In my younger days, still unaware the Lochmaben Town is in Scotland, I always assumed that the traditional Celtic folk song "The Blind Harper" centred upon Co. Leitrim's very own
Turlough O'Carolan. You probably know some of his work even if you don't realise it.
O'Carolyn generally fit the bill. Born in 1670 at Nobber, Co. Meath, he lived for a time at Carrick-On-Shannon and spent forty years on the road, entertaining aristocrats before settling in present day Mohill, Co. Leitrim.
During that forty year road trip, surely he had time to visit "fair England, to steal King Henry's wonton brown". And after all, could there be more than one blind harper?
In fact, there were many blind harpers throughout history, in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Why, you might ask?
Mastery of the harp was a traditional means for the blind to make a living, sight being so essential to most trades. The Irish Harp Society and Dublin Harp Society, both founded in 1808, built on and formalised this tradition, producing prodigies such as Patrick Quin of Armagh who rose prominence in part due to his association with the latter.
Clearly, Quin, who was blind and spent a large portion of his career in Scotland, could not be the song's namesake since he was born about 200 years after the first written record of the song in the 1500s.
Naming O'Carolan as the thief, faces similar hurdles, he being Irish and born ~100 years too late. Plus while we know of swimming livestock in Ireland, we're pretty sure a horse cannot swim home across The Irish Sea, especially with another tied to her tail.
If we put on our inspector hat, what do we really know about the suspect in this devious crime?
- He played the harp (well enough, apparently, to lull a king and his court asleep)
- He was blind
- He was born or at least lived at Lochmaben in the Southern Uplands of Scotland
- He lived during the reign of least one of the eight King Henrys, a period stretching from the year 1100-1547 (with gaps). I agree, that is not much help.
- He was married to a VERY clever woman, who helped to devise the scheme. Oh, how I wish we could ask her!
The timeline and location also remove the veil of suspicion from several other prominent blind harpers:
Yes, you can ride a horse to and from Carlisle, England from Wales, but there is no Lochmaben. Add the timeline issue and we must eliminate John Parry (1710–1782) of Wales.
We had hoped to pin it on one of the better known Scottish harpers. But due to the timeline of the crime we can clear Ruairidh Dall Morison (1646-1725), Roderick Morison (1646-1713) who actually went by the stagename An Clàrsair Dall, or "The Blind Harper", as well as William McMurchy (1700-1778).
Earlier records are more difficult to source, so for now the trail remains cold.
If you have any information that could lead to apprehension of the suspect please contact The Celtic Historian - we'd like to shake his hand!
Until then we'll continue to imagine that our man Turlough was responsible. We cannot think of anyone more worthy of being "paid for a foal, he never had lost and three times worth the good grey mare."
