may turn out to be more like a Treasure Hunt than a quiz really, but I'm interested in what we can do with this.

In 1554, the London Guild of Stationers began keeping records. These were, to start with, mainly to do with the costs of maintenance and the income derived from presenting aprrentices and the associated feasts etc. However, in July 1558 (and following their incorporation as the Stationers Company) they began keeping records of the ballads they licensed (the charge was 4d each for a year's license).

The first entry was "To william Pekerynge a ballett called a rise and wake iiijd". However, the next 31 were a job lot for which only 10s was charged (it should have been 10s4d) "To master John Wallye and Mistress Toye these balletts following that ys to saye ..."

Here is the list:

1. Women be beste whan they be at Reste
2. A maid that wolde mary with a servynge man
3. I will have a widow yf ever I marye
4. Whan Ragynge love
5. The Daye of the lord ys at hande
6. Who lyve so merye and make suche sporte / As they yat be of the pooreste sorte
7. a ballett of THOMALYN
8. betwene a Ryche farmer and his Doughter
9. An Epytaph upon the Deathe of kynge EDWARDE ye SEXTE
10. a ballett of the talk betwene ij maydes
11. a ballett of good wives
12. The m[o]urninge of EDWARDE Duke of BUCKYNGHAM
13. a ballett of the lover and of the byrde
14. Tomorrow shalbe my fathers wake
15. a ballett of a man that wolde be unmaryed agayne
of the ryche man and poore LAZARUS
16. a ballett of the ABC of a preste called HEUGH STORMY &c.
17. a ballytt of [?] made by NYCHOLASSE BALTROPPE
18. The aged mans ABC
19. a ballett of wakefylde and agrene
20a ballett of a mylner
21 a ballett of God send me a wyffe that will Do as I saye
22/23. a ballett of I will no more go to the ploughe with another new ballett annexed to the same
24. a ballett of admonysshion to leave swerynge
a ballett for my solas
25. a ballett In winters Juste Retorne
26. a ballett yf ever I mary I will mary a mayde
27. a ballett then and in those Dayes then I say then / knaves that be now will become honest men
28. a ballett yt was a man in age truly
29. a ballett Rose ys frome my garden gonne
30/31. ij ballettes yf Care may Cause men crye and The sorrowes that Doth increase

Your mission - should you accept it - is to identify which of these ballads can definitely be matched to ballads available now, which definitely can't and which (most) might or might not be still around. In the 3rd category, total speculation is welcome and silly answers will be awarded bonus points.

This is intended as a bit of a laugh really, but anyone coming in with truly accurate information will be duly feted!

Go for it(?)

;-)
Ian