Yo Heave Ho

This mezzotint was published in 1799 by James Whittle and Richard Holmes Laurie. It shows a woman and her two children standing on a beach below a cliff and watching a ship depart in the distance. The woman clutches a handkerchief to her chest and hugs her weeping son close to her. The young daughter clings to her mother’s back and rests a hand on her forehead in distress. On board the retreating ship, two silhouettes of figures stand at the prow. Underneath the image is an accompanying ballad, ‘Yo Heave Ho’ by composer Charles Dibdin, which tells the story of a sailor leaving his family for service.

The tearful farewell between a sailor and his family was a common trope in eighteenth-century prints and ballads, where it was often used to present a sentimental or patriotic message. Here, Didbin’s ballad offers a patriotic justification of the sailor’s parting, suggesting that he is leaving because he is devoted to his duty as a defender of the nation. It also suggests that, though he has been maimed in service, he accepts his injuries as part of his duty. The last stanza of the ballad also alludes to the projected outcome for his family. The son will one day grow up and continue the father’s navy service and the girl will become a mother to future sailors herself.