Tambourine Jack

On Hanley's cobbled streets of old
There rode a man that legend told
Who hailed a cry of 'O' is well
Upon an horse with horn and bell
He travelled corpse from noose to Grave
Three lads they hanged for truth betrayed
Collier, Walklate and Billy Toft
Now laid to rest beside 'Th Slobs'


Based on the tale of John Taylor who was Hanleys Town Crier in the late 1800's. He was better known as Tambourine Jack and he was apparently quite a 'character' by all accounts. As well as the town crier he was also employed to transfer the dead from the gallows in Stafford. He was well known for his strange dress sense and musical ability. He wore very bright clothes and played the tambourine, french horn and bell, while wandering the streets of Hanley town.

The names on line 7 were the three men hanged for allegedly raping Hanna Bowers after meeting her at the Lamb Inn in Hanley. Five men walked her home that night, two were released and and three were hanged. The stroy goes that the local policeman who arrested them agreed with Mary, who had a somwhat jaded reputation locally, that she would drop the charges if they paid the £2 fee that she usually charged her male customers. The men refused and opted to go to trial believing that her reputation would make it impossible to prove that she had been raped. it has been said that there was much amusement when Hannah turned up to court dressed like a Sunday school teacher. The judge was not amused however and found all five men guilty of rape. the men agreed to pay the £2 charge, but were told it was too late now.

After a petition of 5000 names was handed into court there was a reprive announced for two of the men named Holford and Cooper which sealed the fate for Collier, Walklate and Toft. They were hanged on April 15th 1820

They were buried in Shelton Church at a place called 'Th Slobs'


Most of this information was taken from Fred Leigh - Pits n pots
ISBN 0 952418823

Also Staffordshire Murders - Myths and legends by Tony J Hollins
ISBN 1 899608 00 3