William Brand

In the interest of cataloging songs which speak of sailors, life at sea, taverns, etc., I'm going to keep a running list by year, name and citation. Other specific information about a song, such as the composer, origin, etc., will be listed in posts that follow. Early songs are often recorded in books without tunes or sheet music, and generally bereft of notes on the original author of the lyrics and little or no citation, so finding songs for the period can be frustrating, but we hope this growing list will serve to help further research about music of the Golden Age and before. Songs are listed by the year of their earliest citation. If you should find an earlier reference than the one listed, please cite the reference and year of publication and we will correct the list. I will cite songs later than the Golden Age for those wishing to know if it's period. Early Songs 1585: In Prais of Seafarings Men, In Hope of Good Fortune - MS. Sloane, 2497, fol. 47 (manuscript) 1636: A Song from "The Tragedy of the Rape of Lucrece" by Thomas Heywood - Printed by R. Raworth, and are to be sold by James Becket, at his shop in the Inner Temple Gate, 1636 1672: A Song on the Duke's Late Glorious Success Over the Dutch - Broadside, 1672 1688: The Seamens Wives Frolick - Pepys Ballads, Vol 4, page 184 1691: England's Triumph at Sea - MS. Harl. 7526, fol. 65, MS. addit. 2715, fol. 79 1719: With Full Double Cups - D'Urfey's "Wit and Mirth, or Pills to Purge Melancholy," edit. 1719, vol. iii. p. 304. The tune is " by Mr. Barincloth 1732: The Jolly Sailor - A Collection of the Most Celebrated Songs In Four Volumes, Vol. 4 Later songs 1750: "Cheerily Man" or "Nancy Dawson" - Johnson's Caledonian country dances, with a through bass for ye harpsichord, 1750, 3rd. edition.

We run into all sorts of issues with period songs. First, they're often published without any sheet music. Two, while they may talk about 'Sailors' or the 'Sea' this might be only coincidental. Lot's of 'tavern songs' talk about the sea and sailors, but may be land odes to the sea, not working songs, and without notes from the authors themselves, we can't know. For example, there's a book called 'The Lark' which contains a "Collection: Of Above Four Hundred and Seventy Celebrated English and Scotch Songs". It has no music and no notes about tunes. It doesn't cite the origin of the songs or explain their context. It's just 470+ songs. Now one of them is bound to be from the Sailing community, but only by speculation. Here's one from 'A Collection of the Most Celebrated Songs In Four Volumes, Vol. 4' published in 1732. The Jolly Sailor Haul, haul away, haul away, Let your anchors be weighing, 
Haul, haul away, and be steering. Ere the wind shall be veering; Time and tide will admit no delaying. 
j Abroad with your flags, your streamers display, While the full swelling sea shall befriend ye: Not a storm by the sea, nor a rock by the way, Not a storm nor a rock mail offend ye, Whilst we fathom and sound. Let our glass then go round, Let us drink, let us revel and roar; Whilst the coast is in view, Our mirth shall renew, 
And give the boon lads their kind welcome ashore. This one could have been very popular among sailors, but the book only lists the lyrics. It also doesn't state how old it is. Was it first made popular in 1732 or much earlier? It's frustrating.

When looking for working songs, be sure to search using various terms, such as Shanty, Chanty, Hauling Chant, Work Chant, Sea Chant, Work Song, etc. The spelling and etymology of the word Shanty is fairly young, historically speaking, so finding citations is made even more difficult.

That's the challenge. Citations. We find a lot of songs that are 'traditionally' old, but with few citations. HEre's a threads from the Shanties subforum that discusses working or 'rowing' shanties. http://pyracy.com/index.php/topic/18793-rowing-shanties/

The imagination/mental vacation reason come as no surprise to me at all. The 'Fiction' section of the Pub is responsible for a huge percentage of our regular traffic. A lot of people are tuning in to read and escape.

April 2 - Mauritius, Hollandia and Amsterdam, these were the names of the three merchant ships that set sail from Texel for “the East”, together with the small ship the Duyfken, on April 2, 1595. It proved to be an exciting adventure. Only three of the four vessels returned in August 1597 and only 87 of the 249 man crew. The revenues were modest. But still, this first Dutch sailing expedition to Asia was a success because it opened a trade route to the East and paved the way for the rise of the Dutch East India Company.

Better luck next...wait.

Lot (you're killing me, smalls!)

Once, when I was very small, a kid put a firecracker in my big wheel. He just dropped one into those holes on the back of the big wheel where the seat was placed. I ran up to see what he had done and it went off just as a looked in the hole. Burned and bruised my eye. I don't know why I thought of it just now, but I just wanted to say, 'Thanks again, random firecracker prankster from my past!'. Ahh memories.

April 1 - On April 1, 1698, several people were tricked into going to the Tower of London to "see the Lions washed". Broadsheets were distributed to the public, inviting people to see the annual ceremony to wash the royal lions. This joke has continued for many years. The practice was alive and well in 1857... Also... Thomas Cocklyn was an 18th-century English pirate, known primarily for his association and partnership with Howell Davis and Oliver La Buze. He was reportedly elected captain "due to his brutality and ignorance" when first sailing from New Providence in 1717. On this day in 1719, Cocklyn was a participant in the capture of the West African-bound English slave ship the Bird Galley at the mouth of the Sierra Leone River. The three pirate captains celebrated their victory on board the ship for nearly a month before releasing its captain, William Snelgrave, and giving him the Bristol Snow and the remaining cargo left from the pirates' week-long occupation of the ship.

That is an excellent find. It's nice to see extant examples in order.

If that's the thread I'm thinking of, it's worthy of a revival. You should bump it with some new information.

March 29 - On this day in 1721, Charles Vane was hanged at Gallows Point in Port Royal. He died without expressing the least remorse for his crimes. After death, his body was hung from a gibbet on Gun Cay, at the mouth of harbor at Port Royal, as a warning against piracy.

Here, here! May it stand forever. I love this place for the archives and conversation.

Excellent addition, and even better since I didn't have anything for today.

Welcome aboard!

March 27 - Upon their arrival in the West Indies, Francis Spriggs and his crew captured a sloop near St. Lucia, a Martinique merchantman, and a vessel with a cargo of logwood which they tossed into the sea after carrying away as much as they could take. In early 1724, while in New England waters, Spriggs and the Delight received word of the death of King George I and discussed the possibility of gaining a royal pardon within the year after sailing from Rhode Island on this day in 1724.

March 26 - John Julian (ca. 1701 – 26 March 1733, aged 32) was the first recorded black pirate to operate in the New World, as the pilot of the ship Whydah. Julian was a half-blood Miskito Indian who joined Samuel Bellamy early in his brief career. He eventually piloted the Whydah, which was the leading ship of Bellamy's fleet, when he was only 16 years old. Julian was one of 30 to 50 people of African descent in the pirate crew — all were treated as equals. Newspaper item about execution of "Julian the Indian" (Weekly Rehearsal, Boston, March 1733) Julian's life became more difficult after he survived the Whydah wreck in 1717. He was jailed in Boston but apparently never indicted. He was likely sold into slavery, the "Julian the Indian" bought by John Quincy — whose grandson, President John Quincy Adams, became a staunch abolitionist. A purported "unruly slave," Julian the Indian was sold to another owner and tried often to escape. During one attempt, he killed a bounty hunter who was trying to catch him. He was executed on March 26, 1733.

March 25 - On this day in 1643, anchoring in the harbor of present day Kingston on March 25, Captain William Jackson led a party of 500 men against the nearby town of St. Jago de la Vega which he captured after heavy resistance by the town's defenders at a cost of around forty men. Threatening to burn the town, he received a ransom of 200 cattle, 10,000 pounds of cassava bread, and 7,000 pieces-of-eight. Many of the English buccaneers became with the tropical island and, during their stay, twenty three men left to live among the Spaniards. Also on this day in 1675 the first British Royal Yacht, Mary hit rocks in a fog off Anglesey. The wrecksite is protected.

March 20 - The Dutch East India Company (Dutch: Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, VOC, "United East India Company") was a chartered company established on this day in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia. It is often considered to have been the first multinational corporation in the world and it was the first company to issue stock. It was also arguably the first megacorporation, possessing quasi-governmental powers, including the ability to wage war, imprison and execute convicts, negotiate treaties, coin money, and establish colonies.

March 19 - On this day in 1720, John Clipperton and his crew reached the Port of Velas at the Western extremity of Nicoya peninsula arriving with their prize the 'Prince Eugene".

March 16 - On this day in 1719 Rogers learned that Spain and Britain were at war again. He redoubled his efforts to repair the island's fortifications, buying vital supplies on credit in the hope of later being reimbursed by the expedition's investors.

Welcome aboard, Mike! You should post picture of the sailboat in the subforum "Real Travel Adventures & Ports O'Call" http://pyracy.com/index.php/forum/3-real-travel-adventures-ports-ocall/%C2'> We'd love to see her. Does she have a name?

Fort Taylor Pirate Invasion - It was my first, and for the longest time, my only event. I can't help but love it. I spend so much time touting it and planning and participating that's it hard not to love it. First, the location makes for some of the greatest atmosphere one could ask for, from camping in the fort, to sailing past it on a tall ship, it's just a great place. And where else could gate duty be one of the most entertaining evenings. The people there just make it all worthwhile. There are bigger cannon every year. Great repeat vendors for food and kit. Searles Sack of St. Augustine Camping in the Fountain of Youth park is fantastic. The city is filled with original structures and cobblestone streets. The battle in terms of scale and distance is fun to be a part of and the Buccaneer hosts make you really feel right at home. For those who have never attended, the event is specific to the historic event of 1668, so you'll see some of the finest period clothing and firearms imaginable. Utah Pirate Festival Where else can you hear a really good pirate Rock Band, while eating a deep fried oreo, and watching Jack Sparrow in a fox costume, chasing a buccaneer carrying a mermaid, while a dancer stands on her head twirling burning hoola-hoops? It's great, weird fun with some of the friendliest crowd around.

This topic was born of a question and suggestions from another thread, so we're making it a thread unto itself. Tell us about your favorite events. Tell us why you like them, for any reasons which seem important to you. This isn't a thread about pros and cons or the why and why not, but just your personal reasons for liking event. Lots of events have pros and cons, but we're interested in what you like about particular events and what you would suggest to someone who has never been to them or the locations in which they're held. You can decide how to define it, so don't worry about the definitions of others. Just tell us about your favorites and what keeps bringing you back time and again to festivals, parties, re-enactments, gatherings, fundraisers, what-have-you.