Collected by James Madison Carpenter, Royal Alfred, Belvedere, 1928
James Madison Carpenter Collection – sound recording (JMC/1/11/78)
Whiskey Johnny
Collected by James Madison Carpenter, Royal Alfred, Belvedere, 1928
James Madison Carpenter MSS Collection (JMC/1/5/4/A, JMC/1/1/1/A)
Stormalong
Collected by James Madison Carpenter, Royal Alfred, Belvedere, 1928
James Madison Carpenter MSS Collection (JMC/1/1/4/C)
Blow the Man Down
Collected by James Madison Carpenter, Royal Alfred, Belvedere, 1928
James Madison Carpenter Collection (JMC/1/5/4/A, JMC/1/1/4/A)
There are surviving cylinder recordings of the shanty, which can be heard via the VWML Archive Catalogue:
- Disc Side 076
JMC/1/11/76
https://www.vwml.org/record/VWMLSongIndex/SN17665
(starts at 04:47)
JMC/1/11/77
https://archives.vwml.org/songs/VWMLSongIndex/SN17664
(continuation)
- Cylinder 036
JMC/1/10/35
https://archives.vwml.org/songs/VWMLSongIndex/SN19877
(starts at 03:20)
The two recordings are in different keys, but in other respects appear to be the same.
None of the recordings includes the Humpty Dumpty verses transcribed by Carpenter. The words are also completely different to those which Carpenter noted from “The Bo’sn” – see ‘Blow The Man Down‘.
Blow the Man Down
Collected by James Madison Carpenter, Royal Alfred, Belvedere, 1928
James Madison Carpenter MSS Collection (JMC/1/1/4/A)
According to the Act (Lime Juice Act)
Collected by James Madison Carpenter, Royal Alfred, Belvedere, 1928
James Madison Carpenter MSS Collection (JMC/1/1/4/A, JMC/1/5/4/A)
The Merchant Shipping Act 1867 made it mandatory for merchant ships embarked on a long journey to carry, and distribute daily to the crew, lime or lemon juice, or other anti-scorbutics, as a preventative against scurvy.
Shamrock Shores
Collected by James Madison Carpenter, Belvedere, 1928
James Madison Carpenter MSS Collection (JMC/1/5/4/A)
Roud O
Australia for me
Collected by James Madison Carpenter, Belvedere, 1928
James Madison Carpenter MSS Collection (JMC/1/5/4/A)
Roud 0
A note in the VWML Archive Catalogue record for this song says “The text to this song is found in JMC’s Thesis p. 123”.
Hawksbury Banks (Maids of Australia)
Collected by James Madison Carpenter, Belvedere, 1928
James Madison Carpenter MSS Collection (JMC/1/5/4/A, JMC/1/1/4/D)
Green Burgee
Collected by James Madison Carpenter, Belvedere, 1928
James Madison Carpenter MSS Collection (JMC/1/5/4/A, JMC/1/1/4/D)
The OED defines burgee as “A small tapered flag or pennant, three-cornered (or swallow-tailed), used by cutters, yachts, etc., generally as a distinguishing flag”.