English musician and teacher who migrated to Australia aboard the ship Parramatta in 1879. On board, he transcribed the music (with variations) and lyrics of the sailors’ shanties, including the merchant naval occupational custom known as the ‘Burying the Dead Horse’. These were published in the ship’s newspaper, the Parramatta Sun.
Given Haswell’s musical expertise and his presence at the workplace of the sailors, this is one of the most authentic collections of shanties ever made.
After spending some time in Australia, Haswell returned to England, publishing a biography of his father, the noted Shields educationalist, Thomas Haswell, The Maister (1895).
Haswell’s transcriptions can be viewed online at the SLNSW
Further information at https://verandahmusic.blogspot.com/2018_06_24_archive.html?m=0
