Jemmy Damson
Preserved but no longer current.
The hero of a pathetic ballad by Shenstone, given in Percy's Rehques. Captain James Dawson (c. 1717-46) joined the "Young Chevalier," and was one of the Manchester rebels who was hanged, drawn, and quartered on Kennington Common in 1746. A lady of gentle blood was in love with the gallant young rebel, and died of a broken heart after witnessing his execution.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Jemmy Damson” mean?
The hero of a pathetic ballad by Shenstone, given in Percy's Rehques. Captain James Dawson (c. 1717-46) joined the "Young Chevalier," and was one of the Manchester rebels who was hanged, drawn, and quartered on Kennington Common in 1746. A lady of gentle blood was in love with the gallant young rebel, and died of a broken heart after witnessing his execution.
Is “Jemmy Damson” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.