I'm sure I've posted this before. Never mind.

William Delf undoubtedly wrote that broadside original in 1889 shortly after the event. The unknown quantity is how it got to Filey further up the coast in Yorkshire to be collected by the Hudlestons in about 1960.

Talking to Brian Dawson of Lincolnshire at Whitby Festival a couple of years ago he told me he had talked to descendants of William Delf in the Lowestoft area who knew how the song was reduced to the 3 verses and chorus and set to music in Lowestoft. Now the comments above applying to Cromer may have some relevance in this context.

However, Rozza who posted earlier, has done further research into the life of Delf and found that he died childless, so no descendants one presumes. It may have been a close relative who moved to Lowestoft, such as a brother. Hopefully further info will come to light when Rozza and Brian can compare notes.

And I'm sure I've posted this as well, but thanks to Geoff Lawes of Hull there is now a photo of one of the Hull gravestones of the men in the disaster on the Yorkshire Garland website www.yorkshirefolksong.net where you can hear the song sung by 'Three-Score-and-Ten'.

Delf wrote other sea disaster songs. There is one on a broadside on display in Hull Maritime Museum.