Lyr Req: Sir William Gower (from Brian Peters)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sir William Gower (from Brian Peters)
From: GUEST,hey all
Date: 16 Apr 11 - 12:25 AM

sir william gower is my great great great great grandfather... Been seearching the history for years....... If u got any question email me :[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sir William Gower (from Brian Peters)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 02 Feb 08 - 01:35 PM

There are two versions of THE NEW YORK TRADER posted in the thread called Penguin: The New York Trader, and in The Digital Tradition.

By the way, I was wondering, was Sir William Gower a verifiably real person, and is there any truth to this story?

I found:

1. Sir William Gower, an apparently fictional character in the play "Trelawny of the Wells" by Sir Arthur Wing Pinero, 1898.

2. Sir William Leveson-Gower, 4th Baronet (c. 1647–1691), an English MP.

3. Vice Admiral William Spencer Leveson-Gower, 4th Earl Granville KG, GCVO, CB, DSO (1880–1953), a British sailor and governor.

However, I find it hard to believe that any of these was the original mentioned in the song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sir William Gower (from Brian Peters)
From: Roberto
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 04:11 AM

Mick, of course I welcome this. I've sometimes asked Brian Peters directly through e-mail for texts of the ballads he has recorded. He's always been kind and helpful. I join the band of those looking for his next CD. I didn't move away from the ballads. The fact is I could get more than 1.200 transcriptions of recordings of the Child ballads, while I have not so many of recordings of pre-war blues and American songs. Soon I'll begin bothering Mudcatters about English traditional songs. Best wishes. R

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sir William Gower (from Brian Peters)
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 30 Jan 08 - 05:12 PM

also looking forward to the new album

Sandra (Loaded Dog, Sydney)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sir William Gower (from Brian Peters)
From: GUEST,The Mole Catcher's Apprentice
Date: 30 Jan 08 - 04:54 PM

The Fairport Convention version, from their record Angel Delight.

Sir William Gower

I am a sailor, both stout and strong
To a goodly vessel I do belong
Well guard and anchored and well equipped
Sir William Gower and a very fine ship

Our captain in his cabin lay
When a dreadful voice to him did say
"This night with me in the deep you'll be
So prepare yourself and your company"

The sky grew dark and the sea grew still
Though the men were fearful and the air was chill
Sir William rose to meet his men
Saying "Hear me now for I'll not speak again"

"I loved my mother when she was alive
And to my sister I gave babies five
I killed my wife and her children three
So I now must face what has come for me"

"You'll lash a timber close to my side
And throw me out on the water wide
And if I swim then let me be
But if I sink them pray for me"

So we tied his head and we tied his feet
And around his middle a winding sheet
At every knot the sea did stir
Grew ready for the murderer

And then we saw his open grave
The likeness of a single wave
That swept our ship from her stern to her bow
And bore away Sir William Gower

Trad. Arr. Fairport Convention

Charlotte (staying away from sailors like that)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sir William Gower (from Brian Peters)
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 30 Jan 08 - 11:27 AM

Brian

Although he's moved on from the ballads to mainly pre-war blues at the moment I'm sure Roberto will find this (and welcome it!).

Looking forward to the new album.

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sir William Gower (from Brian Peters)
From: Brian Peters
Date: 30 Jan 08 - 11:23 AM

I've just stumbled across this thread, only two and a half years late. Hope you're still watching, Roberto.

What I sing is a collation of the two versions Sharp collected, plus some stanzas from 'New York Trader'.

V1, L3 should be "well carved and anchored"

V8 in full:
Bosun, he said, let no one know
What your poor captain do undergo
But keep the secret within your breast
And pray to God to give you rest

The traditional versions have "what these poor sailors do undergo" - I think I made up the "captain" bit.

Looking at the Bronson texts, I'm struck by the Tillett version from NC, in which - despite being guilty not only of murder but also of drunkenness and profaning the Sabbath - Glen is referred to as "our honourable captain".

New Child Ballads album nearly done!

Subject: Lyr Req: Brian Peters' Sir William Gower
From: Roberto
Date: 31 Jul 05 - 02:58 PM

I can't get a couple of lines in stanza 8, and I need a check to the rest. Thank you. Roberto

Sir William Gower
Brian Peters, Lines, Pugwash Music PUGCD 004, 2001. It's pretty much the version Cecil Sharp collected in Somerset in 1905.

I'm a brisk young sailor, both stout and strong
To a goodly vessel I do belong
Well guard and anchored, so fine and rare
And gallant sailors are loaded there

Our captain's name was William Gower
His crew amounted to just four score
With hearts undaunted, we set to sea
Bound for New York, in Amerikey

One night our captain he laid asleep
When a dreadful voice came from the deep:
Prepare yourself and ship's company
For tomorrow night you'll lie with me

Our captain woke in a terrible fright
It was the third watch of the night
And loud for the bosun he then called
And to him told his secrets all

Bosun – he said – it grieves my heart
To think I've acted the villain's part
A slew a Lord in Staffordshire
And all for the sake of his lady fair

I killed my wife and my children three
All for the sake of jelousie
And on my servant I laid the blame
He was hang'd and quartered for the same

And it's of the ghost that I am afraid
This very night my heart betrayed
And 'though I sail far out on the sea
Each day he's in my company

... no one know
.....
But keep the secret within your breast
And pray to God to give you rest

But the very next morning a storm did rise
Did our sailors so much surprise
The sea came over, both fore and aft
Till scarce a man on deck was left

Oh, then the bosun he did declare
That our Captain was a murderer
It so enraged the all ship's crew
That they overboard our Captain threw

Our cruel captain, he being gone
Immediately there came a calm
The wind abated, so did the sea
And we went sailing for Amerikey