Scratching Fanny in Cock Lane, a true tale

The year1762 a tale of murder or mystery they boast
 A teenage girl, drunken parish clerk, and maybe even a ghost
About hordes of aristocrats and wealthy men assembling
 Crowds rivalling Covent Garden, Theatres were now descending

To a house near St Paul’s on a road named Cock Lane
Although three stories high only one room on each floor for its fame
Owned by Richard Parsons a clerk with a passion for drink
Forever in debt, but to repay he never did think.

He evicted poor Fanny and her partner William Kent
Even though he loaned their money and they could pay rent
A short time later smallpox took poor Fanny Lyne from this world
But her 'said to be' husband engraved no name, and this story unfurled 

He explained in truth that they were not wed 
He didn’t want her family to know poor Fanny was dead
She left all her goods to her partner, William Kent 
He didn’t want to share them not a penny, not a cent

Two years passed and a report on Fanny hit the news
It seems Parson was Kent’s character now going to abuse 
Through Parson's daughter, it was said poor Fanny had spoke
The ghost of Fanny Lynes with a scratching sound awoke
 
From the lips of the poor deceased Fanny Lynes 
The tales of murder and scratching noises are signs
She says she died not of smallpox, but of murder most foul
She wants her revenge and is now on the prowl

Kent denied murder he said he loved his Fanny so
But of the scratching of Fanny now most people did know
To the house in Cock Lane the crowds rallied round
Entrepreneurs learnt how to make a quick buck, a quick pound

Selling food and drink and seats by the door
As Fanny was said to tell of her murder and more
But it seems there may have been trickery and lies from Parsons, not Kent
As it was to his daughter Elizabeth that Fanny’s messages were sent.

Parsons was found guilty of lies, a fine he was ordered to pay
He did not pay so in jail he spent many a day
The case against Kent died and Fanny’s ghost did sleep
But years later maybe her revenge she finally did reap

As the years passed more investigations were made
 Her coffin was dug up and her body displayed
On the poor scratching fanny of Cock Lane it was observed
No smallpox was found but her face was preserved

 Was it then arsenic that killed poor Fanny after all? 
 Whatever the truth in the house three stories tall
No one knows now as the grave held no engraved name
But there still exists the tale of Scratching Fanny in Cock Lane.

© GG 30/1/2014

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