Bold Larkin (Bull Yorkens)

DESCRIPTION: In 1855 the Elizabeth runs for land in a heavy sea. Andrew Shean/Sheehan, a sailor, falls into the sea. Captain Bull Yorkens reluctantly orders the rescue attempt abandoned. At St John's he consoles the parents and offers a prayer for Sheehan.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1923 (Murphy)
KEYWORDS: death drowning mourning ship sea father mother sailor storm
FOUND IN: Canada(Newf)
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Peacock, pp. 907-908, "Bull Yorkens" (1 text, 1 tune)
Lehr/Best-ComeAndIWillSingYou 11, "Bold Larkin" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #4420
RECORDINGS:
Charles Dawe, "Harkin's Voyage" (on MUNFLA/Leach)
Mike Kent, "Bold Larkin" (on MUNFLA/Leach)
Patrick Pennell, "Andrew Sheehan" (on MUNFLA/Leach)
Monica Rossiter, ("Come all you bad companions and listen unto me") (on MUNFLA/Leach)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "New York to Queenstown" (theme)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
The Loss of Andrew Sheehan
NOTES [131 words]: According to Lehr, "'Bold Larkin,' also known as 'The Loss of Andrew Sheehan,' was composed by John Grace. Sheehan was a native of St John's. In a version of the song printed in Murphy's Songs Their Fathers Sung, the date of the event is '55 and not '65 as in our version. Larkin is also written Harkin in Murphy's book."
Cape Spear is less than four miles from St John's harbour.
The [MUNFLA/Leach] site has no text for Monica Rossiter's song but she sings the first two verses. - BS
Lehr/Best-ComeAndIWillSingYou do not identify which edition of Songs Their Fathers Sung they quote, nor the page, although their bibliography claims it is the 1923 edition. But it is not in the 1923 copy of Songs Their Fathers Sung digitized on the Memorial University of Newfoundland site. - RBW
Last updated in version 5.2
File: Pea907

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