"Sally Brown" Part 4

I would count each of these "historical informants" as an independent attestation. I count about 37 people. The dates, at sea, range from 1837 to 1945. There is still only one confirmed date prior to about 1870. However, it could be said that most if not all of these men sailed with others who were much older and whose experience at sea could well have included the early 1850's. I think that it is important to consider the scope of memory in the oral tradition here.

My next category of multiple attestation has to do with the actual use of a particular chanty at sea and on shore. In some cases these categories are a little vague. For instance, Doerflinger simply puts his examples from Maitland and Tayluer in the category of "Capstan, Windless, and Pump Shanties" without being specific. I am presenting this information twice. First simply by chronological publication date, and secondly by usage, again chronologically.

Use & Function

By Chronological Publication

Marryat, Capt. C.B., 1839 [windlass, halyards, {April, 1837}]
Sauzade, John S., 1863 [windlass]
Luce, 1883/89(1902) [topsail halyards]
L.A. Smith, 1888 [capstan]
Masefield, 1906 [halliards, {1891-95}]
Whall, 1909-1910 East Indiamen, {1861-1872, with shipmates who sailed before 1815}, [capstan-anchor; "not a hauling song"]
Sharp, 1914 [Charles Robbins,London, pulling-chantey]
    "O Row, Heave and Go" [Mr. Allison of Perth]
    "Roll and Go" [Short of Watchet]        
Bullen, 1914 [{1869-1880}, weighing anchor & flywheel pumps]
Melony, William Brown,1915 [topsails to the masthead]
King, 1918 [capstan]
Terry, 1921 [windless and capstan]
Colcord, 1924 [windless and capstan
Shay, 1924 [capstan, {1915}]
Carey, 1924/25 [George Pattison/capstan & Malcolm Forbes]
C.F. Smith, 1927 [getting up the anchor/(capstan)]
Carpenter, 1929-1955 (David Burrell, Scotland [capstan])
Doerflinger, 1951[capstan, windless, & pump] [Richard Maitland {1869}, Capt. Patrick Tayluer {1885}] - with additional bibliography      
Hugill,1961 {1922-1945} [hauling, capstan] [Harding - log-rolling] has 5 variants of refrain
   Tobago Smith's "Walkalong, You Sally Brown" [halyards]
   also from West Indies "Tommy's on the Tops'l Yard" [halyards]                     
Harlow, 1962(1928) [ capstan, {March 19, 1875}]
Walton, Ivan, Joe Grimm, & Loudon Guthrie Wilson, 2002, [1932, from Harry and George Parmalee, [capstan hauls] (Capt. William E., "Billy" Clark of Buffalo) and [halyards] (Capt. Thomas Hylant)]
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Use by category and historical chronology of time at sea

Windless, halyards, pulling, hauling:

{April, 1837} Marryat, Capt. C.B.[windlass, halyards]
Luce, 1883/89(1902) [topsail halyards]
{1891-95} Masefield, [halliards]
Sharp, 1914 Charles Robbins, London, [pulling-chantey]
        Mr. Allison of Perth
        Short of Watchet
{1889-1901} Colcord, [windless]
{1922-1945} Hugill [hauling]

Capstan, pumps:

{1861-1872} Whall, 1909-1910 [East Indiamen, with shipmates who sailed before 1815, capstan-anchor; "not a hauling song"]
{1869-1880} Bullen, [ weighing anchor & flywheel pumps]
{1870s} George Pattison [capstan]
{March 19, 1875} Harlow, [capstan]
{1889-1901} Colcord, [capstan]
{1915} Shay, [capstan]
{1922-1945} Hugill [capstan]
David Burrell, Scotland [capstan]

Not only was "Sally Brown" popular at sea and widely remembered for a long time, but it was widely used for a number of different functions. I am not able to see any particular historical pattern with regard to early/later usage. This chanty seems to have been used for multiple purposes almost from the beginning of it's recorded history.