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Title
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Guilty sea captain
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Singer
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Sawyer, David [Phoebus]
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Notes
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Note 1
Williams, Alfred: WGS: 'An ancient and superstitious piece, relating to early navigation between this country and America. Only heard once in the valley. Obtained of David Sawyer.'
Williams, Alfred: FSUT: 'An ancient and superstitious piece, relating to early navigation between this country and America. Only heard once in the valley. Obtained of David Sawyer. He died in 1918.'
Note 2
Packet 4 Wiltshire songs contains a note -
'Published in Folk songs of the Upper Thames p 265. M/S can be found in Packet 17 on the reverse of the last foolscap sheet, and is identical to the published version.'
However, the manuscript starts at Verse 3 of the published text. In the context of the manuscript in Packet 5 Miscellaneous Mi 586 this raises a difficult issue for as Williams says in his note, 'Only heard once' and yet the texts are quite different.
The typescript in the file refers to the full text being found on the reverse of the 'Hackney Coachman' Wt 377. This text differs from that collected from David Sawyer, Wt 445 and published in Folk songs of the Upper Thames p 265.
Verses 1, 9 and 10 differ textually and there is, in addition a Verse 11. There are also minor textual differences in the other verses.
So there is a difficulty with the two texts and Williams' statement, 'Only heard once' which appears in Wt 445 and the published version of the song.
Transcribed and edited by Chris Wildridge, 2010.
