The Wexford Girl
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1969.52
Original Tape ID
Summary
A murder ballad in which a young man, having promised to marry his lover, invites her to take a walk then kills her and throws the body in the water. On returning home he goes to bed, only to be haunted by visions of Hell. The crime is later discovered, and he is hung on the gallows.
Ethel Findlater learned this song from her mother many years previously.
Item Notes
14 verses of 4 lines.
See:
Greig-Duncan vol. 2, pp. 45-48, no. 200
'Folksongs of Britain & Ireland' (P. Kennedy, 1975) p. 713
'Scottish Studies' 16 (J. Porter & H. Gower, 1972) pp. 150-151
'Jeannie Robertson' (J. Porter & H. Gower, 1995) pp. 236-238
'Everyman's Book of English Country Songs' (R. Palmer, 1979) pp. 107-109
'Travellers' Songs from England and Scotland' (E. MacColl & P. Seeger, 1977) pp. 242-246
'Folk-Song of the North-East' (G. Greig, K. Goldstein & A. Argo, 1963 reprint) art. CXXXVII & CLXXIX
Language
English
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good