The Rosemary

[Heartland]

This verse was published in a book written by a Railway Guard, and composed/written by Raven & Raven in Folklore & Songs of the Black Country 

 

Twas up in Brummagem so I do hear say,

A boat by the name of the Rosemary lay,

She was clothed up and painted in traditional style,

But she hadn't carried for a very long  while.

 

Along came a boatman the old boat to see,

Says he here's a craft that is useful to me,

"I'll load her with coal and to London I'll steer".

said the boatman to the owner, "If I take her from here". 

 

The owner said "Yes" the boatman "Okay",

And into the cabin he went straightaway,

He lit up the stove, cleaned cobwebs and mould,

And he polished the beam till it shone like fine gold.

 

He sang as he laboured far into the night,

Got up in the morning before it was light,

He put the rusty blowlamp on the cylinder head,

"Tis a fine day for boating" the old boatman said.

 

He primed up the engine, a prayer in his heart.

And kicked on the flywheel to see if she would start,

With a bang like the noise of a ten-pounder gun,

The aged Bolinder started to run.

 

He cast off the fore-end at the counter he stood,

As Rosemary  shook herself free from the mud,

With tears in his eyes says the boatman, "We may

Get right down to Coventry for the end of the day." 

 

On dark stormy nights round the fall of the year,

If the beat of a Bolinder distant you hear

It's not Claytons Stour, Youmea or Tay,

It's  the ghost of that boatman and the old Rosemary.

 

 

[GUMPY]

Some more info and other verses.

 

http://www.waterwaysongs.info/rosemary.htm

And the actual song

http://www.waterwaysongs.info/sounds/rosemary_jon_raven.mp3

Edited November 21, 2020 by Loddon

[dave moore]

The writer could well have been Alan Bowyer, “ Railway Alan” who passed away recently, though I thought that the author was Peter Dodds.

[Ray T]

2 hours ago, Loddon said:

Some more info and other verses.

 

http://www.waterwaysongs.info/rosemary.htm

And the actual song

http://www.waterwaysongs.info/sounds/rosemary_jon_raven.mp3

He was seen up at Curdworth by the old tunnel's mouth
He motored to Fazeley and then he turned south
He spoke to the keeper at Atherstone Top
But he never made it to Hawkesbury Stop

Some talk of deep holes in the Coventry's bed
And some say he went up the Ashby instead
There are stories and theories but for all that they say
Neither boat nor the boatmen has been seen to this day

[dave moore]

Ray, the 2 verses you quoted were added subsequently, I believe, I don’t know who penned them. Jon Raven did record the song but should never have been credited with writing it. If I remember rightly, Rosemary, actually Merope, was owned in the 60s by Peter Dodds, then active in the Dudley Tunnel Preservation Society and also Birmingham and Midland. She was based in Gas St for a while and I recall taking her to Norton Canes for repair at Braine’s, along with full time boatman John Gittins.

On another occasion I took her from Gas St to rescue a broken down hire boat. On the way back, around Bourneville, an oil pipe sheared and the discharging oil hit the flywheel. I’ll leave you yo imagine the state of the engine ‘ ole!

Edited November 21, 2020 by dave moore
Factual change. The boat mentioned above wasn’t Rosemary, rather Gertrude, which ended up at Ellesmere Port as Merope. Memory playing tricks. Apologies!

[Heartland]

Alan Bowyer was a New Street driver. The author of the book in which the verse was published was David Gladwin.

 

Alan Bowyer was once a regular at Gas Street where he had a boat

[GUMPY]

1 hour ago, dave moore said:

the 2 verses you quoted were added subsequently, I believe, I don’t know who penned them.

On the version on CD  I have which is sung by Jeff Dennison / Benny Graham the writing credit is Peter Dodds.

From http://www.waterwaysongs.info/rosemary.htm

Verses 7 and 8 were added by Dave Bryant. Peter Dodds has contacted me to point out that the word 'beam' which found its way into the last line of verse three as a result of Jon Raven's recording was originally 'brass'. I'm happy to change this word to restore the author's original meaning. I'd never been quite sure what 'beam' refered to and assumed that this was due to ignorance on my part. Peter also asked for his thanks be passed on to Dave Bryant "for the excellent two verses he added to the Rosemary. He turns a slightly sad song into a creepy one, so either version can be sung depending on the mood".

 

 

There is more info in the link I posted previously whether its 100% correct is for the reader to decide.

 

Edited November 21, 2020 by Loddon

[Heartland]

Thank you Loddon,

 

Certainly explains the story behind the verse.

 

 

[Ray T]

2 hours ago, dave moore said:

Ray, the 2 verses you quoted were added subsequently, I believe, I don’t know who penned them. Jon Raven did record the song but should never have been credited with writing it. If I remember rightly, Rosemary, actually Merope, was owned in the 60s by Peter Dodds, then active in the Dudley Tunnel Preservation Society and also Birmingham and Midland. She was based in Gas St for a while and I recall taking her to Norton Canes for repair at Braine’s, along with full time boatman John Gittins.

On another occasion I took her from Gas St to rescue a broken down hire boat. On the way back, around Bourneville, an oil pipe sheared and the discharging oil hit the flywheel. I’ll leave you yo imagine the state of the engine ‘ ole!

Looking a little sad at the moment.

In the Ellesmere Port storage area.

Speaking to the curator a couple of years ago now he said the current thinking was to preserve the boats as they are as rebuilding them would destroy their historic integrity. As the museum is not exactly flush with funds I can see some merit in this way of thinking. 

Anything better than the boat being scrapped.

Photo taken in 2018.

Edited November 21, 2020 by Ray T

[Carl Ryan]

When i was working on the Lime juice run around 1980 there was a chap that joined us that worked on the trains down to London. Was that Alan Bowyer? he used to sound his horn if he was passing.

I am not sure that i ever new his name.

Carl

 

[RailwayAlansgranddaughter]

On 21/11/2020 at 18:29, Carl Ryan said:

When i was working on the Lime juice run around 1980 there was a chap that joined us that worked on the trains down to London. Was that Alan Bowyer? he used to sound his horn if he was passing.

I am not sure that i ever new his name.

Carl

 

Awww That was my grandad. We lost him over a year ago (pre covid) I loved seeing a photo of his boat. Thank you for sharing! He loved being on the Canal and his boat. I was sad when he sold it without telling us. Oh well. I hope one day to get a boat of my own. I miss thoses saturdays on the boat with him and my uncle and the dogs. good times. If anyone has any stories or photos lying around that would be amazing

[David Mack]

For anyone that knows the song 'The Rosemary', I just came across this:

 

[Derek R.]

Good grief - I actually listened to that all the way through. Still, better than anything on the NEWS this past twelve month. We must be bored.