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McCafferty

Date 1961
Track ID 37331
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1961.38.A23

Original Tape ID

SA1961.038

Summary

In this song, a young man joins the army, but is treated unfairly by his Captain, whom he resolves to kill. Taking his rifle, he shoots the Colonel by accident, and is tried in Liverpool [and sentenced to death].

Item Notes

5 verses of 4 lines. Roy Palmer gives a lengthy account of the factual history of Patrick McCaffery of Mulingar, who was convicted on the 15th of December 1861 and hanged for the murder of Captain Hanham and Colonel Crofton at Fulwood Barracks, Preston on the 14th of September 1861. The traditional song appears to describe the actual events quite accurately.

See:
'Rambling Soldier' (R. Palmer, 1977) pp. 119-120
'Singing Island' (E. MacColl & P. Seeger, 1960) p. 73
'Folk Song in England' (A. L. Lloyd, 1967) pp. 257-258
'Travellers' Songs from England and Scotland' (E. MacColl & P. Seeger, 1977) pp. 272-274

Item Subject/Person

McCaffery, Patrick [McCafferty] [M'Caffrey]

Recording Location

County - Aberdeenshire

Parish - Huntly

Village/Place - Huntly

Language

English

Genre

Song

Collection

SoSS

Classification

R1148

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Fair