Hi,

I assume this is the first known US version from c. 1816- which is Child A c.:

Lady Alice- Uneda (PA) c. 1816 Child A c. from Notes and Queries, 1856.

1    Lady Alice was sitting in her bower window,
A-mending her midnight coif,
And there she saw the finest corpse
That she ever saw in her life.
   "Fal-de-ral"

2    'What bear ye, what bear ye, ye six men tall,
Upon your shoulders strong?'
'We bear the corpse of Sir Giles Collins,
An old and true lover of yours.'
"Fal-de-ral"

3    Lady Alice was buried all in the east,
Giles Collins all in the west,
A lily grew out of Giles Collins's grave,
And touched Lady Alice's breast.
"Fal-de-ral"

To view the original document look on my site here:http://bluegrassmessengers.com/lady-alice--uneda-pa-c1816-child-a-c.aspx

I pose the question who is Uneda from Philadelphia and where did he learn this version in 1816?

Anyone hazard a guess?

Richie