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about
John Hawkins was an intrepid naval commander from Tavistock in Devon. He was determined to break into the highly lucrative slave trade, controlled by the Portuguese, and in 1562, with a crew of 400 men, he set sail from Plymouth to Sierra Leone in West Africa, which, owing to its location and instability caused by invasions and internal skirmishes became an ideal trading point for slave dealers.
Hawkins was to witness first-hand the huge rewards that the exchange of captured Africans could bring when he acquired, some say stole, upwards of 300 and sold them to the Spaniards for a fortune’s worth of pearls, hides, sugar and ginger. In doing so he became rich and helped to establish The Transatlantic Slave Trade, referred to by many historians as The Triangular Trade.
Queen Elizabeth the 1st, who had publically declared the kidnapping of Africans detestable and called down “The vengeance of Heaven on the undertakers” - awarded Hawkins his very own coat of arms, which included a chained and bound black African slave. Her generosity further extended to providing him with a ship for the next voyage called The Jesus of Lubeck.
Hawkins also brought back the practice of tobacco smoking to England in 1565, although it didn’t really catch on until years after. Cancer & Slavery, a powerful and poisonous legacy! He conducted three major slave voyages between 1562 & 1569 along with his good friend and later the great English Naval hero Sir Francis Drake.
lyrics
JESUS OF LUBECK
On the good ship Jesus we left shore from Plymouth 1564
John Hawkins was our captain then, and 80 Christian Devon men
I’m proud to work an honest day for an honest man for an honest pay
Up on deck we’re sailors free endorsed by God and loyalty
Bless this day Lord, lead the way Lord, let us pray
This ship of 700 tons, its crew cut down by three to one
Our voyage blessed by the English throne, we sailed to Sierra Leone
Our course set for the Spanish Main, our sea dog captain’s plan explained
To replace each missing English man with twice as many African
Bless this day Lord, lead the way Lord, let us pray
We are the Queen’s own sailors on the Jesus of Lubeck
We fly the flag of England and we keep a holy deck
God help the Spanish privateer should he ever sail our way
Let us pray boys, let us pray boys, let us pray
And so I watched good Christian men turn to their god then turn again
As the captain’s mission held them sway bound by duty bound by pay
This is the Jesus of Lubeck and her Majesty each man expects
To bring the native by your sword or some deceit or Holy word
Bless this day Lord, lead the way Lord, let us pray
We are the Queen’s own sailors on the Jesus of Lubeck
We fly the flag of England and we keep a holy deck
God help the Spanish privateer should he ever sail our way
Let us pray boys, let us pray boys, let us pray
credits
from Stolen From God,
released April 7, 2023
Reg Meuross: Vocal / Guitar / Percussion
Cohen Braithwaite Kilcoyne: Concertina
Reg / Cohen / Jaz Gayle / Katie Whitehouse: BVox
The breadth and depth of Reg Meuross’s material is unparalleled in contemporary folk: songs about forgotten heroes, famous
names, folk legends, the climate emergency, tales from the kitchen sink and news from the world stage; if something needs to be sung about then Reg Meuross has a song for it....more
supported by 18 fans who also own “The Jesus of Lubeck”
I first heard Katie Spencer on YouTube when she was featured on the For Bert Jansch playlist. Katie played her own song called Shannon Road. The lead break that she plays twice really got my attention. I became a fan instantly. Every track on this album is lovely. The whole listening experience is like a favourite film running through my head. I'm so glad that in my twilight years I discovered Katie. I wish her a long and succesful career in music. Mitch Wild
Australian singer-songwriter explores self-examination, loneliness, and post-pandemic malaise through delicate, empathetic folk pop. Bandcamp New & Notable May 5, 2024
Irish singer-songwriter Oisin Leech's acoustic folk music is characterized by its muted beauty and intimate, solitary quality. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 16, 2024
The haunting new record from Canadian folk artist Avi C. Engel bridges old and new traditions with a minimalist approach. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 24, 2024
supported by 16 fans who also own “The Jesus of Lubeck”
Such a broad range of roots music styles; trad English, modern Scottish, Americana.
The first track is fabulous, took me right back to teenage years listening to Fairport.
Hope it gets the recognition it deserves Derrick Turner