there's got to be a story there

[cellio]

Turlough O'Carolan was a 17th-century harper who wrote some gorgeous music that is often recorded by modern folk musicians. (In addition to the obvious harp, the hammer dulcimer is also well-suited for his music.) Many of his songs are named after people, presumably patrons -- Planxty George Brabazon, Planxty Eleanor Plunkett, Blind Mary, and many others. One of his songs is usually listed as "Squire Wood's Lamentation".

The complete name of this last is actually "Squire Wood's Lamentation on the Refusal of his Half-Pence". My Google-fu has not yet led me to the story behind this. There's got to be one, right? It would be a shame if it went to the grave three centuries ago. What was he trying to buy that was worthy of commemoration?

Comments

[gclectic.livejournal.com]

I don't claim to have any mastery of google-fu, but I find the following in the description of a YouTube video by MarkHarmer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EqmoptwEas):

In 1722 Ireland ran out of low-value copper coins, and William Woods was given licence by English parliament to produce them. The Irish didn't like this idea and boycotted the coinage. This piece was written the same year to commemorate the boycott.

This seems to be backed up the the Wikipedia entry for William Wood (Mintmaster) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wood_(Mintmaster)).

[cellio]

Interesting! Thank you. (I skipped right on past YouTube because I wasn't looking for a performance of the piece; it didn't occur to me that there might be comments.)

This also solves the nagging grammar issue -- I didn't understand why the title was "pence" rather than "penny" if he was making a small transaction (and why would you record a larger transaction as multiple half-pence?). This clears that all up.

A token of love, perhaps?

[caryabend.livejournal.com]

I must be a hopeless romantic. I was so hoping for an explanation of what was so wondrous that that the offer of a half-pense for it was refused, but yet still deserved a lamentation!

[subnumine.livejournal.com]

Dean Swift sharpened his teeth (http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/12784) on Wood's half-pence. (Don't know which flavor of Gutenberg you like, so this is the index).