“The Lady and the Farmer's Son”

Author: unknown
Earliest date: 1933 (Flanders/Olney)
Keywords: homicide drowning prison servant courting money
Found in: US(NE)

Description

A wealthy lady wants a youth to marry her, but he is pledged to one of the lady's servants. The lady brings her maid on a boat trip and throws her into the sea. She winds up in prison; the young man goes mad

Notes

This is so close to Sharp's "Handsome Sally" that Paul Stamler lumped them. But Laws and Roud distinguish them, so I tentatively do the same. - RBW

References

  1. Laws O40, "The Lady and the Farmer's Son"
  2. Flanders/Olney, pp. 170-171, "The Lady and the Farmer's Son" (1 text, 1 tune)
  3. DT 490, FARMSON*
  4. Roud #994
  5. BI, LO40
The Traditional Ballad Index is copyright ©2008 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle. The Digital Tradition is copyright The Mudcat Cafe.