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

Royal Oak, The

DESCRIPTION: While sailing on the "Royal Oak", the singer and his fellows spy ten Turkish men-of-war. They sink three, burn three, drive three off, and capture the last, which they drag into Portsmouth harbor. The singer praises their skipper, Capt. Wellfounder.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1909 (GreigDuncan1 fragment)
KEYWORDS: fight navy sailor foreigner
FOUND IN: Britain(England(South),Scotland(Aber)) Canada(Newf)
REFERENCES (6 citations):
Greig #64, p. 2, ("Two we sunk, and two we brunt") (1 fragment)
GreigDuncan1 40, "The Marigold" (1 fragment)
Vaughan Williams/Lloyd, p. 91, "The Royal Oak" (1 text, 1 tune)
Greenleaf/Mansfield 42, "Turkish Men-o'-War" (1 text)
Leach-Labrador 56, "The Marigold" (1 text, 1 tune)
DT, ROYALOAK*
Roud #951
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Turkish Men of War
NOTES: [Lloyd repeats's Firth's suggestion that] the song is based on "Kempthorne's repulse of the seven Algerine ships, December 29, 1669." - PJS
Just for the record: I know of no instance of Turkish warships getting close enough to England to be hauled to Portsmouth. - RBW
While Leach-Labrador calls this "The Marigold," its ship's name is the Martha Jane, with "Captain White from fair Bristow" - BS
Last updated in version 2.4
File: VWL091

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