The Bold Princess Royal

Collected by Bob Copper from Ned 'Wintry' Adams [right] in Hastings in about 1954, as recounted in pp. 60-66 of Songs and Southern Breezes. These words are from the appendix, pp. 206-7. Although the words are similar, the tune sung by Ned Adams (as transcribed by David Kettlewell and printed in Songs and Southern Breezes p. 206), is significantly different from the one written down by Bob Copper in The Copper Family Song Book, p. 12.

On the fourteenth of February, we sailed from the land,
In the bold Princess Royal, bound for Newfoundland;
We had forty brave seamen for the ship's company
And boldly from the east'ard to the west'ard bore we.

We had not been a-sailing scarce days two or three,
When a man from our mast-head strange sails did he see;
He came bearing down on us for to see what we were
And under his mizzen, black colours he wore.

O Lord, cried our captain, what shall we do now?
Here comes a bold pirate for to rob us, I know.
Oh no, cried the chief mate, that will not be so,
We'll shake out our reef, my boys, and away from him we'll go.

At last this bold pirate, he hove alongside
With a loud-speaking trumpet: Whence come you? he cried.
Our captain, standing aft, my boys, he answered them so -
We've come from fair London town; we're bound for Cairo.

Come lay up your course-sails and heave your ship to,
For I have some letters for to send home by you.
I'll lay up my course-sails and I'll heave my ship to,
But that's home in harbour, boys, not alongside of you.

He chased us to the east'ard all that livelong day,
He chased us to the east'ard but he couldn't get no way;
He fir-ed shots after us but none did prevail
And the bold Princess Royal shoon showed him her tail.

O Lord, cried our captain, now the pirate, he is gone,
Go down to your grog, my boys, go down everyone,
Go down to your grog, my boys, and be of good cheer,
For while we have sea-room, brave lads, never fear.

See also the Copper Family's own version.