Songs with Flute accompaniment

Musical packs were popular during the eighteenth century, the most well-known probably being The Beggar’s Opera pack of c1728, of which we know there was more than one edition. Although the format may vary (vertical or horizontal), and the music varies in these packs, what they tend to have in common are several lines of music and a miniature standard English playing card in one corner (usually top left, as here).

This pack has two or three lines of music for the flute at the foot, with a four-, five- or six-line vocal air above. The title of each appears right at the top. A red crown and filigree tax stamp (VI Pence) can be seen on the Ace of Spades. The suit-signs on the red suits are coloured. The backs are plain.

Many of the songs are about love. However, one makes reference to a contemporary event which caught the public’s imagination. This can be found on the Jack of Diamonds, the card titled “Jack Shepherd”. As I have already mentioned on another page on this site (Cartomancy, Oracle and Divination Cards), Jack Sheppard (sic) was a notorious, daring and much talked about criminal executed in 1724. He was also known as “Honest Jack”. There is an extensive entry about him in Wikipedia: Jack Sheppard. It seems quite likely that the Jack of Diamonds got its nickname from him. On the same card, there is a reference to someone called “Wild”. This was Jonathan Wild, a thief-taker who operated on both sides of the law: he organised crimes and then benefited from the return of the goods stolen. He was convicted following a trial at the Old Bailey and hanged on 24 May 1725.

Above: Musical playing cards depicting Songs with Flute accompaniment, maker unknown. English, c1730. 42/52 cards. Size: 65.5 x 101 mm.

The pack in the Cary Collection is complete, while the one in the British Museum lacks four pip cards. The one in the WCMPC collection has 36 cards, while the example shown here has 42 cards (missing: KS, JS, 5S, 2S; QH, JH; 8C, 5C; 10D, 2D).

References

Berry, John. Playing-Cards of the World. Bromley, UK: John Berry; 1995. IV 40 [249].

Keller, William B. A Catalogue of The Cary Collection of Playing Cards. New Haven, CT, USA: Yale University Library; 1981. ENG 122.

Willshire, William H. A Descriptive Catalogue of Playing and Other Cards in the British Museum. London, UK: British Museum Publications Limited; 1975 (reprint of 1876 edition). pp. 289-290, no. E. 206.