Tattie Jock

DESCRIPTION: The singer worked for Tattie Jock and Mutton Peggie. One night he and nine others were caught stealing potatoes. They fought the police. One escaped to join the navy. The others are sentenced to 13 years in Botany Bay.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1908 (Greig/Duncan3)
KEYWORDS: fight theft transportation trial farming work food Australia police
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber))
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Greig-FolkSongInBuchan-FolkSongOfTheNorthEast #151, p. 2, "The Bothy Lads o' Forfar"; #36, p. 2, ("Ye'll hae heard o' Tattie Jock") (1 text plus 1 fragment)
Greig/Duncan3 377, "The Bothy Lads o' Forfar" (2 texts)
Roud #5915
NOTES [54 words]: "The whole point of why we sing the song is that these men were only stealing potatoes -- to eat. They were fed so very bad!" (Source: Artie Trezise quoted, regarding "Tattie Jock," in Dan Milner and Paul Kaplan, The Bonnie Bunch of Roses (Oak,New York,1983), pp. 117-118; the currect description is based on this text). - BS
Last updated in version 2.6
File: GrD3377

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