Lady Maisry


Lady Maisry is Child ballad 65, existing in many variants.

Synopsis

The heroine—Maisry, Janet, Margery, Marjory, Susie—becomes pregnant. She declares that she will not surrender her true love. Her family goes to burn her. A page boy goes to fetch the true love, but he arrives too late.
Many variants end with his vows of revenge on all her family, and often on all the lands about. In some, he adds that he will remember the page boy, sometimes resolving to become a pilgrim after his revenge.
In some, he dies of grief, or goes mad.

Motifs

The woman sentenced to death for unchastity is a common motif in romances and ballads. The description of the page boy's journey is similar to a passage in Matty Groves.

Performers