Bedlam City

DESCRIPTION: A maid in Bedlam laments the absence of Billy, driven away by cruel parents. She is sure he has died on the battlefield and imagines she sees him coming in the clouds surrounded by guardian angels. She collapses "on a bed of straw."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: before 1825 (broadside, Bodleian Harding B 28(92))
LONG DESCRIPTION: A maid in Bedlam laments the absence of Billy, driven away by cruel parents. She "lies dying For fear she should never see him more." She wishes she could fly to him on the battlefield. She is sure he has died and imagines she sees him coming in the clouds surrounded by guardian angels. She collapses "on a bed of straw."
KEYWORDS: madness love war prison death father mother
FOUND IN: Britain(England(West))
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Gardham-EarliestVersions, "BEDLAM CITY"
Logan-APedlarsPack, pp. 187-188, "Bedlam City, or The Maiden's Lamentation" (1 text, part of the longer entry "Tom a Bedlam")
Broadwood/Maitland-EnglishCountySongs, p. 71, "Bedlam City" (1 fragment, 1 tune)
ST BrMa971 (Partial)
Roud #968
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 28(92), "Bedlam City" ("Down by the side of Bedlam city"), W. Armstrong (Liverpool), 1820-1824; also Firth c.18(140), Harding B 25(155), Harding B 28(273), 2806 c.17(26), Firth c.19(186), Harding B 36(16), "Bedlam City"
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Nancy's Complaint in Bedlam" (theme of a maid in Bedlam) and references there
File: BrMa971

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