Naval songs and ballads

BRIDGE, ADMIRAL SIR CYPRIAN, A. G., G.C.B. CLARKE, COL. SIR GEORGE S., G.C.M.G., F.R.S DESART, THE EARL OF, K.C.B. FIRTH, PROFESSOR C. H., LL.D.

The best ballad on the defeat of the Spanish Armada is Thomas Deloney’s _Joyful New Ballad declaring the happy obtaining of the great Galleazzo_, which is printed on p. 18. Delo...

‘And as the build, so different is the fight; Their mounting shot is on our sails designed: Deep in their hulls our deadly bullets light, And through the yielding planks a passa...

George was killed by a ball from the Frenchman’s maintop, but David Condon, his lieutenant, carried on the fight (assisted by that ‘gallant spark,’ Captain Ben Clark of Wapping,...

Songs imported from plays or operas were not likely to become popular on board ship until after they had obtained general popularity on shore. One of the characteristics of the...

The feeling which inspired Thomson’s opposition to Walpole’s Government, and his attack on its pusillanimous policy towards Spain, was shared by the populace in general. It appe...

One characteristic of the wars of the middle of the eighteenth century was the great development of privateering. ‘The privateers,’ writes Sir J. K. Laughton, ‘were, in their da...

The period from the renewal of the war with France in May 1803 to the general peace in 1815 supplies few ballads of any merit, and the more important the event celebrated the wo...

‘No, Ned, you doesn’t now often hear the staves as we used to sing in the war--you never now hears _Will ye go to Cawsin Bay, Billy Bo, Billy Bo!_--nor the _Saucy Arethusa_--nor...

Minot with mowth had menid to make Suth sawes and sad for sum mens sake; The wordes of sir Edward makes me to wake, Wald he salue vs sone mi sorow suld slake; War mi sorow slake...

All thinges we have ready and nothing we want To furnish our ship that rideth hereby; Victuals and weapons thei be nothing skant, Like worthie mariners ourselves we will trie. _...

‘O Royal King of England, your ship’s returned again; For Wards ship is so strong it never will be ta’ne.’ ‘O everlasting!’ says our King, ‘I have lost jewels three, Which would...

When as our ships with merchandize are safely come to shore, No men like us under the skies to drink, to sing, and rore; Good wine and beer we freely tope, until the ground look...

To pass our tedious hours away, We throw a merry main, Or else at serious ombre play, But why should we in vain Each other’s ruin thus pursue? We were undone when we left you!

Our frigots persued him, our canons did roare, Until they were come within two miles of shore: Our great ships persu’d, and continu’d the slaughter, So far till they were within...

‘To the top, to the top, my little cabin-boy, to the mizen-top-mast-head so high, And spread abroad St. George’s flag, for under that we live or die.’ O then bespoke our gunner...

Behold, noble captain, the sorrowful tears, That down my cheeks trickle amain, To move your hard heart to release me of fear And to grant me my love once again.

Thursday in the morn, the Ides of May, Recorded be for ever the famous ninety-two. Brave Russel did discern by dawn of day The lofty sails of France advancing now. ‘All hands al...

Now farewel to this wicked world, and our companions too; From hence we quickly shall be hurl’d to clear the way for you; For certainly if e’re you come to justice, as we are, D...

Our brave Captain Crosbie proved coward at last, For he stood at bo-peep behind the main mast; He stood at bo-peep and did quiver and shake For fear that those French dogs his d...

When I landed first at Dover she appeared a goddess bright. From foreign parts but just come over I was struck with so fair a sight; On the shore pretty Susan walked near to whe...

But then this Irish desperate did also order then Two guns to point down in the hold, to sink both ship and men. O! this unhappy order fill’d his men with horrid dread, When ins...

And there for to wait to join our fleet, All with Sir John Norris the French fleet to meet. On the seventh day our fleet they came in, Expecting at Dungeness the French fleet to...

Thus fell the strong _Terrible_, bravely and bold, But sixteen survivors the tale can unfold; The French were the victors, tho’ much to their cost, For many brave French were wi...

Upon the next day the wind it blew north-west, And Elliot’s gallant seamen they sorely were oppressed; They could not get in that night, the wind it blew so high; And as for Mon...

‘There is the master a-swearing, the boatswain a-growling, The midshipman a-howling out, “Take that fore-bowling”; If you speak but one word you’re a mutinous rascal, Both your...

Our guns set for the best advantage alongside they did come. We said we need not fire till execution [could] be done; As soon as they bore upon him we immediately let drive, And...

The squadron under gallant Hood receiv’d a gallant breeze, To bring the French to action the present moment seiz’d; The whole French fleet we did engage full eight glasses or mo...

But soon, to our grief, as you shall understand, They refused to comply with our humble demand; Although to the Army they granted more pay, While we sons of Neptune neglected di...

You undaunted sons of Britannia, lend an ear, A story concerning a fight you shall hear. It was on March the 12th, my boys, our fleet did sail Out of Yarmouth with a sweet and p...

You first confined our commerce, and said our ships sha’n’t trade; You next impressed our seamen, and used them as your slaves; You then insulted Rogers while ploughing o’er the...

’Twas at the landing place that’s just below Mount Wyse, Poll leaned against the sentry’s box, a tear in both her eyes: Her apron twisted round her arms, all for to keep them wa...

Hoarse was the slaving captain’s voice, and deep the oath he swore: ‘Haul down the flag; that’s shot enough, we don’t want any more.’ Alongside dashed the cruiser’s boat to boar...

P. 134. =Captain Kid’s Farewell.= This ballad is reprinted, for the first time, from the unique example in the collection of Lord Crawford. The trial of William Kid (or Kidd), w...

P. 240. =The Humours of the Royal Billy.= Printed by Ashton, _Real Sailor Songs_, p. 93* (British Museum, pressmark 11621, k. 5 [159]). Probably belongs to the early part of the...

THE NAVY RECORDS SOCIETY, which has been established for the purpose of printing rare or unpublished works of naval interest, aims at rendering accessible the sources of our nav...