The Deserter

[Barry]

The one on Liege & Lief.  In the song, the unfortunate is taken by the recruiting party on "Ratcliff Highway". 

Now, I've always assumed that this was what is now known as "The Highway" in East London, because I used to visit the Customs Station at Ratcliff Cross Wharf, which was in The Highway. (This view was shared by Ian Busby, of the Albion Morris, who was the Officer there.)

Yesterday, however, my travels on the Queen's business took me to Hoo on the Isle of Grain where I found .... Ratcliff Highway which has been there for some considerable time (the pub is at least 400 years old).

Then I checked the lyrics in the songbooks that I have and they have it as "Radcliiffe('s)" Highway.

So - it is Ratcliffe or Radcliffe and where is this place?

Any ideas?

[Malcolm]

I have always assumed it was Wapping. More likely location for a recruiting party to find potential candidates than Hoo. On the other hand, they could have been out of Chatham but the Navy used press gangs rather than plying recruits with drink.

Variations of spellings in olden times always seem optional, so no help there, then.

[Barry]

Could have been out of Maidstone, I suppose ....

[Nick]

Personally, no idea... but I think I know of someone who would be able to tell you...

Faustus (Paul Sartin, Benji Kirkpatrick, Saul Rose) performed this song on their recent tour. Paul Sartin introduced it as "The New Deserter". He said that it had been popularised by Fairport/Sandy but they had reverted to what they believed was the original tune. There were some minor lyrical differences when they sang it and you can bet your bottom dollar that they would have looked in to its history and origins.

If anyone can tell you anything about Trad/Arr songs it'll be Paul Sartin. He has a page at www.paulsartin.co.uk and Faustus have a page at http://www.faustusband.com/.

Cheers

Nick

[Barry]

Thanks, Nick .... I might just drop him a line!

[Bryan]

Hi Barry,
I have wondered the same thing, as I have wandered along the Hoo Ratcliffe Highway humming The Deserter to myself,
but I came to the conclusion with a bit of googling when I got home that the one in East London looked favorite.
References to Radcliffe/Ratcliffe are no real help as I've seen both spellings quoted for both highways.

Cheers Bryan

[PLW (Peter)]

My guess (for what it's worth) would be the London one given that Prince Albert in all his pomp turns up. But is the Fairport song a Victorian re-working of an earlier somg?

By the way, Barry, do you mean Dave Busby? Or is there another dancer called Ian Busby?