Thomas Shaw of Hampton, N. H. moved to Standish (then Pearsontown) with his father, in 1763. Sprague's Journal of Maine History Vol. IV OCTOBER, 1916 No. 3 Where Are the Mournful Songs Written by Thomas Shaw of Standish? By WINDSOR P. DAGGETT, PH. B., Professor of Public Speaking, U. of M. Thomas Shaw was born in Hampton, N. H., Oct. 10, 1753. Ile came to Standish (then Pearsontown) with his father, in 1763. He died in the house which he built-the second frame house in Standish-Oct. 20, 1838. Ile spent the first ten years of his life on Sargent's Island, in the mouth of the Hampton River, where his father moved his family to protect his children from the con- taininating influence of the world. He spent his youth "in the woods" of Cumberland County before there were schools or churches in Standish. At the age of manhood, he joined the con- tinental army. By the time the War of 1812 was over and the treaty of peace signed, Thomas Shaw was sixty-two years old. He never went to school, for he was twenty-four when the first school- house in the town was erected; he knew all the hardships of those pioneer and Revolutionary days. Like all the people of his class, who lived "in the woods," he knew nothing about any kind of art, and he lived before the day of American literature. Yet Thomas Shaw had ideas that sought expression, moods and emotions that knocked at the door of his brain, aspirations that followed him to the grave. In temperament he was the artist, and without even knowing what poetry was, he sought to be a poet. His verse was indeed "unlernt," lamentably bad, worthless today, except that it indicates the isolation of mind and poverty of vision that was inevitable in those days of material and political struggle. Yet the "mournful songs" of Thomas Shaw supplied a demand of the time. Thousands of these "broadsides" were sold in Portland and in the numerous villages of Cumberland County. One song, at least, went into a second edition, and the "poet" must have found 194 SPRAGUE'S JOURNAL OF MAINE HISTORY his writing profitable, selling thousands of his "Broadside Ballads" at six and a quarter cents a piece. They filled a certain want in the hearts of the plain people of that time and the writing of them filled a certain want in the heart of the Standish "Poet.!' But where are the songs of yesterday? A few of Thomas Shaw's broadsides are known to have fallen in-to the hands of collectors where they are carefully preserved, but almost none of them can be located in Maine. If stray copies have come to light in an old scrap-book or in a family Bible, they should be preserved, and some of them should find their way to the Historical Library. Thomas Shaw's literary out-put consisted of seven broadsides, containing one "song" each, and a pamphlet containing two songs. If he printed other ballads no record of them has been found. The author refers to some of these publications in his journal. "I learned to read and write a little," he says, "and in the year 1775 I began in my ignorant way to write spiritual songs . . . and some of them I have got printed, such as on the fall of Gorham. meeting house, and on Captain Adams' shipwreck at Richmond Island, and on the late Nathaniel Knight's wife and child being drowned in the year 1807, with many more pieces . . ." Fol- lowing is a complete list of the Shaw broadsides, so far as record-, of them have been found: 1797 June. On the Fall of Gorham Meeting-house. This is probably the first song that Shaw took to the printer The occasion was the death of Dr Nathaniel Bowman of Gorham who fell and was fatally injured while working on the Gorham Meeting-house. I807 February. "A Mournful Song on the death of the wife and child of Mr. Nathaniel Knights of Windham . . . Feb. 22, I807. Written by Thomas Shaw of Standish." This song was in great demand, and perhaps was tbe longest remembered of any of Shaw's compositions. The event is still referred to by the older people of Windharn. The song appeared in two editions, and also in a pirated edition Of 500 copies. A large and a small coffin were printed near the title. 1807 July "Melancholy Shipwreck, occasioned by the loss of the schooner C11ARLES, Captain Adams, of Portland, which was wrecked on Richmond's Island . . . on the night of the 12tb of July, I807, which schooner had on board 22 persons, sixteen of whom perished. Composed by Thomas Shaw of Standish." WHERE ARE THE MOURNFUL SONGS 195 This ballad was headed by sixteen black coffins to represent the number of victims, and was surrounded by a heavy border. The sixteen coffins made this sheet a curiosity indeed and a prize among collectors. 1808 August. On the Hanging of Drew. Shaw and his son went to Portland to see Drew hanged, and he records, in his journal, "Aug. 27. While. I was at Portland I got a piece printed on Drew." 1815 August 31. "A Mournful Song, occasioned by the shipwreck of the schooner Armistice, Captain 'Douglas, on Cohasset rocki, August 31, 18I5 . . . bound from Portland for Baltimore . . . on which occasion five persons per- ished. By Thomas Shaw, Standish.' ' ' There are five coffins printed on this song. It is printed in a pamphlet which also contains,---"A Solemn Song, On the Volcano of Albay . . . 1814' I8I5 February. "PEACE. Between the United States of America and Great Britain; Ratified by the President of the United State:,,, Feb. 17, 1815. By Thomas Shaw of Standish." 1819 March 17. "Mournful Song, On a man and wife, who froze to death in one night, on Standish Cape, so called." This sheet has two black coffins printed at the top, but does not contain the author's name. It commemorates the death of Mr. Samuel Tarbox and wife who froze to death in the great storm of 1819. 1825 June 24. "On General Lafayette." The author's name does not appear on this sheet, but the ballad begins:- Americans I pray draw near, And listen to the truth you hear, I and some fathers still remain, Who saw our independence gain. Thomas Shaw was seventy-two years old when he went to Portland to see Lafayette who visited the city June 24, I825. It is fitting that his tribute to Lafayette should be his last publication. Shaw spent his first dollar to fit him- self as a soldier to fight in the Revolution, and his journal, are filled with his effusions on the glory of America and of American independence. Shaw was forty-four when he printed his first poem. His education and view-point rep- resents a still earlier time, pretty nearly the crudest period of American life "in the woods." (Thomas Shaw's name appears as a Maine author- in Joseph Williamson's Bibliography of Maine, Vol. 2, P. 4I7. Editor.) 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