McCaffery

McCaffery

Roud 1148

"Known to most singers as McCafferty or McCaffery. The facts are as follows. On Saturday, 14, September, 1861, at Fulwood Barracks, just outside Preston in Lancashire, Private Patrick McCaffery shot and killed the Depot Commandant, Colonel Hugh Denis Crofton, and the Depot Adjuant, Captain John Hanhan. McCaffery was 18 years old and from Kildare. A member of the 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry), he had failed to take down the names of some children who were playing outside the Officer’s Mess the previous day. Windows had been broken there and McCaffery only took down one name. Hanhan, who appears to have had some form of grudge against McCaffery, charged McCaffery with neglect of duty and ordered that he spend the night in the cells. On his release the following morning, McCaffery took a shot at Hanhan, but the bullet also passed through Colonel Crofton and both men were killed. McCafferys trial took place on 15, December, and he was hanged outside Liverpool’s Kirkwood Gaol on 11, January, 1862. Contrary to popular belief, the song was never ‘banned’ in the British Army."

from Musical Traditions notes to the Voice of the People