Yankee Jack, whose proper name was John Short, was born in Watchet, Somerset, in 1839 and is one of Watchet's most famous sailors and shantymen. In 2008 a statue, commissioned by Watchet Market House Museum, was erected on The Esplanade in Watchet.
'Yankee Jack' John Short
He went to sea in the local coastal trade with his father at the age of 14, but in 1857 he went deep sea. He sailed all over world, from Australia to Valpariso, from Canada to Bombay. He sailed in East Indiamen, in Schooners, and in early steam-assisted boats. He was sailing North American ships during the American Civil War and it was because of this that he was awarded the nickname of Yankee Jack. He learnt the trade of a shantyman at the time when shantying was developing into the form we understand it today. He eventually retired to Watchet to care for his ailing wife and, in 1914 he was visited by Cecil Sharp, the great English folk-song collector. Sharp collected over 50 shanties from John Short – and they formed the basis of Sharp’s publication of shanties. Later, R. R. Terry was to do the same with Short’s shanties. From American cotton screwing chants to classic English folk songs, anything that would make a sailor heave with a will was fair game for the shantyman. Sentiment, bawdry, storytelling and contemporary life are all reflected in the vast range of shanties that Short, the man with the Stentorian voice, left to posterity.
It was a tradition aboard larger sailing ships for the crew to sing sea shanties and John Short's strong and tuneful voice often led him to take a solo role.
Over the years he memorised the words and tunes of dozens of shanties and had many of the melodies from his repertoire were transcribed by two eminent collectors of folk songs and shanties, Cecil Sharp and Sir Richard Terry.
John Short died in 1933 at the age of 94 and was buried in Watchet's St Decumen churchyard, although as the grave had no head -
stone its location is unknown.
There is a plaque on his cottage and a Watchet 'flattie' fishing boat bearing his name. This was built in 1997 by local writer Tony James and is now on display in Watchet Boat Museum. A smaller flattie-type boat, John Short, made by museum curator John Nash is also on display.
Five years ago Tony sailed the flattie around the entire South West peninsular recreating the voyages made in the 1890s by John Short when he was mate of the Watchet-owned ketch Annie Christian.
The experience was charted in the resulting book 'Yankee Jack Sails Again', published by Seafarer Books, which was a best-seller at this year's London Boat Show.
Sculptor Alan Herriot of Penicuick, Scotland, who was responsible for the Ancient Mariner statue on the Esplanade, was commissioned by the museum to produce the sculpture of Yankee Jack.
John Short and the Reverend Dr. Allen Brockington
Yankee Jack Staue on Watchet Marina Quay
JOHN SHORT ("YANKEE JACK"), 1839-1933
The statue was erected as a tribute to John Short, Watchet's famous shantyman. For over 40 years as an able seaman and later as bos'un he sailed the world in a great variety of sailing ships. In the 1860s some of John's ships ran the blockade in the American Civil War, and because of this he was affectionately awarded the nickname of "Yankee Jack" by Watchet townsfolk.
It was a tradition aboard large sailing ships for sailors to sing sea shanties. This assisted them to work together when hoisting sails or walking around the capstan, etc John Short's strong and tuneful voice often led him to take the role of solo shantyman, and over the years he memorised the words and tunes of dozens of shanties, including the well-known Rio Grande, Shenandoah, Blow the Man Down, A Roving and Spanish Ladies.
In 1873 he married Annie Marie Wed lake, the daughter of a Watchet master mariner, and hi 1880 they had a son, George. John continued his ocean-going career until the late 1880s. On receiving news that his wife's health was failing, he returned to their little cottage in Market Street to help and comfort her. Subsequently he sailed only on short trips aboard local coasting vessels, including the ketch Annie Christian.
In 1902 he was appointed as Watchet's Town Crier and later took charge of the town's Fire Brigade. He continued to sing with other sailors around the harbourside and occasionally at local concerts.
In 1914, at the age of 75, he was introduced by the Reverend Dr. Allen Brockington, of nearby Carhampton, to Cecil Sharp, an eminent collector of folk songs and shanties. Sharp was very impressed with the old sailor's singing and declared that "John Short's rich, powerful, yet flexible voice would excite the envy of many a professional vocalist". Over a number of days Sharp transcribed the words and melodies of many of John's shanties, which were willingly sung again and again.
Later Sir Richard Terry, another distinguished collector, visited John to gather and publish yet more shanties from his repertoire. Had these two renowned gentlemen not met "Yankee Jack" many delightful old songs of the sailors could have been lost for ever.
John Short died in 1933 at the great age of 94. A simple obituary in The Times said of Watchet's grand old sailor: "He thought little of his reputation as a singer, but much more of homely things". He was buried in Watchet's churchyard, but sadly, there being no headstone on his grave, Its location is unknown.
To honour John Short, a statue was commissioned in 2007 by Watchet Market House Museum Society. The sculptor was Alan Herriot, of Penicuick, Scotland. |
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