The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #2169   Message #746823
Posted By: vectis
11-Jul-02 - 06:52 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Admiral Benbow
Subject: RE: Admiral Benbow lyrics
The Coppers sing this as the last verse, wrongly burying Benbow at Selmeston in Sussex for a good reason.

Last Tuesday morning last, Benbow died, Benbow died,
What a shocking sight to see when they carried him away
They carried him to Se'm's'on church
There he lays, there he lays.

One of the Coppers (Grandad I think) went to Kingston village (in East Sussex) and looked everywhere for the grave of Benbow. When he couldn't find it he thought he must be buried further away so chose the name of a village more than a days walk from Kingston.
He had so little schooling that he didn't realise that the song referred to Kingston Jamaica.