Song of the Mary White
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"Song of the Mary White" is a ballad written in Broadstairs, England in the early 1850s.
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It has been suggested that news of the loss of the Irish packet Royal Adelaide with 250 lives, on the sands off Margate on 6 April 1850, prompted Thomas White to present one of his lifeboats to his home town of Broadstairs that summer.[citation needed] The lifeboat saw its first use on 6 March 1851, when the brig Mary White became trapped on the Goodwin Sands during a severe gale blowing from the north. A ballad was written to celebrate the occasion, the "Song of the Mary White".[1]
The lifeboat itself was subsequently named the Mary White[1] in recognition of the strange coincidence of the recurrence of the name White in this story: Thomas and John the lifeboat builders, the name of the brig Mary White, and also the name of its captain, Mr White.
- Come all you jolly sailors bold, and landsmen too, attend,
- I am inclined to sing in praise of those eight gallant men,
- who boldly left their native shore as you shall understand,
- to save the lives of those poor souls upon the Goodwin Sand.
- Chorus
- Britons all, both young and old, think of those jolly sailors bold.
- On Thursday, 'twas March the sixth, the wind blew from the land
- which drove the fated Mary White upon the Goodwin Sands.
- The lifeboat's crew from Broadstairs flew, with hearts so light and gay,
- Right gallantly they made the wreck, those precious lives to save.
- Chorus
- John Crouch, a gallant sailor bold, likewise George Castle too,
- George Wales, Richard Crouch, this day, my praise is due to you
- Sol Holbourn, Sackett Ansel, John Wales, with great delight
- So gallantly did venture off to save the Mary White.
- Chorus
- Ned Chittingden, 17 your health I drink, I drink with thee,
- Times three and for your valour, my brave men, you shall rewarded be.
- Chorus
- You've done your best, and saved the lives of seven poor souls this day;
- May God receive the other three who did get cast away.
- Chorus
- So to conclude and finish now, my song is at an end,
- May God above a blessing give to those eight gallant men!
- Chorus
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