Saturday, December 17, 2005

Blequest?

So there's this old song - The Gentleman Soldier (sometimes also The Sentry Box) - containing the line "two wives are allowed in the army..."

Does anyone know to what army this refers, whether two wives actually were allowed, and if so, when?

7 comments:

Charlie Martin said...

Just from internal evidence, it seems to be an English traditional ballad of the bawdy drinking song variety (like The Good Ship Venus of deserved ill-repute), and all in all I think it's meant ironically.

Morgan said...

That's the general feeling I get, too. For some reason this question has become a bit of an obsession.

KG said...

Interesting question. I come from a long line of Army families and the only reference to it I can remember is that soldiers were issued with a piece of kit known as a "housewife", which contained needles, sewing thread and spare buttons etc.
Not a likely explanation, but possible.

KG said...

Interesting question. I come from a long line of Army families and the only reference to it I can remember is that soldiers were issued with a piece of kit known as a "housewife", which contained needles, sewing thread and spare buttons etc.
Not a likely explanation, but possible.

buddy larsen said...

married to the wife and the army, too?

Morgan said...

Thanks to everyone for humoring me on this one. I just don't understand why the line is there if two wives really weren't allowed in the army at one time - maybe some sort of recompense for being away from home most of the time.

ambisinistral said...

Maybe it refers to a wife at home and a girl friend in the field?