> A.L. Lloyd > Songs > The Seventeen Bright Stars

The Seventeen Bright Stars

[ RoudBS B47817 ; MusTrad MT183 ; trad.]

A New Song or The Seventeen Bright Stars (page heading) is a song about the Spithead mutiny in April 1797. It is printed in Charles Harding Firth’s book Naval Songs and Ballads (London: Printed for the Navy Records Society, 1908, pp. 277-279), which is “A collection of ballads illustrating the history of the British Navy from the sixteenth to the middle of the nineteenth century”. The book’s notes give as source: Record Office, Admiralty, Secretary. In Letters cxi. Correspondence of Bridport and Others, August 1798.

Roy Palmer printed The Seventeen Bright Stars, shortened to eight verses and with an added chorus, in his 1973 book of “sea songs and ballads and prose passages illustrating life on the lower deck in Nelson’s Navy”, The Valiant Sailor. A.L. Lloyd and chorus sang it in the same year on the accompanying Topic album of songs and ballads of Nelson’s Navy, The Valiant Sailor. This recording was also included in 1984 on the French compilation album of ballads, laments and shanties of English sailors, Chants de Marins IV. Roy Palmer noted on the original album:

Mutinies were by no means uncommon in the old navy, the revolt against Bligh on the Bounty was only one of the more spectacular. In April 1797, the seventeen ships of the Channel Fleet refused Admiral Bridport’s order to sail from Spithead, an anchorage near Portsmouth, and sent delegates to a meeting aboard the flagship, Queen Charlotte. The men’s grievances were lack of shore leave, low pay (it had been frozen at 19 shillings a month gross, for about 150 years) and poor victualling. The seamen forcibly put a number of tyrannical officers on the beach. Admiral Lord Howe, who was well-liked by the lower deck, negotiated a free pardon for all the mutineers and an increase in pay to a shilling a day. To this extent the mutiny was successful, and therefore unique. Apart from Bridport and Howe, the people mentioned in the song are Pitt, the Prime Minister, and Dundas, Treasurer of the Navy.

Lyrics

A New Song in Naval Songs and Ballads

Come, all you bold Britons to the seas do belong,
Of the seventeen bright stars I will sing you a song.
On the 15th of April, at Spithead as we lay.
Lord Bridport he hove out a signal to weigh:
But we one and all refused to obey.

The reason unto you I now will relate:
We resolved to refuse the purser’s short weight;
Our humble petition to Lord Howe we sent,
That he to the Admiralty write to present
Our provisions and wages that they might augment.

But soon, to our grief, as you shall understand,
They refused to comply with our humble demand;
Although to the Army they granted more pay,
While we sons of Neptune neglected did lay.
But the 15th of April soon roused them straightway.

Then each son of Neptune took their oath without dread,
Until redress was obtained not to sail from Spithead;
Two tars from each ship of the line did appear
On board the Queen Charlotte without dread or fear,
While the ships manned their yards with a thundering loud cheer.

Billy Pitt and Dundas soon heard of the news.
They fell in a rage, and the tars did abuse;
They sent for Lord Spencer and unto him did say:
“For Portsmouth, my Lord, and make no delay,
For the mutinous tars refuse to obey.”

Lord Spencer unto us these words did express:
“Your grievance, my lads, shall soon be redress;
Full provisions we have granted and a shilling a day.”
We trusted their honour, and our anchors did weigh,
But the wind coming west, at St. Helens we did lay.

Now Providence, resolved we should not be oppressed,
For a fortnight or more kept the wind at south-west;
During which time, to our great surprise,
The Act was not passed to grant us supplies,
But Bedford and Clarence did open our eyes.

When we found from their promise they meant for to run,
We resolved to force them before we had done.
When the signal was made for sea to repair,
We then did refuse with another loud cheer,
Which made our proud rulers to quake and to fear.

The murdering Colpoys, Vice-Admiral of the Blue,
Gave order to fire on the London ship’s crew:
While the enemy of Britain was ploughing the sea,
He, like a base coward, let them get away
When the French and their transports sailed for Bantry Bay.

But at length from our king Lord Howe he was sent
To redress our grievance to our full content;
We received the old hero with joy as our friend,
And the Act being passed we will cheerfully sing
“Confusion to France and long live our King!”

Now, my brave boys, down Channel we steer
’Long with brave Bridport in search of Mounseer.
May Heaven but grant what we crave for a boon,
That these boasting invaders may out to us come,
And the tune that we will play them is the First of June.

So now I must finish these lines that I have penned.
I hope no true Briton at them may be offended,
But remember the 15th of April, I pray,
And our wives and children keep a holiday;
For what April began we finish in May.

Drink a health to Lord Howe in a full flowing glass,
Confusion to Pitt, likewise to Dundas.
The seventeen bright stars in a bumper shall roar,
Their praises shall sound from shore unto shore,
And they will never be forgot until Britain’s no more.

A.L. Lloyd and chorus sing The Seventeen Bright Stars

Come all you bold Britons, to the seas do belong,
Of the seventeen bright stars I will sing you a song.
On the fifteenth of April at Spithead we lay;
Lord Bridport he hove out a signal to weigh,
But one and all we refused to obey.

Chorus (after each verse):
Ri lori liddle la liddle,
La diddle la diddle ay day

The reason unto you I now will relate:
We resolved to refuse the purser’s short weight.
Our humble petition to Lord Howe we sent,
That he to the Admiralty write to present
Our provisions and wages that they might augment.

Then each son of Neptune took oath without dread,
Till redress was obtained, not to sail from Spithead.
Two tars from each ship of the line did appear
On board the Queen Charlotte without dread or fear,
While the ships manned their yards with a thundering loud cheer.

Billy Pitt and then Dundas soon heard of the news:
They fell in a rage and the tars did abuse;
They sent for Lord Spencer and to him did say:
“For Portsmouth, my lord, and make no delay,
For the mutinous tars all refuse to obey.”

Lord Spencer to us then these words did express:
“Your grievance, my lads, it shall soon find redress.
you’ll have full provisions and a shilling a day.”
We trusted their honour, and our anchors did weigh,
But the wind coming west, at St Helens we lay.

When we found from their promise they meant for to run,
We resolved for to force them before we had done.
When the signal was made to the sea to repair,
We then did refuse with another loud cheer,
Which made our proud rulers to quake and to fear.

At length from our king brave Lord Howe he was sent,
To redress our grievance to our full intent.
We received the old hero with joy as our friend,
and, the act being passed, we will cheerfully sing,
Confusion to France, boys, and long live our king.

Here’s a health to Lord Howe in a full flowing glass,
Confusion to Pitt and likewise to Dundas.
The seventeen bright stars in a bumper shall roar,
Their praises shall sound out from shore to shore,
They’ll ne’er be forgot until England’s no more.