Gentleman Harry Simms, Flash, and the OED

[Eric Nielsen]

Still current usage among folkies:

http://mainlynorfolk.info/watersons/songs/flashcompany.html

One of my favorite June Tabor/Martin Simpson collabs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_8kctVuOA8


Eric


On Mon, Sep 15, 2014 at 2:13 AM, Robin Hamilton <
robin.hamilton3 at virginmedia.com> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Robin Hamilton <robin.hamilton3 at VIRGINMEDIA.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Gentleman Harry Simms, Flash, and the OED
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Kudos to Garson for proving me wrong and vindicating the reputation of
> George Borrow.
>
> We now have -- A Narrative of the Various Exploits, Robberies, and
> Adventures, of Henry Simms, written by himself, after Conviction -- printed
> in 1764, probably based on material provided by Simms himself, with a
> specific reference to "Flash Language".  This is taken up and quoted, both
> title and reference to the Flash Language, by Borrow in _Zincali_, probably
> directly from the _Select Trials_ of 1764, since the republication of the
> text in _The Terrific Register_ of 1825 fails to reproduce the title of
> Simms' work.
>
> This still leaves a gap between 1747, when Simms is hanged, and 1764, but
> it's a short enough space of time to allow the text to derive directly from
> Simms.
>
> Following on from Garson's discovery, I found that the text of A Narrative
> is also reproduced in _The Tyburn Chronicle_, Vol. III, pp. 179 ff, also
> printed in 1764, which may constitute an independent witness to the Simms
> Narrative text.
>
> Now if someone can provide a bridge between 1747 and 1764 ...  There is
> this, from the end of John Taylor, then Ordinary of Newgate's Account of
> Simms:
>
>         On Monday next (June 21) will be publish'd, Price Six-pence, The
> above mention'd LIFE of   Henry Simms, call'd Gentleman Harry.
>         All Wrote with his own Hand.
>         Printed for   Thomas Parker and   Charles Corbett.
>         N. B. For the Satisfaction of the Curious, the Original Copy wrote
> by Gentleman Harry, consisting of near 30 Sheets, may be seen at the above
> C. Corbett's.
>
> Perhaps The Narrative, as found in the _Select Trials_ that Garson
> identified, is based on this manuscript, before it was sanitised by John
> Taylor in the Life as published in 1747.
>
> Robin Hamilton
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ADSGarson O'Toole
> Sent: Monday, September 15, 2014 4:02 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: Gentleman Harry Simms, Flash, and the OED
>
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> header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Gentleman Harry Simms, Flash, and the OED
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Here is an earlier citation in 1764.
>
> Year: 1764  (MDCCLXIV)
> Title: Select Trials for Murder, Robbery, Burglary, Rapes, Sodomy,
> Coining, Forgery, Pyracy: And Other Offences and Misdemeanours, at the
> Sessions-house in the Old-Bailey
> Volume: 1 of 4
> Section: Select Trial at the Sessions-House in the Old-Bailey, 1741
> Sub-Section: Henry Simms for the Highway, Feb 1746
> Printed for J. Wilkie in St. Paul's Church-yard
> Start Page 151
> Quote Page 156
>
> http://bit.ly/1sUbzrH
>
>
> http://books.google.com/books?id=odMrAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Flash+language%22#v=snippet&
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> They soon recollected me, and were glad
> to see me, so I went with them to a music Booth,
> where they made me almost drunk with Gin, and
> began to talk their Flash Language, which I did not
>
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