Young Chambers

DESCRIPTION: Chambers's boat, smuggling liquor from St Pierre, is attacked and boarded by the crew of the Lady Clover. The crew are taken to Harbour Breton, tried, and thrown in jail. After four months of bad and meager rations they are released to run grog again.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1959 (Peacock)
KEYWORDS: crime trial prison drink sea ship outlaw punishment
FOUND IN: Canada(Newf)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Peacock, pp. 897-898, "Young Chambers" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #9939
RECORDINGS:
Arthur Nicolle, "Young Chambers" (on PeacockCDROM) [one verse only]
NOTES [124 words]: Peacock says "smuggling liquor from the French island of St Pierre off Newfoundland's south coast has been a lucrative business for decades, especially during the days of American prohibition." Harbour Breton is on the south coast of Newfoundland. - BS
Peacock defines "switchel tea" as "very weak tea unsweetened" or water mixed with molasses. G. M. Story, W. J. Kirwin, and J. D. A. Widdowson, editors, Dictionary of Newfoundland English, second edition with supplement, Breakwater Press, 1990, p. 552, offer "'a drink of molasses and water often seasoned with vinegar and ginger' (1790-)," a term derived from OED "swizzle"; the secondary meaning is simply "Tea, esp. that once drunk by fishermen and sealers at sea"; it cites this song. - RBW
Last updated in version 4.5
File: Pea897

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