In 1962 Charles Parker of BBC Birmingham, at Peter Kennedy's suggestion, interviewed these two veteran folksingers in their own homes in Winterton and Catfield. Sam, the sea-going singer was born in 1878 and Harry, the farm labourer, the younger of the two was born in 1885. Sam was one of nine children and first went to sea at the age of eight. At 12 he signed on as a cabin-boy aboard a sailing lugger, and spent the next 8 years on the North Sea herring luggers. In 1899 he made his first voyage on a steam drifter and continued with them until the Depression days of the thirties forced him to stay ashore. He died on 11th. September, 1965. The copyright of his songs was assigned to Folktrax the following year by Edward George his next of kin and executor.

Sam LARNER (1878-1965) was recorded at his home in Winterton, Norfolk, just before the celebration of his 80th birthday on October 18th 1965. Born 1878 at Winterton, about 15 miles north of Yarmouth, he was one of nine children and first went to sea at the age of eight. At 12 he signed on as a cabin-boy aboard a sailing lugger, and spent the next 8 years on the North Sea herring luggers. In 1899 he made his first voyage on a steam drifter and continued with them until the Depression days of the thirties forced him to stay ashore. He died on 11th. September, 1965. The copyright of his songs was assigned to Folktrax the following year by Edward George his next of kin and executor. Sam's songs and style are similar to that of HARRY COX, who also came from a fishing family living near Yarmouth and who recorded an extensive repertoire - photo by PK, 0364 - Items assigned to Folktrax include NAPOLEON'S DREAM & THE SMACKSMAN assigned by his executor Edward S. George of Winterton 1/8/64 -- rec by Phillip Donnellan, Winterton 7/3/58: RPL LP 26075-6 - RPL REC-111 1971 "Sailor's Alphabet" - "Two Norfolk Singers"16mm film featuring Sam and Harry Cox interviewed by Charles Parker: talk and "Windy Old Weather" "All hail the dewy morning (Baffled Knight)" "Penny towards the pot" "Mignonetter" & "Coon Song" "Comic Song" & "Wild Rover" (complete): FF-2217 - FTX-139 solo album - FTX-512 "London Steamer" - FTX-514 "Hayraking" - FTX-515 "Dockyard Gate" - FTX=517 "Napoleon's Dream" - FOLKWAYS FG-3507 1961 rec Peggy SEEGER & Ewan McCOLL - TOPIC 12-T-244 1974 "A Garland for Sam" (rec by PD for RPL)/ TSCD 600 ("Hidden English") "Bold Princess Royal"/ TSCD-652 1998 (Sea) "Scarborough Town"/ TSCD-655 (Rural) "The Pleasant Month of May" (The Merry Haymakers) / TSCD-662 Sailors "Lofty Tall Ship" (Henry Martin) - by others - Ewan McCOLL Sam's version of "The Coachman and his whip" - Peter BELLAMY "The Ghost Song": TOPIC 12-T-200 1970

Harry COX ( 1885-1971) - JFSS 1922 & 1931 songs - JEFDSS 1946 3 songs contrib by Francis Collinson - JEFDSS 1958 pp142-155 Narrative transcript & 5 songs contrib by PK, with a Reminiscence by Collinson pp145-6 - FMJ 1972 p241 Leslie Shepheard about Cox's broadsides - photos by PK: 0087-91 & 0092 his house - Note: Assignments of the copyright of over 70 of his song arrangements was made by Harry Cox himself to Folktracks & Soundpost Publications on Dec 30th 1960. Like Sam, HARRY COX, who also came from a fishing family living near Yarmouth and who recorded an extensive repertoire. -- FTX-013/ 015/ 017/ 019/ 021/ 023/ 027/ 029/ 031/ 032/ 033/ 034/ 044/ 123/ 255/ 502/ 503/ 512/ 513/ 514/ 515/ 517/ 518 - rec by DECCA for EFDSS organised by E.J.Moeran 1934: OC-87/88 (78rpm disk) "Down by the riverside" (Bold Fisherman)/ "The Pretty Ploughboy" - RPL 13863-5 rec by E J Moeran "Windmill" Sutton, Norfolk 27/10/47: 13863: "Bold Fisherman"/ 13864: "The Shooting of his dear"(Polly Vaughan)/ 13865: "The Bonny Bunch of Roses- O"/ 16415-7 rec "The Windmill, Sutton 27/10/47: 16415 "The Pretty Ploughboy"/ 16416 "The Barley Straw" & "Young Roger Esquire"/ 16417 "Barton Broad Babbing" / 17230-2 (7 songs rec at Sutton 18th Dec 1945) - 21479-83 rec by PK at Harry's home, Catfield, Sutton 9/10/53 (10 songs & mel tunes) - 21773 (2 more songs) - rec by PK 19/7/55: LP 22914- 5 (24 songs)- 7"RTR-0266-79 & 8"RTR-0855-8 (Love Songs & Sea Songs) FTX-123 STEELEYE SPAN "Spotted Cow"/ FTX-255 "As I roved out" radio prog 1956 "Princess Royal"- FTX-502 "Georgie" & "Gypsy Laddie" - 503 "David Shaw" - PK recs of Love Songs: DTS LFX 4 - DLP-1143 1956 10" LP Folk Song Today: "Foggy Dew" - EMI DLP-7 EG-8288 1960 (45 EP) "Foggy Dew"- EFDSS LP-1004 1965 - TOPIC TSCD 600 "Hidden English" "Maid of Australia" rec by Leslie Shepard/ TSCD-651 1998 "Courtship & marriage" "The Bold Fisherman"(from Decca)/ TSCD-652 "Sea & Storm" "The Pretty Ploughboy" (from Decca)/ TSCD-662 "Jacky Tar" "Just as the tide was flowing" from RPL 17231 Sutton 1945/ TSCD- 662 "Sailors" "Come all you men throughout this nation" "Captain's Apprentice" (rec by Mervyn Plunkett, Bourne, Cambridgesh 10/10/59) & "The Bold Princess Royal" (from RPL 17232 Sutton 18/12/45/ TSCD-667 "Ballads" "In Worcester City" (The Cruel Ship's Carpenter) rec by Mervyn Plunkett, Catfield, Sept 1958/ TSCD-512D 2000 (Double CD with over 2 hours of previously unissued recordings produced by Tony Engle & Paul Marsh "The Bonny Labouring Boy" - FOLK LEGACY FSB 20 - FOLKWAYS FW-8871 1959 "Sailor cut down" - ROUNDER-11661-1839-2 2000 "What will become of England?" (talk 25 songs, melodeon & fiddle).

1. Charles Parker's Introduction

2. Sam Larner: Sea Shanty: "Windy Old Weather"

3. SL: Song "The Dewy Morning" ("The Baffled Knight")

4. HC: Mouth music and operation of his dancing doll

5. HC: "As I walked (roved) out" ("Seventeen come Sunday")

6. SL: Talk about poverty: "Penny towards the pot"

7. HC: Song: "When the stormy billows roar"

8. Talk with both HC & SL about their singing

9. HC: "The Bold Drover" ("The Game Cock")

10. SL: Song sheets "Mignonette"

11. HC: Song: "The Spotted Cow"

12. SL: "Never been wet with the washing"

13. HC: Favourite Song: "Pretty Betsy" ("Blackberry Fold")(1st few verses only)

14. SL: Final Song "The Wild Rover"