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Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold

[ Roud 553 ; Master title: Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold ; Laws N17 ; G/D 1:176 ; Ballad Index LN17 ; Wiltshire 272 , 747 ; DT CAROSAIL ; Mudcat 28034 ; trad.]

Bob Copper: Songs & Southern Breezes Colm O Lochlainn: More Irish Street Ballads John Morrish: The Folk Handbook Frank Purslow: The Foggy Dew Steve Roud: Julia Bishop: The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs Ken Stubbs: The Life of a Man

Lily Cook sang Caroline and Her Young Sailor to Bob Copper in her cottage in North Chailey, Sussex, on 10 September 1954. This recording was included in 2012 on the Topic anthology of songs by southern English traditional singers, You Never Heard So Sweet (The Voice of the People Volume 21). Shirley Collins noted:

Bob devotes a whole chapter of Songs & Southern Breezes to the time he spent in Lily Cook’s cottage. She and her husband Tom had lived there for forty-five years, and it had remained unchanged since the day they moved in as newlyweds in 1909. Bob recalled the fragrance of a caraway-seed cake baking in the oven; sadly for him it wasn’t due to be eaten until the weekend which was two days away.

Lily Cook was born in June 1879 and the BBC Index of Informants notes her as a housewife who “previously worked as cook-housekeeper in a private family [She] learnt songs from her father and grandfather. Her father, William Bristow, had spent all his life in the cottage in which she now lived. He helped to plant the conifers known as Plumpton V to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897, which can be seen from the cottage parlour window. He died in 1941 aged 92. He was renowned locally as a singer and entertainer, popular at all local festivities, weddings, etc.”

Joe Heaney sang Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold in a recording made by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger in their home in Beckenham in 1964. It was published in 2000 on his Topic anthology CD The Road From Connemara.

Sarah Makem sang Caroline and the Sailor to Peter Kennedy and Sean O’Boyle in her home in Keady, Co. Armagh, on 11 July 1952. This recording in very probably the one on the 1994 Saydisc CD anthology Sea Songs and Shanties, and it was included in 2012 on the Topic anthology of ballads sung by British and Irish traditional singers, Good People, Take Warning (The Voice of the People Volume 23). Sarah Makem also sang Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold in a recording made by Bill Leader in her home in Keady, Co. Armagh in 1967. This was published a year later on her Topic LP Mrs Sarah Makem: Ulster Ballad Singer. Another recording made by to Paul Carter and Sean O’Boyle in 1967. was included in 2012 on her Topic anthology The Heart is True (The Voice of the People Volume 24). Sean O’Boyle noted on her LP:

Folksingers all over the world have a special affection for songs that tell how love breaks down the barriers between rich and poor. Sarah Makem’s song tells of a rich nobleman’s daughter who elopes with a poor sailor, even though she knows that

In sailors there’s no great dependence
For they leave their true lovers behind.

Caroline serves for three and a half years on the same ship as her young sailor, and returns to gain her father’s permission to marry.

Sarah Makem’s song should be compared with Colm Ó Lochlainn’s broadsheet version (More Irish Street Ballads, No. 39, Dublin, 1965). The comparison will show the interesting interweaving of verses, the omission and addition of lines, the inversion of stanzas, and general reshaping of songs that always occurs in transmission by oral tradition.

George Dunn sang a fragment of Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold to Roy Palmer on 5 June 1971. It was included in 2002 on his Musical Traditions anthology Chainmaker. Rod Stradling noted:

Caroline and her Young Sailor Bold sometimes hides under the title of Young Sailor Bold, which can be confusing because George Dunn had a completely different song of that name. Caroline, which Laws lists as Young Sailor Bold II, is a somewhat sentimental broadside reworking of the theme of a woman’s dressing as a sailor in order to go to sea with her lover. In this case the pair return in triumph after being shipwrecked three times, and Caroline’s rich father consents to their marriage. George Dunn had no title for his fragment.

Roud includes 95 instances of the song, mainly from England, with a few examples from Ireland, Scotland and the USA. There are a score of sound recordings, quite a number of which are available on CD: Joe Heaney (Topic TSCD518D), Maggie Murphy (Veteran VT134CD), Walter Pardon (MTCD305-6) and Tony Harvey (Veteran VTC2CD).

Roy Harris sang Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold on his 1975 Topic album Champions of Folly. A.L. Lloyd commented in the liner notes:

Another ballad of the favourite class-conscious theme of the 18th century—in which the rich girl falls in love with the poor sailor and, despite her parents, rigs herself out like a sailor, follows her love, and eventually marries him. It was a favourite broadside song in the 1840s and later, particularly in the neighbourhood of Durham and Newcastle, and it has turned up in sundry places from Hampshire to Aberdeen. Roy Harris heard in “on an Archive tape sung by Brian Gales.” The tune is related to that used for the coal-mining ballad of The Gresford Disaster.

Walter Pardon sang Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold in a recording made by Mike Yates on 25 June 1978. This was published in 1983 on his Home-Made Music LP of “song and music from Knapton in Norfolk”, Bright Golden Store. Presumably the same recording is also on his 2000 Musical Traditions anthology Put a Bit of Powder on It, Father. Rod Stradling noted:

Roud lists 91 instances of this song, which seems to have been widely popular throughout these islands (17 collected examples in England, 6 in Ireland and 7 in Scotland)—though it doesn’t seem to have survived well in Scots oral tradition in recent years, since there are no recordings. But there are 14 from England and Ireland—Gordon Hall, Norman House, Tony Harvey, Maggie Murphy and Sarah Makem being among the more well-known singers Walter learned the song from his uncle Bob Gee—and Ben Baxter from nearby Southreps also sang it. Joe Heaney will soon be able to be heard singing his version of it on the forthcoming MT production on Topic, The Road From Connemara.

Linda Adams sang Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold in 1978 on Paul Adams and her Fellside album Among the Old Familiar Mountains. fhis track was also included in on the Jolly Jack & Friends CD of shanties and songs of the sea, Rolling Down to Old Maui. The liner notes commented:

Rich girl falls in love with humble sailor with resulting family disapproval. She dresses as a man and follows her true love. There is a happy ending which is by no means usual in folksong. This version comes from a 19th century broadsheet published by William Robertson of Wigton, Cumbria, with a tune given to Linda by singer, Roy Harris.

Maggie Murphy sang Caroline and the Young Sailor Bold in the Ulster Bar, Belturbet, Co.  Cavan, on 3 August 1980. The Hardy Sons of Dan Rod Stradling noted:

Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold sometimes hides under the title of Young Sailor Bold, which can be confusing as there are also completely different songs of that name. This one is a somewhat sentimental broadside reworking of the theme of a woman’s dressing as a sailor in order to go to sea with her lover. In this case the pair return in triumph after being shipwrecked three times, and Caroline’s rich father consents to their marriage. It’s not a song much known in Ireland; Sarah Makem (MTCD353-5) and Joe Heaney being the only other Roud entries.

The Index includes 141 instances of the song, mainly from England, with a few examples from Ireland, Scotland and the USA. There are 33 sound recordings, again mainly from England.

Maggie Murphy also sang this song on her 1996 Veteran album Linkin’ O’er the Lea. John Howson noted:

This was a popular song amongst early 19th century broadside printers and according to a sheet by W. Taylor of London it was written by J. Morgan. He was a ballad writer employed by Catnach, although it was never published by them. This was another of the songs Maggy learned from her mother. Many classic English singers have this song in their repertoire: Walter Pardon, Knapton, Norfolk (Home Made Music LP3O1) and Gordon Hall, Horsham, Sussex (Veteran Tapes VT115) are both worth a listen. In Ireland Tom Munnelly has recorded the song in Waterford, Cork and Mayo and it appears in the ballad portfolios of the National Library of Ireland, Dublin, as Caroline. The most noteworthy Ulster recording to have been commercially produced is that of Sarah Makem, Keady, Co. Armagh (Topic 12T182).

Tony Harvey of Tannington, Suffolk, sang Caroline and the Young Sailor Bold to John Howson in 1985-87. This recording was issued in 1988 on the Veteran cassette of old songs and ballads, Songs Sung in Suffolk Vol. 3, and in 2000 on the Veteran anthology of popular folk songs, old songs and ballads, Songs Sung in Suffolk. John Howson noted:

This was a popular song amongst early 19th century broadside printers, and according to a sheet by W. Taylor of London, it was written by J. Morgan. He was a ballad-writer employed by Camach, although it was never published by them. Many of the classic English and Irish traditional singers have this song in their repertoire: versions by Sarah Makem (Sea Songs and Shanties) and Gordon Hall of Horsham, Sussex (forthcoming Veteran album When the Wind Blows) are both worth a listen. Tony tells me that he learned Caroline and the Young Sailor Bold from Mrs. Wright who lived at Tannington, when she was in her seventies, and she had told him that she had learned it as a child from an eighty-year-old local shop-keeper, Mrs ‘Besom’ Bloomfield, who had known it most of her life. So as he says, it came to him from about 150 years ago in two leaps!

Gordon Hall sang Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold to Mike Yates and John Howson at Pease Pottage, Sussex, in 1988. This was included in ca. 1990 on his Veteran Tapes cassette VT115 of songs from a Sussex singing family, In Horsham Town (VT115) (but not on his and Mab Hall’s 2008 Veteran CD anthology with the similar issue number VT115CD, As I Went Down to Horsham!), and in 2001 on the Veteran anthology of traditional folk music from coastal England, Where the Wind Blows. Mike Yates noted:

One of the best-known, and certainly best-loved, songs from the early Victorian broadside press. Caroline is almost unique in that it is attributed on some sheets to a named composer, J. Morgan, who is known to have been employed as a song-writer at one time by James Catnach. In most versions the words are carried on a tune that is also used for the song The Rakish Young Fellow. This has been a widely recorded song and those of Suffolk’s Tony Harvey, Fermanagh’s Maggy Murphy, Norfolk’s Walter Pardon and Galway’s Joe Heaney are particularly worth hearing.

Andrea Corr sang Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold on the 2006 album of pirate ballads, sea songs and chanteys, Rogue’s Gallery.

Kelly Oliver sang Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold on her 2018 CD Botany Bay. She noted:

Collected by Lucy Broadwood in Hertfordshire, 1898. Alternate lyrics taken from The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs.

A story of a woman prepared to give up her family and all her wealth for the love of her sailor. Thankfully for her, it doesn’t come to that. Her father decides he likes William, so he gives the pair his blessing.

Lyrics

Lily Cook sings Caroline and Her Young Sailor

It’s of a nobleman’s daughter
So comely and beautiful we’re told.
Her parents possessed a great fortune
Many thousands in gold.
She had but one only daughter;
Caroline was her name we are told.
One day from her drawing-room window
She admired a young sailor bold.

His cheeks they appeared like two roses;
His hair was black as jet.
Young Caroline watched his departure,
Walked round, and young William she met.
She said, “I’m a nobleman’s daughter
Possessed of thousands in gold.
I’ll forsake both my father and mother
To wed with a young sailor bold.”

Said William, “Young lady, remember
You’re bound from your parents to roam.
On sailors there is no dependence,
When their trueloves are left far at home.
Be advised, stay at home with your parents
And do as by them you are told.
Don’t never let anyone tempt you
To wed with a young sailor bold.”

She said, “There’s no one shall persuade me
One moment to alter my mind.
I’ll ship and proceed with my truelove;
He never shall leave me behind.”
So she dressed like a gallant young sailor,
Forsook both her parents and gold,
And soon she was ploughing the salt seas
Caroline and her young sailor bold.

Three times with her love she got shipwrecked.
She always kept constant and true.
Her duty she did like a sailor;
Went aloft in her jacket so blue.
Her father long wept and lamented.
The tears from his eyes they long rolled,
Till at last she arrived safe in England
Caroline and her young sailor bold.

Caroline went straight to her father
In her jacket and trousers so blue.
He looked; he momently fainted,
When first she appeared to him in view.
She cried, “My dear father, forgive me.
Deprive me for ever in gold.
Grant me my request: I’m contented
To live with my young sailor bold.”

Her father admired young William.
He vowed that in sweet unity,
If life should then be spared to the morning.
They married together should be.
They were married on Caroline’s fortune
Which was many thousands in gold,
And now they live happy and contented,
Caroline and her young sailor bold.

Joe Heaney sings Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold

It’s of a nobleman’s daughter,
So handsome and comely was she.
Her father possessed a large fortune
Of forty-five thousand in gold.
He had but one only daughter,
Caroline was her name we are told.
One day from her drawing-room window,
She espied a young sailor bold.

His cheeks were as red as the roses,
His eyes was as black as the jet.
Caroline took her departure,
Went out and young William she met.
She said, “I’m a nobleman’s daughter,
Possessing some thousands in gold,
I’ll forsake my father and mother
And wed with the young sailor bold.”

She dressed herself up like a sailor
In her jacket and trousers so blue.
Three years and a half on the ocean
She spent with her young sailor bold.
Three time her true love got shipwrecked;
Each time to him she proved true.
Her duty she did as a sailor
In her jacket and trousers of blue.

Her father he wept and lamented,
The tears from his eyes often rolled.
Until they arrived safely in Galway,
Caroline and her young sailor bold.
Caroline came home to her father
In her jacket and trousers so blue,
Saying, “Father, dear father, forgive me,
I own that I have troubled you.”

“O father, dear father, forgive me,
Deprive me of silver and gold,
But grant me my request, I’m contented
To wed with my young sailor bold.”

Her father embraced young William
And dressed him in sweet unity,
Saying, “Your life will be spared until morning,
Together and married you’ll be.”
They got married and Caroline’s portion
Of forty-five thousand in gold.
And now they live happy together
Caroline and her young sailor bold.

George Dunn sings Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold

Him having but one only daughter,
Caroline was her name we are told;
One day from her drawing room window,
She espied a young sailor bold.
“Caroline, stay at home with your parents,
For your parents you’re bound for to mind”
“Oh never no one shall persuade me
…  …  …  …
I’ll take ship and I’ll follow my true love
For he never shall leave me behind.”

Walter Pardon sings Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold

It’s of a rich nobleman’s daughter,
Uncommonly handsome, we hear
Her father possessed a large fortune
Of thirty-five thousands a year
He had only one daughter
Caroline her name, so we’re told
One day, from a drawing-room window,
She admired a young sailor bold.

His cheeks they appeared like the roses,
His hair it was black as jet
Young Caroline watched his departure
Walked round until William she met.
She said, “I’m a nobleman’s daughter,
Possessed of ten thousands in gold
I’ll forsake both my father and mother,
To wed with a young sailor bold.”

Said William, “Young lady, remember,
Your parents you are bound to mind.
On sailors there is no depending,
When their true-love they’ve left far behind.
Be advised, stay at home with your parents
And do by them as you are told
And never let anyone tempt you,
To wed with a young sailor bold.”

She said, “There’s no one shall persuade me,
One moment to alter my mind
I’ll ship and proceed with my true-love,
He never shall leave me behind.”
She dressed like a gallant young sailor,
Forsook both her parents and gold.
Four years and a half on the salt sea,
She ploughed with her young sailor bold.

Three times with her love she was shipwrecked
And always proved constant and true.
Her duty she did like a sailor,
Aloft in her jacket so blue.
Her father long wept and lamented,
From his eyes tears in torrents long rolled,
’Til at last they arrived safe in England
Caroline and her young sailor bold.

Then Caroline went to her father,
All dressed in her jacket so blue
He received her and momently fainted
When first she appeared in his view.
She said, “Dear father, forgive me,
Deprive me forever of gold.
Grant me my request, I’m contented,
To wed with my young sailor bold.”

With all troubles at sea far behind them
And a love that would last throughout life
With fond parents’ joy and their blessing
Caroline soon became William’s wife
They wedded, and Caroline’s fortune
Was five hundred thousands in gold.
And now they live happy together,
Caroline and her young sailor bold.

Maggie Murphy sings Caroline and the Young Sailor Bold

It’s of a rich nobleman’s daughter
Caroline was her name I am told
One day from her drawing room window
She admired a young sailor bold
His cheeks were as red as the roses
His eyes was as black as the jet
As Caroline watched his departure
Walked around and young William she met.

She says, “I’m a rich nobleman’s daughter
Possessed of great riches and gold
And I would forsake father and mother
To wed with my young sailor bold.”
She said, “I have no-one to persuade me
Nor yet one to alter my mind
So sell(?) up and I will be ready
For you never shall leave me behind.”

She dressed herself up like a sailor
In her jacket and trousers so blue
Three years and a half on the ocean
Three years she proved constant and true.
Three times that her true love was shipwrecked,
He always proved constant and true
And her duty she done like a sailor
In her jacket and trousers so blue.

She went straightway home to her father
In her jacket and trousers so blue,
And he fell in a faint in a moment
When first she appeared in his view.
Saying, “Father, dear Father, forgive me,
Deprive me of silver and gold,
But grant me one request of contentment
To wed with my young sailor bold.”

Her father admired young William
And he dressed him in sweet unity
Saying, “If I be spared on tomorrow,
It’s married that couple shall be.”
They were married on Caroline’s fortune
For fifty five thousand in gold,
And now they live happily in England
Caroline and her young sailor bold.

Tony Harvey sings Caroline and the Young Sailor Bold

’Tis of a rich nobleman’s daughter,
So handsome and comely we hear.
Her father possessed a great fortune,
Full seventy-five thousand a year.
He had but this only one daughter,
Caroline is her name we are told.
One day from her drawing-room window,
She admired a young sailor bold.

His cheeks were like two roses,
His hair was black as the jet.
Young Caroline watched his departure,
Went round and young William she met.
She said, “I’m a nobleman’s daughter,
Possessing ten thousand in gold,
I’ll forsake both my father and mother,
To wed with a young sailor bold.”

Said William, “Young lady remember,
Your parents you’re bound for to mind.
On sailors there is no depending,
When your true love is left far behind.
Go home to your father and mother,
And do by them as you are told.
And never let anyone tempt you,
To wed with a young sailor bold.”

She said, “There’ll be no-one persuade me,
One moment for to alter my mind,
I shall ship and be wrecked with my true love,
For he never shall leave me behind.”
She dressed like a gallant young sailor,
Forsaking both parents and gold.
Four years and a half on the salt sea,
She ploughed with her young sailor bold.

Three times with her love she was shipwrecked,
But she always proved constant and true.
Her duty she done like a sailor,
Went aloft in her jacket so blue.
Her father long weeped and lamented,
Down his cheeks tears in long torrents flowed.
’Til at last they arrived in old England,
Caroline and her young sailor bold.

Caroline she went straight to her father,
In a jacket and trousers so blue.
He received her and momentarily fainted,
When first she appeared to his view.
She said, “My dear father, forgive me,
Deprive me forever of gold.
Grant me one request, I’m contented:
To wed with my young sailor bold.”

Her father then admitted young William,
And said that in sweet unity,
If life should them spare ’til the morning,
Then together they married should be.
They were married and Caroline’s fortune,
Was twenty five thousand in gold.
Now they live happy and cheerful,
Caroline and her young sailor bold.

Gordon Hall sings Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold

It’s of a rich Nobleman’s daughter,
Uncommon handsome we hear,
Who’s father possessed a large fortune,
Of thirty five thousand a year.
He had only the one daughter,
Caroline b’name so we’re told,
One day from her drawing room window
She admired a young sailor bold.

His cheeks they appeared like the roses,
His hair was as black as jet.
Young Caroline watched his deportment,
Walking round until William she met.
She said, “I’m a nobleman’s daughter,
Possessed of ten thousand in gold.
I’ll forsake both my father and mother
For to wed with a young sailor bold.”

Said William, “Young lady remember
Your parents you are bound to mind.
On sailors there is no depending
When their true loves they’ve left far behind.
Be advised stay behind with your parents
And do by them as you are told,
And never let anyone tempt you for
To wed with a young sailor bold.”

She said, “There’s no one shall persuade me
One moment to alter my mind.
I shall ship and proceed with my true love,
He never shall leave me behind.”
She dressed like a gallant young sailor,
Forsook both her parents and gold,
Three years and a half on the salt seas
She’s ploughed with her young sailor bold.

Three times with her love she was shipwrecked,
But always proved constant and true.
Her duty she did like a sailor,
Aloft in her jacket so blue.
Her old father long wept and lamented,
From his eyes tears in torrents long rolled,
Till at last they arrive safe in England,
Caroline and her young sailor bold.

Then Caroline went to her father,
Still dressed in her jacket so blue.
He received her, then instantly fainted,
When first that she hove into view.
She said,  Dear Father forgive me,
Deprive me forever of gold.
Grant me my request, I’m contented
For to wed with my young sailor bold. 

With all troubles at sea far behind him
And a love that would last throughout life,
With her fond parents joy and their blessing
Caroline soon became Williams wife.
They wedded and Caroline’s fortune was
Five hundred thousand in gold,
And now they live happy together,
Caroline and her young sailor bold.