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The Bold Privateer

[ Roud 1000 ; Master title: The Bold Privateer ; Laws O32 ; Henry H514 ; Ballad Index LO32 ; MusTrad EN88 ; VWML HAM/2/2/7 , SBG/1/2/323 ; Bodleian Roud 1000 ; Wiltshire 731 ; trad.]

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Peter Bellamy sang The Bold Privateer on his 1975 LP Tell It Like It Was, accompanying himself on concertina. Another version from Paul Adams’ collection of miscellaneous Peter Bellamy tapes was included in 2018 on the Fellside CD reissue of The Maritime Suite. Peter Bellamy noted:

The 1914 anthology The Book of Sussex Verse concluded with a short section of “old Sussex songs”, whence came this short (Napoleonic War?) piece, sans tune, so I provided one.

Tom and Barbara Brown sang Sir Francis Drake / The Bold Privateer in 2002 on their WildGoose album Prevailing Winds. This track was also included in 2007 on their WildGoose anthology West Country Night Out Winds. They noted:

Devonshire hero Francis Drake was, like many heroes, not exactly what history generally chooses to remember. He was, in effect, a pirate licensed by Elizabeth I—a privateer. So following the 400-year old ballad about the first attempt to form a European Union (i.e. The Armada), we’ve added a Cornish march tune which also has its own set of words.

Eliza Carthy sang Bold Privateer on her 2002 CD, Anglicana. She accompanied herself on fiddle, and Tim van Eyken played guitar. She noted:

My Dad said he has been meaning to give me this song for about five years. I eventually held him in a savage stranglehold until he gave it up. It comes from a collection by John Broadwood, relative of Lucy. All the songs in the collection come from Surrey and Sussex, and Broadwood swears that they were obtained from genuine country people and peasants.

Kate Rusby sang The Bold Privateer, set zu music by Phil Cunningham, in 2002 on John McCusker’s album Goodnight Ginger. John McCusker noted:

This song was given to Kate by Phil Cunningham. A big thank you to both of them for singing and playing so beautifully.

Jeff Warner sang The Bold Privateer on his 2005 album Jolly Tinker. He noted:

The song has a British beginning, but may well have gone through American minstrelsy before lodging in the southern mountains, where English song collector Cecil Sharp found it in Peaks of Otter, Bedford County, Virginia, in 1918. Jeff Davis found this in Sharp’s collection and passed it on to me.

Martin and Shan Graebe sang The Bold Privateer in 2008 on their WildGoose CD Dusty Diamonds. He noted:

Roud 1000, Sabine Baring-Gould Manuscript Ref. P2, 147 (189) [VWML SBG/1/2/323]
It is not, perhaps, surprising that the County of Drake, Hawkins and Raleigh should have an abundance of sea songs and Baring-Gould’s collection has many of them, some of which we have included on this CD. This song was collected from a number of singers. Our version came from James Hext, a shepherd from Postbridge in the middle of Dartmoor. The Bold Privateer was issued as a broadside by a number of 19th Century printers and comes from one of those brief periods when, because we weren’t officially at war with anyone, the Crown licensed captains to have a go anyway.

Peter and Barbara Snape sang Bold Privateer on their 2008 CD Take to the Green Fields. Barbara Snape noted:

A traditional song from the Cuala Press Broadside Collection, published in October 1911. A version of this song appears on John McCusker’s Goodnight Ginger album with a tune written by Phil Cunningham. We have based our version on, and around, that tune.

Rob Williams sang The Bold Privateer in 2012 on his album of songs from around the Quantock Hills, Outstanding Natural Beauty. This version was collected from Jane Gulliford by the brothers Henry and Robert Hammond in May 1905 [VWML HAM/2/2/7] .

Adrienne O’Shea sang an Appalachian version of The Bold Privateer on her 2023 album Threads of Gold. She noted:

I learned this song from Teresa Horgan in 2014 and have been singing it ever since. I love how it moves like a conversation and discusses the impact and grief of war on those left behind.

Lyrics

Peter Bellamy sings The Bold Privateer

Our boat, it’s on a drift
And our ship, it’s on the waves
Farewell my dearest jewel
For I can no longer stay

Our ship, she lies awaiting
So fare thee well, my dear
For I must go on board
Of this bold privateer

Well there’s no-one there can tell
What great hazards you must run
So many have been slain
Since the wars they first begun

And such bloody engagements
And dangers they draw near
With the loss of their sweet lives
On this bold privateer

So grieve not, my dearest jewel
When I am out of sight
For I must go on board
And right boldly will I fight

We will cut down the pride
Of the lofty monseers
We’ll soon we’ll let him know
She’s a bold privateer

Well since you are going
May heaven smile on thee
May kind heaven protect you
By the land or by the sea

May kind heaven protect you
Wherever you may steer
And send you safe home back again
From this bold privateer

Well the prizes we have taken
They are from France and Spain
And my true love at home
Shall have a good part of the same

When the wars they are are over
I’ll turn unto my dear
We’ll bid adieu foreve
To this bold privateer

Eliza Carthy sings Bold Privateer

Our boat, she’s on a drift
And our ship, she’s on the waves
Farewell my dearest jewel
For no longer can I stay

𝄆 Our ship, she lies awaiting
So fare you well, my dear
For I must go on board
Of this bold privateer 𝄇

There’s no-one there can tell you
What great hazards you will run
So many have been slain
Since the wars first begun

𝄆 Such bloody engagements
And dangers that draw near
With loss of their sweet lives
In this bold privateer 𝄇

Grieve not, my dearest jewel
When I’m out of your sweet sight
For I must go on board
And so boldly I will fight

𝄆 We’ll beat down the pride
Of the lofty monaseer
And soon we’ll let them know
She’s a bold privateer 𝄇

Then since you are a-going
May heaven kinder be
May kind heaven protect you
By land or by sea

𝄆 May kind heaven protect you
Wherever you may steer
And send you safe home back
From this bold privateer 𝄇

The prizes we have taken
Are from France and from Spain
And my true love at home
Will have part of them the same

𝄆 And when the wars are over
I’ll turn unto my dear
And then I’ll bid adieu
To this bold privateer 𝄇

Oh, when the wars are over
I’ll turn unto my dear
And then I’ll bid adieu
To this bold privateer

Notes

“Monaseer” is late 18th / early 19th-century slang for a Frenchman, from “monsieur”. The Dutch were similarly known as “Monheers” (or “butterboxes”!). The English have a habit of genially mangling the pronunciation of their enemies’ names - the Indian Prince Sirauj-ad Daula was known to the troops as “Sir Roger Dowler” for example.
[Kim Birley]

Adrienne O’Shea sings The Bold Privateer

“So fare thee well my Polly dear,
For you and I must part.
In the crossing of the seas, my love,
I’ll pledge to thee my heart.

“Our ship she lies awaiting,
So fare thee well my dear
For now I’m bound to climb aboard
This poor old privateer.”

She says, “My dearest Johnny,
I hope you do forebear.
And do not leave your Polly
In grief and in despair.”

“You know my dearest Polly,
Your friends they do me slight.
And besides you have two brothers
Who’ll take away my life.

“From then to there I’ll wander
Myself to get me clear.
But for now I’m bound to climb aboard
This poor old privateer.

“And when the wars are over,
If God should spare our lives,
It is then we will come back again
To our sweethearts and our brides.

“And then I will be married
To me bonny Polly dear,
And evermore I’ll bid adieu
To the bold privateer.”

Acknowledgements and Links

Transcribed by Reinhard Zierke with help from Kira White and Kim Birley. Thank you!