Kelly the Pirate (II) [Laws K32]

DESCRIPTION: A British warship is commanded to guard merchant vessels. The warship meets Bold Kelly, who refuses to surrender. The pirate ship is taken and Kelly sent to prison
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1914 (Greig/Duncan1)
KEYWORDS: pirate sea battle prison
FOUND IN: US(MA) Canada(Mar,Newf) Britain(Scotland(Aber))
REFERENCES (8 citations):
Laws K32, "Kelly the Pirate II"
Greig/Duncan1 46, "Kelly the Pirate" (1 text)
Peacock, pp. 846-847, "Kelly the Pirate" (1 text, 1 tune)
Mackenzie-BalladsAndSeaSongsFromNovaScotia 81B, 81C, "Kelly the Pirate" (2 texts, 1 tune)
Frank-NewBookOfPirateSongs 23, "Kelly the Pirate (II)" (1 text, 1 tune; from different sources; #23 in the first edition)
Forget-Me-Not-Songster, p. 75, "Kelly the Pirate" (1 text)
Shoemaker-MountainMinstrelsyOfPennsylvania, pp. 177-178, "Kelly, the Pirate" (1 text)
DT 566, KELPIR2 KELPIR3
Roud #1625
NOTES [90 words]: Several pirates named Kelly/Kelley are known from the late seventeenth century, notably James Kelley, an associate of Captain Kidd hanged in 1701. But their circumstances do not seem to match this song.
Roud seems to have had some trouble deciding which versions go with which Kelly the Pirate song. Laws gives "Come all ye jolly tarsmen, come listen to my song" as the standard opening line of K31; "Our Admiral gave orders on the same day" is the opening of K32. The latter looks like it was popularized by the Forget Me Not Songster. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.4
File: LK32

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