“Said Frohock to Fanning”
Description
"Said Frohock to Fanning, 'To tell the plain truth, When I came to this country I was but a youth... And then my first study was to cheat for a hoss.'" Fanning and Frohock happily exchange tales of cheating those around them
Notes
One of four "regulator" songs in Brown. The regulators were a group of protesters against high taxes and fees, found mostly in North Carolina though some also were active in South Carolina.
The Regulators formally organized in 1766, when William Tryon (1725-1788) was governor of North Carolina (1765-1771); he defeated them at Almance in 1771. That was Tryon's way; as governor of New York (1771-1778) he was equally harsh. His successors then turned to compromise.
Edmund Fanning, a Yale graduate of 1757, was a favorite of Tryon's; after moving to North Carolina, he went from being a local attorney to a Superior Court clerk and legislator. He also built a reputation for extreme avarice, making him a particular target for the regulators (and vice versa). A loyalist during the Revolution (commanded the King's American Regiment of Foot), he died in London.
The notes in Brown observe three men named Frohock held station in North Carolina in the Regulators. They suspect Thomas Frohock is meant, but this is beyond proof. - RBW
Cross references
- cf. "From Hillsborough Town the First of May" (subject)
- cf. "When Fanning First to Orange Came" (subject)
- cf. "Who Would Have Tho't Harmon" (subject)
References
- BrownII 279, "Said Frohock to Fanning" (1 text)
- BI, BrII279