NEW YORKERS
Americans are reluctant to remember (or keen to forget) that whole towns were loyal to the British Crown during the War of Independence. The most notable of these was New York. (But don't mention it to your cabbie there)
They fled from the murrain that fell on East Ham
By Plymouth and Boston they brought us
And on to this place they called New Amsterdam
To sire we grandsons and daughters.
We’re sons of our forefathers, sons of this land
Good settlers they now try to banish
Not Albion’s enemy with whom they stand –
Their allies, the French and the Spanish.
They pressed us to fight against kith and our kin
But what would have victory bought us?
A cheap independence so pyrrhic and thin
And the blood of those brothers who fought us.
But whether his crown be of gold or of thorn
Or whether his crown be of laurel
As subjects of his in America-born
With country or King we’ve no quarrel.
So damn all the rebels of Washington’s crew
Who sit in that treacherous caucus
They may speak for Boston and Baltimore too
We’re loyal to King George; we’re New Yorkers.
John Coopey
Thu 29th Oct 2020 17:20
Thanks, MC and Stephen.
Tens of thousands did indeed “emigrate” from the USA to the residual loyalist colony (subsequently Canada), MC. And ironically one of the leaders of the American Loyalists was Benjamin Franklin’s dad.
It was indeed the East Ham I was referencing, Stephen, although I have no knowledge of Pilgrim Fathers leaving there - I needed the name for the rhyme!