# Rhymes of Northern Bards

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

It is, as the title suggests, a collection of songs 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

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 | | | |