Tune Req: Captain Avery / Two English Travellers

Subject: ADD: Captain Avery
From: GUEST,Patrick N
Date: 20 Sep 22 - 12:13 PM

I'm looking for the original tune of a song called Captain Every, a.k.a. Bold Captain Avery (Roud 1674). I can only find one recording of it, by an artist named Technofunkboy, and his melody does not sound traditional.

The original broadside (found here) states that it's to the tune of "The two English Travellers", but I can't find any recordings or sheet music for that either. Apparently Claude Simpson claimed that it no longer survives.

Does anyone have any leads about where I could look for more information?

---

Captain Avery Lyrics added by Joe Offer from link above.

A COPY of VERSES, COMPOSED BY Captain Henry Every, LATELY Gone to SEA to seek his FORTUNE. To the Tune of, The two English Travellers. Licens'd according to Order. COme all you brave Boys, whose Courage is bold, Will you venture with me, I'll glut you with Gold? Make haste unto Corona, a Ship you will find, That's called the Fancy, will pleasure your mind. Captain Every is in her, and calls her his own; He will box her about, Boys, before he has done: French, Spaniard and Portuguese, the Heathen likewise, He has made a War with them until that he dies. Her Model's like Wax, and she sails like the Wind, She is rigged and fitted and curiously trimm'd, And all things convenient has for his design; God bless his poor Fancy, she's bound for the Mine. Farewel, fair Plimouth, and Cat-down be damn'd, I once was Part-owner of most of that Land; But as I am disown'd, so I'll abdicate My Person from England to attend on my Fate. Then away from this Climate and temperate Zone, To one that's more torrid, you'll hear I am gone, With an hundred and fifty brave Sparks of this Age, Wo are fully resolved their Foes to engage. These Northern Parts are not thrifty for me, I'll rise the Anterhise, that some Men shall see I am not afraid to let the World know, That to the South-Seas and to Persia I'll go. Our Names shall be blazed and spread in the Sky, And many brave Places I hope to descry, Where never a French man e'er yet has been, Nor any proud Dut[c]h man can say he has seen. My Commission is large, and I made it my self, And the Capston shall stretch it full larger by half; It was dated in Corona, believe it, my Friend, From the Year Ninety three, unto the World's end. I Honour St. George, and his Colours I were, Good Quarters I give, but no Nation I spare, The World must assist me with what I do want, I'll give them my Bill, when my Money is scant. Now this I do say and solemnly swear, He that strikes to St. George the better shall fare; But he that refuses, shall sudenly spy Strange Colours abroad of my Fancy to fly. Four Chiviligies of Gold in a bloody Field, Environ'd with green, now this is my Shield; Yet call out for Quarter, before you do see A bloody Flag out, which our Decree, No Quarters to give, no Quarters to take, We save nothing living, alas 'tis too late; For we are now sworn by the Bread and the Wine, More serious we are than any Divine. Now this is the Course I intend for to steer; My false-hearted Nation, to you I declare, I have done thee no wrong, thou must me forgive, The Sword shall maintain me as long as I live.

London: Printed for Theophilus Lewis.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Captain Avery / Two English Travellers
From: GUEST,Harry
Date: 20 Sep 22 - 12:52 PM

"The two English travelers . . . Its popularity can be judged from the existence of more than twenty broadsides naming the tune for singing, but unhappily the music has not been preserved."

Claude M. Simpson: The British Broadside Ballad and its Music. Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, 1966, pp 782-783.

A footnote adds:

"One ballad sung to 'The Two English Travellers' is printed with meaningless music combining scraps of "Lillibulero": "Romes Doctor". c. 1689, reprinted in [The Pepys Ballads, ed Hyder E. Rollins, 8 Vols 1929-32. (Vol IV, p291).]

Of course, as this work was published over 50 years ago, more recent research may have discovered the tune.

Harry

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Captain Avery / Two English Travellers
From: GUEST,Harry
Date: 20 Sep 22 - 02:52 PM

And here it is:

Romes Doctor

Perhaps you can make more of it than Simpson did?

Harry

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Captain Avery / Two English Travellers
From: GUEST,Patrick N
Date: 20 Sep 22 - 03:57 PM

Thank you for sharing- this is certainly interesting, although not heartening. I doubt I will have any more luck than a scholar like Simpson did, but it is enjoyable nonetheless to see some early notation and puzzle it out a little.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Captain Avery / Two English Travellers
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 20 Sep 22 - 05:23 PM

There is a very detailed article by Joel H. Baer on the history of the ballad in Folk Music Journal 1995 Vol 7, Number 1 pp4-26. Although it repeats Simpson's opinions it does give a traditional tune collected from John Hatch of Winchester, by Gardiner in 1907. It gives details of all the broadsides up to Pitts time and Hatch's tune.