Soon May the Wellerman Come by Cindy Regnier

 

Have you ever heard the song about the Wellerman? Maybe you've wondered what in the world is a Wellerman. Let’s see what we can learn about it.

Weller Brothers was the name of a company formed by three English brothers, Joseph Brooks Weller, George Weller and Edward Weller. They founded their company in the 1830s for the primary purpose of operating whaling stations. The brothers were from a wealthy family in England that moved to Australia for health reasons and took advantage of the opportunities in whaling around Australia and New Zealand during the 1830s. They established multiple whaling stations on New Zealand shores and became New Zealand's most well-known merchant traders of that era. Their whaling ships targeted southern right whales and humpback whales, and their business inspired the ballad "Wellerman". 

The Weller brothers pioneered the commercial shore whaling industry in Otago, New Zealand and from their Sydney Australia base. Joseph, sailing on a ship christened Lucy Ann, established New Zealand's first permanent European whaling station at Otago which rapidly expanded into the country's most productive operation. They produced thousands of barrels of whale oil and bone for export. Edward later took over for Joseph when he died in 1835 from tuberculosis. Curiously, Joseph’s body was preserved in a barrel of rum for return to Australia which sparked new ideas for the Weller brothers who branched into the alcohol business, primarily American whiskey. George oversaw logistics and financing of their enterprises in Sydney. 

And the term Wellerman? The brothers ran supply ships to the remote whaling stations around New Zealand to not only enable them to keep working, but as payment for their labor since they received no monetary wages. "Soon May the Wellerman Come," tells the story of the sailors aboard the whaling ships eagerly waiting for the Wellerman to come to “bring us sugar and tea and rum.” (So I guess we know what supplies were most important to the whalers.) 

The chorus continues with the crew singing of their confidence that the "tonguing'" will be the last step in processing the whale. Tonguing in this context refers to the practice of cutting strips of whale blubber to render into oil. Sounds like a lovely job, huh? Seems to me that being a Wellerman may have been a far better occupation than being a Whaler man. What do you think?

Scribbling in notebooks has been a habit of Cindy Regnier since she was old enough to hold a pencil. Born and raised in Kansas, she writes stories of historical Kansas, especially the Flint Hills area where she spent much of her childhood. Her experiences with the Flint Hills setting, her natural love for history, farming and animals, along with her interest in genealogical research give her the background and passion to write heart-fluttering historical romance.