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The Folkestone Murder

[ Roud 897 ; Master title: The Folkestone Murder ; Ballad Index K320 ; VWML AGG/3/6/3b ; GlosTrad Roud 897 ; Mudcat 117729 , 157562 ; trad.]

Ken Stubbs: The Life of a Man

George Spicer sang The Folkestone Murder in a recording made by Peter Kennedy at the Cherry Tree, Copthorne, Sussex, on 4 February 1956, that was included in 2012 on the Topic anthology of songs by Southern English traditional singers, You Never Heard So Sweet (The Voice of the People Series Volume 21). Another recording made by Brian Matthews at the Oak Tree, Ardingley on 12 November 1959 was included in 2001 on the Musical Traditions anthology of songs from country pubs, Just Another Saturday Night. And he sang The Folkestone Murder at home in Selsfield, West Hoathly, Sussex in a recording made by Mike Yates in 1972-74. This was included in 1974 on his Topic album of traditional songs and ballads, Blackberry Fold. Rod Stradling noted in the Musical Traditions album’s booklet:

A horrible song, it seems to me, with few redeeming graces—yet it has seemed to be well known, certainly among Travellers. Something of a shock, then, to find only ten instances noted in Roud … and five of these refer to George Spicer! Other known singers have been Mrs Coomber of Blackham, Sussex (noted by Anne Gilchrist in 1906) [VWML AGG/3/6/3b] , Charlie Bridger and Phoebe Smith’s brother Charlie Scamp (both of Kent). The other two entries are from Canada. But George Spicer’s son Ron also recorded it, in 1994, on the cassette [The Keys of Canterbury (Steel Carpet MATS 0010)], and I remember Jack Smith, the Milford, Surrey, based Traveller, singing it in the mid-sixties. Jack sang not only this but at least eight other songs, including four of Pop Maynard’s, to be found on [the anthology King’s Head Folk Club].

According to Brian Matthews, ‘Switzerland John’ was Dedea Redanies, born in the 1830s in Belgrade. He came to England in 1855 and was enlisted into the British Swiss Legion stationed at Dover Castle. He became acquainted with a laundry worker, Mrs Back, whose husband was a dredger in Dover harbour.

During the summer of 1856, Redanies was courting the elder Back daughter, Caroline. On 2 August he accused her of receiving attentions from a sergeant in his unit. She denied this and he appeared satisfied. He proposed a walk over the downs to Shorncliffe Camp the following day. Mrs Back insisted that they be chaperoned by Caroline’s younger sister Maria. At [Steady Hole], some five miles out, he killed them both.

Redanies was captured the following day at Milton Chapel Farm, Chartham, near Canterbury, after having tried to commit suicide. He was tried, found guilty and hanged at Maidstone on New Year’s Day 1857.

George claimed that his grandfather saw Redanies captured, and was most concerned about singing the song in public for fear of offending any relatives of the Backs who might be present.

Both Tom Willett and Tom and his son Chris Willett sang a fragment of The Folkestone Murder to Ken Stubbs in c.1960. These recordings were included in 2013 on the Willett Family’s Forest Tracks anthology A-Swinging Down the Lane. Tom Willett’s recording was also included in the same year on the Willett Family’s Musical Traditions anthology Adieu to Old England.

Caroline Hughes sang The Folkestone Murder to Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger and Charles Parker in 1963 or 1966. This recording was included in 2014 on her Musical Tradition anthology Sheep-Crook and Black Dog.

Danny Brazil sang The Folkestone Murder to Gwilym Davies at Staverton, Gloucestershire, on 30 September 1977. This recording was included in 2007 on the Brazil Family’s Musical Tradition anthology Down by the Old Riverside. Rod Stradling noted:

This was also sung by Lemmie [Brazil], and it has seemed to be well known, certainly among Travellers. […]

Charlie Bridger sang The Folkestone Murder in his home in Stone-in-Oxney, Kent, to Andy Turner on 15 April 1983. This recording was included in 2019 on his Musical Traditions anthology Won’t You Buy My Pretty Flowers?. Rod Stradling noted:

The song tells of an actual murder, of sisters Caroline (19) and Maria Back (17), by Dedea Redanies, a private in the British Swiss Legion based at Shorncliffe Barracks near Folkestone. Redanies was tried for murder and hanged at Maidstone gaol, January 1857.

For details of the murder, see [Planet Slade]. That site contains the text of The Foreigner’s Downfall, another contemporary ballad written about the murder, and which does not appear to have been preserved in oral tradition.

Charlie learned this from Billy King. “That was another pint of beer I bought him. They used to sing—it’s a terrible long drawn out thing—they used to sing the last verse as a chorus, you know … Lily! (ironically) I say, you like that one. She used to moan! … Morbid one.”

Charlie’s version is very close to that sung by George Spicer (brought up at Little Chart, about a dozen miles away from Charlie’s childhood home) and the textually shorter version collected by Francis Collinson from William Crampton (born c.1875) at Smarden (again about 12 miles from where Charlie was born). Collinson also collected a short version with a similar tune from John & Ted Lancefield (one-time gardener to Noel Coward) at Aldington (about 7 miles away).

Bridger also sang it in a home recording made by Mike Yates in 1984 that was included in 2005 on the Veteran CD of English traditional folk singers, It Was on a Market Day—One. Mike Yates noted:

The Folkestone Murder is based on an event that occurred in 1856/57. Dedea Redanies, born in Belgrade in the 1830s, came to England and enlisted into the British Swiss Legion, then stationed at Dover castle. He began courting a young girl called Caroline Back, whose father worked as a dredger in Dover harbour. Redanies was apparently of a jealous nature and he accused Caroline of flirting with a sergeant in his unit. On 3 August the couple took a walk to Shorncliffe Camp, accompanied by Caroline’s sister Maria, and Redanies killed both girls at [Steady Hole], some five miles from Dover. Redanies attempted to escape, but was captured the next day at a farm near Canterbury, after unsuccessfully trying to take his own life. He was hanged at Maidstone Prison on New Year’s Day, 1857. Almost all of the collected versions of the song have come from either Kent or Sussex, although a couple of versions have turned up in Labrador and Newfoundland.

Jim Eldon sang The Folkestone Murder on his and Lynette Eldons’s eponymous 1997 album Jim & Lynette Eldon.

Andy Turner learned The Folkestone Murder from George Spicer’s album and sang it as the 17 September 2011 entry of his project A Folk Song a Week.

Lyrics

George Spicer sings The Folkestone Murder

Kind friends come pay attention and listen to my song
It is about a murder, it won’t detain you long
’Twas near the town of Folkestone this shocking deed was done
Maria and sweet Caroline were murdered by Switzerland John.

He came unto their parents’ house at nine o’clock one night
But little did poor Caroline think he owed her any spite.
“Will you walk with me, dear Caroline?” the murderer did say,
And she agreed to accompany him to Shorncliffe Camp next day.

Said the mother to the daughter, “You’d better stay at home.
It is not fit for you to go with that young man alone.
You’d better take your sister to go along with you,
Then I have no objection, dear daughter, you may go.”

Early next morning, before the break of day
Maria and sweet Caroline from Dover town did stray.
But before they reached to Folkestone the villain drew a knife,
Maria and sweet Caroline he took away their lives.

Down on the ground the sisters fell, all in their blooming years
For mercy cried, “We’re innocent”, their eyes were filled with tears.
He plunged the knife into their breasts, their lovely breasts so deep,
He robb’d them of their own sweet lives and left them there to sleep.

Three times he kissed their pale cold cheeks as they lay on the ground,
He took the capes from off their backs, for on him they were found.
He said, “Farewell dear Caroline, your blood my hands have stained.
No more on earth shall I see you, but in heaven we’ll meet again.”

Early next morning their bodies they were found
At a lonely spot called Steady Hole, a-bleeding on the ground.
And if ever you go unto that spot, these letters you will find
Cut deeply in the grass so green: Maria and Caroline.

When the news it reached their parents’ ears, they cried, “What shall we do?
Maria has been murdered, and lovely Caroline too!”
They pulled and tore their old grey hair, in sorrow and in shame
And tears they rolled in torrents from their poor aged cheeks.

This murderer has been taken, his companions to him deny
And he is sent to Maidstone and is condemned to die
He said, “Farewell” to all his friends, “In this world I am alone
And have to die for murder, far from my native home.”

“The dismal bell is tolling, the scaffold I must prepare
I trust in heaven my soul shall rest and meet dear Caroline there.
Now all young man take warning from this sad fate of mine
To the memory of Maria Back and lovely Caroline.”

Tom Willett sings The Folkestone Murder

It was near a town called Folkestone that shocking deed was done
And Maria and sweet Caroline got murdered by Switzerland John.

The mother to the daughter “You’d better stay at home,
I don’t think it is safe for you to walk with that man alone.

“You had better ask your sister to take a walk with you.”
And Maria and sweet Caroline was murdered by Switzerland John.

Come all you feeling people come listen to my song,
I’ll tell you of a murder and it won’t contain you long.

It was near a town called Folkestone that shocking deed was done
And Maria and sweet Caroline was murdered by Switzerland John.

Spoken: I don’t know more of that.

Caroline Hughes sings The Folkstone Murder

O there was a town near Folkstone that murdering deed was done,
Miss Anna Maria, Sweet Caroline got murdered with Sissling John.

O earlye next day morning, o before the break of day,
“O mercy!” cried her own mother with her hair pulled to the ground.

“I said it was not safe, my dear, to go with a man alone,
You should have took your brother in to go with a man alone.”

Well on the ground lay bleeding, poor Ria shook for fear …

Danny Brazil sings The Folkestone Murder

Come all you feeling people and listen to my song,
I’ll tell you of a murder and it won’t contain you long;
It was near a place called Folescombe, his murder it was done,
Maria and sweet Caroline was murdered by Thistlin John.

The murderer came to her house at eight o’clock at night,
But little did poor innocent think that he owed her any spite;
“Will you take a walk dearest Caroline,” this murderer he did say,
Then fell aquaint with him to Shoreham cliff next day.

The mother to the daughter, “You had better stay at home,
I do not think it is safe for you to go with that man alone;
You had better have your sister to walk along with you,
Then I’ll have no rejections, dear daughter you may go.”

Early the next morning, just at the break of day,
Maria and sweet Caroline from Dover they did stray;
Before they reached near Folescombe, this villain he drew his knife,
Maria and sweet Caroline, he took away their lives.

Down on the ground her bleeding found, all in the bloom of the year,
“Mercy!” cried the poor innocent child with her eyes all filled with tears;
He drew the dagger into her breast, her lovely breast so deep,
He robbed them of their sweet lives and left them there to sleep.

When the news it did reach home they cried, “What shall I do,
Poor Maria’s murdered and lovely Caroline too.”
And if you go unto the spot, there’s letters you will find
Cut deeply into the turf, Maria and Caroline.

The murderer he was taken, his own life for to try,
And he was sent to Maidstone jail and there condemned to die;
Come all you young men take a warning, be aware of the fate of mine,
And think of Maria and lovely Caroline.

Charlie Bridger sings The Folkestone Murder

All people pay attention and listen to my song.
I’ll tell you of a murder, it won’t detain you long.
It was near the town of Folkestone, this shocking deed was done.
Maria and sweet Caroline were murdered by Switzerland John.

He went unto their father’s house at nine o’clock one night,
And little did poor Caroline think he owed her any spite.
“Will you take a walk, dear Caroline, along with me?” cried he
And she agreed to accompany him to Shoreham cliff next day.

Her mother said, “Dear daughter, you’d better stay at home,
For I do not think that it’s safe for you to go with that man alone
You had better take your sister, along with you to run.”
“Dear mother, I’ve no objection. Dear sister, you may come.”

So early in the morning, before the break of day,
Maria and sweet Caroline from Dover they did stray.
But before they reached at Folkestone, the villain he drew his knife.
Maria and sweet Caroline, he took away their life.

Down on the ground the sisters fell just in their blooming youth,
“For mercy!” cried the innocents, their eyes were filled with tears.
He plunged the dagger in their breasts, their lovely breasts so deep.
He robbed them of their own sweet life and left them there to sleep.

He kissed their pale lips as they lay on the ground.
He took their capes from off their backs and on him they were found.
He said, “Farewell, sweet Caroline, your blood my hands has stained,
No more on earth shall I see you but in heaven we’ll meet again.”

At seven o’clock next morning, the bodies they were found
In a lonely spot near Folkestone, lay bleeding on the ground.
And if you go unto that spot, these letters you will find
Cut deeply into the soft green turf—Maria and Caroline.

When the prisoner he was taken, his own life he tried to take,
But he was taken to Maidstone jail and there condemned to die.
He said “Farewell to all my friends in this world I’m left alone.
I’m doomed to die for murder far from my native home.

“Hark the solemn bell is tolling, for the scaffold I must prepare.
I hope that in heaven my soul may rest and meet Maria there.
Now all young men take warning and beware of this fate of mine,
And all young women think of Maria and lovely Caroline.”

Acknowledgements

Thank you very much to Isobel Alexander for correcting the place name Steady Hole and giving me the link to the Ordnance Survey map for it. Steady Hole is left to the center at the top of the map.