Hi,

I've been looking at the series of sweetheart-murder ballads and have some questions. I'm focused on miller/nosebleed series and am trying to understand the Berkshire tragedy, a broadside that entered oral circulation. Who wrote it? From what printer did it come and when?

According to Cox and others the murder was committed by "John Mauge, a Miller, who was executed at Reading in Berkshire, on Saturday the 20th of last month, for the barbarous murder of Anne Knite, his sweet-heart." Was John Mauge a real person who killed Anne Knite in 1744?

If so how could the broadside be printed earlier?

I wrote this on my site in a few hours but stopped, realizing I needed to learn -- who done it???

http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/6-bloody-miller-berkshire-tragedy-wexford-girl.aspx

Comments and posts are welcome!!!

Richie