…that a late-night affray at Rufford Park in Nottinghamshire involving poachers and gamekeepers gave rise to a classic folk song. Using the British Library’s subscription online newspaper archive, I found a report of the incident in several local papers in October 1851 along with reports of the court proceedings a month later… and reference to the song in an opinion piece on songs about criminals from 1862. So, 11 years for a folk song (author unknown) to be created.

I’ve long thought the 1987 BBC radio session version by Martin Carthy to be his finest rendering of the song – and Martin agrees. He vividly recalls the way the engineer miked his guitar. It will, of course, be on the 20CD ‘Martin Carthy at the BBC’ planned for next year. 🙂