The Ship Canal Song (The Mary)

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 The Union Jackie's flying
By the Company's Wharf, Old Quay,
And Mary of Dublin lying
Unloading her praties today.

So come weavers, and winders, and tanners great and small
Give your support unto the Board of the Manchester Canal

In the Irish Sea I hailed her,
As I stood in the packet boat,
With equal pride I never saw,
A merchant sloop afloat.

"Your name?" "The Mary, Captain Hill
"Your cargo?" "Praties, sir!"
"Where from?" "Dublin." "Whither bound?"
The Port of Manchester."

Eighteen hundred and forty,
October the twentieth day,
At halfpast four in the evening
She anchors by the quay.

It always does my heart good
To see the Union Jack
So here's success to Mary
And soon may she come back.

And soon may scores of others
Perform the trip with her
And trade and commerce double
In noble Manchester
Written by 'Poor Jack', a song of the Mersey and Irwell to be sung to the air 'The Ram of Derby'.
Printed by Wilmot Henry Jones, Market Street, Manchester.
From 'Canal Songs' by Jon Raven.
The chorus given above is from the recording by Gary and Vera Aspey.

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