ADD: Siege of Saint Malo

Subject: RE: ADD: Siege of Saint Malo
From: GUEST,PMB
Date: 06 Dec 24 - 05:07 AM

This is the same Admiral Benbow who later lost his legs by chain shot, by chain shot (his grave's in Kingston church). Interestingly, the song doesn't mention the most remarkable part of the action: a ship stuffed to the gunwales with barrels of gunpowder, which, but for a last- moment change of wind, might well have destroyed the town completely. As it was, there was much physical damage, including a house demolished by the flying capstan of the bomb- ship, but (according to the French) only one death - a cat. Details here: Black sails at St Malo

Subject: RE: ADD: Siege of Saint Malo
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Dec 24 - 05:09 PM

Thanks, Tim.

There's a brief listing in the Traditional Ballad Index:

Siege of St. Malo

DESCRIPTION: "On the fourteenth of November, Straight to the French coast we did steer, All against the brave St. Malo, With our fleet we did steer... To burn St. Malo down." They bombard the town. The French ships and town are burned
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1891 (collected by Sabine Baring Gould from J. Peale)
KEYWORDS: battle France
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
Nov. 16-19, 1693 - Admiral Benbow's bombardment of St. Malo
FOUND IN: Britain(England(West))
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Gundry-CanowKernow-SongsDancesFromCornwall, p. 19, "The Siege of St. Malo" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #3309
NOTES [12 words]: For Admiral John Benbow (1653-1702), see the notes to "Admiral Benbow." - RBW
Last updated in version 4.5
File: Gund019

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Subject: ADD: Siege of Saint Malo
From: RTim
Date: 05 Dec 24 - 04:42 PM

THE SIEGE OF ST. MALO

On the fourteenth of November
Straight to the French coast we did steer
All against the brave St. Malo
With our fleet we did draw near
With our English colours flying
In the sight of all the town
With the brave, bold Resolution
To burn St. Malo down.

(On the Fifteenth of November
At the dawning of the day
We espied a gallant Frenchman
That gave us home away…??)
…(The rest is wanting…)

Our bombs we then did cast
And they fell into the town
Which made the French admire
To see their buildings tumble down
Then some men were prisoners taken
And some ran out of the town
While we waited in our longboats
To burn St. Malo down.

Then at last we saw St. Malo
It was to ruin brought
And the proud insulting Louis
He was a lesson taught
On the sixteenth of November
WE set their ships aflame
And then a noble building
WE treated it the same.

Roud 3309
Collected by Baring-Gould & Shepherd
From J.Peake, Liskeard, May 1881
Published in Canow Kernow – Inglis Gundry -1966

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Siege of Saint Malo
From: GUEST,jean and john
Date: 17 Apr 02 - 07:07 AM

Very many thanks everyone. We'll track the lyrics down from the info. you've kindly given us and send them for the Mudcat database.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Siege of Saint Malo
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 04:59 PM

It is just an index; if you want the song, you may have to buy the book (if you can find a copy). There is one reference only in the Roud folk song index, to that same example. It was noted by Sabine Baring Gould from J. Peake of Liskeard in May 1891, and is in his MS collection, where Inglis Gundry found it and published it in Canow Kernow (1966 and 1972).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Siege of Saint Malo
From: MMario
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 04:47 PM

Thanks for the attempt Sorcha; and Thanks to Dicho for checking it out.

I really dislike living behind a content filter!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Siege of Saint Malo
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 04:42 PM

Got in, but- Came up on p. 81 with a list under the title "The Siege of St. Malo": title, Tune, IME Sig 4/4, Words English, Refs, Inglis Gundy Carrow Kernow, 19, Baring Gould etc. and Notes. Nothing works as a click. Seems to be only an index reference work without words.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Siege of Saint Malo
From: Sorcha
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 11:02 AM

I give up. Finally got the PDF page to load--96 pages, and the computer froze up. Sorry.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Siege of Saint Malo
From: Sorcha
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 10:45 AM

I'm trying......terribly slow to load. I finally did get into the Bluecarrot home page, I may have to "join". Trying again.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Siege of Saint Malo
From: MMario
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 10:26 AM

Sorcha? Can you reach http://users.bluecarrots.com/ilow/archive.pdf

I'm blocked.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Siege of Saint Malo
From: Sorcha
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 10:16 AM

It has been recorded on this album, but says nothing about lyrics.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Siege of Saint Malo
From: masato sakurai
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 10:08 AM

According to Brunnings' Folk Song Index (Garland), "The Siege of St. Malo" is in Canow Kernow by Inglis Gundry. That's all I've found so far about the song.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Siege of Saint Malo
From: Sorcha
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 09:57 AM

I found references to it as a harp air, but no words. Anybody else?

Subject: Siege of Saint Malo
From: GUEST,jean and john
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 06:25 AM

Does anyone have the words to the trad. Cornish song titled, we think, The Siege of St. Malo? (Last heard at Dorchester Folk Festival 1968.)