Lyr Add: Lovely Ann/Loss of the Ship Union

Subject: Lyr Add: LOVELY ANN (from a broadside)
From: Dan Milner
Date: 06 Jan 99 - 01:10 PM

LOVELY ANN

When I was young and in my prime to the seas I had to roam.
My parents together they did combine to part me from my own.
To Belfast Town I was sent down and without no more delay
On board the Union my passage paid bound for Americay.

'Twas on the 14th day of June from Belfast we did sail
And down the lough we bore straightway with a sweet and a pleasant gale.
I bade farewell to the Shamrock Shore likewise the banks of Bann
And to the girl I do adore, my charming lovely Ann.

Unto St. Andrews we were bound our coast now for to clear.
Along the shore away we bore thinking no danger near.
At 10 o'clock on the third night we received a dreadful shock
For our ship she struck with all her might against some unknown rock.

It's of our hard fate to lament just now I will begin.
In discontent some hours we spent lying southeast off Rathlin
When overboard our stores we threw and our cargo to the waves
And numbers to the shrouds withdrew our precious lives to save.

The raging sea ran mountains high and dismal were the skies.
Neither light nor land did we espy and fearful were our cries,
It's there we lay till the break of day describe our state who can
And to myself these words did say, "Adieu, sweet lovely Ann."

When we received first glimpse of light our boats we did employ.
Towards the shore away we bore and our hearts they did leap with joy,
And Providence proved kind to us his name I do adore.
There was not one soul left on board, we all got safe to shore.

I'll bid farewell to Americay and the rocks of Rathlin.
No more from my land I'll stray to cross the raging main.
I'll go and see my bonny lass down by the River Bann
And all my days with her I'll pass. She's my charming lovely Ann.

Source: Text - an original broadside without imprint found in the archives of the Central Library in Birmingham, England; Melody - "Gleanntain Ghlas Gheoth Dobhair" ("The Green Glens of Gweedore"), first heard from Paul Brady in New York in 1973. Book: Dan Milner (author-compiler) and Paul Kaplan (musical transcriptions), "Songs of England, Ireland & Scotland, A Bonnie Bunch of Roses," Oak Publications, 1983. Recording: Dan Milner et al, Irish Ballads & Songs of the Sea, Folk-Legacy CD-124, 1989. Posted: DM 1/99.

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Subject: RE: When I was in My Prime
From:
Date: 01 Feb 99 - 07:40 PM

There's a song from the collection of Dr John Clague in the Isle of Man where he pencils in the first verse. Unfortunately, I can't read all the words. These days it tends to be called "Tra va mee aeg as lajer" which translates as "When I was young and strong". Personally, I'd rather it wasn't, because the lyrics as shown in the Clague manuscript start -

When I was young and in my prime
To sea I had to roam.
......... {lies} .......... they did combine
To drive me from my home.
To Belfast town they did me bring
Without any more delay
On board of a [some sort of a ship]
Bound for Amerikay.

It's obviously a fairly standard forced emigration song. If someone can suggest which particular song this is, I'd be grateful. It isn't one of those in the database collection.

Gura mie eu,

Bobby Bob

Subject: RE: When I was in My Prime
From:
Date: 02 Feb 99 - 03:34 PM

Somehow I managed to erase a couple of lines from the lyric I was enquiring about.

Looking at the Clague collection again now (photocopy from the Manx Museum - the collection was made by Dr Clague in 1893/4), the first verse as pencilled in by him appears to go:

When I was young and in my prime
To the seas I had to roam.
My friends . . . . . . . did combine
To part me from my home.
To Belfast town they did me bring
Without any more delay,
And on board of the Union(?) my passage paid,
Bound for America.

Any information gratefully received.

Gura mie eu,

Bobby Bob

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Messages moved from the When I Was In My Prime thread, which is about a different song.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: When I was in My Prime
From: Liam's Brother
Date: 04 Mar 99 - 03:10 PM

Hi Bobby Bob!

This is about the last voyage of the brig Union in 1822. The ballad is called Lovely Ann or Charming Lovely Ann.

It's in my collection of folk songs published in 1983 (see http://www.folklegacy.com/books.htm). It's also recorded on my recent CD about which there is a thread on DT.

All the best, Dan Milner

Subject: ADD Version: Sweet Charming Ann
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Apr 00 - 03:52 AM

Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry on this song:

Lovely Ann

DESCRIPTION: The singer's friends take him to Belfast to sail to America on the Union and leave Ann behind. The ship hits a rock off Rathlin in a storm. All passengers reach shore in boats. He decides to stay home with Ann rather than try to sail to America again.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1826 (chapbook by James Smyth, Belfast, according to Leyden)
KEYWORDS: emigration reunion separation sea ship storm wreck America
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
May 26, 1822 - The _Union_ out of Belfast, bound for St Andrews, New Brunswick, is wrecked on Rathlin Island. The passengers were rescued and returned to Belfast (source: Leyden).
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber))
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Greig #108, pp. 2-3, "Sweet Charming Ann" (1 text)
GreigDuncan1 24, "Sweet Charming Ann" (1 text)
Leyden 34, "Lovely Ann" (1 text)
Logan, pp. 56-58, "Lament for the Loss of the Ship Union" (1 text)
Roud #5804
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Johnson Ballads 5, "Lovely Ann ("When I was young and in my prime"), T. Batchelar (London), 1828-1832; also Harding B 11(2221), Harding B 11(2222), "Lovely Ann"; Harding B 11(4087), "Lovely Anne"
Murray, Mu23-y1:032, "Lovely Ann," James Lindsay Junr(Glasgow), 19C
ALTERNATE TITLES:
The Loss of the Ship Union
Notes: Bourke in Shipwrecks of the Irish Coast v2, p. 17 lists this as an 1822 wreck without further details; his source is Tommy Cecil, The Harsh Winds of Rathlin. Leyden has details from the News Letter and notes that "many of the details in the song contradict those reported in the News Letter." - BS
File: Leyd034

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Here's the Greig-Duncan version:

SWEET CHARMING ANN

1 When I was young and in my prime.
To the seas I had to rove:
My parents dear they did combine
To part me and my love.

2 They marched me off to Belfast town,
Without any more delay:
And on board the Union my passage paid
Bound for America.

3 I bade farewell to Shamrock shore
And the bonnie banks o’ Bann,
And to the lassie I adore,
My own sweet charming Ann.

4 At twelve o’clock on the third night
We received a sudden shock.
The ship she struck with all her might
Against some unknown rock.

5 The raging seas ran mountains high
And dismal was the skies,
No light nor land could we espy
And horrid was our cries.

6 All night we lay till break o’ day,
Describe our state who can!
I to myself these words did say
Adieu sweet lovely Ann.

7 As soon as ever the day did break,
The boats we did employ.
And to the shore away we bore,
Our hearts did leap for joy.

8 And Providence proved kind to us,
His name we will adore,
Not a soul of us was left behind,
We all got safe to shore.

9 I’ll go and see my bonnie lass,
Down by the banks of Bann,
And all my days with her I’ll pass.
She’s my own sweet charming Ann.

Source: Miss. Bell Robertson
Collected by Gavin Greig, April 1980

Greig-Duncan Collection Volume 1 p.61

Subject: When I was young and in my prime
From: GUEST,Bobby Bob, Ellan Vannin
Date: 03 May 01 - 04:19 PM

Some time ago I sought further information about a song which began -

When I was young and in my prime
To sea I had to rove (or roam).
My friends together did combine
To part me from my love (or home).
To Belfast town they did me bring
Without any more delay.
And aboard of the 'Union' my passage paid,
Bound for America.

The song was collected in 1896 by Dr John Clague from Tom Kermode of Bradda, known as the Bhoy Doal, who was blinded by smallpox at age five, but whose career was working on fishing boats.

Dan Milner identified the song as a version of 'The Last Voyage of the Union', which was wrecked off Rathlin Island not long after setting sail from Belfast.

Dan recorded the song on an album, but made his own tune for it. It struck me recently, after a mere three or so years, that I could post the tune as collected in 1896 by Clague here by using the Mudcat midi/text file routine.

Hence -

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Slaynt mie,

Bobby Bob

Subject: RE: When I was young and in my prime
From: MMario
Date: 03 May 01 - 04:28 PM

technology - ain't it great? *grin*

Subject: RE: When I was young and in my prime
From: GUEST,ade
Date: 03 May 01 - 04:39 PM

Farewell to Carlingford, which I sing occasionally also starts 'When I was young and in my prime' - this is a sea song from Ireland. Then again, I suppose there are quite a few songs start with these lyrics.. just a ramblin' thought.....

Subject: RE: When I was young and in my prime
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 03 May 01 - 05:17 PM

An issue of 1828-9 is on the Bodleian Ballads website, one of several of "(My) Lovely Ann" copies. "When I was young and in my prime" turns up 18 total copies of songs starting thus.

Subject: RE: When I was young and in my prime
From: GUEST,Bobby Bob, Ellan Vannin
Date: 13 May 01 - 01:32 PM

Just getting back to have a look after about ten days, and I see there's a mention of "Farewell to Carlingford", as there was in the old thread linked in by Jon.

Was that written by Tommy Makem, or am I getting mixed up with "The Boys from Killybegs"?

I'm afraid the little grey cells must be drifting further apart (tending towards a vacuum) because I'm buggered if I can remember.

Lhieuish,

Bobby Bob

Subject: RE: When I was young and in my prime
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 13 May 01 - 02:10 PM

Both, apparantly; in 1968 and 1974 respectively.

Malcolm

Subject: ADD: Lament for the Loss of the Ship Union
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 16 Mar 09 - 01:20 AM

Here's another version:

From A Pedlar's Pack of Ballads and Songs by W. H. [William Hugh] Logan (Edinburgh: William Pater, 1869.)


LAMENT FOR THE LOSS OF THE SHIP UNION.

In another copy of this piece which we have stumbled upon, the title is "J. G.'s Lament for the Loss of the Ship Union." Who J. G. was must, we fear, remain a matter of question, unless his "charming lovely Ann," to whom he betook himself, be still alive, and will disclose the secret. Instead of J. G. lamenting, he appears to have rather rejoiced that the expedition to America was prevented in favour of more halcyon days down "by the river Bann."
There is no imprint attached to either of the copies.

When I was young and in my prime,
The seas I had to rove;
My friends together did combine
To part me from my love.

To Belfast town they me conveyed,
And without more delay
In the Union my passage paid,
Bound for America.

'Twas on 14th day of May,
From Belfast we did set sail;
And down the Loch we bore away,
With a sweet and pleasant gale.

Now farewell to the shamrock shore,
And bonny banks of Bann,
And the sweet girl I do adore—
My charming lovely Ann.

For St. Andrews we were bound
Our course now for to steer;
From Erin's shore away we bore,
Thinking no danger near.

At ten o'clock on the third night
We got a dreadful shock:
Our ship she dashed with all her might
Against an unknown rock.

Then our hard fate for to lament
It's now we did begin;
In discontent some hours we spent
At South-east of Rathlane.

It's overboard our stores we threw,
Our cargo to the waves;
Numbers to the shrouds then flew,
Their precious lives to save.

The raging sea ran mountains high,
And dismal were the skies;
No light or land could we espy,
And horrid were the cries.

It's there we lay till break of day,—
Describe our state who can?
Then to myself these words did say,
"Adieu, sweet lovely Ann."

Soon as we got a glimpse of light,
Our boats we did employ;
Towards the shore we took our flight,
Our hearts did leap with joy.

Providence to us proved kind,—
His name we do adore;
There's not a soul was left behind,
We all got safe to shore.

Now, farewell to America,
And the rocks of Rathlane;
No more I'll from my country stray,
To cross the raging main.

I'll go and see my bonny
Down by the river Bann;
And all my days with her I'll pass,
My charming lovely Ann.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Lovely Ann
From: GUEST,Bobby Bob, Ellan Vannin
Date: 16 Mar 09 - 08:40 AM

The first verse, or two verses, of this were noted down in the Isle of Man in the 1890s:

When I was young and in my prime
To sea I had to rove
False friends of mine they did combine
To part me from my love

To Belfast town they did me bring
Without any more delay
On board of the Union my passage paid
Bound for Americay.

When I have sung it, I've amended the 'Banks of Bann' to 'Isle of Man', of course!

The tune was also collected with that first verse back in the 1890s. Dan Milner wrote his own tune for the lyric.

Back in 1999, after Dan had started a thread about the song, I think that I posted the tune collected in the Isle of Man using the ABC format thingy, but I can't find it now. Perhaps it's still somewhere in the archives, so might be worth reviving, if it can be found by Joe and co.

If of interest, I could try to learn how to do it again and repost it, as the song thread has been revived.

Lhiats,

Bobby Bob, Ellan Vannin

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Message found and moved above.
-Joe Offer-