If you go down to Blockhouse Point, Upon some dark and stormy night, Cold sweat may well your brow anoint, And nape hairs stand erect in fright.
You may well hear the clank of chain, Though source of such you ne'er will see, No matter how your eyes may strain... To find out more, come hark to me.
In seventeen hundred seventy six "To help the rebels," thought Jack Hill, "It is my duty now to fix The British navy. That I will."
"The Portsmouth dockyard, that's the core Of operations, that I'llfire. A little flame where ropes are stored Should spread throughout the yard entire."
But Jack the painter's supposition Despite the hopes that he enjoyed, (At arson he'd had no tuition,) The rope house only was destroyed.
He fled; the constables gave chase, Which came unto a swift conclusion. A judge, brought in to try the case, Gave orders for his execution.
So on a gibbet he was hung, Remaining there for many years, His soul to ponder what he'd done, While those who passed, at him would jeer.
Thus, If that way you take your course, And hear Strange sounds, this here explains, It's painter Jack, in his remorse, Who's vainly trying to loose his chains.
Gosport, Blockhouse Point, HMS Dolphin
The squeaking chains of an invisible gibbet.
1776 A dockyard painter tried to set fire to the whole of the dockyard. Jack the Painter (real name James Hill) became convinced whilst living in America that he should assist the American revolution by setting fire to Portsmouth Dockyard. 1777 'Jack the Painter' is hung in the Dockyard. "In 1776 Jack the Painter attempts to fire the Dockyard, only burns the Rope House. Jack alias Jame Hill , James Hind and John Atkins was hanged from the main mast of Arethusa which was erected at the Main Gate so that he could see the destruction as he passed from this world to the next.
IIRC He was a rather incompetant Paddy captured in Titchfield(?)" - Mike in u.l.h. __ "A sound manifestation instead of visual. Bearing in mind the point overlooks a harbour full of ships and that sound does odd things over water this would seem easy to discount. My girlfriend spent some time at H.M.S Dolphin, in quarters just a few hundre
Last updated: Mon, 17 Dec 2001.