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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.

Clark, John   Mizrake, Raph   Graham, Benny  

Showing 1 to 10 of 10

1 A proper new Ballad, intituled, The wandring Prince of Troy [Pepys 1.84-85]
40 A Pleasant new Ballad betweene King Edward the fourth, and a Tan-/ner of Tamworth [Roxburghe 1.176-77]
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]
77 The wonderfull example of God shewed upon Jasper Coningham. a Gentleman borne in/ Scotland [Crawford 714]
78 John ARMSTRONG's Last Good-Night [Pepys 2.133]
106 A Strange Banquet;/ OR,/ The Devils Entertainment by Cook Laurel [Pepys 4.284]
110 The doleful Dance, and Song of Death; Intituled, Dance after my Pipe [Pepys 2.62]
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  (8)
  • Hill, Thomas  (1)
  • Jonson, Ben (1573-1637)  (1)

Publishers

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

Topics

  • Bodies - clothing  (5)
  • Environment - animals  (5)
  • Gender - masculinity  (5)
  • Places - English  (5)
  • Employment - crafts/tra...  (4)

Instruments

  • Cittern  (4)
  • Drum  (4)
  • Fiddle  (4)
  • Bones  (2)
  • Curtal  (1)

Performers

  •   Mizrake, Raph  (7)
  • Lewin, Giles  (6)
  •   Graham, Benny  (5)
  • Vitale, Steno  (4)
  • Watts, Andy  (4)
  • Kerr, Nancy  (3)
  • Ingham, Edward  (1)
  • Kirkpatrick, John  (1)
  • Underwood, Giles  (1)

Tunes

  • All you that love good...  (1)
  • Chevy Chase  (1)
  • Cook Laurel  (1)
  • Johny Armstrong  (1)
  • Lord Willoughby  (1)
  • O man in desperation  (1)
  • Old Simon the King  (1)
  • The shaking of the shee...  (1)
  • Troy Town  (1)

Woodcuts

  • Bellman with lamp  (1)
  • Christ in glory  (1)
  • Gallant on rearing hors...  (1)
  • Jaws of Hell  (1)
  • London apprentice compo...  (1)

Holding Libraries

  • Bodleian Library, Oxfor...  (10)
  • British Library  (10)
  • Pepys Library, Magdalen...  (10)
  • National Library of Sco...  (8)
  • No known copy  (8)

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