Talk:Uncle Tom Cobley

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Has anyone searched in Widecombe parish records etc to see if Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney, Peter Davy, Daniel Whiddon, Harry Hawke, and Tom Cobley existed in reality? The event looks like the sort of thing that might have happened: They drank heavily at the fair, and on the way back trusted the carthorse to know the way back; but this time the horse took ill, leaving the men stranded on the shelterless houseless moor for the night in cold and bad weather, and they had no overnight camping gear with them. The drink made them feel warm, but made them lose body heat faster. and alcoholic sleepyness and hypothermia made an end of them. Anthony Appleyard 11:26, 20 Nov 2004 (UTC)

There is no record of any of these characters actually living in Widecombe (at least, no one has found anything so far). However, as the song suggests, the likelihood is that they travelled from afar to trade at the Fair. Indeed, there is a Tom Cobley buried at Spreyton, to the north of Dartmoor, and claimed by locals to be the man himself. Jon C 08:09, 22 November 2004 User:JonC

There's a strong element of faery in the song, unless I'm mistaken, viz. "all along lee". Perhaps we should cross reference to ley lines. Snow 19:30, 2 July 2005 User:24.205.64.176

"Lee" probably means "meadow", or possibly "leeside". Nothing about ley lines. Anthony Appleyard 17:27, 24 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I live in Spreyton and there is a portrait in the Tom Cobley Tavern that is meant to be a picture of Tom C himself. This brings into question if Tom Cobley was a man wealthy enough to afford a portrait and not wealthy enough to afford a horse? - PW 18:55, 23 December 2005 User:PBwassell

Perhaps he spent all his money on a portrait and so couldn't afford a horse, <grin> -- Derek Ross | Talk 15:55, 30 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

In answer to the first question above (Has anyone...), all the surnames are there for the searching between 1709 and 1793, if you allow Gurnsie for Gurney. Hint: Try Zeal Monachorum, Broad Clyst, Butterleigh, Morchard Bishop and Spreyton. Mike Spathaky (talk) 20:32, 4 April 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Uncle Tom Cobley ... existed ?

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Perhaps 'lee' should be 'lea' ? [The historical Tom Cobley ....

Whether Tom Cobley, or the other characters from the song, ever existed is uncertain.]

Well, I beg to differ!

Uncle Tom Cobley was my Great, Great, Great, Great Uncle. I have seen his grave.

He definitely DID exist and so did his counterparts. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dianneroach (talk • contribs) 11:39, 17 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Spelling

According to http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/uncle-tom-cobbleigh Uncle Tom's surname is spelt "Cobbleigh". — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.31.162.66 (talk) 19:42, 28 September 2014 (UTC)[reply]

The common spellings seem to be Cobley and Cobleigh, with Cobbleigh as an also-ran. Cobley and Cobleigh are both mentioned at the start of the article. Should we add Cobbleigh as well? Maybe ... SNALWIBMA ( talk - contribs ) 22:17, 29 September 2014 (UTC)[reply]

... and all

Perhaps the article should say that the phrase "and all" means "also" in popular British English. The lyrics don't mean "and everybody else". It isn't standard English and non-natives of the British isles might misunderstand it.

Franciscus montmartinensis (talk) 18:16, 17 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]