Top pop from seventeenth-century England. Broadside ballads were single-sheet songs that sold for a penny a piece. This website concentrates on over 100 resoundingly successful examples that you can investigate through recordings, images and a wealth of other materials. Whether you are interested in music, art, love, gender, tragedy, politics, family life, crime, history, humour or death, you will find something to engage you here. See also User’s Guide.

Emotions - Hope   Religion - Angels  

Showing 1 to 15 of 15

6 A most sweet Song of an English Merchant,/ borne at Chichester [Roxburghe 1.104-05]
12 The True LOYALIST/; OR,/ The Obedient SUBJECT,/ A Loyal SONG [Pepys 2.223]
17 The Merchants Daughter of Bristow [Euing 210]
19 A Pleasant Ballad of Tobias, wherein is shewed/ what wonderful things chanced to him in his Youth [Euing 270]
52 England New Bell-man:/ Ringing into all peoples ears Gods dreadful/ Judgements against this Land and Kingdom [Bodleian Wood 401 (159v-160r)]
53 The Dead Mans Song,/ Whose dwelling was neere unto Bassings Hall in London [Roxburghe 1.72-73]
62 The Honour of a London Prentice [Pepys 3.252]
63 A most godly and comfortable Ballad of the glorious/ Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ [Roxburghe 1.258-59]
74 Ann Askew, intituled, I am a Woman Poor and Blind [Pepys 2.24-25]
80 The wofull lamentation of Edward Smith, a poore penitent/ prisoner in the Jayle of Bedford [Roxburghe 1.367]
81 Prides fall: Or, A warning for all English Women./ By the Example of a strange Monster born of late in Germany [Euing 269]
84 A very godly Song, intituled, The earnest petition of a/ faithfull Christian, being Clarke of Bodnam, made upon his/ Death-bed [Pepys 1.48-49]
101 Saint Bernards Vision./ OR,/ A briefe Discourse (Dialogue-wise) betweene the Soule and the Body of a dam/ned man newly deceased [Roxburghe 1.376-77]
109 Christ's Tears over JERUSALEM;/ OR,/ [A] Caveat for England to call to God for mercy [Pepys 2.6]
119 A Voyage to Virginia;/ OR,/ The Valiant Soldiers Fare-well to his Love [Bodleian Douce 2 (236b)]

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