The Wellerman

Context for the popular whalers' song / sea shanty*

Imagine a tiny outpost on an island 1000s of miles from your home, a few roughly built huts close to a beach, rowboats hauled up on the sand. It's winter and inside, sailors are gathered around a fire drinking rum, smoking their clay pipes, telling stories and singing. These men are whalers, accustomed to a tough life and dangerous, unpleasant work. They sing to cheer themselves in the grim conditions. Their life has few pleasures, but one high point is the appearance of the supply ship. When you sing "The Wellerman", you are one of these whalers.

The song has passed many times from person to person, each time learned by ear, resulting in several versions and a little confusion in the story. However, I'm able to, from my years of research into particularly offshore whaling, provide some background and meanings to terminology that should help the song make sense.

 - Who was the Wellerman?

In the late 18th and 19th centuries, whaling was a lucrative business. The Weller brothers, Edward, Joseph and George, were a 19th century Sydney based whaling company that operated bay whaling stations on the coast of New Zealand, at Otago Harbour. It's not clear whether "the Wellerman" refers to the company ship or the "man from Weller" who brought the supplies, but it doesn't matter, it amounts to the same thing. Historical records don't mention a ship owned by Wellers called the Wellerman, though they did have one called the Joseph Weller. Whatever its name, the supply ship was eagerly awaited by the isolated whale hunters.

The song begins:

There once was a ship that put to sea
The name of the ship was the Billy o' Tea

The story told in the song is about pelagic, or deep-sea whaling, which was conducted from a specially fitted-out ship. When a whale was sighted, whaleboats were lowered and went in pursuit.

She had not been two weeks from shore
When down on her a right whale bore
The captain called all hands and swore
He'd take that whale in tow

 The "right" whale simply meant the right one to catch because it yielded the most or the best kind of oil. Today, we still call one species the "Southern Right Whale". A whaling ship would have hoisted the whale onto the deck for processing - cutting up and rendering down the blubber, or fat layer of the beast. Presumably the ship would tow the whale to calmer waters first. Huge pots of boiling oil would be disastrous in rough seas.

Blow, my bully boys, blow

The first sighting of a whale was often the plume of spray emitted from the blowhole on top of its head. Lookouts really did call "There she blows!" when this was sighted. Whalers earned a percentage of the sale of the oil, known as a "lay", so they were very keen for the hunt and no doubt waited impatiently for the lookout's call. It would not be surprising if the last line of the Wellerman's chorus was originally "We'll take our lay and go".**

Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum 

One day, when the tonguin' is done

We'll take our leave and go

 

"Tonguing" refers to the process of cutting up the whale blubber into long sections called tongues. The tongues were cut into smaller pieces before boiling down in the try-pots. (Trying was an old term for "rendering" or melting down of ore.) Men who did this work were called "tonguers".

 

The chorus of the song is about bay whaling, the kind conducted by the Weller brothers at Otago Bay. It was seasonal work. Winter was whaling season in southern waters (Southern Australia, New Zealand and Mauritius). Around May the crew was carried to the location in one of the company's ships at the beginning of the season together with supplies of salt beef, flour, potatoes, pickles, tea, tobacco and rum as well as whaling supplies, tools and building materials. The whalers would be left at the station, the ship would depart and return at intervals to collect barrels of oil and leave further supplies. Shipping being subject to the vagaries of the weather and the captain's skill at navigation, whalers could never be quite sure when the company ship would return. 

Whalers preferred red meat, and would hunt what local fauna there was rather than eat whale. Some whaling stations had a few pigs or sheep and the crew would grow potatoes and other vegetables if the soil was suitable. But "tea, sugar and rum" could not be had locally, neither could tobacco, and when these supplies ran short the whalers would long for the return of the company ship. This lifestyle was more or less common to all off-shore whalers, so the song could have been sung by bay whalers anywhere, substituting the name of their employer, perhaps Hagen or Griffiths, for "Weller".

Before the boat had hit the water
The whale's tail came up and caught her
All hands to the side, harpooned and fought her
When she dived down below

Whaleboats were fitted for both rowing and sailing, about 6-8 men to a boat. On board were the headsman (boss), the boatsteerer (usually the harpoonist) and 4-6 "pulling hands" (oarsmen). When they neared the whale, one or more harpoons with "lines" (ropes) attached would be thrown and lodge in the whale. The whale would then pull the boats behind it as it tried to escape the harpoons, a dangerous time for the sailors as they could be pulled well out to sea and their boats overturned or broken up. The biggest danger was if the while dived into the deep sea, the whaleboat could be pulled under, or a whale thrashing its tail onto the boat could cause injury and destroy the boat. Many hours later the whale would get tired and the whalers could get closer for the kill. If the danger was too great, or the sailors tired before the whale did, the lines would be cut, the whale would be freed and the sailors would return disappointed.

The verses of "The Wellerman" tell of just such a whale hunt, albeit a rather far-fetched one. 

No line was cut, no whale was freed
The Captain's mind was not of greed
But he belonged to the whaleman's creed
She took the ship in tow.

 

What happens in this verse is not quite clear. Perhaps a harpoon has been thrown from the deck of the Billy o' Tea. There seems no other way the whale could take the ship in tow as well as four whaleboats. Nor is it clear what "the whaleman's creed" was. Maybe "hang on for dear life". Though if the captain was not motivated by greed, you would think he might show concern for the lives of his sailors. Perhaps confusion reigned. Anyway, the upshot was that the boats stayed attached to whale.

Now comes the punchline. Throughout the never-ending travails of the Billy o' Tea, the Wellerman still calls to lift their spirits with sugar, tea and rum.

As far as I've heard, the fight's still on

The line's not cut and the whale's not gone

The Wellerman makes his regular call

To encourage the Captain, crew, and all.

 

Here are the complete lyrics as they appear on folksong.org.nz

 

There was a ship that put to sea, 

The name of the ship was the Billy of Tea   

The winds blew up, her bow dipped down,  

O blow, my bully boys, blow. 

 

Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go.

 

She had not been two weeks from shore
When down on her a right whale bore
The captain called all hands and swore
He'd take that whale in tow

 

Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go

 

Before the boat had hit the water
The whale's tail came up and caught her
All hands to the side, harpooned and fought her
When she dived down below

 

Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go.

 

No line was cut, no whale was freed
The Captain's mind was not of greed
But he belonged to the whaleman's creed
She took the ship in tow.

 

Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go

 

For forty days, or even more
The line went slack, then tight once more
All boats were lost, there were only four
But still that whale did go

 

Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go

 

As far as I've heard, the fight's still on
The line's not cut and the whale's not gone
The Wellerman makes his regular call
To encourage the Captain, crew, and all

 

Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go

Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go

 

*It's been said that The Wellerman is not strictly a sea shanty. The lively tune and beat make it a more suitable accompaniment for dancing than for hauling ropes.

** Some notes on this song say whalers employed by Wellers were paid in goods, such as clothing, rum and tobacco. It seems to me more likely, and it certainly happened elsewhere, that these items were deducted from their pay and the remainder paid in cash. I can't think such arduous and unpleasant work would be done only for such tobacco and rum as was consumed in a six month season and it's known that many ex-whalers were able to set themselves up in farms or businesses.

Tom Clark - Off Shore Whaler

Who was Tom Clark, renowned headsman of the Encounter Bay whaling community, father of Kangaroo Island farmer Robert Clark?

Tom was remarkably shy of the Registry Office. Not only did he not marry his defacto spouse Mary Louisa Stone (nee Connor) he did not register the birth of his son either, even though registration was compulsory. At this stage I don't know whether he had other children, or if he ever married. This leaves his origins clouded in mystery. A Biography of his son in the "Cyclopaedia of South Australia" says that his father Thomas arrived in Australia in 1835. This was before the arrival of official colonists to South Australia, so Tom must have arrived to another colony.

Was he the Thomas Clark who arrived as a convict to Van Diemen's Land in 1835 aboard the ship Mangles? Did he escape and "disappear" into the whaling community, leaving Launceston on the Thistle in 1836? Or did he serve out his term (usually 7 years)  and join whaling later? The latter seems less likely, as whaling was a task for an experienced mariner, and Tom was a headsman in 1846. Where would a convict have got that kind of skill?

What seems most likely is that Tom Clark came to Australia as crew on a ship in 1835 and, finding whaling a lucrative enterprise, left for the fisheries almost as soon as he arrived. He may well have worked for one of the VDL companies before being "imported" to South Australia. It's on record that the ship "John Pirie" brought whaling hands from Hobart to Encounter Bay. (The John Pirie did a number of whaling voyages in 1845 under Capt Shepherd, including Trial Bay, near Streaky Bay, In 1845 It was owned by Jacob Hagen. On one of these voyages it brought back crew from the wrecked Elizabeth Rebecca, which founde3red in Trial Bay 1844 or 45. The John Pirie seems to disappear from South Australian waters after this Source: "Bound for South Austtralia" website.) (Note to self: look for departures of the "John Pirie" from VDL and names of those on board. Also look for those departing with the "Socrates" "Henry" and "Eliza" which were whaling in KI waters in the 1830s.)

Tom had a brother Jim working with him at Encounter Bay. His presence suggests Tom was not brought here as a convict, although it was not unknown for siblings to be convicted and transported together. Did Jim arrive later? Did they both come here as crew on the same ship? On different ships?

Convicts who may have been him.
Thomas Clark arrived VDL 3rd March 1835 on Waterloo

Some notes:

*From FamilyHistorySA.info:
CLARKE Thomas arrived 1836-11-26 on Tam O'Shanter from London
CLARK Charles Thomas (crew) arrived 1836-12-24 on HMS Buffalo from Portsmouth 36-07-13 via Spithead 36-07-23, St Helens 36-08-03, Rio de Janeiro 36-10-12
*http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58840224 says Tom Clark had a whaling brother, Jim Clark.
* Tom Clarke was immortalised in Simpson Newland's book "Paving the Way".
* Lived with Mrs Mary Stone, who had his child - see article: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49826783
*In 1836 a Thomas Clark left Launceston on the whaling ship "Thistle" for Port Fairy. https://linctas.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/names/search/results?qu=NI_NAME%3DThomas&qu=NI_NAME%3DClark&qf=NI_DEPARTURE_PORT%09Departure+port%09Launceston%09Launceston
* in 1850 the Barnett whaling company, owned by Joseph Barnett, became a partnership, Joseph Barnett & Thomas Clark (Source: http://www.familyhistorysa.org/sahistory/whaling.html Whaling in South Australia). Tom Clarke worked for Barnett in 1849, and Bennett in 1851 but no employer is recorded for 1850. Most whaling ceased at Encounter Bay about this time.

Sources:

• AN OLD KANGAROO ISLANDER
• FamilyHistorySA.info CLARK Thomas, headsman (1846 Hagen, 1847 Wilde, 1848, 1849 Barnett, 1851 Bennett) Names in brackets are his employers as a whaler. Source: South Australian Government Gazettes 1844-51

John Thomas - Straitsman

Here's an exploration of the history of John Thomas, Straitsman, alias "Long Tom".

From Julie Gough's Blog: https://bassstraitto1850.wordpress.com/biographies-of-people-living-in-or-visiting-bass-strait-to-1850/
Pungerneetterlattenner [AKA Maria/Sall, Abducted by John BROWN after BROWN‘S drowning  lived with John THOMAS, p.119, WIS p.863]
 Purnernattelattenner [AKA Sall, Abducted by John BROWN, lived with James EVERITT [sp] for a time after BROWN was drowned, living with John THOMAS on Swan Island in 1837, p.19-120]
 Teekoolterme [taken to Kangaroo Island by Black JACK WILLIAMS, after WILLIAMS drowned she was taken by John THOMAS, at Aboriginal Settlement 1831, p.121]
Pungerneetterlattenner [AKA Maria/Sall, Abducted by John BROWN after BROWN‘S drowning  lived with John THOMAS, p.119, WIS p.863]
Wapperty [AKA Wobbelty, 5’10”, stout made, b.c.1797, father Mannalargenna, Abducted by John THOMAS, lived with John STARKER/STOCKER who also lived with Nicerumpowwerrerter [Mary] and Maytepueminner [Maria], perhaps not at same time. John STARKER was drowned at the Leven River on his way back to Launceston from the westward islands c.Sept 1830 FM 14/9/1830, 1/10/1830, 2/10/1830. After John STARKER’S death John MYETYE seized Nicerumpowwerrerter [Mary] and Wobbelty, giving the former to Edward TOMLIN and keeping Wobbelty [p.100], After John MYETYE died [p.123] Wapperty lived with Robert REW, who brought her to the Aboriginal Settlement in 844. Bessy MITI/RUE her daughter to John MYETYE married John MIRA on 27/3/1847, Wapperty died Oyster Cove 12/8/1867. p.123]
 Woretermoeteyenner [AKA Wattermoteer/Woretermoteteyer/Waremodeenner/Pung/Bung, Big Musselroe, b.c.1790, sister Wottecowidyer, Abducted by George Briggs by whom three children [JG:  at least 5 children: Dalrymple Briggs, x unnamed died from burns, Mary Briggs, Eliza Briggs, John Briggs]. Sold to John THOMAS for a guinea. Lived for a time with John BROWN. Taken by James PARISH to the Aboriginal settlement FM 19/12/1830. “Had a husband among the blacks”: Phillip. Had boy by James MUNRO when she lived with him FM 19/12/1830 [JG: no, Munro looked after young John BRIGGS aged c.5+, until? Munro took John to Hobart when he went to petition the Governor for the return of women], p.123]
 John Thomas/James Thomas – Long Tom – ex Ltn pilot – 'Briggs afterwards sold her to John Thomas alias Long Tom for a Guinea “…this man is still living in Launceston and is employed as Seaman on Board of Griffiths” c1829-31

From the Centre for Indigenous Family History site: http://cifhs.com/

THOMAS, JOHN, also called Long Tom, white, marr. Nimarana , Tasmanian full 
     blood. Children:

THOMAS, PHILLIP senior, also called Captain Phillip, b. 1831; d. 28 Feb. 1915, 
     age 84. f. John Thomas, m. Nimarana. marr. Jane West and, 
     Eliza Bligh. Photo. Man 1920 pl. K., fig. 2.

THOMAS, JAMES senior, b..1828 approx., d. 1850 approx., age 22 approx. 
     f. John Thomas, m. Nimarana, Tasmanian full blood. 

Also lists a great many descendants 

Okay, here's what we've learned so far. Thomas was a shipping pilot from Launceston. He abducted, "took on" from other sailors, or "bought" a number of Aboriginal women, whose names we know. About 1830 he was employed as a seaman by Griffiths, a whaling/sealing company.

On the Tasmanian Names Index There are many departure records for him as a seaman from 1818. January 1818 he was on the "Jupiter" bound to Kangaroo Island.(a whaling/sealing site). 1822 he was whaling and sealing. Says he arrived at Tasmania on the ship "Caroline". 1830 he was on ship "Clarence" to "fisheries". 1831 he was on Britannia bound to Swan River. Jul 1832 he was on the ship Deveron, whaling. The latter were all departures from Hobart.

1836 he was on the "William" bound for Portland Bay (a whaling site). Oct 1836, on the "Thistle" ( a whaler) to Port Fairy. These were depart Launceston.

From 1839 he's listed as a passenger to Port Philip a few times. No more departures from Tas. after 1840

Book: "Kangaroo Island, Past and Present"

"Kangaroo Island, Past and Present, being a short history of the oldest settlement of South Australia" by Kingscote Country Women's Association, c 1955. Printed in South Australia by "The Advertiser" printing office, Adelaide.

In the early 1950s the Kingscote Country Women's Association published a book of records and recollections called "Kangaroo Island Past and Present". The book mentions a great many people and places but does not have an index. In 2017 - 18, Anne Tichborne produced an index in three parts that will be useful to historians and anyone researching the people of Kangaroo Island.  The index is in three parts: People, Places, Ships and Wrecks.

This Link will take you to a permanent page where you can access the index.