Jack the Painter

DESCRIPTION: "At the mouth of Portsmouth Harbour, where the old chain ferry plied, Some say a spirit hangs in chains...." Jack the Painter set Portsmouth Yard ablaze, was taken and executed, and sailors put his bones in a sack, "but the dockyard's working yet"
AUTHOR: Brian Hooper (source: Browne-FolkSongsOfOldHampshire)
EARLIEST DATE: 1987 (Browne-FolkSongsOfOldHampshire)
KEYWORDS: sailor ship fire death execution drink
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
1752 - birth of future pyromaniac James Aitkin, the subject of this song (source: Browne-FolkSongsOfOldHampshire)
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Browne-FolkSongsOfOldHampshire, pp. 66-67, "Jack the Painter" (1 text, 1 tune)
File: BrHa066

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography