Digital Tradition Mirror

Poor Murdered Woman

(This score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

Poor Murdered Woman

It was Hanky the squire as I've heard men say
Who rode out a-hunting on one saturday
They hunted all day but nothing they found
But a poor murdered woman laid on the cold ground

About eight o'clock, boys, our dogs they throve off
On Leatherhead Common and that was the spot
They tried all the bushes but nothing they found
But a poor murdered woman laid on the cold ground

They whipped their dogs off and they kept them away
Cried "We think it is proper that she should have fair play"
They tried all the bushes but nothing they found
But a poor murdered woman laid on the cold ground

They mounted their horses and they rode off the ground
They rode to the village and alarmed it all around
"It is late in the evening, I'm sorry to say
She cannot be removed until the next day"

The next sunday morning about eight o'clock
Some hundreds of people to the spot they did flock
For to see the poor creature, your hearts would have bled
Some cold-hearted violents came into their heads

She was took off the Common and down to some inn
And the man that has kept it, his name is John Simms
The coroner was sent for, the jury they joined
And soon they concluded and they settled their mind

The coffin was brought, in it she was laid
And took to the churchyard of this court Leatherhead
No father nor mother nor no friend I'm told
Came to see the poor creature laid under the lawn

So now I conclude and I'll finish my song
And those that have tarried shall find themselves wrong
To the last day of Georgemont a trumpet shall sound
And this soul's not in heaven, I'm afraid, when being found

recorded by Shirley Collins and the Albion Country Band on "No Roses" (1971)
and by Carthy/Swarbrick on "But Two Came By" (1969) (without last verse)

Collected by Lucy Broadsword from Mr. Forster of Surrey
"A favourite song of mine learned from the singer Pete Wood. Reported in
The Times on Tuesday January 14th 1834, it's the true story of a body
found on Leatherhead Common by the Surrey Union Hunt. Written by a
tender-hearted observer at the time, the song is so straight-forwardly
told that its compassion and dignity might escape you, were it not for
its noble tune." - Shirley Collins

"A song describing a non-event" - Martin Carthy
The last verse is a bit strange, anybody knows better words?

MJ

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!