Peacock, pp. 726-728, "There Was a Lady in the East" (1 text, 3 tunes)
Karpeles-FolkSongsFromNewfoundland 68, "There Was a Lady in the East" (1 text, 1 tune)
Manny/Wilson-SongsOfMiramichi 84, "The Maid of the East" (1 text, 1 tune)
ST Pea726 (Partial)
Roud #2298
RECORDINGS:
Everett Bennett, "There Was a Lady in the East" (on PeacockCDROM) [one verse only]
Mrs. Ghaney, "Her Sweetheart" (on MUNFLA/Leach)
Marie Hare, "The Maid of the East" (on MRMHare01)
Bride Judge, "The Lady In The East" (on ITMA/CapeShoreNL)
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, 2806 c.18(76), "The Cruel Father and Constant Lover," J. Pitts (London), 1802-1819
ALTERNATE TITLES:
The Cruel Father and Constant Lover
NOTES [65 words]: Peacock claims this is Laws M19, "The Young Sailor Bold (I) (The Rich Merchant's Daughter)." ["Although the story is the same ... the texts and tunes are completely different."] I think that makes this a different ballad. And the stories are not so close either. [I agree; there is no hint of accident or mistake here, and it's a different set of suicides. Roud also splits them. - RBW] - BS
Last updated in version 4.5
File: Pea726

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