Ship Carpenter’s Mate- Wiggy Smith (Glou) c.1966
[From: Wiggy Smith - Band of Gold (MT CD 307), 1998. Several recordings have been made of this version-- the first circa 1966.
R. Matteson 2016]
Wiggy Smith is from an extended romany gypsy traveller family recorded in an around the Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury area. Wiggy was born on 3rd July 1926 in a covered wagon parked on the fields of Filton Common near Bristol - the area now covered by Filton aerodrome. As the first boy to be born in his family, he was named after his father, Wisdom, but was nicknamed Wiggy to distinguish him from his father. In a similar manner, Wiggy's eldest son, also Wisdom, is nicknamed 'Figgy'.
The Ship Carpenter’s Mate (The Cruel Ship’s Carpenter) (sung by Wiggy Smith- (Recorded by Gwilym Davies at the English Country Music Weekend, Postlip Tithe Barn, Glos, 27 June, 1998.
[spoken] I’ll sing ye’s one - it’s an old’n - but I’ll try me best to sing ye’s one . . .
Now our Captain wanted seamen to sail on the sea[1]
Which was the first parting of Willy and me
"Oh Billy, oh Billy don't you go to sea
Remember the vows you have made unto me."
Oh he drunk and he drunk, ’til he drunk all his store
“Dear Father, dear Father, I can’t drink no more.”
And he goes to his lovely Betsy, so late in the night[2]
“Lovely Betsy, lovely Betsy, won’t you come along with me
To purpose our enemy, our friends they for to see.”
And he led her through woods and valleys too
Until this poor damsel, her started to weep
“Lovely Betsy, lovely Betsy, I’m lead you astray
For all of this long night I’ve been digging your grave.”
There’s your grave lying open, and the spade standing near
And into that cold grave her body he threw.
He civvered [covered] her over, so safe and so sure
And just to make sure, he went straightaway
[And he stepped on board a ship for to sail the world round][3]
For to list for some soldier, some ship carpenter’s mate.
And it’s up jumped the captain and called all his men
“There is murder, there is murder, so late-lie been done
And our ship lays in mourning and cannot sail on.”
For it’s jumped up one of them, “Indeed sir, not me,”
Up jumped another, “Indeed sir, not me,”
Up jumped Sweet William with these words so unkind,
“Your honour, dear Captain, indeed sir, not me.”
Now when he was a-leaving his captain in full speed
He met his lovely Betsy, it made his heart bleed
She ripped him, she tore him, and she laid him all three
Because he had murdered both baby and she.
1. This stanza is from Smith but not on the the recording.
2. This line is not found on other versions.
3. This line is missing and has been added from another traveller version