A BIDFORD singer-songwriter Linzi Jane Morgan has released her latest single, Ballad of Mary Morgan which features Evesham-based Marion Fleetwood on strings.
This beautiful modern-day folk song is based on the tragic tale of a young servant in Presteigne, who was tried, convicted and hanged for killing her newborn child in 1805.
Released on October 10, on TuneCore, it is the second single from her upcoming album Love & Other Stories which was co-produced by Linzi Jane along with Paul Johnston of Rhythm Studios, Bidford who also contributed bass, drum and piano.
The song tells the story as an imagined confession – Mary telling her poignant story, which was not recorded at the time.
It was never made public who the father was, but rumours at the time suggest that he was related to the judge or according to contemporary newspaper reports a co-worker.
Sadly, the focus of the terrible tale is not whether Mary was guilty or not which is incontrovertible but the lack of compassion and understanding for a young person in her unfortunate position. It was highly unusual to execute teenage girls let alone woman for infanticide.
Following the trial it was usual for a procession of community members to accompany the guilty to their fate through the town, but such was the outrage at Mary’s sentencing, the story goes, that no one would drive her cart to the gallows.
Told through song and hand-drawn video made by the artist herself, Linzi Jane creates a deeply personal account of a much-told tale, giving Mary a voice, albeit imagined, more than 200 years after she died.
Linzi Jane discovered the story whilst living in Presteigne.
She told the Observer: “It took me quite a while to imagine her voice, what may have happened, how afraid she must have been, giving birth on her own, scared of getting caught.
“Fearful of the life that waited for her if she had declared she was pregnant – the workhouse, shame.
“Like many others, I have visited the jail where she was kept, the judges’ lodgings, and the small dark hole rooms, invariably rat-infested, seemed punishment enough.
“It’s such a desperately sad story, I wanted to try to give Mary a voice.”
The song asks ‘Please God be home, please God I’m not alone’, is the plea from a dark cell from a young girl alone, so little of her life yet lived.
Mary’s grave is now within the church yard, covered with plastic flowers, maybe to keep their colour through all seasons.
A small comfort for being abandoned by both church and law makers, and left to carry the consequences of this sentence.
What started as a simple demo tape has morphed into a beautifully crafted, soulful album by Linzi Jane which is being launched in February 2026.
It is already getting airplay on BBC Introducing.
Visit www.linzijanemorgan.com for more information.
