Cork Leg, The

DESCRIPTION: "A tale I will tell, without any flam -- In Holland dwelt Mynheer von Clam." Clam, wealthy and self-indulgent, kicks a begger and breaks his leg. A surgeon amputates. Clam has a replacement made -- which has a mind of its own and will not stop running
AUTHOR: Words: Thomas Hudson / Music: Jonathan Blewitt (source: FolkSongAndMusicHall)
EARLIEST DATE: before 1839 (broadside, Bodleian Harding B 11(3925))
KEYWORDS: humorous wordplay injury doctor technology
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland) Ireland
REFERENCES (6 citations):
Ford-VagabondSongsAndBalladsOfScotland, pp. 332-334, "The Cork Leg" (1 text)
Hayward-UlsterSongsAndBalladsOfTheTownAndCountry, pp. 47-48, "The Cork Leg" (1 text)
Spaeth-WeepSomeMoreMyLady, pp. 144-145, "The Cork Leg" (1 text, 1 tune)
New-Comic-Songster, p. 59, "The Cork Leg" (1 text, 1 tune)
RodeyMaguiresComicVarietySongster, pp. 70-71, "The Cork Leg" (1 text)
DT, CORKLEG*
Roud #4376
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 11(3925), "The Cork Leg" ("A tale I tell now without any flam"), J. Catnach (London), 1813-1838 ; also Harding B 25(419), Firth c.26(295) [final lines illegible], Harding B 11(4289), Harding B 11(2604), Harding B 11(2605), "The Cork Leg"
Murray, Mu23-y4:039, "The Cork Leg," unknown, 19C
SAME TUNE:
Oil on the Brain ("A fellow came from the city of York," by B. C. L.) (Wolf-AmericanSongSheets p. 114)
The Greenback Yankee Medley ("From my home in the hub of the old Bay State, My trip to New York pray just hear me relate") (Foner, p. 136)
The Row at the Waikato ("A panic's been raging up in town, News from the Waikato has just come down, That Te Kooti, a warrior of renown, Is going to do the settlers brown") (by Charles R. Thatcher) (Anderson-ColonialMinstrel, p. 146; for Te Kooti, see "Te Kooti")
NOTES [28 words]: The Index originally listed this as by Henry Glassford Bell. I don't know where I got that information. I've corrected it to the names listed by FolkSongAndMusicHall. - RBW
Last updated in version 7.0
File: FVS332

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