The Keel Row

 

The Keel Row

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

 Thinking about the Kiel Canal brought to mind the song, ‘The Keel Row,’ only because Kiel and Keel rhyme! As with most folk songs, there are variations.

https://youtu.be/qZ8u1ZE-reo?si=K4q7Tg8YnvL8OzA6

As I came thro' Sandgate,
Thro' Sandgate, thro' Sandgate,
As I came thro' Sandgate,
I  heard a lassie sing:
      "O, weel may the keel row,
      The keel row, the keel row,
      O weel may the keel row
      That my laddie's in.

He wears a blue bonnet,
Blue bonnet, blue bonnet,
He wears a blue bonnet
A dimple in his chin.
      And weel may the keel row,
      The keel row, the keel row,
      And weel may the keel row
      That my laddie's in.

‘The Keel Row’ is a traditional folksong based on the work of the keelmen of Newcastle upon Tyne. Keels were flat-bottomed boats, which carried coal from the shallow banks of the river to small wooden coal-carrying ships called colliers. The colliers waited in the Tyne to transport the coal down the east coast to London.

Each keel carried a skipper, two crewmen called ‘bullies’ and a boy. ‘Bully’ meant brother or comrade.

The keel row was a huge oar used to propel the boat and was manned by the bullies and the boy. In lieu of a rudder, a ‘swape’ or steering oar at the stern determined the direction of travel. Presumably, the skipper worked this oar.

The life of the keelmen was hard. They had to load the coal, row the heavily laden keel to the collier, navigating the currents and the shifting sandbanks, and unload it. That was made more difficult because the keel lay lower in the water than the collier. In addition, the men were exposed daily to coal dust, often resulting in respiratory problems.

The job was passed from generation to generation, sons taking over from their fathers when they were thought strong enough. Most men were unable to continue working after their forties because of the arduous nature of the labour.

In 1702, the keelmen built the Keelmen’s Hospital in Sandgate, an almshouse for sick and ailing keelmen and their families. It was supported by contributions from each keel’s crew.

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

The mention of Sandgate in the song refers to the fact that the keelmen lived in Sandgate, an impoverished, overcrowded area outside Newcastle city walls.