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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.

History - Recent  

Showing 1 to 11 of 11

26 The Whig Rampant:/OR, EXALTATION [Euing 389]
33 The most Rare and Excellent History,/ Of the Dutchess of Suffolks Callamity [Euing 228]
35 The Judgement of God shewed upon one John Faustus/ Doctor in Divinity [Euing 145]
62 The Honour of a London Prentice [Pepys 3.252]
74 Ann Askew, intituled, I am a Woman Poor and Blind [Pepys 2.24-25]
78 John ARMSTRONG's Last Good-Night [Pepys 2.133]
79 Win at first, lose at last; or, a New Game at Cards [Bodleian Wood 401 (149v-150r)]
97 A Turn-Coat of the Times [Pepys 2.210]
109 Christ's Tears over JERUSALEM;/ OR,/ [A] Caveat for England to call to God for mercy [Pepys 2.6]
111 The Famous Fight at Malago,/ Or, The Englishmen's Victory over the Spaniards [Pepys 4.204]
112 Rebellion given over House-keeping:/ OR,/ A General Sale of Rebellious Houshould stuff [Pepys 2.209]

Top Fives

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Authors

  • Anonymous  (9)
  • D'Urfey, Thomas (1653?–...  (1)
  • Deloney, Thomas (d. in...  (1)
  • Price, Laurence (fl. 16...  (1)
  • Quarles, Francis (1592-...  (1)

Publishers

  • Thackeray, William  (10)
  • Clark, John  (9)
  • Passinger, Thomas  (9)
  • Wright, John III  (9)
  • Coles (aka Coules), Fra...  (8)

Topics

  •   History - recent  (11)
  • Politics - controversy  (6)
  • Politics - domestic  (6)
  • Death - execution  (5)
  • Politics - Civil War/In...  (5)

Instruments

  • Cittern  (3)
  • Bones  (2)
  • Fiddle  (2)
  • Anglo concertina  (1)
  • Bladder fiddle (bumbass...  (1)

Performers

  • Lewin, Giles  (4)
  • Kirkpatrick, John  (3)
  • Vitale, Steno  (3)
  • Watts, Andy  (3)
  • Burn, Emily  (2)

Tunes

  • A new game at cards  (1)
  • All you that love good...  (1)
  • Five sail of frigates b...  (1)
  • Fortune my foe  (1)
  • Hey boys up go we  (1)

Woodcuts

  • Alehouse scene with can...  (1)
  • Attack with keys  (1)
  • Battle at sea  (1)
  • City on hill  (1)
  • Courtier and countryman  (1)

Holding Libraries

  • Bodleian Library, Oxfor...  (10)
  • British Library  (10)
  • Pepys Library, Magdalen...  (10)
  • Houghton Library, Harva...  (9)
  • National Library of Sco...  (8)

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