Folkestone Murder broadside

Subject: Folkestone Muder broadside
From: GUEST,George Frampton
Date: 25 Apr 12 - 10:43 AM

Can anyone tell me (or give me a URL) where I can find the source of the original broadside of George Spicer's 'Folkestone Murder' song?
This is the one that starts: 'Kind friends, come pay attention, and listen to my song ...'
This version is predominant in south-east England and efforts to locate the original has been fruitless. (There are two other versions in Julia deVaynes's 'The Kentish Garland', but are nowhere near the one under question).

I am trying to bridge a 15 year gap between the time George's father-in-law was born in 1874 from whom George learnt the song, and the murder itself. (Pedantic, I know, but authoritative if a successful match can be identified).

PS:- Yes, I have tried other ballad websites, and also Steve Gardham, and it's eluded him as well!

Subject: RE: Folkestone Muder broadside
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Apr 12 - 10:50 AM

Oh good! A mystery! This is what Mudcat is so good at solving!

SRS

Subject: RE: Folkestone Murder broadside
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 25 Apr 12 - 12:24 PM

This may indeed prove difficult. The Roud index shows 28 entries for #897 (The Folkestone Murder/Marie and Caroline/Maria and Sweet Caroline/Mary and Sweet Caroline/Switzerland John), all of them from oral tradition.

Mick

Subject: RE: Folkestone Murder broadside
From: GUEST,Paul Slade
Date: 25 Apr 12 - 12:31 PM

http://www.planetslade.com/broadside-ballads-foreigners-downfall.html

Not precisely what you're after, I know - but perhaps of some help?

Subject: RE: Folkestone Murder broadside
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 25 Apr 12 - 12:47 PM

The BL hold two sheets by Powell dated 1856 and 1857, but they may only be a related song.

The dying soldier in Maidstone Gaol (1856): "Oh list my friends to a foreign soldier."

Life, trial and execution of Dedea Redanies, for the murder of Caroline and Maria Back (1857).

Powell is listed as printer at Whitechapel and Maidstone. It's not clear if the 1857 is a reissue of the 1856 one or a different thing entirely.


Mick

Subject: RE: Folkestone Murder broadside
From: GUEST,Paul Slade
Date: 25 Apr 12 - 07:10 PM

The second sheet Mick mentions is the one I linked to above. There's a scan available via that page too, and it's first line is: "Oh list awhile both far and near".

Subject: RE: Folkestone Murder broadside
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 17 May 22 - 10:58 AM

Whilst all of this gives excellent detail re the actual event we still haven't got a copy of the original broadside of the ballad requested unfortunately. There must have been one but perhaps it never survived. The ballad does turn up in various places in England so several printings is likely unless it was by someone like Harkness of Preston who was distributing copies by train all over the country by then. With Kent bordering on London one of the London printers is the likely culprit, but the trial was widely reported in newspapers at the time.

Subject: RE: Folkestone Murder broadside
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 17 May 22 - 05:46 PM

By the way I know George's request was 10 years ago but the only apparently full 10-stanza version is George Spicer's. All other versions have at least one stanza missing. It would be easy enough to reconstruct the broadside as most versions have pretty much the same wording.