History

Our Waters is inspired by the nineteenth-century African-American street musician of the same name (c. 1778–1823). Waters, who was a disabled war veteran and a wooden leg user, was well known in London in the early nineteenth century and his legacy extended well beyond his death. He was represented in Piece Egan’s successful 1821 book Life in London, which was then adapted for the stage by William Moncrieff as Tom and Jerry. Waters was also represented in many paintings, writings, and shows through to the mid-nineteenth century. For more on Waters, see Tony Montague’s Guardian article “‘An o-o-old song’: Billy Waters, the African American musician who captivated 1820s London”.

Backstory

A famous busker, violinist, and entertainer of African descent. He was formerly in the Royal Navy, where he lost his leg.
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