Betsy Is a Beauty Fair (Johnny and Betsey; The Lancaster Maid) [Laws M20]

DESCRIPTION: The son of the landowner is in love with Betsy, a servant. His mother, who opposes the match, has the girl transported to Virginia. The boy dies for love; (Betsy is drowned at sea)
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1827 (Lyle-Andrew-CrawfurdsCollectionVolume1)
KEYWORDS: love separation exile death
FOUND IN: US(Ap,MA,MW,NE,SE,So) Britain(Scotland(Aber),England(South)) Canada(Mar,Newf,Ont)
REFERENCES (24 citations):
Gardham-EarliestVersions, "BETSY THE SERVANT MAID"
Laws M20, "Betsy Is a Beauty Fair (Johnny and Betsey; The Lancaster Maid)"
Greig-FolkSongInBuchan-FolkSongOfTheNorthEast #80, pp. 2-3, "Bonnie Betsy" (1 text)
Greig/Duncan6 1094, "Bonny Betsy" (2 texts, 1 tune)
Lyle-Andrew-CrawfurdsCollectionVolume1 17, "Young Betsy" (1 text)
Reeves-TheEverlastingCircle 7, "Betsy" (3 texts)
Randolph 48, "Betsey Is a Beauty Fair" (1 text, 1 tune)
Eddy-BalladsAndSongsFromOhio 95, "Betsy" (1 text)
Sharp-EnglishFolkSongsFromSouthernAppalachians 74, "Betsy" (1 text, 1 tune)
Rosenbaum-FolkVisionsAndVoices, p. 60, "Betsy" (1 text, 1 tune)
Gardner/Chickering-BalladsAndSongsOfSouthernMichigan 36, "Johnny and Betsy" (1 text, 1 tune)
Peacock, pp. 666-667, "Betsy, Betsy from London Fair" (1 text, 1 tune)
Creighton-SongsAndBalladsFromNovaScotia 31, "Bessie Beauty" (1 text, 1 tune)
Creighton-FolksongsFromSouthernNewBrunswick 55, "Betsy the Waiting Maid" (1 text, 1 tune)
Lehr/Best-ComeAndIWillSingYou 7, "Betsy Beauty" (1 text, 1 tune)
Flanders/Olney-BalladsMigrantInNewEngland, pp. 9-11, "Betsey (Betsy, the Waiting Maid)" (1 text, 1 tune)
Cazden/Haufrecht/Studer-FolkSongsOfTheCatskills 57, "Betsy B" (1 text, 1 tune)
Brown/Belden/Hudson-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore2 70, "The Lancaster Maid" (1 text)
Brown/Schinhan-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore4 70, "The Lancaster Maid" (1 excerpt, 1 tune)
Pound-AmericanBalladsAndSongs, 26, pp. 66-68, "Johnny and Betsy" (1 text)
Huntington-SongsTheWhalemenSang, pp. 201-203, "Fair Betsy" (1 text, 1 tune)
Greenway-FolkloreOfTheGreatWest, pp. 69-70, "Miss Betsy" (1 text)
Olson-BroadsideBalladIndex, ZN46, "Alas! my dearest dear is gone"; ZN2523, "There was a maiden fair and clear/"
DT 434, JONBETSY BETSY FAIRBTSY*
Roud #156
RECORDINGS:
Harry Cox, "Betsy, the Servant Maid" (on HCox01) [mistitled 'A Week of Matrimony' on album jacket and label]
Jack Knight, "Betsy Bay" (on MUNFLA/Leach)
Jack Swain, "Betsey Grey" (on MUNFLA/Leach)
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 16(23a), "The Betrayed Maiden," J. Pitts (London), 1819-1844
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Betsey Evans
File: LM20

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