Upon the Portsmouth Road - UK! We drove down the A3, the old Portsmouth Road, from London to Hindhead, where the main road now runs through a tunnel. The old highway has become a footpath through the restored landscape. Beside the path we found the Sailor’s Stone, bearing the inscription; ERECTED In detestation of a barbarous Murder Committed here on an unknown Sailor On Sep, 24th 1786 By Edwd. Lonegon, Mich. Casey & Jas. Marshall Who were all taken the same day And hung in Chains near this place Whoso sheddeth Man's Blood by Man shall his Blood be shed. On The Portsmouth Road From his home in London An Able Seaman strode Back to his ship he made his trip Upon the Portsmouth Road At the village inn in Thursley He stopped to buy a round And there three men he did befriend They too were Portsmouth bound Chorus; As you travel on life’s journey You’ll meet your fellow man But take great care, for while you share Others take what they can On the lonely climb up Hindhead Those men made their attack And with a knife they took his life And made off with his pack Now those cut-throats hang in irons On the top of Gibbet Hill To show us all what will befall Those who treat others ill Chorus A stone stands by the wayside To mark where he was killed All travellers know no grass will grow Where that red blood was spilled In quiet Thursley churchyard The unknown sailor sleeps His kin still yearn for his return From sailing on the deep Chorus A sailor leads a hard life He knows tragedy and woe He has to brave the restless wave Wherever he may go Our sailor and his shipmates Through danger daily strode He died alone, his name unknown Upon the Portsmouth Road Chorus It’s a true story! Use the tune to ‘The Calico Printer’s Clerk’ (She was very fond of dancing, and allow me to remark, That one fine day, she danced away with the calico printer’s clerk), written by Dave Moran after The Halliard (Dave Moran, Nic Jones and Nigel Paterson) found the words in the Harkness Collection of broadsides at the Harris Library, Preston. The Houghton Weavers sing 'Calico Printer's Clerk' on youtube. Calico Printer's Clerk
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