The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #158897 Message #3761832
Posted By: Steve Gardham
30-Dec-15 - 06:23 PM
Thread Name: a folk song with lots of incarnations
Subject: RE: a folk song with lots of incarnations
Jim, The earliest extant version I have is about 1790 'The Buck's Elegy'. The common broadside c1840 was generally titled 'The Unfortunate Lad' and then 'The Sailor Cut Down' type I have nothing earlier than about 1900. The title 'Unfortunate Rake' was I think a later editorial title used for some oral versions, notably Lloyd.