Lyr Add: Admiral Hosier's Ghost

Subject: Lyr Add: ADMIRAL HOSIER'S GHOST^^
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 07:23 PM

There are currently two Mudcat threads,this one, and that one, and a civic bulletin board, in which Weymouth in Dorset (England) is under attack, rightly, for its stupid restrictions on folk music in sessions, and folk dancing outside pubs.

But there is more to Weymouth than that - looking round for the email address of the present Weymouth MP I found this rather splendidly ferocious ballad by one of his predecessors in the 18th century. (It's an attack on the government of the day for its naval cutbacks). And here it is:

Admiral Hosier's GHOST. To the Tune of, Come and listen to my Ditty. (by R Glover)

As, near Porto Bello lying,
On the gently swelling flood,
At midnight, with streamers flying,
Our triumphant navy rode;
There, while Vernon sate, all glorious
From the Spaniards' late defeat,
And his crew, with shouts victorious,
Drank success to England's fleet.

On a sudden, shrilly sounding,
Hideous yells and shrieks were heard;
Then, each heart with fears confounding,
A sad troop of ghosts appear'd;
All in dreary hammocks shrouded,
Which for winding sheets they wore;
And with looks by sorrow clouded,
Frowning on that hostile shore.

On them gleam'd the moon's wan lustre,
When the shade of Hosier brave,
His pale band was seen to muster,
Rising from their wat'ry grave:
O'er the glimmering wave he hied him,
Where the Burford rear'd her sail,
With three thousand ghosts beside him,
And in groans did Vernon hail.

'Heed, oh heed! my fatal story,
'I am Hosier's injur'd ghost;
'You who now have purchas'd glory
'At this place where I was lost;
'Tho' in Porto Bello's ruin
'You now triumph, free from fears,
'Yet to hear of my undoing,
'You will mix your joys with tears.

'See yon mournful spectres sweeping,
'Ghastly, o'er this hated wave,
'Whose wan cheeks are stain'd with weeping;
'These were English captains brave;
'And these numbers pale and horrid,
'Were my sailors once so bold;
'Lo, each hangs his drooping forehead,
'While his dismal fate is told.

'I, by twenty sail attended,
'Did this Spanish town affright,
'Nothing then its wealth defended
'But my orders not to fight;
'Oh that, with my wrath complying,
'I had cast them in the main,
'Then, no more unactive lying,
'I had low'red the pride of Spain.

'For resistance I could fear none,
'But with twenty ships had done,
'What thou, brave and happy Vernon,
'Did'st achieve with six alone.
'Then the Bastimento's never
'Had our foul dishonour seen,
'Nor the sea the sad receiver
'Of these gallant men had been.

'Thus, like thee, proud Spain dismaying,
'And her galleons leading home,
'Tho', condemn'd for disobeying,
'I had met a traitor's doom;
'To have fall'n, my country crying,
'He has play'd an English part,
'Had been better far than dying
'Of a griev'd and broken heart.

'Unrepining at thy glory,
'Thy successful arms we hail,
'But remember our sad story,
'When to Britain back you sail!
'All your country's foes subduing,
'When your patriot friends you see,
'Think on vengeance for my ruin,
'And for England sham'd in me.^^

Of course, if you sang that in a Weymouth pub today, they'd probably run you in. (Or Happy Birthday, for that matter.)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hosier's Ghost - Weymouth' shame
From: The Shambles
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 07:41 PM

Did you know The Great Plague arrived in Weymouth?

This is the song that keeps going around my head, when I think of the council's actions and their stubborn defence of the undefendable.

BIG MUDDY

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hosier's Ghost - Weymouth' shame
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 23 Aug 01 - 02:28 AM

So did the black laborador dog - immortalised in the Black Dog pub on the front, supposedly the house it was brought to...... something about Weymouth - black laboradors, black death.... see a pattern here? Lots of smugglers in the area, nowadays it tends to be cocaine and refugees.

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hosier's Ghost - Weymouth' shame
From: Gareth
Date: 23 Aug 01 - 05:01 PM

My memory can be a little weak at times, but didn't one of the Hanoverian Kings frequent Weymouth as a bathing resort - George III ? George IV ?

I seem to recall reading, that when the King went bathing the local Militia Band played as an entertainment.

Did that Royal Comand performance need a licence. ??

Is there a precedent ??

The McGrath - I can only remember a snatch of this Ballard on Naval Cut backs post Hawke's Victory over the French at Quiberon Bai but here it is on your theme -

"When we did bang, Monseer Conflan,
You sent us Bread and Beer,
Now the French are beat, we've nothing to eat,
For you have nothing to fear."

Gareth

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hosier's Ghost - Weymouth' shame
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 23 Aug 01 - 05:11 PM

And King George used the world's first bathing machine on that occasion...

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hosier's Ghost - Weymouth' shame
From: Gareth
Date: 23 Aug 01 - 06:25 PM

The McGrath of Harlow

Ye God's, You have been busy !

Gareth

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hosier's Ghost - Weymouth' shame
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Mar 06 - 09:13 AM

up the terras

Subject: Lyr Add: VERNON'S ANSWER TO HOSIER'S GHOST
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 11 Sep 08 - 06:50 AM

ADMIRAL VERNON'S ANSWER TO ADMIRAL HOSIER'S GHOST

(see Admiral Hosier's Ghost)

Tune, "Cease, rude Boreas."

HOSIER! with indignant sorrow
I have heard thy mournful tale;
And, if heaven permit, to-morrow
Hence our warlike fleet shall sail.
O'er these hostile waves wide roaming,
We will urge our bold design;
With the blood of thousands foaming,
For our country's wrongs, and thine.

On that day, when each brave fellow
Who now triumphs here with me,
Storm'd and plunder'd Porto Bello,
All my thoughts were full of thee.
Thy disastrous fate alarm'd me;
Fierce thy image glar'd on high I
And with gen'rous ardour warm'd me
To revenge thy fall, or die!

From their lofty ships descending,
Thro' the flood in firm array,
To the destin'd city bending
My lov'd sailors work'd their way:
Straight the foe, with horror trembling,
Quit in haste their batter'd walls;
And in accents undissembling,
As he flies, for mercy calls!

Carthagena, tow'ring wonder!
At the daring deed dismay'd,
Shall, ere long, by Britain's thunder,
Smoaking in the dust be laid.
You, and these pale spectres, sweeping
Restless o'er this wat'ry round,
Whose wan cheeks are stain'd with weeping,
Pleas'd shall listen to the sound.

Still rememb'ring thy sad story,
To thy injur'd Ghost I swear,
By my future hopes of glory,
War shall be my constant care;
And I ne'er will cease pursuing
Spain's proud sons, from sea to sea,
With just vengeance for thy ruin,
And for England, sham'd in thee !


Source: The Early Naval Ballads of England, Vol 2 (1841)
Editor: Halliwell-Phillipps, J. O. (James Orchard), 1820-1889

taken from a small broadside, printed at Salisbury. It is stated in the "Suffolk Garland," 8vo. Ipswich, 1828, that its author was one John Price, a land-waiter in the port of Poole. The taking of Porto Bello from the Spaniards, in 1739, appears to have afforded ample scope for the ballad writing generation. In the following year was issued from their press a collection, entitled "Vernon's Glory : containing fifteen new Songs, occasioned by the taking of Porto Bello and Fort Chagre."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Admiral Hosier's Ghost
From: GUEST,Gorgeous Gary
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 02:33 PM

A friend cornered me at Darkover (local SF/fantasy convention) and asked if I knew of a recording of "Admiral Hosier's Ghost" (other than the Mudcat Midi). Anyone out there have a lead?

Thanks,
Gary

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Admiral Hosier's Ghost
From: Charley Noble
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 08:16 AM

Fascinating history!

Charley Noble