Here is another small chunk of research. First I'll give then complete versions then the commentary. The Lexington Murder is mainly from the Norfolk Colony and is very specific and easily identified. An older and similar version from that area with more details from Berkshire is "Bloody Miller" (not 1684 broadside). At the bottom Ja, Jb are two Nellie Cropsey titles that use the Lexington Miller text:
Ia. "The Lexington Girl." Sung by Miss Mary Riddle, North Fork Road, Black Mountain, North Carolina, 1925. From Mellinger Henry's "Folk Songs from the Southern Highlands," J.J. Augustin, 1938; first published in the 1929 JAFL article "Lexington Girl." Ib. "My Confession." Contributed by Miss Sylvia Vaughan, of Oakland City, Indiana. Gibson County. Secured from her mother, Mrs. Hiram Vaughan. March 5, 1935. From: Brewster's "Ballads and Songs of Indiana; Indiana University Publications, Folklore Series," 1940. Ic. "Lexington Murder." Sung by Fields Ward of Galax, Va., recorded in 1937; from Our Singing Country by Alan Lomax, 1941. Id. "Lexington Murder." Sung by Nora Hicks, taken down by Addie Hicks c. 1937 From Abrams Collection; no date, typed MS. This standard version (from the late 1800s) was copied by Nora's daughter Addie for Edith Walker, a student collector for Abrams. Ie. "The Lexington Murder." Collected by Mrs. Zebulon Baird Vance near Black Mountain, Buncombe county, and received by the Society in April 1915. From: Brown Collection of NC Folklore; volumes 2, 1952. If. The Lexington Murder.' c. 1939 Sung by anonymous singer. Recorded, but no date or place given. The text of this version is a combination of versions A and F. From the Brown Collection of NC Folklore, volume 4, 1956. Ig. "Lexington Murder." Sung by Mrs. Nilla Lancaster of Wayne county, NC. From: Brown Collection of NC Folklore; volumes 2, 1952. Ih. "Lexington Miller" sung by Martha Hodges of NC in 1931. Given to W. Amos Abrams in 1939 by Imogene Norris, "to whom the ballad was sung 8 years previously by Mrs. Martha Hodges." Ii. "Lexington Murder." Sung by Mrs. Susie Wasson of Springdale, Arkansas on August 8, 1959 Ozark Folk Song Collection- online; Reel 284, Item 4. Collected by Iola Stone for Mary Celestia Parler. Transcribed by Iola Stone. Ij. "Lexington Girl," sung by Lillie and Pearl Steele of Hamilton, Ohio, with banjo by Pete Steele on March 30, 1938. Recorded by Alan Lomax. Learned in Butler County, Kentucky from Clara Boyd (?) known for 23 years. Ik. "The Lexington Murder," sung by Wesley Hargis of Raleigh, North Carolina in 1934. Collected by John A. & Alan Lomax. New World NW 245 (`Oh My Little Darling: Folk Song Types'). Il. "Lexington Murder," sung by Abie Shepherd of Bryson City, N. C. in summer of 1923. Collected by Isabel Gordon Carter. Some Songs and Ballads from Tennessee and North Carolina by Isabel Gordon Carter; The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 46, No. 179 (Jan. - Mar., 1933), pp. 22-50. Im. "Lexington Murder" as sung by W. D. Collins of Missouri, Wyoming, and Oklahoma about 1953. W.D. Collins (1893-1976), a stockman, community song leader, square dance caller, cowboy, and Baptist preacher. From "Ideology and Folksong Re-creation in the Home-recorded Repertoire of W. D. Collins" by Melinda S Collins. Io. "One Saturday Night," sung by Colon Keel with guitar in Raiford, Florida on June 3, 1939 (recorded by John Avery Lomax, Ruby T. Lomax) Ip. "Never Let the Devil Get The Upper Hand Of You," as sung by the Carter Family of Virginia, collected by A.P. Carter, recorded 1937 on Decca recording 5479, New York , NY. Iq. "The Old Mill," sung by Mr. Lair to his daughter about 1890. Payne "Songs and Ballads Grave and Gay" and also Dobie, Texas and Southwestern Lore, p. 213; Texas. Ir. "City of Pineville," sung by Mrs. Lee Stevens of White Rock MO, Aug. 10, 1927. Randolph A; Randolph, Ozark Folksongs; 4 vols. 1946-50.
Ja. "Nell Cropsey," sung by John Squire Chappell of Tyner, NC in 1912 Jb. "Nellie Crospie," sung by Betty Bostic of Mooresboro, NC March 5, 1938 as learned from her grandmother; sent to Abrams. See also her grandmother's version 'Lexington Murder,' as sung by Mrs. G. L. Bostic.
North American Ballad Types: The Lexington Murder (I)
Categorizing ballad types by title has proven to be difficult for the traditional descendants of Berkshire in North America. The popular older titles Wexford Girl and Oxford Girl have been used interchangeably in different areas of the country by traditional singers. The Lexington Murder, however, is very consistent and has only one older version with additional text (Mary Boney; Eddy C). The quick identifiers of The Lexington murder/Lexington Girl, which are missing in some versions, are:
A. The name of the city of town where the murderer did dwell or was born and raised. Also the name of the city or town he was placed in or owned a mill. The location of the mill is also the name of the girl (Knoxville girl) and usually the title (Knoxville Girl) as well as the town where the dead girl's body is discovered (floating down through ---- Town). B. The identity of the person who sees the nosebleed: his servant John, his master (the miller) or his mother. C. The name of the murderer. D. The name of the location of the jail and/or the name town where her body floats down on the river that flows through it. This is usually A, if different it's D.
In general the name of the murderer, if given, corresponds to versions in the UK. The name "Willie" is Scottish and English (New England/Canada) while the name "Johnny" is Irish[] and English (John is the name given in Berkshire). The name of the victim is rarely given, so it is not usually an identifier-- her name, Mary or Mary Ann, is found consistently in the Scottish tradition.
"The Lexington Murder" or "The Lexington Girl," my I, is one of the oldest ballad types and found mainly in the US south and especially in North Carolina (see Brown Collection of NC Folklore). One version I've titled "Lexington Girl" (from Mrs. Mary Boney, Perrysville, Ohio), although categorized as Hb because it is much older and closer to the original Berkshire, is also part of I. See also the similar "Bloody Miller" titles from North Carolina and two complete Nell Cropsey texts which are just versions of Lexington Murder with the Nell Cropsey title. The Lexington title is also found twice in New England and is associated there with the Deming broadside Lexington Miller. Other versions like, One Saturday Night[], are missing the first two stanzas and the "city of Lexington" and "cast my eye" identifiers. The first and only commercial recording of "The Lexington Murder" is titled, "Never Let the Devil Get The Upper Hand Of You" which was made by the Carter Family of Virginia in 1937 on Decca recording 5479, New York City, NY.
"The Lexington Murder" has the following identifiers: A) "In the city of Lexington, they placed me in a mill." This agrees with Berkshire except the city is Lexington. B) "on her I cast my eye;" is similar to Berkshire which has "Wanton eye" while Lexington Miller has "winning eye." This is different than the standard text similar to The Cruel Miller's "black (dark) and rolling eye." C) When he asks her if she'd marry him she "believes the lie." D) On a "Saturday night, a-curs-ed be the day" the devil puts it in his head to take her life away. E) When he goes to see her at 'her sister's house" he thinks "little did that creature think," he owed her any spite. "Creature" is also found in Berkshire. F) He takes her for a walk and they walk "side by side" to a "silent/lonely/lonesome/desert[ed] place" where he picks up a stick (not stake) or slab and hits her "in the face." The rhyme is place/face. G) After he kills her he states: "I run my hand thru her cold black hair/To cover up my sin/I drug her to the river bank And there I throwed her in." which corresponds to stanza 16 of Berkshire. It's not clear that he is dragging her to the river-- by her hair-- so that he can dispose of the body to cover up his sin(murder). Running his hands through her hair does not cover up his sin (murder). H) After returning home he states, "I met my servant John" who asks why he looks so pale and why he looks so "wan?" The word "wan" (which means pale" so the question is redundant) in almost every case is corrupt. The larger question is: why does an apprentice have a servant and is "servant John" derived perhaps from another ballad? I) I went upstairs to go to bed (or he lights an candle) /Expecting to take my rest/It felt to me that fires of hell/Were burning in my breast. J) The nosebleed is sometimes found (Fields Ward/Chappell's "Nell Cropsey") and if it's there- it follows I. K) Her body is not found a-floating down the river to Lexington town. Her murderer is not put in jail. L) The Lexington Murder ends with this warning: Then all young men this warning take/And to your love be true/Don't ever let the devil get/ The upper hand of you." It corresponds to the devil's earlier role in the ballad when, on a Saturday night, the devil puts the thought in his head to take her life away.
Below is a standard North Carolina version:
Ie. 'The Lexington Murder.' Collected by Mrs. Zebulon Baird Vance near Black Mountain, Buncombe county, and received by the Society in April 1916.
1 My tender parents brought me up, Provided for me well, And in the city of Lexington They put me in a mill.
2 'Twas there I spied a bright young miss On whom I cast my eye. I asked her if she'd marry me, And she believed a lie.
3 Last Saturday night three weeks ago, Of course [A-curs-ed] would have been the day. The devil put it in my head To take her life away.
4 I went into her sister's house Eleven o'clock last night. But little did the creature know For her I had a spite.
5 I asked her kind to take a walk A little piece away That we might have a joyful talk About our wedding day.
6 We went upon a lonely road, A dark and lonely place; I took a stick from off the fence And struck her in the face.
7 She fell upon her bended knee And loud for mercy cried: 'For Heaven's sake don't murder me! Fm unprepared to die.'
8 But little attention did I pay; I only struck her more Until I saw the innocent blood That I could not restore.
9 I run my hand through her cold black hair; To cover up my sin I drug her to the river bank And there I throwed her in.
10 And on returning to my home I met my servant John. He asked me why I was so pale And why[I was so wan] so hurried on.
11 I went upstairs to go to bed. Expecting to take my rest. It felt to me that fires of hell Were burning in my breast.
12 Then all young men this warning take And to your love be true; Don't ever let the devil get The upper hand of you.