David Reeves:

At the bottom of the entry, Bruce continues:

[ZN1998] Hyder E. Rollins, In The Pepys Ballads III, reprinted the ballad, and quoted a diary entry of Feb. 20, 1684, stating that the murder had been committed on the 10th, the Sabbath. G. M. Laws, Jr., in American Balladry from British Broadsides, commencing p. 104, quoted three later broadside versions, "The Berkshire Tragedy, or the Wittam Miller", "The Lexington Miller", and "The Cruel Miller", but did know about the 17th century original. It's well known traditionally (Laws' P 35).

The 17th century tune is not known, but comes from a broadside ballad "William Grismond" (on which ours here seems to be modeled), ZN1988, which has appeared in Scots tradition as "William Guiseman/Graham", and from that there are traditional tunes [Grieg-Duncan #190].


So many murders and dates are given for the song, though, that I'm sure it was revived every time a local murder could somehow be squoze into the facts as given in the song.