Thanks, Bob, we already sing that song, and a very close version to the one you've given, but Malcolm's right, it's not what we're looking for.

Malcolm, welcome back. Hope you've had a good Christmas.

The passage occurs in 'The North Devon Scenery Book' by the Rev. Tugwell, and the specific bit we're looking at is:

"... a song of some forty verses in length quite in the style of the sensational novels of the day with the subjoined plot.:

One Paul Johnson, who appears to have been "a jolly pirate" comes in the course of his rovings upon a young lady who, in a state of extreme dishabille, is being tied by her hair to the ground by a gang of eight robbers. P.J. immediately advances to the rescue like a valorous soldier of fortune as he is and promptly slays six of the band. In the next verse he is slain himself, in an obviously incoherent manner, by the young lady whom he has released. After this, one is not surprised to hear that the afflicted parents of the damsel come and "see the sad sight" nor that they incontinently take a ship to Plymouth "and cross the raging main" which... concludes the story."

Now obviously the song in question is 'Bold Johnson' or 'The Three Butchers', but we've never come across this ending in any version of it, and are inclined to think that the Rev. Tugwell got it confused with another song, but the question is, which one?

If you've any ideas, we'd be very glad to hear them!

Barbara