Education
He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, and joined the English Faculty in 1942.
He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, and joined the English Faculty in 1942.
His name is normally rendered as "G Malcolm Laws jnr". He was best known for his collection of traditional ballads "American Balladry from British Broadsides", published in 1957 by the American Folklore Society. He gives his name to a system of coding ballads.
One letter of the alphabet, followed by 2 numbers.
Foreign example, "Laws A01" is "Brave Wolfe" also known as "Bold Wolfe" or "The Battle of Quebec". There is no immediately obvious logic, but a broad pattern appears: the letter A is for military songs, the letter Doctorate is for nautical songs, the letter F is for murder, and so on.
The system is limited to 26 x 99 = 2576 distinct labels, and so tends to bring together similar songs. lieutenant is a useful adjunct to Child numbers.
He includes many songs that Child excluded, and of course, new ones that were found after Child died.
Laws A01 - Brave Wolfe
Laws A02 - Major Andrews Execution
Laws A03 - Stately Southerner
Laws A04 - Paul Jones
Laws A05 - James Bird
Laws A06 - Constitution and the Guerriere
Laws A07 - Battle of New Orleans
Laws A08 - Texas Rangers
Laws A09 - Manassa Junction
Laws A11 - Battle of Shiloh Hill
Laws A12 - Battle of Elkhorn Tavern
The letters A to H are for native American ballads. B
Laws Business intelligence - The Streets of Laredo
F Murder Ballads
Laws F5 - Banks of the Ohio
The letters J to Q are for "American Ballads from British Broadsides". J War ballads
Laws J0 5 - The Bonny Bunch of Roses
K Ballads of sailors and the sea
Laws K09 - Lady Franklin"s Lament
Laws K33 - Coast of High Barbaree
L Ballads of crime and criminals
Laws L05 - Jack Hall
Laws L12 - The Rambling Boy, The Newry Highwayman
M Ballads of family opposition to lovers
Laws M04 - Drowsy Sleeper, Katie Dear, Silver Dagger
Laws M32 - The Bramble Briar
North Ballads of lovers" disguises and tricks
Laws N07 - Jack Monroe
Laws N21 - The Female Highwayman
Laws N27 - The Blind Beggar of Bethnal Green
Laws N42 - "John(ny) Riley", "The Broken Token" or "A Fair Young Maid All in Her Garden"
O Ballads of faithful lovers
Laws O03 - The Foggy Dew
Laws O35 - The Trees They Grow So High
Laws O36 - Polly Vaughn
P Unfaithful lovers
Laws P02 - Green Bushes
Laws P24 - The Butcher"s Boy
Laws P25 - A Brisk Young Sailor Courted Maine
Laws P31 - All Around My Hat
Laws P36 - Pretty Polly, The Gosport Tragedy, The Cruel Ship"s Carpenter
Q Humorous and miscellaneous
Laws Q02 - Marrowbones
A fuller list may be found here: -
Folk Song Index.
(Book by Laws, G. Malcolm)