Ben Backstay

Bully in the Alley

Fish in the Sea

More Nonsense

More evidence of the Acastas crashing that nice lady's retirement party!

Leave Her Johnny

This is what happens when the Acastas crash your retirement party at the local watering hole.

Bully in the Alley

Don't Forget Your Old Shipmates

Our Final Song @ New Orleans

The crew of HMS Acasta ran the British Field Hospital at the 200th Anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans in Jan. 2015 located in the town of Chalmette in St. Bernard Parish, LA. The Hospital was open after every battle that took place that weekend and was intended to serve as a tribute to the men on both sides of the line that fought and died in that final battle of the War of 1812. 

On Sunday, for the final battle of the weekend, the crew dressed down to fetch wounded officers off the field. Afterword we relaxed and sang one last emotional song of the period before packing up to go home.

Roast Beef of Old England

Written by Richard Leveridge in 1735

When Mighty Roast Beef was the Englishman's Food

It ennobl'd our veins and enriched our Blood:

Our Soldiers were Brave and our Courtiers were Good.

Oh! The Roast Beef of Old England, And Old English Roast Beef!

But since we have learned from all vapouring France,

To eat their Ragouts, as well as to Dance.

We are fed up with nothing but vain Complaisance,

Oh! The Roast Beef, etc.

Our Fathers, of old, were Robust, Stout and Strong,

And kept open House, with good cheer all day long.

Which made their plump Tenants rejoice in this Song,

Oh! The Roast Beef, etc.

When good Queen Elizabeth sat on the throne

E'er Coffee and Tea and such slip-slops were known;

The World was in Terror if e'er she did frown.

Oh! The Roast Beef, etc.

In those days, if Fleets did presume on the Main,

They seldom, or never, return'd back again,

As witness, the Vaunting Armada of Spain.

Oh! The Roast Beef, etc.

Britannia’s high trident, still waving on high,

Bid her tars all be true, and their foes all defy,

To avenge all her wrongs they will conquer or die,

Like brave jolly tars of old England, The conquering brave British tars!

Now fill up a glass, while a bumper we have,

To Howe, Jervis, Duncan and Nelson the Brave,

To the bold British tars, who now rule on the wave,

Huzzah for the bulwarks of England, And health to each bold British tar!

Here's the Tender Coming

  Here's the Tender Coming - new and improved! from Sharpie on Vimeo  

This video was SO popular last year that it HAD to be included again this year!

Here's The Tender Coming

Here's the tender coming, pressing all the men

Oh dear hinny, what shall we do then?

Here's the tender coming, off of Shields Bar

Here's the tender coming, full of men of war

Hide thee, canny Geordie, hide thyself away

Hide till the frigate makes for Druid's Bay.

If they take thee, Geordie, who's to win our bread?

Me and little Jacky: better off be dead.

Here's the tender coming, stealing of my dear

Oh dear, hinny, they'll ship you out of here

They will ship you foreign, that is what it means

Here's the tender coming, full of red marines.

Hey, bonny lassie, let's go to the Lawe*

See the tender lying, off at Shields Bar

With her colours flying, anchor at her bow

They took me bonny laddie, best of all the crew.

Here's the tender coming, pressing all the men

Oh dear, hinny, what shall we do then?

Here's the tender coming, off at Shields Bar

Here's the tender coming, full of men of war.

*The Lawe is a high vantage point at Shields; 'hinny' = henny, love or dear (cf. the Cockney 'ducks' or ducky')

Special thanks once again to regular reader 'Sharpie' for allowing us to make use of this video!

Special Press Gang related posts all week long leading up to the

Acasta's Press Gang program at the Fair at New Boston!

Be sure to check back every day this week at 8AM!

And be sure to stop by and LIKE the Doctor's page on Facebook.

British Shanties & Sea Songs

In this unmissable documentary from the Beeb Gareth Malone who's best known for his work with choirs goes exploring an unfamiliar aspect of British musical history. Lots of fun music and visuals!

The Doctor Sings

The Press Gang - Music Video

As I walked out on London Street
A press gang there I chanced to meet.
They asked me if I'd join the fleet
On board of a man-o-war, boys.

They said that a sailor's life was fine.
Good comrades and good pay I'd find.
They promised me a bloody good time,
On board of a man-o-war, boys.

But when I went, to my surprise,
All they'd told me was shocking lies.
There was a row and a bloody old row,
On board of a man-o-war, boys.

The first thing they did, they took me in hand
And they flogged me with a tarry strand.
They flogged me till I couldn't stand,
On board of a man-o-war, boys.

They hung me up by my two thumbs,
And they cut me till my blood did run.
That was the usage they gave me,
On board of a man-o-war, boys.

If I could get one foot on shore,
I'd marry the pretty girl I adore.
And neither wind nor waves would entice me more,
On board of a man-o-war, boys.

And nothing could ever entice me more,
On board of a man-o-war, boys.

Here's The Tender Coming

Here's the Tender Coming - new and improved! from Sharpie on Vimeo  

Here's The Tender Coming
Here's the tender coming, pressing all the men
Oh dear hinny, what shall we do then?
Here's the tender coming, off of Shields Bar
Here's the tender coming, full of men of war

Hide thee, canny Geordie, hide thyself away
Hide till the frigate makes for Druid's Bay.
If they take thee, Geordie, who's to win our bread?
Me and little Jacky: better off be dead.

Here's the tender coming, stealing of my dear
Oh dear, hinny, they'll ship you out of here
They will ship you foreign, that is what it means
Here's the tender coming, full of red marines.

Hey, bonny lassie, let's go to the Lawe*
See the tender lying, off at Shields Bar
With her colours flying, anchor at her bow
They took me bonny laddie, best of all the crew.

Here's the tender coming, pressing all the men
Oh dear, hinny, what shall we do then?
Here's the tender coming, off at Shields Bar
Here's the tender coming, full of men of war.

*The Lawe is a high vantage point at Shields; 'hinny' = henny, love or dear (cf. the Cockney 'ducks' or ducky')

Special thanks to regular reader 'Sharpie' for allowing us to make use of this video!

Stay Tuned!

Starting NEXT MONDAY, August 26th and lasting until Friday the 30th, each day the Acasta site will feature special articles, art, video, &c. about Impressment in the Royal Navy.

But not just posts once a day as usual... 

Pressgang Week will feature special posts TWICE A DAY. 

Look for the first post at 8am cst and the next at Noon each day.

This is a special event leading up the HMS Acasta's Press Gang demonstration at the Fair at New Boston, there will be a series of posts dedicated solely to the act of Press Ganging in the early 19th Century.

Stay Tuned!

Heart of Oak

Don't forget...