From the Fieldvole sleeve notes:

Andrew Rose is printed in Capt. B. Whall'S fine old book Sea Songs and Shanties. The story it tells is horrible but true. Stan Hugill, the noted shantyman and writer on sea-lore, tells us, "The episode took place around 1845. The ship was called The Martha and Jane which is shortened in the song to make it come in rhyme, and I have the actual ship's log which relates to this tale. It seems that The Martha and Jane was short of a crewman and a Captain when near the West Indies, so they shipped aboard Andrew Rose and Captain Rogers at Barbados to make up a full complement. These two had despised each other even when on shore, and when on board the hatred grew and Capt. Rogers' torture and unspeakable degradation of Rose began. Andrew Rose was a deeply religious man who continually sang Methodist hymns during the voyage, aggravating the Captain yet more.

Capt. Rogers was hung for his crimes in Walton Jail-in fact he was the first to hang in the new Walton Jail, built to replace the old one which had stood down by the docks. The Mates during the voyage were not punished." Stan Hugill also recollects seeing a commemorative wax statue to Andrew Rose during his youth in a Liverpool dockside Waxworks.