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\u2018In the folk music world, you don\u2019t steal songs \u2013 you collect them,\u2019 says Bryn Stephens of Bristol-based shanty crew<\/strong><\/a> The Roaring Trowmen. These days, shanty groups might \u2018collect\u2019 songs from YouTube, other groups at festivals or even TikTok<\/strong><\/a>, but in the 20th century there were a few historians, shantymen and poets who put pen to paper (or recording device to mouth) to help us build the library of shanties we have today.<\/p>\n Known as \u2018The Last Shantyman\u2019, Hugill hailed from Merseyside, the epicentre of England\u2019s shanty tradition<\/strong><\/a>. He spent 23 years at sea, including a stint as the shantyman on the final voyage of Garthpool<\/i>, Britain\u2019s last commercial sailing ship. After retiring in 1945, he transcribed and recorded the shanties he had learnt at sea. He also penned several books on shanties, which remain a go-to resource for singers today.<\/span><\/p>\nThe best sea shanty<\/a> collectors from history<\/h2>\n
Stan Hugill (1906-92)<\/span><\/h3>\n