More from Child's footnote to Lady Diamond:

The tragedy is said to be localised at Radcliffe, Lancashire, followed by references to Harland, Ballads and Songs of Lancashire, where you can find The Radcliffe Tragedy of "Fair Ellen", which gives the story and a copy of the ballad and Roby: Traditions of Lancashire, which also gives the story and the ballad.

Harland mentions a version of the song to be sung to the tune of The Lady's Fall. There are several references to this tune in Simpson BBBM, see especially the entry for In Peascod Time (which might be the tune - I'm skimming at the moment!). Simpson does say in that entry that Lady Isabella's Tragedy names the tune as "Fair Rosamond, Or, Chivy Chase" on early editions and as "The Ladies Fall" on a great many editions after about 1675. Of the Pills' tune he says has affinities with "The children in the wood" in the opening bars, but is otherwise a version of "Chevy Chase". Since the ballads "Fair Rosamond" and "Chevy Chase" were both sung to the tune of "Flying Fame", we have here one of many examples of confusion surrounding these several tune names. The broadsides of "Lady Isabella's Tragedy" suggest a shift from "Flying Fame" to "The Lady's Fall", but the Pills music leaves us on uncertain ground

I haven't located a Jesuitmont version yet.


Mick