This is a request for IDing an unusual version of Pretty Nancy, my Master Title 'Nancy of Yarmouth' Roud 407.

In the Hudleston Collection there is a version sung by the wonderful Arthur Wood of Littlebeck. It has 4 stanzas of which the first stanza and tune are very obviously Roud 407. However the other 3 stanzas form no part of any of the other many and varied versions of that song. Nor can I find them in any of the many other Nancy ballads. Arthur was quite adept at making his own versions of songs and even writing whole new songs.

These 3 stanzas have all the hallmarks of the broadside ballad but Arthur had no problems imitating this, reference his marvellous localised version of the Brisk Young Tailor.

However, before I ascribe these verses to Arthur I would like to put them up here in case any sleuths recognise them. They certainly look familiar.

On the eighteenth of October our barque did set sail,
Pretty Nancy came down for to bid me farewell,
She said, "While you're sailing on the wide ocean blue,"
She said, My young sailor, I'll be faithful to you."

Long years then went by, when back I did return,
Pretty Nancy was married, had a home of her own,
While I as a roving on the wild restless sea,
Pretty Nancy proved faithless and false unto me.

Now all you poor sailors take warning from me,
And never leave the lass you love for to rove the wide sea,
While you are a roving on the wide waves so blue,
They'll prove faithless like Nancy of Yarmouth to you.

One thing a little suspect is the several references to 'wide waves so blue' etc. Arthur did go to sea in his youth c1900 presumably at first on sailing vessels. He was brought up in a pub in Littlebeck and got most of his large repertoire there.