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Title
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Whale fishers
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Singer
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Haydon, Shadrach [Shepherd]
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Notes
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Note 1
Williams, Alfred: Ms / WGS: 'The Whale Fishers is interesting as showing the range of subject possessed by the old ballad writers. They had an eye for everything, and found means to compose a song upon every adventure of activity. Copy obtained of Shadrach Haydon, Bampton, Oxfordshire.'
Note 2
Elsewhere Haydon is described as from Hatford and Lyford, Berkshire.
Note 3
In WGS there is an additional verse after Verse 2:
Verse 3
'Here's a whale, here's a whale,' cries the bold fisherman,
As he glanced over the side,
And to catch that great whale, brave boys,
We instantly did try.
The original of the microfilmed newspaper in the History Centre is damaged. My thanks to the staff of the British Library Newspaper Library at Colindale for their assistance in completing the above verse.
There are also several amendments to the verses inserted by Williams.
In Verse 1, line 2 the original reads:
On March the twenty third.
In Verse 2, line 3 the original reads:
For the heavy waves fell on the deck
Verse 4, line 2 the original reads:
And the whale fish appeared in view
Verse 4 Line 4 the WGS text is:
And daylight is seldom seen.
In Verse 5, line 1 the original reads:
The boat being launched, and the line paid out.
In Verse 6, line 1 the original reads:
Now Greenland is in a barren place.
Transcribed and edited by Chris Wildridge, 2010.
