English: The Fight Between the Nottingham and the Mars 1746 song lyrics. The Phil Saumarez (also spelt Sausmarez), mentioned was Captain
Philip Saumarez of the
Nottingham, a 60-gun ship.
After the battle Saumarez took prisoner
Augustin de Boschenry de Drucour, a French military officer and later captain. Saumaurez served in the Channel Fleet under
Admiral Hawke a year later and was killed in action. He was from
Sausmarez Manor,
Guernsey in the Channel Islands, and was uncle to Admiral
James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez.
Phil Saumarez supposedly wrote the song himselfː
Come all ye jolly seamen, a tough old Tar I am,
I'll sing ye of a fight, my boys, fought in the Nottingham.
'Twas by a brisk young Captain, Phil Saumarez was his name,
Bisː And he was bent, with bold intent, old England's foes to tame.
On the 5th day of October, our anchor we did weigh,
And from old Plymouth Sound, my boys, we shaped our course away.
Along the coast of Ireland, our orders were to go,
Bisː The seas to cruise, and none refuse, but boldly fight the foe.
We had not been out many days before we chanc'd to spy
A sail all to the westward which drew to us full nigh
She hail'd us loud in French, my boys, and ask'd from whence we came,
Bisː 'From Plymouth Sound, we've just come round and the Nottingham's our name.'
'Are you a man-of-war,' they said, 'or a privateer maybe?'
'We are a man-of-war,' said we, 'and that you soon shall see.
So haul up smart your courses, and let your ship lie to:
Bisː If you stand out, or put about, we'll sink your ship and crew.'
The first broadside we let them have we made the rascals quail:
The next their yards and topmas'es came rattling down like hail.
We drove them from their quarters, their captain frantic grew,
Bisː He curs'd our shot, it came so hot, 'Mille diables! Sacré bleu!'
We fought them seven glasses when, to add to all their fears,
The shout was raised for 'Boarders!' and we gave three ringing cheers:
Down came her flag, we took her; her name it was the Mars.
Bisː The French be damned, they ne'er can stand and fight with British Tars.
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