Peter Clarke

DESCRIPTION: Peter Clarke and Jimmy Clarke are stopped by a robber. Peter refuses to be robbed; rather than give up his valuables, he attacks the outlaw barehanded. The robber shoots Clarke, but Clarke has a hand on his throat. Clarke dies, but the robber is taken
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1960
KEYWORDS: outlaw fight death Australia
FOUND IN: Australia
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Meredith/Anderson-FolkSongsOfAustralia, pp. 100-102, "Bold Peter Clarke" (1 text, 1 tune)
Ward-PenguinBookOfAustralianBallads, pp. 75-77, "Galant Peter Clarke" (1 text)
DT, PETECLRK
RECORDINGS:
John Greenway, "Peter Clarke" (on JGreenway01)
NOTES [91 words]: The facts about this case are a bit uncertain. Folklore does not give a name to the bushranger (unusual indeed in Australia!), and claims that Peter and Jimmy Clarke were unrelated.
John Greenway, however, reports that the two were brothers, and (along with their brother Acton and some others) were overtaken near Warland's Range by twenty-year-old Harry Wilson. (The time was April, 1864.) Wilson shot several members of the party, but could not release himself from Peter Clarke's dying grip. Wilson was tried and hung on October 4, 1864. - RBW
Last updated in version 4.5
File: MA100

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