Info: Maccafferty

Subject: Lyr Req: Maccafferty
From: r.padgett
Date: 13 Apr 21 - 12:07 PM

Maccaferty or similar spelling! I am looking for Roy Palmer's book title containing the provenance and original story of this song ~ I do sing a version but if anyone has their own collected version I would be happy to have it from you, please? lol
I have two versions already btw

Ray

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Maccafferty
From: Jeri
Date: 13 Apr 21 - 12:30 PM

Something like this?This: DTStudy: McCassery and McCafferty - and McCaffery

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Maccafferty
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 13 Apr 21 - 12:34 PM

I think you want The Rambling Soldier, Ray

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Maccafferty
From: Jeri
Date: 13 Apr 21 - 12:34 PM

Sorry - the book title is a little bit buried. The Rambling soldier: Life in the lower ranks, 1750-1900, through soldiers' songs and writings (A Peacock book)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Maccafferty
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 13 Apr 21 - 02:03 PM

I can scan you the pages if you want, Ray, but I'm pretty certain all the history will be on here somewhere, as posted by Jeri.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Maccafferty
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 13 Apr 21 - 05:08 PM

Roy Palmer; The Rambling Soldier 1977
Republished by Faber and Faber 2008
McCafferty; Our version was learned by a Mr Roy Harris while he was serving in the Royal Artillery in 1951.

Roy Palmer; What a Lovely War, British Soldiers' Songs 1990
McCaffery; The version given here comes from the manuscript book of songs, poems and jokes compiled in India by William Blackmore, a clerk in the 1st Devonshire Regiment.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Maccafferty
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 13 Apr 21 - 05:29 PM

There's another version in The Old Lamb and Flag
The Songs and Story of Preston and its Guild
by Tom Walsh and Gregg Butler 1992

McCaffery; Words: From the singing of Bill McAllister, Ashton, Preston. 1968.
Tune:ibid, a variant on Lord Franklin. popular around 1859.

Subject: RE: Info: Maccafferty
From: r.padgett
Date: 14 Apr 21 - 09:10 AM

Thanks all I found my copy of the Rambling Soldier

Ray

Subject: RE: Info: Maccafferty
From: r.padgett
Date: 14 Apr 21 - 03:35 PM

I think the Roy Harris was the folk singer who went on to sing semi professionally for many years associated with Derbyshire and Wales

Ray

HIs version has the verse about "the judge banging on wood"

Subject: RE: Info: Maccafferty
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 14 Apr 21 - 04:06 PM

So not Roy Harris of NTMC then?

Subject: RE: Info: Maccafferty
From: r.padgett
Date: 15 Apr 21 - 03:04 AM

Whoa yes him ~ geography failed

Ray

Subject: RE: Info: Maccafferty
From: r.padgett
Date: 15 Apr 21 - 03:05 AM

Born: June 15, 1933, Derby
Died: February 9, 2016, Cardiff

Ray

Subject: RE: Info: Maccafferty
From: The Sandman
Date: 15 Apr 21 - 03:27 AM

Roy was a professional not semi pro.Roy also started Tradtions at the Tiger

Subject: RE: Info: Maccafferty
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 15 Apr 21 - 05:37 AM

Roy Harris recorded McCafferty on The Bitter and the Sweet.

1 TURPIN HERO (with Notts Alliance)
2 THE BONNY GREEN WOODS (with Muckram Wakes)
3 THE DEATH OF BILL BROWN
4 THE THREE BUTCHERS (self-accompanied on guitar)
5 THE ULLSWATER PACK (with chorus)
6 POOR OWD 'OSS (with Notts Alliance)
7 GENERAL LUDD'S TRIUMPH (with Muckram Wakes)
8 POVERTY KNOCK (with combined groups)
9 THE STREAMS OF LOVELY NANCY
10 ROBIN HOOD AND THE TANNER (with Notts Alliance and Roger Watson, dulcimer)
11 THE 'ROYAL OAK'
12 STRIKE THE BELL (with Notts Alliance)
13 McCAFFERTY
14 ALL THROUGH THE ALE (with Roger Watson, concertina)

Recorded in Nottingham by Dick Swettenham 1971
First Published by Topic 1972
Notes by A. L. Lloyd
Sleeve Design by Humphrey Weightman
Illustration by Elizabeth Taggart
Photography by John Tams
Notts Alliance comprises: lan Stewart, Roger Grimes and Laurence Platt, with 2 melodeons,
piano-accordion, concertina, guitar, whistle, and tambourine.
Muckram Wakes (Derby based) consists of: Roger Watson, Helen Wainwright and John Tams,
with concertina, dulcimer, fiddle, bouzouki, whistle and drum

McCAFFERTY Of all traditional army ballads, this one leads
the most energetic life and is taken most seriously by its listeners. Who was McCafferty? Even his name is vague; some say
McCaffery. others McCassery. There's general agreement that
he served in the 42nd Regiment (i.e., the Black Watch). Most
versions name his depot as Fulwood Barracks, near Preston.
But as to the name of the captain whom the soldier meant to
kill, there's no concurrence at all - Hammond, Hamilton, Hanson, Neal, Nill, Nolan are but a few offered by singers. Much
is unexplained: the Black Watch has never been stationed in
Lancashire. And why should the trial, as generally agreed, take
place at Liverpool Assizes instead of by court martial? Most
likely the ballad is a dream conceived by a disaffected soldier,
perhaps Irish, some time in the latter half of the 19th century,
with the old 1798 Croppy Boy ballad at the back of his mind.
Anyway, if it's short on historical fact, it's evidently strong on
psychological truth for no other barrack room ballad so grips
the imagination. Roy Harris learnt it in the Royal Artillery in
1951.

We know more about McCafferty now!

Later in the nineteenth century, except when on active service, the army began to hand over offenders to the civil power in certain cases. Thus Private M'Caffrey was tried for his life, and sentenced to death for the murder of two of his officers, at Liverpool Assizes, in 1862. Roy Palmer, The Rambling Soldier

March 2021; Major General Nick Welch, who is believed to be the most senior officer to face court martial since 1815, was convicted of fraud following a four-week trial at Bulford military court in Wiltshire. Judge Advocate General Alan Large and a panel of senior officers jailed Welch for 21 months after a four-week court martial trial at Bulford Military Court. As well as his custodial sentence, which will be served in a civilian prison, Welch was told to pay the money back.

Subject: RE: Info: Maccafferty
From: r.padgett
Date: 16 Apr 21 - 02:24 AM

Looks as though Roy did have a period of "full time" professionalism ~ I seem to recollect seeing somewhere that he did have a day job for a while ~ unfortunately the late nights in folk clubs coupled with no car and work hours did not work out and he lost a proper job or two!!

He was of course a fine singer unaccompanied and an entertainer though not a comedian as such

A big fit lad in his youth but as with many of the era drink became a problem health wise ~ and yes he did record a number of vinyl albums as well as CDs, deserves his place in the English folk club history scene

Ray