From the Dublin Weekly Nation, Saturday 19th December 1857, this report of a ballad singer incarcerated over Christmas for singing a rebel song, before being released on Christmas Eve thanks to the kindness of Irishmen living abroad:
“WEXFORD PETTY SESSIONS – WEDNESDAY, DEC 9
Magistrates on the bench: Le Hunte (in the chair), B Warburton RM, John Walsh, John Waddy, John Greene, and FA Leigh, Esqrs.
Head Constable Harding against James Armstrong.
This was a custody case in which the prisoner (who is an itinerant ballad singer) was placed at the bar, charged with obstructing the free passing to and fro of equestrians and pedestrians, by the crowd he collected round him whilst following his profession.
Sub Constable Lacey sworn and examined by Mr. Harding – I recollect last Saturday; I saw the prisoner at the bar singing ballads in the public street on that day; his singing attracted a large concourse of persons, who by their numbers interrupted the passage of persons going backwards and forwards; cars could not pass freely; I saw Dr Crean on horseback, who was obstructed on his way by the crowd that followed that man.
Prisoner (who is a robust young fellow) – Your honours, the crowd was caused by a drunken man who was following me. I told him for God’s sake to go home (laughter).
Mr. Walsh – Where are you from?
Prisoner – From the city of Dublin, yer honour.
The Chairman being handed a copy of the ballads, and having read it sotto voce, said – The Bench have decided on fining you 20s for gathering this crowd around you, and in default of payment, to be imprisoned for one month.
The defendant here commenced to blubber and cry out ‘oh let me go this time, and I’ll never be seen here again, oh let me go and I’ll never sing another song; oh never fear, I won’t be caught at it again.’
Chairman – It was a devilish thing of you to be going about trying to excite the country whilst we are doing all in our power to create a good feeling amongst each other, and I am sure the people of Wexford did not send for you to come down here and try by your singing such songs to set persons against each other. The fine is inflicted that it may be a warning to you, and all others, how we here mark our detestation of such devilish conduct of going about setting persons of different classes against each other.
Prisoner (still blubbering) – Oh, gentlemen, I have only three shillings and here it’s for you and let me go (great laughter).
The Bench would take no compromise – their indignant feelings being at boiling heat and the defendant not having 20s at readiness, was escorted to jail.
For the benefit of our readers, we here give the two first verses of the inflammatory production which was cast in the midst of an ‘inflammable’ crowd, and which called forth the loyal ire of the above-named gentleman.
The heading is a wood cut representing two herculean figures charging the Hessians with that dread weapon of warfare – an Irish pike:
FATHER MURPHY, OR THE WEXFORD MEN OF 98
You Roman Catholics throughout this nation
Of no persuasion I speak but thee –
Keep fresh in date the year of ninety-eight
Since we lost the pride of our country,
I mean that hero brave Father Murphy
That for your sake fought for liberty
When violent pitch-caps, most lacerating
On your heads were placed in this country.
On Whit-Saturday we got uneasy
To break the chains of all tyranny
We took up arms to defend God’s garments
And raised the green flag of liberty
The Caernarvon Cavalry we did oppose them
The first lieutenant we took down
and Captain Donovan that rode before them
He never went back to Caernarvon town.
A subsequent article in the Kilkenny Journal entitled ‘Soupers and Ballad-Singers’ expressed sympathy for Mr. Armstrong and contrasted the way in which he had been treated with the police protection given to Protestant groups seeking to convert the Catholics of that town.
The newspaper coverage of his plight assisted Mr. Armstrong in securing his release from prison before Christmas. According to the Wexford People of 2 January 1858,
“When last writing on this subject, we mentioned that a subscription was on foot in this locality in favour of James Armstrong the Ballad Singer. We had no idea at that time that his case had excited sympathy at a distance; that Irish men living in a strange land had read of the wrong inflicted on him, and were resolved to come to his relief. Yet… on Christmas Eve we received a letter from some members of the Irish Provident Society in London… enclosing two pounds, and requesting us to appropriate one of them in liberating Armstrong and the other in putting him a way of earning bread for himself again. Of course we lost no time in releasing the prisoner, and instead of his spending Christmas day in gaol as we anticipated last week, the poor fellow walked on that great festival a free man, and enjoyed somewhat different fare from the black bread and thin stirabout to which along with heavy bodily labour he was condemned for a month by the humane upright and independent justices of Wexford…
Thanks to the generosity and public spirit of the members of the Irish Provident Society, who have done the good deed so unostentatiously as not to even forward us their names, the parties who wreaked their vengeance on Armstrong are utterly disappointed. They succeeded, indeed, in incarcerating their victim for a fortnight, but they damaged themselves irretrievably in public estimation… The Ballad Singer has, we understand, left town; he has probably returned to Dublin. We trust wherever he may be located in future, he will prove himself not unworthy of the sympathy manifested for him on this occasion.”
Image Credit: Media Storehouse.
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