There’s a statue by the river
A woman sitting on a bench
She is gazing at the water
With a rower’s steel intent
Ann Glanville is this rower
She had a mission to survive
With 14 children and no husband
She had the strength to stay alive
Her husband John was unwell
So she took over with her oars
She became a female waterman
And the family business was secured
With other female rowers
They won regattas far and wide
And watched by Queen Victoria
Their fame a source of pride
She was born in Saltash, Cornwall
But her story was widely known
In rowing competitions clearly
She became a legend on her own
This was the 19th century
Yet her story still endures
As she gazes at The Tamar
She’s remembered on both the shores
She sits beneath the bridges
Brunel’s masterpiece above
The setting quite magnificent
Yet it’s a testament to love
