Keepers and Poachers

DESCRIPTION: Singer and others are poaching when 12 keepers are seen. They decide to fight; in the course of battle, young William Taylor is taken. In court, he's told his life will be spared if he names his companions; he refuses, vowing to "die for them all."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1927 (collected by Cecil Sharp)
KEYWORDS: fight bargaining crime execution poaching punishment trial hunting bird
FOUND IN: Britain(England(Lond,South))
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Gardham-EarliestVersions, "KEEPERS AND THE POACHERS, THE"
Kennedy-FolksongsOfBritainAndIreland 254, "Keepers and Poachers" (1 text, 1 tune)
Palmer-FolkSongsCollectedBy-Ralph-VaughanWilliams, #23, "Keepers and Poachers" (1 text, 1 tune)
Hamer-GarnersGay, p. 34, "William Taylor" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #851
RECORDINGS:
George Maynard, "William Taylor" (on Maynard1, Voice18)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Poacher's Fate" [Laws L14] (subject)
cf. "The Bold Poachers" (plot)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Bold William Taylor
NOTES [31 words]: This should not be confused with the "Bold William Taylor" [i.e. "William Taylor" [Laws N11] - RBW] whose girlfriend dresses as a man and shoots him (in "William Taylor" [Laws N11]). - PJS
Last updated in version 6.8
File: K254

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