Broadsheet ballad titled 'I Wandered by the Sea Shore' (Parody on the "Brook-Side").

Maker Elizabeth Mary Hodges (1846 - 1861)

Date1846 - 1854

Object number00017445

NameBroadsheet

MediumWoodcut engraving and printed text on paper mounted on card.

DimensionsOverall: 247 x 74 mm, 0.023 kg

ClassificationsEphemera

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

DescriptionBroadsheet ballad titled 'I Wandered by the Sea Shore' (Parody on the "Brook-Side").HistoryI WANDERED BY THE SEA SHORE. I WANDERED by the sea shore, And view'd the boistrous waves, I heard the foaming billows roar, I felt my bosom heave; I wept for my dear Henry, Who ploughed the foaming sea, My bosom sighed, at length I cried, There no comfort is my me. It was my angry father, My lover sent away, Far, far across the briny mair (?) O fatal was the day, Young Henry had won my h I loved no one but he; Sad fortune strove true love to There no comfort is for me. I have daily viewed the shipping Returning o'er the main, Tears down my cheeks were dripping, My bosom swelled with pain, The ship in which my lover sailed, Alas I could not see; In grief and anguish I bewail, There is no comfort for me. At length one sweet May morning, As I gazed upin the deep, A pleasent voice I heard Say, Maiden, do not weep; Behold your long-lost Henry With joy returned from the sea; I turned round and him beheld; What comfort 'twas to me! He said I long have suffered, As he in his arms did fold Theshadow of his own true love, Sweet tales of love he told. He cried, Your angry father yet May have me placed at sea, O, your return, my love I cried, Has comfort caused to me. In the cottage near the sandy beach, In happiness we dwell; We fear no angry father, while Sweet tales of love we tell. I with my Henry often gaze, On the wide tempestuous sea, What earthly joy and happines There was ordained for me. Broadsheet rhymes and verses were the cheapest prints available during the 18th and 19th century. They were sold by street sellers known as Flying Stationers, who charged a minimal fee of a penny or half-penny. They featured popular songs that were often sung in homes, inns and taverns and covered a range of themes relating to contemporary events or stories. Printed alongside the songs were woodcut illustrations. Most of the broadsheet publishers did not date or mark their works, making it difficult to pinpoint when they were produced. The publication of ballads was part of the commemoration and production of material about shipwrecks. Ships were part of the everyday life in the 19th century and stories about their voyages, wrecks, record breaking voyages and commissions often featured in newspapers and commemorative souvenirs.SignificanceBroadsheets were designed as printed ephemera to be published and distributed rapidly. This also meant they were quickly disposed of with many of them not surviving the test of time. The museum's broadsheet collection is therefore a rare and valuable example of how maritime history was communicated to a wide audience, particularly in the 18th and 19th centuries. They vibrantly illustrate many of the themes and myths surrounding life at sea. Some of them also detail stories about transportation, migration.