> Peter Bellamy > Songs > Andrew Rose

Andrew Rose / Andrew Ross

[ Roud 623 ; Ballad Index Pea825 ; trad.]

This report of cruel torture of a sailor is known as Andrew Ross in Scotland and as Andrew Rose in England.

Stan Kelly sang Andrew Rose in 1957 on his Topic EP Liverpool Packet: Songs of the Great Seaport. This track was included in 2004 on the anthology CD Sailors' Songs & Sea Shanties. The latter album's notes commented:

The trial of Captain James Rogers for cruelly misusing members of his crew took place in 1849. Following the trial, this ballad was made by an unknown London pub poet and issued by the broadside printers A Ryle & Co of Seven Dials. Senseless cruelty was all too common on English ships, even as late as the 1850s.

John and Ethel Findlater of Dounby, Mainland, Orkney sang this ballad as Andrew Ross on the anthology Sailormen and Servingmaids (The Folk Songs of Britain Volume 6; Caedmon 1961; Topic 1968).

The Clutha sang Andrew Ross in 1974 on their Topic album Scots Ballads, Songs & Dance Tunes. John Lyons commented in the sleeve notes:

Gilbert Voy learned this song from his mother at Inganess Farm, near Kirkwall, Orkney, about the year 1900. It was well-known and much sung in the Orkneys at that period. There is an English version of the song (Andrew Rose), but no Orcadian would agree that this is anything but a plagiarism of the Orkney version. The sailor Andrew Ross is said to have come from the Orkney island of Stronsay.

Tony Hall sang Andrew Rose in 1977 on his Free Reed LP Fieldvole Music. The album notes commented (with a thank you to Stan Hugill for help):

Andrew Rose is printed in Capt. B. Whall's fine old book Sea Songs and Shanties. The story it tells is horrible but true. The episode took place around 1845. The ship was called The Martha and Jane which is shortened in the song to make it come in rhyme, and I have the actual ship's log which relates to this tale. It seems that The Martha and Jane was short of a crewman and a Captain when near the West Indies, so they shipped aboard Andrew Rose and Captain Rogers at Barbados to make up a full complement. The two had despised each other even when on shore, and when on board the hatred grew and Capt. Rogers' torture and unspeakable degradation of Rose began. Andrew Rose was a deeply religious man who continually sang Methodist hymns during the voyage, aggravating the Captain yet more.

Capt. Rogers was hung for his crimes in Walton Jail—in fact he was the first to hang in the ‘new’ Walton Jail, built to replace the old one which had stood down by the docks. The Mates during the voyage were not punished. Stan Hugill also recollects seeing a commemorative wax statue to Andrew Rose during his youth in a Liverpool dockside Waxworks. Tony has given this powerful and torrid story a highly inventive melodeon accompaniment.

Damien Barber and Mike Wilson learned Andrew Rose from the singing of Tony Hall and recorded it in 2008 for their CD Under the Influence.

Peter Bellamy sang Andrew Rose on his privately issued cassette of 1982, The Maritime England Suite.

Lyrics

Stan Kelly sings Andrew Rose

Andrew Rose, the British sailor
Now to you his wrongs I'll name
'Twas on the passage from Barbados
All on board of the Martha Jane.

Chorus:

And wasn't that most cruel usage,
Not a friend to interpose?
When they've whipped and stripped and mangled
The British sailor, Andrew Rose.

Up aloft the Captain sent him
Naked and with nothing on,
While the mate did follow after,
Flogging till the blood did run.

(Chorus)

In in a harness cask they put him;
Seven days they kept him there.
When for mercy he did venture,
None to help him didn't dare.

So for long they did ill-use him,
Till into Liverpool they lie.
The Judge he heard the shameful story;
“Captain Rodgers, you must die!”

And then his friends and near relations,
Cheered him after all his woes;
Don't ever treat a British sailor
Like they did poor Andrew Rose.

Tony Hall sings Andrew Rose

Andrew Rose, the British sailor
Now to you his woes I'll name
'Twas on the passage from Barbados
Whilst on board of the Martha Jane.

'Twas on the quarter-deck they laid him,
Gagged him with an iron bar;
Wasn't that most cruel usage
To put upon a British tar?

Chorus:

Wasn't that most cruel usage
Without a friend to interpose?
How they've whipped and mangled, gagged and strangled
The British sailor, Andrew Rose.

'Twas up aloft the Captain sent him
Naked beneath the burning sun,
Whilst the mate did follow after,
Lashing him till the blood did run.

(Chorus)

The captain gave him stuff to swallow;
Stuff to you I will not name,
Whilst the crew got sick with horror,
Whilst on board of the Martha Jane.

(Chorus)

It was in a water-cask they laid him;
For seven long days they kept him there.
When loud for mercy Rose did venture,
The Captain swore no man should go there.

(Chorus)

For twenty days they did ill-use him,
Till into Liverpool they arrived.
The Judge he heard young Andrew's story;
“Captain Rodgers, you must die!”

Come all ye friends and close relations,
And all ye friends to interpose;
Never treat a British sailor
Like they did young Andrew Rose.

(Chorus)

Links

See also the Mudcat Café thread Lyr Req: Andrew Rose (Stan Kelly).