Fleetwood's cemetery has the gravestone of Joe Maley (Jack Easy), the "Musical Midshipman", subject of the first Mudcat thread I can remember contributing to:- Lyr Req: THE CONCERTINA MAN .

There is also a stone marking the grave of Arthur Sinclair, a captain in the Confederate navy. He came over to Liverpool to take command of the Leila (spelt Lelia on the headstone), newly built for the Confederate side. She had to be surreptitiously brought out of port under a Turkish master, control to be handed over to Sinclair when the ship was beyond territorial waters. In the storm that blew up in the Irish Sea, it was discovered that handles for the ships pumps had not accompanied the ship to sea. The Leila was swamped in heavy seas and Captain Sinclair was lost. Several weeks later, his body was trawled up by local fishermen and brought back by them to Fleetwood. An inquest was held in the Steamer Hotel, Dock Street, Fleetwood and local people subscribed for a memorial to this stranger who had arrived on their shores.

The room in which the inquest was held is named the Sinclair Room in his memory. It is now the home of Fleetwood Folk Club, forty years old this month. Both of the above men have had songs written in their honour, "The Concertina Man" by Alan Bell, And "Arthur Sinclair" by Ron Baxter.

Ross