David Lawrieston (or Lowrieston) was the head of a team of ten sealers set down on Open Bay, an island off the coast of New Zealand, by Captain Bader. Bader set sail for Sydney on 16 February 1810, intending to return to Open Bay to pick up the sealers, but his ship went down with all hands. The sealers were only rescued and returned to Sydney in the last days of 1813.

The song, DAVY LOWSTON , recounts these events. It follows the tune of Sam Hall / Captain Kidd. It has been recorded by Martin Carthy, June Tabor, the Australian group The Roaring Forties, and others.

The folk process has created many variants of the song. Some get the dates wrong, the Captain's name wrong, and all have turned Lowrieston into Lowston. Most say, or imply, that many of the men died on Open Bay, but there is no evidence of this.

I'd encourage anyone interested in the events and/or the song to read Frank Fyfe, The story of David Lowston, a pre-colonial NZ song, available at https://www.folksong.org.nz/davylows/lowstonfyfe.html

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Davy Lowston recording by Martin Carthy and recordings by various others on YouTube    https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=davy+lowston+song