“Peter Wheeler”
Description
Peter Wheeler comes to "this foreign shore, He lived close by little Annie's door" in Nova Scotia. He asks Anne to marry and she refuses again. He clubs her and cuts her throat. He is convicted, gives us good advice and bids us "a last good-night"
Supplemental text
Peter Wheeler
Partial text(s)
*** A ***
From Helen Creighton, Folksongs from Southern New Brunswick,
#9091 pp. 1191-193. Collected from William Ireland, Elgin, N.B.
It was in the early, the early spring,
Before the little small birds began to sing,
In a village close down by the way
A fair girl's life had passed away.
It was on this Nova Scotia shore
This fair one lived with plenty more,
But at this time she was all alone
Her parents being away from home.
Now Peter Wheeler was a man
Who from his native country ran,
And he landed on this foreign shore,
He lived close by little Annie's door.
(Stanzas 1-3 of 15)
Historical references
- 1895 - Anne Kempton murdered by Peter Wheeler at Bear River, Digby County (source: Mackenzie; Creighton says 1896)
Cross references
- cf. "The Bear River Murder" (subject: the same murder) and references there
References
- Creighton-SNewBrunswick 91, "Peter Wheeler" (1 text, 1 tune)
- ST CrSNB091 (Partial)
- Roud #2770
- BI, CrSNB091