No-one so far seems have mentioned the ballad representing 'The Cruel Mother' on 'The Folksongs of Britain, Vol. 4' (Child Ballads #1. This was recorded fromfrom Thomas Moran, Mohill, Co. Leitrim, by Seamus Ennis for the BBC (not sure of the date).
^^
O your first little child with the golden locks
All along and a-lonely-O
And you've buried him under your own bed stock
Down by the greenwood sidey-O

You've buried three more on your way going home
And you've buried three more on that butting stone

Well you'll be seven long years a wolf in the woods
And you'll be seven long years a fish in the floods

You'll be seven long years a-ringing the bell
And you'll be seven long years a-burning in hell

Well I'd like very well to be a wolf in the woods
And I'd like very well to be a fish in the floods

I'd like very well to be a-ringing the bell
But the Lord may save my soul from hell

Leaving aside the standard Child 20 chorus, this looks much more like 'The Well Below the Valley' to me. The sleeve notes don't give any info about the singer - anyone care to tell us more?