Bobby Shafto
Encyclopedia
Robert Shafto was an 18th-century British
Member of Parliament
(MP), who was the likeliest subject of a famous North East English
folk song (Roud
#1359) and nursery rhyme
"Bobby Shafto's Gone to Sea
".
near Spennymoor
in County Durham
. He was educated at Westminster School
, London from 1740 to 1749, when he entered Balliol College, Oxford
.
He succeeded to the family estate on the death of his father John in 1742. Both his father and uncle Robert Shafto
had been Tory
Members of Parliament
(MPs). He continued this tradition becoming MP for County Durham
in 1760, using his nickname "Bonny Bobby Shafto" and the now famous song for electioneering purposes, defeating the Whig Sir Thomas Clavering
, with a campaign supported by Henry Vane
, first earl of Darlington, Thomas Pelham-Holles, duke of Newcastle and the bishop of Durham. However, once in parliament he dropped this allegiance, supporting the administrations of John Stuart, 3rd earl of Bute
and Pitt the elder
. He held the Durham seat for two parliaments until he declined to stand in the election of 1768.
Shafto married Anne Duncombe (d. 1783), daughter and heir of Thomas Duncombe of Duncombe Park
, Yorkshire, on 18 April 1774. Shafto and his wife had three children, John (1775–1802), Robert (1776–1848), and Thomas (b. 1777). His wife, Anne, had inherited property in the borough of Downton
in Wiltshire
and he became its MP in 1780. He is known to have supported William Pitt the Younger
during the regency crisis of 1788–9. He did not seek re-election in 1790. Robert Shafto died in November 1797, and is buried in the Shafto family crypt
beneath the floor of Whitworth Church.
, County Durham, where his brother Thomas was rector
, when he married Anne Duncombe of Duncombe Park
in Yorkshire. Bridget Belasyse is said to have died two weeks after hearing the news, although other sources claim that she died a fortnight before the wedding of pulmonary tuberculosis. Even if the song was not composed about him, his supporters almost certainly added a verse for the 1761 elections with the lyrics:
Thomas and George Allan, in their Tyneside Songs and Readings (1891), argued that the "Bobby Shafto" of the song was in fact a relative, Robert Shafto (1760–1781) of Benwell. It is likely that his grandson, Robert Duncombe Shafto, also used the song for electioneering in 1861, with several of the later verses being added around this time.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP), who was the likeliest subject of a famous North East English
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
folk song (Roud
Roud Folk Song Index
The Roud Folk Song Index is a database of 300,000 references to over 21,600 songs that have been collected from oral tradition in the English language from all over the world...
#1359) and nursery rhyme
Nursery rhyme
The term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems for young children in Britain and many other countries, but usage only dates from the 19th century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used.-Lullabies:...
"Bobby Shafto's Gone to Sea
Bobby Shafto's Gone to Sea
"Bobby Shafto's Gone to Sea" or "Bobby Shafto" is an English language folk song and nursery rhyme. It has a Roud index number of 1359.-Lyrics:The most common modern version is:...
".
Biography
Robert Shafto was born around 1732 at his family seat of WhitworthWhitworth Hall, County Durham
Whitworth Hall which stands in Whitworth Hall Country Park, near Spennymoor, County Durham England, is a country house, formerly the home of the Shafto family and now a hotel. It is a listed building....
near Spennymoor
Spennymoor
Spennymoor is a town in County Durham, England. It stands above the Wear Valley approximately seven miles south of Durham. The town was founded over 160 years ago...
in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
. He was educated at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
, London from 1740 to 1749, when he entered Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
.
He succeeded to the family estate on the death of his father John in 1742. Both his father and uncle Robert Shafto
Robert Shafto (1690-1729)
Robert Shafto , of Whitworth Hall, Spennymoor, County Durham, was a British politician. He was Member of Parliament for the City of Durham from 1712 to 1713 and from 1727 to 1729.-Sources:...
had been Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
Members of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
(MPs). He continued this tradition becoming MP for County Durham
County Durham (UK Parliament constituency)
Durham or County Durham was a county constituency in northern England, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1675 until 1832.- History :...
in 1760, using his nickname "Bonny Bobby Shafto" and the now famous song for electioneering purposes, defeating the Whig Sir Thomas Clavering
Sir Thomas Clavering, 7th Baronet
Sir Thomas Clavering, 7th Baronet succeeded to the Baronetcy of Axwell and to the family estates on the death of his father in 1748....
, with a campaign supported by Henry Vane
Henry Vane
Henry Vane may refer to:*Sir Henry Vane the Elder , English courtier, father of Henry Vane the Younger*Sir Henry Vane the Younger , statesman, Puritan, son of Henry Vane the Elder*Henry Vane, 1st Earl of Darlington PC Henry Vane may refer to:*Sir Henry Vane the Elder (1589–1655), English...
, first earl of Darlington, Thomas Pelham-Holles, duke of Newcastle and the bishop of Durham. However, once in parliament he dropped this allegiance, supporting the administrations of John Stuart, 3rd earl of Bute
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute KG, PC , styled Lord Mount Stuart before 1723, was a Scottish nobleman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain under George III, and was arguably the last important favourite in British politics...
and Pitt the elder
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham PC was a British Whig statesman who led Britain during the Seven Years' War...
. He held the Durham seat for two parliaments until he declined to stand in the election of 1768.
Shafto married Anne Duncombe (d. 1783), daughter and heir of Thomas Duncombe of Duncombe Park
Duncombe Park
Duncombe Park is the seat of the Duncombe family whose senior member takes the title Baron Feversham. It is situated near Helmsley, North Yorkshire, England and stands in a commanding location above deeply incised meanders of the River Rye....
, Yorkshire, on 18 April 1774. Shafto and his wife had three children, John (1775–1802), Robert (1776–1848), and Thomas (b. 1777). His wife, Anne, had inherited property in the borough of Downton
Downton (UK Parliament constituency)
Downton was a parliamentary borough in Wiltshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-History:...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
and he became its MP in 1780. He is known to have supported William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
during the regency crisis of 1788–9. He did not seek re-election in 1790. Robert Shafto died in November 1797, and is buried in the Shafto family crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
beneath the floor of Whitworth Church.
The song
The song is said to relate the story of how he broke the heart of Bridget Belasyse of Brancepeth CastleBrancepeth Castle
Brancepeth Castle is a castle in the village of Brancepeth in County Durham, England, some 5 miles south-west of the city of Durham . It is a Grade I listed building.-History:...
, County Durham, where his brother Thomas was rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
, when he married Anne Duncombe of Duncombe Park
Duncombe Park
Duncombe Park is the seat of the Duncombe family whose senior member takes the title Baron Feversham. It is situated near Helmsley, North Yorkshire, England and stands in a commanding location above deeply incised meanders of the River Rye....
in Yorkshire. Bridget Belasyse is said to have died two weeks after hearing the news, although other sources claim that she died a fortnight before the wedding of pulmonary tuberculosis. Even if the song was not composed about him, his supporters almost certainly added a verse for the 1761 elections with the lyrics:
- Bobby Shafto's looking out,
- All his ribbons flew about,
- All the ladies gave a shout,
- Hey for Bobby Shafto!
Thomas and George Allan, in their Tyneside Songs and Readings (1891), argued that the "Bobby Shafto" of the song was in fact a relative, Robert Shafto (1760–1781) of Benwell. It is likely that his grandson, Robert Duncombe Shafto, also used the song for electioneering in 1861, with several of the later verses being added around this time.
External links
- Famous North Eastern people
- Portrait of his son, Robert by Sir Joshua ReynoldsJoshua ReynoldsSir Joshua Reynolds RA FRS FRSA was an influential 18th-century English painter, specialising in portraits and promoting the "Grand Style" in painting which depended on idealization of the imperfect. He was one of the founders and first President of the Royal Academy...
- Midi file of "Bobby Shafto"