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Captain Grant

[ Roud 1286 ; Master title: Captain Grant ; Ballad Index McCST091 ; VWML CJS2/9/2132 , CJS2/10/2359 ; Bodleian Roud 1286 ; GlosTrad Captain Grant ; Wiltshire Roud 1286 ; DT CAPTGRNT ; Mudcat 174602 ; trad.]

Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger: Travellers’ Songs From England and Scotland Maud Karpeles: Cecil Sharp’s Collection of English Folk Songs Sam Richards and Tish Stubbs: The English Folksinger Cecil J. Sharp, W. Percy Merrick: Folk-Songs of England, Book V: Folk-Songs From Sussex Collected by W. Percy Merrick Alfred Williams: Folk-Songs of the Upper Thames

Captain Grant is a highwayman’s ‘goodnight ballad’ similar to Whiskey in the Jar (and is printed in MacColl and Seeger’s book next to it).

Cecil Sharp collected Captain Grant from Charles Benfield (68) in Bould, Oxfordshire on 4  September 1909. [VWML CJS2/9/2132, CJS2/10/2359] . Gwilym Davies noted on the GlosTrad website (which erred in the song’s Roud number):

Unlike many other folk songs, Captain Grant is based on a true story. Jeremiah Grant from County Laois, formerly Queen’s County, was a renowned highwayman in the early 19^th century. Despite his crimes and his habit of demanding protection money from farmers, he was well-liked in the area and a favourite of the ladies. He had a Robin Hood-like reputation for championing the poor and was apparently respected in the locality. In 1816 his luck ran out when he was arrested for robbery, imprisoned in Wexford, tried, found guilty and hanged at the age of 31.

The assertion in Mr Benfield’s version that he was tried in Edinburgh is incorrect, but broadsides printed the location as Edinburgh. Why should historical accuracy get in the way of a good song?

Despite the setting of the story in Ireland, all the collected versions are from the south of England.

Sam Richards and Tish Stubbs printed Charles Benfield’s version with some changes in their 1979 book The English Folksinger. One of these changes is “called the man taker-up” to “called Natty take-up” which Tony Capstick later changed even more to “Lord Natty take-up”. They noted:

Captain Grant, the highwayman, is known by this one ballad. Few sets have turned up in oral tradition, this song from Sharp’s collection being one of the most complete. Broadside versions abound.

Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger collected Captain Grant from Traveller Nelson Ridley (born 1913 in Kent) in Harlow New Town, Essex in 1974. They printed his version in their 1977 book Travellers’ Songs From England and Scotland. They noted:

All the printed versions of this goodnight ballad (other than the one published by Such) appear to have been collected in the first decade of the twentieth century. Mr Ridley says that he learned the song before he was ten years old, i.e. before 1923. Apart from his opening line, which is usually associated with The Northamptonshire Poacher, his text makes no radical departures from the broadside text. The loss of three or four verses, however, makes the story less than clear.

Captain Grant, one of those bold heroes of the King’s Highway, is in Edinburgh gaol awaiting trial for armed robbery. He escapes and hides in a wood. Eventually he is betrayed by a woman and imprisoned again. He prays that the Lord may have mercy on his soul and succour his wife and children.

W.P. Merrick quotes a Romani paraphrase of one of the stanzas (JFSS, vol. I).

The Halliard recorded Bold Captain Grant in a 1968 demo for their Saga record label. The project was shelved, however, and it took until 2006 for their album The Last Goodnight! to be released. Dave Moran noted:

We think this is probably from the Harkness Collection. Nic [Jones]’s tune sometimes gets wonderfully stretched to fit in the different length of lines in different verses. We are certain that the late Tony Capstick sang it very often and that it was a ‘tour de force’ version when he did! I believe Ewan MacColl collected a song of the same name with only three verses and one of the verses has some of the same lines.

Tony Capstick sang Captain Grant in 1971 on his Rubber album with Hedgehog Pie, His Round. He noted:

Captain Grant was put to music from a broadside by the Halliard.

Jack the Lad (with bassist Phil Murray who played on Tony Capstick’s album) sang Captain Grant in 1975 on their Charisma album Rough Diamonds.

Tarras from the English/Scottish borders (with Phil Murray’s son Ben Murray on accordion) played the tune of Captain Grant in 1999 on their Topic album Rising.

Lyrics

Charles Benfield sings Captain Grant

My name is Captain Grant I am bound for to say.
I’m one of those bold heroes all on the King’s highway
With my brace of loaded pistols and my steady broad-sword
O stand and deliver it, is always the word.

To do a duty action I always did scan
In robbing from the rich I thought it was no harm
With my gold and my jewels I always did secure
One half I kept myself and the other gave the poor.

If I meets with a traveller that is hungry and dry
I’ll take him to some alehouse and his wants I will supply,
With good ale, wine and brandy, boys, till I spend all my store,
When my money is all gone, I’ll boldly rob for more.

To Edinburgh gaol they marched me away
And there I did remain till my trial it did come on,
For shooting at the King I was then condemned to die
But I never had no hand in the same robbery.

Out of Edinburgh gaol then I made my way out
And those that did oppose me, I put them to the rout,
With my bars and iron bolts I knocked the sentry down
And I made my escape out of Edinburgh town.

Out of Edinburgh gaol then I made my way good,
And I took up my lodgings in the centre of a wood,
Until some wicked woman she did me betray
And she had me surrounded as sleeping I did lay.

I flew to my arms but my powder being wet,
And to my sad misfortune I found that I was beat,
And to my sad misfortune I gave myself up,
To the m……s young hero called the man taker-up.

To Edinburgh gaol then they marched me again
And there I did remain through sorrow, grief and pain.
God bless my wife and family and may they never want
And the Lord have mercy on my soul, cries bold Captain Grant.

Nelson Ridley sings Captain Grant

Where I was bound apprentice was down in Northamptonshire,
Where I did take my lodgings in the centry of a wood –
With my two metal bullets and my bright shiny sword,
And it’s quickly they did banish me to Edinborough Town.

From Edinborough Town, my boys, I thought it myself good,
Till I did take my lodgings in the centry of a wood;
It was through that wicked woman had me surrounded as I were laying,
“May the Lord have mercy on me!” cried bold Captain Grant.

Now, here’s to my wife and my five children small,
And since I’ve been drinking I have ruined them all;
God save ’em and God keep ’em from sickness and from want,
“May the Lord have mercy on me!” said bold Captain Grant.

The Halliard sing Captain Grant

O my name is Captain Grant and I am bound to say
That I’m one of those bold heroes found on the highway
With a brace of pistols and my bright long sword
Stand and deliver was always my word

For doing the dirty acts I always did scorn
But taking from the rich I thought it no harm
When I went collecting I had my cash secure
One half I spent, the other I gave to the poor

When I saw poor people starve, hungry or dry
I quickly sought out their want and I did them supply
In cheerful company I spent my store
And when it’s gone, I go boldly collecting more

To Edinburgh jail then I was marched along
And there I was confined till my trial came on
I was sentenced to be hanged for sheltering M’Lay
Although I had no hand in that robbery

Ah, but before the day it came that I was to be hung
I bursted the prison doors and away I did run
And I escaped through the castle gates
And it was not safe for me along the way

Out of Edinburgh jail then I made my way good
And I took up my lodgings that night in a wood
But there was a woman who did me betray
And I was surprised as asleep there I lay

I was surrounded, away I could not get
They seized my pistols for my powder was wet
And in my ill fortune I gave myself up
To that noted hero called Natty Take-up

Back to Edinburgh jail then I was passed along
And there I was confined till my trial came on
I was sentenced to be hanged for sheltering M’Lay
Although I had no hand in that robbery

O men that I forgive, may I pardon receive
I’ve took from the rich for the poor to relieve
God bless my wife and child, may they never want
Lord have mercy on the soul of poor Captain Grant