“The Cedar Grove”
Description
The "Cedar Grove" sails from London to America. She runs aground off Canso because the helmsman cannot violate discipline. The captain, two crew members, and a passenger are lost, and the ship sinks
Notes
Naval discipline dictated that the helmsman could not speak or be spoken to. Normally this was a good idea -- it prevented distractions -- but here it proved disastrous. (For a similar mix-up, see, of all things, Lewis Carroll's _The Hunting of the Snark_.)
Doerflinger considers this to be derived from "The Loss of the Albion." - RBW
Manny/Wilson: "The song is said to have been written by James A Dillon, author of the Rescue of the E A Horton." - BS
I have a note (which was included in prior editions of the Index) stating that the song is by Captain Cale Maitland. I can't find my source for this statement, so I have removed the name from the Author field, but presumably I had some reason for putting it there, so I am leaving the author unknown. - RBW
Historical references
- Nov 20, 1882 - Wreck of the Cedar Grove off Saint Andrew's Island near Canso, Nova Scotia. She was on her way from London to Halifax
Cross references
- cf. "The Maid of Timahoe" (tune)
- cf. "The Loss of the Albion" [Laws D2]
References
- Laws D18, "The Cedar Grove"
- Doerflinger, pp. 186-187, "The Loss of the Cedar Grove" (1 text, 1 tune)
- Mackenzie 89, "The Cedar Grove" (1 text)
- Ives-NewBrunswick, pp. 136-139, "The Cedar Grove" (1 text, 1 tune)
- Manny/Wilson 9, "The Cedar Grove" (1 text, 1 tune)
- DT 687, CEDARGRV
- Roud #1959
- BI, LD18