Lyrics:
Methinks I see a host of craft
Spreading their sails at lee
As down the Humber they do steer
All bound for the Northern Sea
Methinks I see a wee, small craft
With crew and hearts so brave
Going out to earn their daily bread
Upon the restless wave
And it’s three score and ten
Boys and men were lost from Grimsby town
From Yarmouth down to Scarborough
Many hundreds more were drowned
Our herring craft and trawlers
Our fishing smacks, as well
Alone they fight the bitter night
And battle with the swell
Methinks I see them yet again
As they leave this land behind
Casting nets into the sea
Those herring shoals to find
Methinks I see them yet again
As they save on board all right
With their sails closed-reefed and their decks moist-cleaned
And their side lights burning bright
And it’s three score and ten
Boys and men were lost from Grimsby town
From Yarmouth down to Scarborough
Many hundreds more were drowned
Our herring craft and trawlers
Our fishing smacks, as well
Alone they fight the bitter night
And battle with the swell
Me thinks I’ve heard the captain say
“Me lads we’ll shorten sail”
With the sky to all appearances
Looks like an approaching gale
Methinks I see them yet again
The midnight hour is past
The little craft a-battling there
Against the icy blast
And it’s three score and ten
Boys and men were lost from Grimsby town
From Yarmouth down to Scarborough
Many hundreds more were drowned
Our herring craft and trawlers
Our fishing smacks, as well
Alone they fight the bitter night
And battle with the swell
October’s night, ’twas such a sight
‘Twas never seen before
There were mast and yards and broken spars
All washed upon the shore
There was many a heart in sorrow
There was any a heart so brave
There was many a fine and hearty lad
Who found their watery grave
And it’s three score and ten
Boys and men were lost from Grimsby town
From Yarmouth down to Scarborough
Many hundreds more were drowned
Our herring craft and trawlers
Our fishing smacks, as well
Alone they fight the bitter night
And battle with the swell
Original Broadside Lyrics
Published in John Holloway’s 1987 book The Oxford Book of Local Verses with the note “Supplied by [F. R. Whitmarsh] from the original broadside as sold by the author.”
Methinks I see some little crafts
Spreading their sails a-lee
As down the Humber they did glide
Bound in the Northern sea
Methinks I see on each small craft
A crew with hearts so brave
Going to earn their daily bread
Upon the restless wave
Methinks I see them as they left
The land all far behind
Casting the lead into the deep
Their fishing grounds to find
Methinks I see them on the deck
Working with a will
To shoot their net into the deep
Either for good or ill
Methinks I see them shoot their trawl
Upon the Thursday night
And saw the watch upon the deck
And everything was right
Methinks I see them yet again
When daylight did appear
All hands working with a will
Getting off their gear
Methinks I see the net on board
And fish so fresh and gay
And all were busily engaged
Clearing them away
Methinks I see them put away
Into the ice below
And then the sea began to rise
And the wind did stronger blow
Methinks I heard the skipper say
‘My lads, we’ll shorten sail
As the sky to all appearance looks
Like an approaching gale’
Methinks I see them yet again
And all on board was right
With sails close reef’d, the deck cleared up
And sidelights burning bright
Methinks I see them yet again
The midnight hour was passed [sic]
Their little craft was battling there
With the fiery blast
Methinks I heard the skipper say
‘Cheer up, my lads, be brave
We’ll trust in Him who rules the deep
In Him who alone can save’
Methinks I read the thoughts of them
Who now are called away
They were thinking of their loved ones dear
Many miles away
Thinking of wife and children dear
And aged parents too
Who no more will see them here again
In this world below
Great God, Thou sees each sorrowing heart
The widow in distress
Thou knows the little children dear
Who now are fatherless
Comfort and cheer them here below
And lead them by Thy hand
And at last may they meet with their loved ones dear
In the promised land
Featured On:
Songs of the Lakes, Rivers, and Seas
• Recordings I Learned From Or Like •
About the Song:
“Three Score and Ten”, originally titled “In Memoriam of the poor Fishermen who lost their lives in the Dreadful Gale from Grimsby and Hull, Feb. 8 & 9, 1889,” is a poem written by William Delf set to traditional melody. No one is entirely sure how his name was spelled, even he was inconsistent on it, but Delf is how it’s most commonly spelled nowadays. It tells the story of smacksmen from Grimsby and Hull that died in the gale of 1889. William wrote this song to raise money for the survivors. He was born in Wangford, Suffolk in 1851. According to The Hull Times on March 2nd, 1889, the ships that sank were The Sea Searcher (trawl smack, 5 men), The John Wintringham (11 men), The Eton (iron steam trawl smack, 8 men), The British Workman (cod smack, 7 men), The Sir Frederick Roberts (trawl smack, 5 men), The Kitten (trawl smack, 5 men), and The Harold (trawl smack, 5 men).
In 1957, the song was collected by J. Pearson of Filey who had preserved the song in the repertoire of the Filey Fishermen’s Choir, which Pearson was a member of. Over the years, six of its original verses had been lost, but it picked up a melody, a chorus, and an additional verse. Some of the lost verses were about other fishing and lifeboat disasters at Hull, Withernsea, Filey, and Southport.