18 June War of 1812 Begins
The day after the Senate followed the House of Representatives in voting to declare war against Great Britain, President James Madison signs the declaration . . .
23 Sept 1991 Peter Bellamy Dies
Peter Franklyn Bellamy (8 September 1944 – 24 September 1991) was an English folk singer. He was a founding member of The Young Tradition and also had a long solo career, . . .
37 Years of Chantey Singing
Hello chantey singers. As I pass the torch to Park Ranger Casey Fenton, I want to reflect on the 37 years I’ve been at the chantey sings; what they mean to me . . .
Albert Lancaster Lloyd, aka A. L. Lloyd or Bert Lloyd dies
Albert Lancaster Lloyd, usually known as A. L. Lloyd or Bert Lloyd, was an English folk singer and collector of folk songs, and as such was a key figure in the British folk . . .
Albert Lancaster Lloyd, aka A. L. Lloyd or Bert Lloyd dies (29 Sept 1982)
Albert Lancaster Lloyd, usually known as A. L. Lloyd or Bert Lloyd, was an English folk singer and collector of folk songs, and as such was a key figure in the British folk . . .
Bruce Macartney Jr. Dies (2019)
Bruce Jesse Macartney Jr., 70 of Midland, died Thursday morning, September 5, 2019 at the MidMichigan Regional Medical Center. He was born May 22, 1949 . . .
Cargo ship suddenly sinks in Lake Superior (1975)
On November 10, 1975, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sinks in Lake Superior, killing all 29 crew members on board. It was the worst single accident in Lake Superior’s history.
. . .
Construction on the Erie Canal begins 4 July 1817
On July 4, 1817, workers break ground on the Erie Canal at Rome, New York. The canal, completed in 1825, links the eastern seaboard with the Midwest and . . .
Don Sineti Dies 1/5/2023
Don Sineti , folksinger, songwriter, part-time sea chanteyman at historic Mystic Seaport Museum (with one of the most powerful voices on the Eastern Seaboard!), . . .
Ed Trickett Dies on May 10, 2022
Ed was a well-loved musician in the folk music community. He appeared on over 40 recordings, most of them with Folk Legacy Records, now part of the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. . . .
Francis Drake circumnavigates the globe (1580)
English seaman Francis Drake returns to Plymouth, England, in the Golden Hind, becoming the first British navigator to sail the earth.
On . . .
Gilbert & Sullivan’s “HMS Pinafore” premieres (1878)
By the spring of 1877, the English light-opera team of W.S. Gilbert and Richard Sullivan had established a strong reputation based on several well-received . . .
Gilbert & Sullivan’s “HMS Pinafore” premieres (1878)
By the spring of 1877, the English light-opera team of W.S. Gilbert and Richard Sullivan had established a strong reputation based on several well-received . . .
Henry Hudson Set Adrift by Mutineers (1611)
After spending a winter trapped by ice in present-day Hudson Bay, the starving crew of the Discovery mutinies against its captain, English navigator Henry . . .
Herzogin Cecile grounds on Ham Stone Rock (1935)
With Sven Erikson as her captain and Elis Karlsson her first mate, the ship left Port Lincoln in South Australia on 21 January 1935, with a cargo of wheat, . . .
Herzogin Cecile grounds on Ham Stone Rock (25 Apr 1935)
With Sven Erikson as her captain and Elis Karlsson her first mate, the ship left Port Lincoln in South Australia on 21 January 1935, with a cargo of wheat, . . .
Hythe folk singer Kerry Hearn died in a crash on the A20
On this date in 2014, Hythe folk singer Kerry Hearn died in a crash on the A20 in 2014. He was a member of the folk music band, Quidnunc. He left behind his loving wife, . . .
Interesting NPR show on sea shanties, pirates, lighthouses, white whales and more
This is an interesting listen for maritime music and sea shanty fans. Interviewer Davis Dunavin features some prominent names from the contemporary music . . .
Jack Forbes Dies (2016)
Jack Forbes was a member of the Hoy Shanty Crew and Slow Loris. Jack passed away on January 30, 2016. He was the author of the much-covered modern . . .