John Benbow, English admiral, the son of a tanner in Shrewsbury. He went to sea when very young, and served in the navy as master's mate and master, from 1678 to 1681. When trading to the Mediterranean in 1686 in a ship of his own he beat off a Salé pirate. On the accession of William III, he re-entered the navy as a lieutenant and was rapidly promoted. It is probable that he enjoyed the protection of Arthur Herbert, 1st Earl of Torrington, … Wikipedia
This sea shanty about Admiral Benbow is not to be relied upon for historical accuracy, although that doesn't detract from its enjoyability. www.reelyredd.com/songs/benbow.htm
The definitive Wikipedia entry for John Benbow. Wikipedia is the biggest multilingual free-content encyclopedia on the Internet. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Benbow
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Because Admiral Benbow died in 1702 (Hall was executed in 1701), Sharp supposes that Jack Hall is the earlier tune. www.contemplator.com/sea/benbow.html
