Jump to content

Rhymes of Northern Bards

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rhymes of Northern Bards
AuthorJohn Bell
LanguageEnglish (Geordie dialect)
PublisherM Angus & Son
Publication date
1812
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Media typePrint
Pages328 pages

Rhymes of Northern Bards (full title – "Rhymes of Northern Bards: being a curious collection of old and new Songs and Poems, Peculiar to the Counties of Newcastle, Northumberland and Durham – Edited by John Bell 1812") is a book of North East England traditional and popular song consisting of approximately 200 song lyrics on over 300 pages, published in 1812. It was reprinted in 1971 by Frank Graham, Newcastle upon Tyne with an introduction by David Harker.

The publication

[edit]

It is, as the title suggests, a collection of songs[1] which would have been popular, or topical, at the date of publication.

The front cover of the book was as thus :-

Rhymes
Of
Northern Bards:
being a curious
Collection
of old and new
Songs And Poems,
Peculiar to the Counties of
Newcastle upon Tyne,
Northumberland, & Durham.

Edited by John Bell, Jun.

“Northumbria’s sons stand forth, by all confest
“The first and firmest of fair freedom’s train;
“Each brave Northumbrian Nurses in his breast
“The sacred spark, unsullied by a stain.”

Newcastle upon Tyne: (printed in an old English style)
Printed for John Bell, by M. Angus & Son, and sold by them,
and other Booksellers in Town.

MDCCCXII

Contents

[edit]

Are as below :-

page title songwriter tune notes
1 Front fly
2 Lines – Sent to the Editor and Printer
3 Preface
4 Verses on Northumberland Minstelry H R H R is Henry Robson
5 Weel may the Keel Row
5 The new Keel Row T T the old tune T T is Thomas Thompson
7 Bonny Keel Laddie
8 The Little Pee Dee
9 Ma Canny Hinny
10 Dol Li A A song famous in Newcastle about 1792, 1793 & 1794
11 The Tyne J. Gibson of Newcastle
12 Blackett's Field J Shield of Newcastle John Anderson My Jo
14 River Awa'
15 Britannia's Volunteers The Newcastle Volunteers Quick March
16 John Diggons J Stawpert of Newcastle Old England's Roast Beef
18 Trafalgar's Battle the same (assume J Stawpert) Chapter of Kings
19 Chester Well George Pickering, late of Newcastle
21 Newcastle Beer John Cunningham
23 My Lord 'Size (or Newcastle in an uproar) J Shield of Newcastle
25 Bob Cranky's 'Size Sunday John Selkirk set to music by Thomas Train of Gateshead
27 Bob Cranky's Complaint
29 The Bonny Geatsiders 1805 Bob Cranky
31 Bob Cranky's Adieu John Shield of Newcastle on going with the Volunteer Association from Gateshead to Newcastle on permanent Duty
33 O No, My Love, No John Shield of Newcastle
34 Delia's Answer
35 The Collier's Rant
36 Walker Pits Of She Goes
36 The Bonny Pit Laddie
37 The Pitman's Revenge against Buonaparte
38 The Collier's Pay Week
43 The Quayside Shaver At this time, on the Quay were people, mainly female, who carried out the trade of barber, out on the street
45 Swalwell Hopping J S of Gateshead Paddy's Wedding J S is John Selkirk
48 The Sandgate Girl's Lamentation
49 A Curious Description of the City of Sandgate "wrote" some years ago
53 The Crow's Nest
56 A Song – An Address to the Good People of Bur-Castle published Dec 1791
57 Sons of the Tyne – 1805
58 Jesmond Mill Phill Hodgson of Newcastle
59 Pardon Dene published Sept 1776 with title of "Rosalinda"
60 Nanny of the Tyne J M Wedderburn of Newcastle set to music by J Aldridge Jnr of Newcastle
61 The Blue Bell of Gateshead W B of Gateshead
62 The Newcastle Signs Cecil Pitt sung at Newcastle Theatre Royal by Mr Scrifen, 4 June 1806
63 The Newcastle Bellman sung at Newcastle Theatre Royal by Mr Noble 1803
66 Oxygen Gas John Shield of Newcastle sung at Newcastle Theatre Royal
67 The Bards of the Tyne Published in the Tyne Mercury under initials C P Newcastle Beer C P (which was Charles Purvis)
68 The Answer to the Foregoing James Stawpert
70 The Raree Show Man an election song 20 Sep 1780
73 Barber's News (or Shields in an Uproar) a new song O' the Golden Days of Good Queen Bess
77 Song (on the flight of the young crows from Newcastle Exchange
79 A Rare Curiosity (or Crow's Nest in Gateshead) a new song
81 The French Invasion "published" 10 May 1794
84 Blyth Camps (or The Girl I Left Behind Me)
85 Beaumont's Light Horse
86 A Song in Praise of the Keelman Volunteers White Cockade
87 The Sons of the Tyne (or British Volunteers) Hearts of Oak
88 Mary of the Tyne
89 Newcastle Fair – October 1811 (The Pitman a Drinking of Jacey) J S Drops of Brandy J S is James Stawpert
91 The Newcastle Beauties designed to be sung to the Harpsichord or Spinet &c
94 Song – on the Address of the Newcastle House of Lords on turning out Lord North and Mr Fox
97 The Address of Sir J Duncan and Co on the "Scale of Cross Bank"
98 Sketch details one of Sir James Duncan's Bank Notes
99 An Elegy to the Memory of the Right Honourable Lord Ravensworth
100 Lines on the Death of John, Lord Delaval M Harvey
101 The Wallsend Rifle Corps
102 Song – Written on the King's Birthday 1808 Sons of the Tyne
103 The Token Monger – A Song Erin go Bragh
105 The Following Dialogue in Bad Prose was Overheard by the Person who now Attempts it in Bad Verse December 1811
106 Footy Again The Wall A song long sung by the Pitmen of Long Benton
107 The Battle of Otterburn from an old MSS battle fought 9 Aug 1388
111 A Fytte
116 The Battle of Otterbourne
118 The Hunting of Chyviat
122 Fit The Second
128 The Hunting in Chevy Chase
136 An Old Song on the Battle of Flodden
137 The Flowers of the Forest (or Flodden Field) battle fought 9 Sep 1513
142 Verses on James IV of Scotland who fell at the Battle of Flodden)
143 The Battle of Reid Squair battle fought 7 July 1576
147 Fair Mabel of Wallington
150 Verses (on the view of Roadley Castle, Wallington, etc.)
152 The Battle of Humbledown Hill E W battle fought 5 Aug 1791
156 The Laidley Worm (of Spindleston Heugh) by Duncan Frasier (this version by Robert Lambe, Vicar of Norham) from an old MSS
161 The Fisher Laddie
161 The Kye's Come Home
162 Song – A Lamentable Ditty made upon the Death of a Worthy Gentlemen A Delicate Scottish Tune George Stoole who died c1610
166 Epitaph on William Bell Samuel Barras Late a resident of Gateshead Fell
166 An Excellent Ballad on the Sickness, Death and Burial of Ecky's Mare
171 Stanzas – Addressed to Northumbria Bothwell – 2 January 1807
173 short bio of author Thomas Whittle
174 Engraving of a Midford Galloway spelt Mitford on page 173
175 The Midford Galloway's Ramble Thomas Whittle Ranting, Roaring Willy
180 The Insipids (or The Mistress with her Multitude of Man Servants) Thomas Whittle
184 Sawney Ogilby's Duel with his Wife Thomas Whittle
185 Song – On William Carstairs, Schoolmaster Thomas Whittle
188 Thomas Whittle, his Humorous Letter to Master Moody, the Razor-Setter Thomas Whittle
189 The Little Priest of Felton
190 The Felton Garland Maggy Lauder
195 From the Swains of Felton to the Shepherds of Lanthernside, Northumberland 1787 General F—r---'s March
196 On the Departure of Mr Grey of Felton
197 Carr of Etal
198 Callaly Castle, seat of the Claverings
200 Bedlington Tragedy – A Fragment
202 Hotspur, A Ballad – In the Manner of the Ancient Minstrels Mr William Richardson
206 Legend of Sewen Shields Castle
209 An Old Northumbrian Ballad about the Lead-Miners of Alston Moor
210 From a Tombstone in Haltwhistle Church Yard
211 Lines – written at an Inn on the Banks of the Allan George Pickering romantic part of Northumberland
211 Lucy Gray of Allendale
212 Haltwhistle Fair
214 Anna of the Tyne
215 The Tyne Henry Robson
215 short bio of author Henry Robson
216 The Spring Henry Robson Written the beginning of May 1809
217 The Banks of the Tyne James Wilson
217 short bio of author James Wilson
218 Ode – "Addressed to Sir Walter Blackett, Bart. James Wilson was "wrote" by the author on the very day the building of Hexham Bridge was undertaken
219 A Few Lines on Laying the Foundation Stone of Hexham Bridge James Wilson
220 A Song by Mr James Wilson of Cawsey Park James Wilson on Mr Coughan and family, leaving Hebron Hill
221 Hobby Elliott maybe James Robson
221 short bio of author James Robson
222 The Rising of the Clans in 1715
223 On the First Rebellion – 1715
225 A Fragment of a Song on the Lord of Derwentwater
225 Verses on a perspective view of Dilston Hall home of the Lord of Derwentwater
227 Hexham Wood
228 The Loyal Hexham Volunteers Jasper Potts a new song
229 The Jolly Parson
231 The Cockle Park Ewe's Ramble – Part I John of Badenyon
233 Part II
234 Part III
236 Song – 5 July 1810 J C
237 The Ploughman
237 The Flower of Rothbury Forest
238 The Piper of Capheaton
239 Mary Gamal, the Vicar of Kirkwhelpington's Daughter is gone off with Nichol Clark, his Servant Man
240 Song – To Buy
241 The Water of Tyne
241 Andrew Carr
242 Song – Eppie
242 Lines – on John Thompson, who was hanged on Town Moor for Horse Stealing ---- Ogle, Schoolmaster of Gateshead
242 The Pitman ---- Ogle, Schoolmaster of Gateshead
243 A Song about the Conclusion of the Hunt season of the Forest Hunt, Newcastle 1786
245 Lord Framlington Fair (or Tryst)
247 Go All to Coquet and Woo
248 The Fractious Farmer – A Song 1792
250 Satyr Upon Women James Robson
250 short bio of author James Robson
251 Tweed Side
252 A Song – Pasted on the Walls and scattered about the Town of Rothbury, several years ago
253 Answer – The following answer was handed about at Berwick upon Tweed and the Neighbouring Villages
256 Song – (maybe called My Eppie)
257 Little Billy
257 Sair Fail'd Hinny
258 The Hare Skin George Knight, Shoemaker Have you heard of a frolicsome ditty
261 Limbo George Knight, Shoemaker On a time I was great, now little I'm grown
262 A New Song – for the Year 1764 William Sutton (songwriter)
264 Stockton's Commendation Sir John Fenwick's The flower amang them
265 The New Way of Stockton's Commendation Benjamin Poye L.L.D. Archdeacon of Durham to the old tune was actually Benjamin Pye 1791–1808
267 Hark to Winchester (or The Yorkshire Volunteer's Farewell to the good folks of Stockton) Push about the Jorum
269 Stockton's Commendation – 2
271 The BarnardCastle Tragedy Constant Anthony
274 A Song in Praise of the Durham Militia The Lillies of France
275 The Lass of Cockerton Low down in the broom
276 Rookhope Ryde – A Durham border song, composed 1569
281 The Sedgefield Frolic
283 Bobby Shaftoe
283 The Pleasures of Sunderland
284 The Frolicsome Old Women of Sunderland (or the disappointed young maids) They'll marry tho' threescore and ten
285 Sunderland Bridge by M W of North Shields
285 Elsie Marley to its own tune An Alewife of Picktree near Chester-le-Street
287 Chester Lads Forever
288 Lumley Leads to Glory
288 Chester Volunteers There's na luck about the house
290 The Durham Volunteers
291 King James I – On his Visit to Durham on Good Friday 1617
292 Durham Old Women
292 Epitaph on John Simpson, Hamsterley, Woolcomber Isaac Garner
293 Ode – To the River Derwent
294 The Hexhamshire Lass
296 The Northumbrian's Sigh for his Native Country
296 A You A, Hinny Burd
297 Up the Raw
298 Broom Busoms
299 Extra Verses to the Foregoing Added by "Blind Willy"
300 The Waggoner
300 Brandling and Ridley
301 My Laddie
301 Sandgate Lassie's Lament Henry Robson Bonny Pit Laddie
302 The Invitation
304 A Song at the opening of Jarrow Colliery written & sung by H F H Opened on 26 Sep 1805
306 A South Shields Song – of the Sailors
306 A North Shields Song
307 Monkseaton Races – 1 July 1812 by a Spectator
309 The Alarm (or Lord Fauconberg's March)
310 The Patriot Volunteers (or Loyalty Display'd) by Clarinda
312 short bio of Silly Billy
312 Cull, Alias Silly Billy J S Published in Newcastle Chronicle on 28 Aug 1802
313 another short bio of Silly Billy
314 Canny Newcassel T T of Newcastle T T is Thomas Thompson
316 Croakum Redivivus A Crow's account on her return to Newcastle 1812
319 unnamed – but about the "Lost" Sheriff's Gown A Verse about the gown stolen from the Town's Court
320 The Antigallican Privateer
321 a New Song on the Opening of Jarrow Colliery Opened in 1803
322 The Peacock and the Hen
322 The Tyne – A Fragment J L
323 Contents
From the Press of M Angus and Son, Newcastle

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Wor Geordie Songwriters".
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rhymes_of_Northern_Bards&oldid=1199195810"