> The Watersons > Songs > Stow Brow
The Drowned Sailor / The Drowned Lover / Stow Brow
[
Roud 185
; Master title: The Drowned Sailor
; Laws K18
; G/D 1:20
; TYG 7
; Ballad Index LK18
; Bodleian
Roud 185
; MusTrad DB03
; Mudcat 167725
; trad.]
Katherine Campbell: Songs From North-East Scotland Steve Gardham: A Yorkshire Songster Alan Helsdon: Vaughan Williams in Norfolk Volume 1 Vaughan Williams in Norfolk Volume 2 Mary and Nigel Hudleston: Songs of the Ridings Maud Karpeles: The Crystal Spring Frank Kidson: Traditional Tunes Folk-Songs of the North-Countrie John Morrish: The Folk Handbook John Ord: Bothy Songs and Ballads Roy Palmer: Folk Songs Collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams Frank Purslow: The Constant Lovers Cecil J. Sharp: Folk-Songs of England, Book IV: Folk-Songs From Various Counties Collected by Cecil J. Sharp One Hundred English Folksongs
Sam Larner sang In Scarboro’ Town, at home in Winterton, Norfolk in 1958/59 in a BBC recording made by Philip Donnellan. This was published in 1974 on his Topic album A Garland for Sam and in 1998 on the Topic anthology My Ship Shall Sail the Ocean (The Voice of the People Volume Series Volume 2). He also sang this song as The Drowned Lover, in a recording made by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger in 1958-60, on his 1961 Folkways album Now Is the Time for Fishing on which Ewan MacColl noted:
The singer insists that the tragic events mentioned in this song actually took place. The fact that all the collected versions identify the scene of the tragedy as either Robin Hood‘s Bay or Scarborough suggests that there is some substance in his assertion.
Other versions: Kidson; FSJ, Vol. III, pp.258-60. Sharp; Ord, p.332.
Frank Pickering (75) from Lealholm, Whitby sang Stowbrow in a 1962 recording made by Colin S. Wharton for his Leeds University degree. The songs from Wharton’s collection were released in 2019 on the Musical Traditions anthology Songs of the North Riding.
Harry Cox from Catfield, Norfolk sang In Scarborough Fair Town to Leslie Shepard on 10 October 1965. This recording was included in 2000 on his Topic anthology The Bonny Labouring Boy. Steve Roud noted:
Numerous versions of this simple tragic song have been collected in England and Scotland and a fair number also in North America. Only a handful of broadside printings are known, the earliest being by Pitts and therefore between about 1800 and 1830. A number of other songs contain the motif of the young woman who finds her drowned lover washed up on the beach, e.g. Down by the Sea Shore (Laws K17/Roud 466); and Susan Strayed the Briny Beach (Laws K19/Roud 1896).
Lal Waterson relocated the story to Stow Brow when she sang this song in 1966 on the Watersons’ LP A Yorkshire Garland. Like most of the tracks from this LP, it was re-released in 1994 on the CD Early Days. It was also included in 2004 on the Watersons’ 4CD anthology Mighty River of Song. A.L. Lloyd noted on the original album:
In 1671 a lament for a drowned lover, Captain Digby, was published as a broadside and it spread about England and also washed over to America (the renowned Mrs. Texas Gladden popularised a version of it, beginning “As I was a-walking down by the sea-shore, the wind it did whistle and the waters did roar”). During the nineteenth century, the stage comedian Sam Cowell made a burlesque of it, and it eventually became a kind of model—serious once again—for a number of ‘drowned lover’ ballads. The one sung here is more often known as Scarborough Sands, and it has been found in places as widely apart as Southampton and Aberdeen, where Robin Hood’s Bay becomes Reuben Bay in the song, though sets of the song in distant North Carolina preserved the Yorkshire locale undistorted. The ballad is just about a hundred years old. Frank Kidson [in Traditional Tunes] had a version from Flamborough, that he called The Drowned Sailor. Stow Brow is just to the south of Robin Hood’s Bay.
Dave Burland sang The Drowned Sailor in 1972 on his eponymous Trailer album Dave Burland. The album’s liner notes commented:
A Yorkshire song collected by Kidson near Whitby. The story is supposedly located in Robin Hood’s Bay. Possibly a true occurrence.
Jumbo Brightwell sang The Drowned Lover to Keith Summers in Leiston, Suffolk in 1975. This recording was included in 2007 on the Musical Traditions anthology of song collected by Summers in Suffolk, A Story to Tell. Rod Stradling noted:
A well-known song in both England and Scotland, but it doesn’t appear to have crossed the sea to Ireland. Almost all versions mention Scarborough (or Stowbrow) as the setting of the tragedy.
Roger Watson sang Stow Brow in 1980 on his Greenwich Village album Mixed Traffic.
Nick Dow sang Scarborough’s Fair Town in 1983 on his Old House album A Poor Man’s Gift. He noted:
From Sam Lamer, Winterton, Norfolk.
The easy thing to do with this song is to ridicule it for its romantic theme and dismiss it out of hand. It transpires that the story of the drowned lovers is a true one (as Sam Larner was at pains to point out) and there is little enough romance around anyway. I find the song moving.
Harold Smy sang Scarborough in a recording made by John Howson in Ipswich, Suffolk, in 1985. It was released in 1989 on the Veteran tape of songs of bargemen, fishermen and sailors, Songs Sung in Suffolk Vol 5, and in 2001 on the Veteran anthology CD of traditional folk music from coastal England, When the Wind Blows. John Howson noted:
This song is often called the The Drowned Lover or The Drowned Sailor. It has been recorded all over Britain and America but it is generally agreed to be of Yorkshire origin. It is said to tell of an actual event affecting a young girl who lived in Stow Brow near Whitby. However, when Harold sang it to me, he started with the statement: “Now here’s a local song!”—and he may actually be right, as the song has antecedents in a ballad of 1673 which deals with a woman’s grief at finding the drowned body of the Earl of Sandwich after the Battle of Sole Bay, off the coast of Southwold in Suffolk.
Frank Verrill sang Stowborough Town at home in Staithes, Yorkshire in 1988 to Maggie Sands. This recording was included in 1998 on the Topic anthology We’ve Received Orders to Sail (The Voice of the People Volume Series Volume 12).
Peta Webb sang Scarborough Fair Town in 2000 on her and Ken Hall’s their Fellside album As Close As Can Be. She noted:
Scarborough Fair Town is from the great Norfolk singer Sam Larner, remembered for his wicked chuckle and great enjoyment of life captured on MacColl and Seeger’s classic 1961 Folkways recording Now Is the Time for Fishing. This song presents the tragic side of the fishing industry, the storms and shipwrecks—“they’re all gone, all gone…”.
The Halliard sang Stow Brow in 2005 as a bonus track for the 2006 release of their 1968 demo recording sessions on their album The Last Goodnight!.
The above mentioned The Drowned Sailor from Frank Kidson’s Traditional Tunes (Oxford, 1891) is very similar to the Watersons’ Stow Brow. Rachael McShane sang a somewhat different The Drowned Sailor in 2009 on her CD No Man’s Fool.
Liz Davenport sang Stowe Brow in 2011 on her and Paul Davenport’s Hallamshire Traditions album Spring Tide Rising. They noted:
A well known song along the East coast of Yorkshire, this version is centred on the locality of Robin Hood‘s Bay. Some versions have the event set further south but the central theme is constant. Young couple; about to get married; young man goes to sea and is drowned. The girl recognises her lost love only by the mark on his hand—it‘s best not to ponder too hard on this aspect of a beautiful song. Liz‘s great-grandmother lost her first husband just after the wedding in this manner in 1883. Liz got her version of the song by that famous learning technique, osmosis. Other versions have a final verse describing a completely fictitious tombstone in Robin Hood‘s Bay Churchyard.
Jackie Oates sang Scarborough’s Fair Town in 2011 on her CD Saturnine. She noted:
Learnt from a wonderful record by Nick Dow, A Poor Man’s Gift.
Andy Turner got In Scarborough Fair Town from Sam Larner and sang it as the 5 August 2012 entry of his project A Folk Song a Week.
Bernie Cherry sang The Drowned Lover in 2013 on his album With Powder, Shot and Gun. Rod Stradling noted:
More usually known as In Scarborough Fair Town, this is a fairly well-known song (89 Roud entries) in both England and Scotland, but it doesn’t appear to have crossed the sea to Ireland. About half of all versions mention Scarborough (or Stowbrow) as the setting of the tragedy in their title, although only six of the collections were from Yorkshire. It was printed by Pitts c.1800-30.
Bernie: One of my favourite tunes with a tragic story—how could I resist? From the great Sam Larner.
Shirley Collins sang Washed Ashore on her 2016 album Lodestar. She noted:
This song is from a large beautifully-bound book of folk songs collected by Cecil Sharp [maybe English County Folk Songs (1908-12 / 1961)?] that my sister Dolly found at a car-boot fair. It was the last arrangement that she wrote, and sadly we never recorded it, but Ian [Kearey]’s playing follows its spirit perfectly. In the Downland church of Friston in East Sussex you’ll find set close by the red-brick path, a simple wooden cross with the words ‘Washed Ashore’. This song is for that unknown seaman and the compassionate villagers who gave him a resting place.
TRADarrr sang The Drowned Lover on their 2017 album Further Tales of Love! Death! and Treachery!.
Peter Bellamy sang The Drowned Sailor on a tape in Paul Adams’ collection. This recording was added in 2018 as a bonus track to the Fellside CD reissue of The Maritime Suite. Paul Adams noted:
This song is related to a body of songs including Stow Brow, Scarborough Fair Town, Scarborough Sands, The Drowned Lover and even, Washed Ashore. Peter’s version emanates from the inimitable Sam Larner. It is rooted in the fishing industry rather than being a naval song.
Duck Soup sang The Drowned Lover in 2018 on their album Everything and …. They noted:
The Drowned Lover is from the singing of Sam Larner, a gnarled Norfolk fisherman who would finish it by saying “That’s a true story!”, and so it may just be.
Bryony Griffith and Alice Jones sang Strawberry Tower in 2022 on their album of Yorkshire songs, A Year Too Late and a Month Too Soon. They noted:
This is a version of Stow Brow, first learnt from the wonderful singer and farmer John Greaves, whose rendition can be heard on The Yorkshire Garland website. John lives across the valley from ‘Stoupe Brow’ which is a headland overlooking Robin Hood’s Bay on the North York Moors and he remembers a lady from there singing it. The tune we have used here is from a version in the appendix of the Hudleston collection, which has been to Canada and come back with the new title of Strawberry Tower (presumably a mishearing of Stow Brow). It was collected by Canadian ethnomusicologist, Kenneth Peacock from Mrs Charlotte Decker of Parson’s Pond, Newfoundland in 1958 and appears in his book The Songs of the Newfoundland Outports. A set of lyrics also appears in a treasure book of songs noted down by the 17-year-old Margaret Moorsom of Robin Hood’s Bay in 1877 and published by Jim Foster in 2021.
Lyrics
Sam Larner sings The Drowned Lover
’Twas in Scarborough fair town a young damsel did dwell,
She loved a young sailor, she loved him full well.
When they were about to marry her this was this young man’s lot:
Instead of a married life a watery grave he got.
Now as we were got sailing through Robin Hood’s Bay,
The wind came down all on us and dismal was the day.
The wind came down all on us and the seas like lions roared,
Which tossed these poor sailors all on the lee shore.
Now as we were got swimming, yes, swimming for our lives,
Some of them had sweethearts and some of them had wives.
And it was about our landing, it worked to be this young man’s lot,
For instead of a-marrying her a watery grave he got.
Now as soon as this fair maid these tidings did hear
She pulled off her ringlets, she tored off her hair,
Crying, “Come, all you cruel billows, come, toss my love on shore
So that I may behold his sweet features once more.”
Now as she was got walking down by the sea side
She met a pretty sailor washed up all by the tide,
And when she saw him she immediately did stand,
For she knew it was her own true love by the marks on his right hand.
“And now that I have found my true love I do adore,
I’ll kiss him, I’ll embrace him ten thousand times o’er,
I’d be happy and contented to lay down by his side.”
And the very next day morning this pretty fair maid died.
Now in Scarborough fair town these two couple do lay,
And written on their tombstone in full memory,
Crying, “Come, all you loyal lovers, this way as you pass by,
Think of those unfortunate couple who now here do lay.”
Harry Cox sings In Scarborough Fair Town
It’s of a pretty fair maid in Scarborough town did dwell,
A sailor loved her dearly and dearly full well.
He promised for to marry her, when back he did return,
And that what followed after so quickly you will learn.
As they were a-sailing down Robin Hood’s Bay,
A gale came down upon them and dismal was the day.
A gale came down upon them and the sea like lions roar,
And it cast these poor sailors all on a lee shore.
As they were a-swimming, a-swimming for their lives,
Some of them had sweethearts and some of them had wives.
It happened they’ve a sad misfortune for it was that poor man’s lot
Instead of being a married man a watery grave he got.
As soon as this sad news it reached this fair maid‘s ears,
She rang her fingers and tore of her hair.
Crying, “Oh, you cruel billows, come toss my love on shore,
So I may behold his sweet features once more.”
One day as she was walking down by the seaside,
She saw her own true loved one come floating by the tide.
As soon as she saw him immediately did stand,
For she knew it was her own truelove by a mark on his right hand.
She quickly jumped in after him and dragged him on the shore,
She hugged him, she kissed him ten thousand times and o’er.
She hugged him, embraced him and then laid by his side,
And the very next day morning this fair young maid she died.
Now in Scarborough churchyard where this couple now do lay,
And on this tombstone these words there do say:
“Come all you feeling lovers, as you pass by this way,
Look down on this poor couple together now lay.”
Lal Waterson sings Stow Brow
In Stow Brow, in Stow Brow a fair maid did dwell,
She loved an handsome sailor lad and he loved her as well.
He promised for to marry her when back he did return
But bad luck and cruel hardship upon this couple fell.
As they were a-sailing, a storm did arise;
The sun was overshaded and dismal was the sight.
The wind it blew an hurricane which made the billows roar
And it tossed these poor sailors all on the rocky shore.
Now some of them was single men and some of them had wives
And all of these poor sailors was a-struggling for their lives;
But this unfortunate young man who happened to be there,
And instead of getting married he got a watery grave.
Now from Stow Brow, from Stow Brow to Robin Hood’s Bay
She spied the stranded sailor all on the sands he lay.
She boldly plucked up to him and amazed she did stand
For she saw it was her own true love by the marks on his right hand.
She kissed him, caressed him ten thousand times o’er,
Crying, “All these cruel billows have tossed my love on shore!”
How happy and contented she lay down by his side,
And a few more minutes afterwards, this fair young maiden died.
Now in Robin Hood’s Bay churchyard this couple they do lay
And for a memorandum a stone is put there.
And all of you young couples that do pass by there
I’d have you all to shed a tear for the couple that lie there.
Jumbo Brightwell sang The Drowned Lover
Now it was of a wild young couple in Scarborough did dwell
She loved a young sailor and he loved her as well
He had promised to be married when back he did return
But instead of getting married he found a watery tomb.
For the ship set sail from Scarborough from Scarborough to the bay
When the winds did blow and whistle and those billows loud did roar.
The winds did blow and whistle and those billows loud did roar.
And it tossed these poor sailors all on an early shore.
Well some of them had sweethearts and some of them had wives.
Which caused these poor sailors to swim out for their lives.
While some they managed to reach shore as it happended to be so
But this unfortunate sailor he found a watery tomb.
As soon as the news reached Scarborough, to the beach this fair maid went.
Ringing of her hands and she tore her hair like a lady in great distress
Crying, “Come ye cruel billows it‘s come roll my love on shore
That I might view his features, kiss his fond lips once more.”
As she was walking from Scarborough, from Scarborough to the bay
She saw a drowned sailor all on the beach did lay
She so nimbly stepped up to him but immediately did stand
She knew it was her own true love by the mark upon his hand.
She kissed him, she fondled him, she kissed him a thousand and oe‘r
She kissed him, she cuddled him a thousand times or more.
She kissed and she cuddled him a thousand times or more
Then she kissed his cold lips, broken hearted she died.
In a churchyard in Scarborough is where this couple lie
Embracing one each other in such a loving way
Come all you men and maidens who do this way pass by
Think you of this loving couple who under here do lie.
Harold Smy sang Scarborough
It was Scarborough in the castle. where a fair young couple dwell.
She dearly loved her sailor boy and he loved her as well.
For they were going to get married when dark deceived the eye.
For instead of getting married they had a watery grave.
Now one day as this fair young lass was a’walking from the harbour to the main.
She spied her drownded sailor come a floating by her side.
She quickly step-ped out to it and like a child did cry.
For she knew it was her own true love by the marks upon his eye.
She kissed him and caressed him ten thousand times and more.
She said, “Now I have found you, I’ll lay down by your side.”
But it was there a fair young couple dwelt a tear and a watery grave.
Now it was Scarborough, in the churchyard, where this fair young couple lay.
With a tombstone at their head and feet, and on the words are wrote:
Come all you fair young court-ers, don’t let this pass your way,
For it was there a fair young couple dwelt, met a tear and watery grave.
Frank Verrill sings Stowborough Town
In Stowborough, in Stowborough fair damsel did dwell;
She loved her young sailor; he loved her right well.
He promised for to marry her when back he did return,
But marks were unfortunate all on him did lay.
Now, as they were a-sailing a storm it did arise,
The moon was overcasted and dismal was the sky.
The wind it blew an hurricane which made those billows roll,
Which tossed those poor sailors all on a lea shore.
Now, some of them were single men and some of them had wives,
And some of those poor sailors were struggling for their lives,
And this unfortunate young man he happened to be there
And in stead of getting married, he found a watery grave.
Now, as she was a-walking from Stowborough to Bay,
She espied a drownded sailor who on the sands did lay
She walked right boldly up to him for she knew it was her bride
For she knew it was her own true love by the marks on his arm.
She loved him; she kissed him ten thousand times and more.
Crying, “O you cruel billows, you‘ve tossed my love on shore.”
Then happy and contented she lay down by his side
And a few moments after this fair young maid she died.
Now, in Robin Hood’s Bay church-yard this fair couple doth lay,
And for a memorandum a stone at their head doth stand.
Now, all you true lovers, that pass all by this way
I pray you shed a tear for the couple that lays there.
Rachael McShane sings The Drowned Sailor
In London’s fair city a damsel did dwell,
She was courted by a sailor and he loved her well.
And he promised for to marry her if he ever did return,
But mark what hard fortune all on him did stand.
As he was a-sailing the ocean so brave
His ship it was wrecked by the wind and the waves.
The storm was raging and the billows loud did roar
Which tossed this poor sailor all on the sea shore.
As she was a-walking down by the sea strand
She saw her drowned sailor lie dead on the ground.
And when she came near him the sight made her stand
She knew ’twas her true love by the marks on his hand.
She kissed him, she hugged him, she called him her dear,
Ten thousand times over, she kissed him there,
Saying, “I’m very well contended to lie by your side
Instead of being married in my grave here I’ll lie.”
As she was a-walking down by the sea side
And wringing of her tender hands so bitterly did cry,
Saying, “My joys are all ended, my sorrows are all fled.”
In a few moments after this young maid lay dead.
In Robin Hood’s churchyard this couple was laid
And for a memorandum a tombstone was laid.
Come all you constant lovers that here do pass by,
This unfortunate couple, how happy they lie.
Bernie Cherry sings The Drowned Lover
Iin Scarborough fair town a young damsel did dwell
She loved a young sailor, she loved him full well
When he was about to marry her it became this young man’s lot
Instead of a married life a watery grave he got.
As they were got sailing through Robin Hood Bay
The wind came down all on then and dismal was the day
The wind came down all on them and the seas like lions roared
Which tossed these poor sailors upon a lee shore.
As they were got swimming, yes swimming for their lives
Some of them had sweethearts and some of them had wives
It was a sad misfortune, it became this young man’s lot
Instead of a married life, a watery grave he got.
As soon as this fair maid these tidings did hear
In wringing her hands and a-tearing of her hair
Crying, “Come all you cruel billows, come toss my love on shore
That I might behold his sweet features once more.”
As she was a-walking down by the seaside
She met her drowned lover, washed up by the tide
As soon as she seen him, she immediately did stand
For she knew it was her own true love by the marks on his right hand.
“And now that I have found my own true love I do adore
I’ll kiss him I’ll embrace him ten thousand times o’er
I’ll be happy and contented to lay down by his side.”
And the very next day morning, this pretty fair maid died.
In Scarborough fair town this young couple do lay
And written on their tombstone in full memory:
Come all you loyal lovers this way as you pass by
Shed a tear for this couple that now here do lie.
Shirley Collins sings Washed Ashore
As a lady was walking down by the sea-side
A poor drowned sailor she chanced there to spy.
When first she saw the sailor, it put her to a stand
For she knew ’twas her true-love by the mark on his hand.
She put her arms round him, she called him her dear,
She wept and she kissed him ten thousand times o’er,
Saying, “Now I’m resigned to lie by your side,”
As she kissed his cold lips and heart-broken she died.
In yonder green churchyard this couple was laid
And a stone for remembrance placed over their grave.
Saying, “Our joys they are all over, all pleasures are fled,
We shall lie here forever, the grave is our bed.”
Bryony Griffith and Alice Jones sing Strawberry Tower
On Stow Brow, on Stow Brow, a damsel did dwell.
She was courted by a sailor lad and she loved him right well.
He promised for to marry her when he did return,
But a watery misfortune all on them did frown.
As he was a-sailing a storm did arise.
The moon it was shaded, and dismal was the sky.
The wind it blew raging, the billows loud did roar,
And it dashed them poor sailor lads all on the sea shore.
Now when this dreadful news reached the young damsel’s ears,
She fell a-wringing of her hands and a-tearing of her hair.
Crying, “Oh, you cruel billows, come wash my love ashore,
That I may behold his sweet features once more.”
As she was a-walking from Stow Brow to Bay,
She spied a drowned sailor lad as on the sand he lay,
And the nearer that she drew to him, it brought her to a stand,
For she knew it was her true love, by the marks upon his hand.
She kissed him, caressed him, ten thousand times o’er,
Crying, “Oh you cruel billows you have tossed my love ashore.
How happy I would be my love, to lie down by your side.”
And a few moments after, broken-hearted she died.
In Robin Hood’s Churchyard this couple was laid,
And written on their tombstone these words may be read,
“Come all you young damsels, take a warning from me:
Never let your own true love sail upon a raging sea.”
Acknowledgements
Transcribed from the singing of Lal Waterson by Garry Gillard. Thanks to Wolfgang Hell for a correction—or two.