Hi,

Here is a summary of the Butcher Boy versions from New England. Please post any missing New England versions or give info about them. TY

New England: The following Butcher Boy versions are from New England. Several of the New England versions are much older that the date they were collected. The Butcher Boy as sung by Ada F. Kelley in MA in 1939 (Linscott) goes back several generations though the family. Butcher Boy sung by Jennie Devlin of NY probably dates to the 1880s. Lena B. Fish's version may date back hundreds of years through her family (Bourne family originally from Vermont) and Jim Cleveland's version comes from his mother Sarah, and dates back many years. Several of the versions collected by Lutz in NY (see below) are fragments which are included but have little value. Unfortunately I don't have access to two New England versions (Barry/Bayard) that use stanzas from Constant Lady (see Belden's headnotes, where he gives a stanza). One version from PA has stanzas of Constant Lady. Most of the broadside print versions, dating from c.1860 onward, are from NY and PA which were derived from New England tradition and are not listed below. The broadsides, apparently all from a single arrangement, use the following identifiers: In Jersey City; my heart away; There is an inn; But her gold will melt; her Willie dear; Oh! what a silly maid.

Ballad of the Butcher Boy- B. Hartman (PA) 1899 [9 stanzas; Lancaster City; flesh house; extra stanza (Must I go Bound/orange tree]
In Jersey- Nancy Giannotti (NJ) 1926 Henry C [5 stanzas; Jersey; same city;]
Butcher's Boy- Frank Luther (NY) 1928 REC [9 stanzas; London city; Spring House; extra stanza (Must I be bound/oranges)]
Butcher's Boy- anon (PA) 1928 Harrisburg Telegraph [9 stanzas; London city; strange house; extra stanza (Must I be bound/oranges)]
In Jersey City- Thad Napiorski (NJ) 1929 Henry D [5 1/2 stanzas; Jersey City; other girls end stanza 2 unique lines]
Butcher Boy- Elizabeth Albers (NJ) 1929 Henry E [2 stanzas; Jersey City]
Butcher Boy- Mrs. Harrington (VT) 1930 Brown [8 stanzas; London city; same town;]
Butcher Boy- Paul Lorette (VT) 1931 Flanders REC [10 stanzas; Jersey Town; an inn; extra stanzas (Must I go Bound) (There is a bird)]
Butcher Boy- Mrs. Burditt (VT) 1932 Flanders REC [2 stanzas; London City; an inn]
Butcher Boy- Jennie Devlin (NY) c.1936 Lomax [2 stanzas; Jersey City; extra stanza (apron low)]
Butcher Boy- Ada F. Kelley (MA) 1939 Linscott [8 stanzas; London City; an inn]
In Jersey City- anon (NY) pre1940 Thompson A [8 stanzas; Jersey City extra stanza (I Wish I Wish/apples)]
Georgia Town- anon (NY) pre1940 Thompson B [outline with 1 stanza; Georgia Town; extra stanza (There is a bird)]
Butcher Boy- Lena B. Fish (NH) 1940 Flanders REC [7 stanzas; Jersey City; tavern]
Butcher Boy- Mrs. Russell (VT) 1942 Flanders REC [3 stanzas; Jersey City; house]
I Wish in Vain- F.P. Provance (PA) Bayard 1943 [non-conforming; tavern; extra stanzas (I wish) (babe was born) 2 stanzas of Constant Lady]
Butcher Boy - Alice Robie (NH) 1943 Flanders REC [8 stanza; Dublin Town; a house]
Butcher Boy- Paul Peterson (RI) 1945 Flanders REC [5 1/2 stanzas; Jersey City; alehouse]
Butcher Boy- Amos Eaton (VT) 1945 Flanders REC [7 1/2 stanzas; New York Jersey; same town; 1st stanza similar Brisk Young Lover; extra stanza (I Wish, I Wish/orange)
Butcher Boy- O. Jenness (ME) 1947 Flanders REC [6 stanzas; Jersey City; a house; extra stanzas (frost and snow/dresses); (babe was born)]
Butcher Boy- Maggie Gannon (NY) 1947 Lutz B [2 corrupt stanza; Jersey City]
Butcher Boy- Cal Conklin (NY) 1947 Lutz C [9 stanzas; London City; strange house; extra stanza (Must I be Bound/oranges]
Butcher Boy- Mrs. G-- (NY) 1947 Lutz D [3 stanzas; Jersey City; extra stanza (rain and snow/apron)]
Butcher Boy- Mrs. J. Bulson (NY) 1947 Lutz E [1 stanza; Jersey City]
Butcher Boy - William Webster (RI) 1952 Flanders [9 1/2 stanzas; Jersey City; a house; extras stanzas (There is a bird) (I wish I wish)]
Butcher Boy- Jim Cleveland (NY) 1966 REC Davies [7 stanzas; Dublin City; extra stanza (apron low) (Must I go bound/child without a name)]
Butcher Boy- anon (PA) 1958 Bayard [7 stanzas; Jersey City; an inn]

Since New England is the obvious source of the 1860 broadsides with the identifiers-- Jersey city; an inn-- it's no surprise that Jersey City is the most popular location. Of the 27 New England versions 15 have Jersey City-- the name Jersey also used in the state New Jersey is derived from the isle off the coast of south England and France. "London city" and "Dublin city" are the next two popular while a version from Pennsylvania has the local location of "Lancaster City."
"There is a girl" in "an inn" while one version has "flesh house" while "a house" or a "strange house" or "an alehouse" are also popular. Some locations where he meets the girl are in the "same" city or town. The extra stanzas include "frost and snow/apron low" whereas in Canada the apron was not mentioned. In one version the apron is a dress. There are several stanzas of "I wish my Babe was born" popular in the UK versions of "I Wish I Wish" Roud 495. There are 3 versions of the rare "There is a Bird" also found rarely in the UK. The "Must I Go Bound" extra stanza appears 5 times. There is one non-conforming hybrid "I Wish in Vain" (Bayard) with stanzas from "Constant lady" broadside.

Richie