Hold the Fort for Balfour's Coming

DESCRIPTION: "Hold the fort for Balfour's coming, See he comes and saves. Keep the Union Banner flying, Britannia rules the waves."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1983 (Kane-SongsAndSayingsOfAnUlsterChildhood)
KEYWORDS: navy patriotic derivative | Arthur Balfour
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
1848-1930 - Life of Arthur Balfour
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Kane-SongsAndSayingsOfAnUlsterChildhood, p. 187, "Hold the fort for Balfour's coming" (1 short text)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Hold the Fort" (tune) and references there
NOTES [236 words]: Arthur Balfour, now perhaps best remembered for the "Balfour Declaration" about the future of Palestine, served many offices in the British government. He made the Balfour Declaration while Foreign Secretary (1916-1919), but he had earlier been Prime Minister (1902-1905). Alice Kane evidently thought this a World War I song, but I wonder. He had been Chief Secretary for Ireland in the Salisbury Government (Lord Salisbury was his uncle). He was a firm opponent of Home Rule for Ireland, and took various measures to prevent it. So while this might be about World War I, I can see any of three different situations which it might fit
- 1887, when he became Irish secretary (serving until 1891); in this case, the song is sung by the Protestants of Ulster who expect him to defend their rights
- 1903, when his government passed the Land Purchase (Ireland) Act, which took over many Protestants' land, displacing the landlords, which might be cheered by the Catholics
- 1915, when he became First Lord of the Admiralty, succeeding Winston Churchill (serving until 1916, when he was succeeded by the Edward Carson, an intense Ulster Unionist)
The third of these would explain the reference to Britannia ruling the waves, but Balfour didn't do a particularly good job as head of the Navy and didn't keep the post very long, which is why I wonder if the song might refer to some other part of his government service. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.5
File: KSUC187A

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