The Glasgow

sunk and lost in the sea in 1837

All you who love your native land
And mean to emigrate
A while draw near and you shall hear
What happened of late
To tell the hardships I went through
Some pages it would fill
When I was forced to leave my home
That place called Sweet Cootehill

John Williams is my name
This truth I'll ne'er deny
My friends they banished me away
I'll tell you the reason why
Because I would not break the vows
I made unto my dear
They tore me from the arms
Of my charming Sally Greer

Straight away to Liverpool
My friends did me convey
And in the Glasgow to New York
My passage they did pay
Along with Captain Robinson
And sixteen of a crew
We set out for America
Our fortune to pursue

'Twas on the eight of February
Our gallant ship set sail
Bound for the city of New York
With a sweet and pleasant gale
On the midnight of the seventh day
Before our captain went to rest
He called unto his chief-mate
And made him this behest

Take you charge of the vessel
And of yon rocks keep clear
And beat about the Irish coast
Till daylight doth appear
Our chief-mate took the orders
But he did not them obey
And by neglect he let the ship
Go quite out of her way

Early the following morning
About half-past four o'clock
Our gallant ship with all her might
Came on a sunken rock
These rocks are called The Barrels
They're hidden from human sight
They lie abreast of Carnsore Head
And west of Tuskar Light

Men, women and children
Were filled with great surprise
A heart like flint it would relent
To hear their dismal cries
We hoist a light from our mast-head
Before it was daylight
And to our joy and great surprise
A schooner hove in sight

Captain Walsh gave orders
Unto his seamen brave
The women and the children
To strive first for to save
With that the Glasgow gave a lurch
And none could her prevent
And five-and-twenty fine young men
Down to the bottom went

Long life to Captain Walsh
And to his seamen brave
But for his assistance
We'd have met a watery grave
He landed us in Wexford town
Where we were treated kind
In time of need indeed 'twas there
Some warm friends we did find

In these four months four vessels
Wrecked upon the watery main
The Glasgow and the Mexico
The Bristol and the Jane
And nearly a thousand passengers
Lie asleep in watery graves
Men who thought to settle in land
That never sheltered slaves

Lyrics courtesy of www.sailorsongs.com