Child Ballad Database"The Child Ballads are a collection of 305 traditional ballads that originated in England and Scotland, but spread to North America, Ireland, and other parts of the English speaking world. The name comes from the man who researched and catalogued them, Francis James Child (1825-1896), an American scholar and folklorist.
His collection was published as The English and Scottish Popular Ballads. The topics range from supernatural experiences, romance, riddles, and ribald humor to feuds, murder, rape, incest, and historical tragedies."