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The Tyne Songster
Author	W & T Fordyce
Language	English (Geordie dialect)
Genre	Chapbook
Publisher	W & T Fordyce
Publication date	1840
Publication place	United Kingdom
Media type	Print
Pages	approx. 340 pages

The Tyne Songster is a chapbook style songbook, giving the lyrics of local, now historical songs, with a few bits of other information. It was published by W. & T. Fordyce of Newcastle upon Tyne in 1840.^[1]

Details

The Tyne Songster (full title – "The Tyne Songster – A Choice Selection of Songs in the Newcastle Dialect – "No pompous strains, nor labour'd lines are here, But genuine mirth and sportive wit appear; Northumbria's genius, in her simple rhymes; Shall live an emblem to succeeding times – Newcastle: – Printed and sold by W & T Fordyce – 1840) is a chapbook style book of Geordie folk songs consisting of approximately 225 song lyrics on over 300 pages, published in 1840.

The publication

It is, as the title suggests, a collection of songs^[2] which would have been popular, or topical, at the date of publication. There is very little in the way of biographies of any of the writers or histories of the events.

The front cover of the book was as thus :-

THE
TYNE SONGSTER
A CHOICE SELECTION OF:
SONGS
IN THE
Newcastle Dialect
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
"No pompous strains, nor labour'd lines are here,
But genuine mirth and sportive wit appear;
Northumbria's genius, in her simple rhymes;
Shall live an emblem to succeeding times
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
Newcastle:
PRINTED AND SOLD BY W. & T. FORDYCE
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
1840

page	title	songwriter	tune	comments	Notes
v	Contents (pages "v" to "x")
5	Canny Newcassel	T Thompson
7	Quayside Shaver (The)	Wm Stephenson
9	Jenny Hoolet (The) (or Lizzie Mudie's Ghost	Armstrong		usually called "The Jenny Howlet"
10	Glister (The)	Armstrong
11	Eagle Steam Packet (The)	Wm Midford
12	Jemmy Joneson's Whurry	T Thompson
14	Skipper's Wedding (The)	W Stephenson
16	Amphitrite (The)	R Gilchrist
17	My Lord 'Size	John Shield
19	Cappy (or The Pitman's Dog)	Wm Midford
21	Pitman's Courtship (The)	Wm Midford
23	Baboon (The)	Armstrong
23	Billy Oliver's Ramble (Between Benwell and Newcastle)
25	Parody on Billy Oliver's Ramble (A)
26	X. Y. Z. At Newcastle Races, 1814 (or Pitmen's Luck)	Wm Midford
28	Newcastle Fair (or The Pitman Drinking Jackey)
30	Little Pee Dee (The)
31	Tyne Cossacks (The)	Wm Midford
33	Pitman's Revenge (The) (Against Buonaparte)	Shield – attributed erroneously		Actually written by George Cameron
35	Bob Cranky's 'Size Sunday	John Selkirk
37	Bob Cranky's 'Leum'nation Neet	John Shield
39	Pitman's Skellyscope (The)	Wm Midford
40	Bonny Keel Laddie (The)
41	Maw Canny Hinny
42	Bob Cranky's Account	W Midford
45	Bob Cranky's Adieu	John Shield
46	Mayor of Bourdeaux (The) ( or Mally's Mistake)	Wm Midford
48	Swalwell Hopping	Selkirk
50	Winlaton Hopping	John Leonard		actually spelt in the index "John Lennard"
52	Sandgate Girl's' Lamentation (The)
53	Collier's Rant (The)
54	(Weel May) The Keel Row
55	New Keel Row (The)	T Thompson
56	Sandhill monkey (The)
58	Skipper's Dream (The)	T Moor
59	Skipper's Account of the Orange-Men's Procession (The)
60	Politicians (The)
62	Till The Tide Came In	H Robson
62	Sandgate Lassie's Lament (The)	R Emery
63	Hydrophobie (or The Skipper and Quaker)	R Emery
64	Keelman and the Grindstone (The)	Armstrong
65	Newcastle Wonders (or Hackney Coach Customers)	R Emery
66	Quayside Ditty (for February 1816)
69	Shields Soliloquy (A)
70	Green-Wives' Lamentation (The)
71	Petition (A) (From the Women of the Vegetable Market to the Mayor of Newcastle)
71	Fish-Wives' Complaint (The) (on Their Removal from Sandhill to the New Fish Market on 2 January 1826)	R Emery
72	Sunderland Jammy's Lamentation (December 1831)
73	Cobbler O' Morpeth (The) (Cholera Morbus)	John McLellan	Bow Wow		Fr-Tune1
75	Canny Sheels	John Morrison
76	Permanent Yeast	John Morrison
77	Pitman's Ramble (The) (or Newcastle Finery)
79	Coaly Tyne
81	Newcassel Races	W Watson
82	Quack Doctors (The)
84	Peggy's Leg	H. R.
85	Bonny Keel Laddie
85	Tyne (The)	John Gibson
86	Nanny of the Tyne	Gibson
87	Bonny Gyetsiders (The)	J Shield	Bob Cranky
89	Water of Tyne (The)
89	Newcastle Signs (The)	Cecil Pitt		Sung at the Theatre-Royal, Newcastle by Mr Scriven, 4 June 1806
91	Wonderful Gutter (The)	Wm Midford
92	Local Militia-Man (The)	Wm Midford	Madam Fag's Gala
94	Masquerade at Newcastle Theatre (or The Pitman Turned Critic)	Wm Midford
96	Nancy Wilkinson	H Robson
97	Green's Balloon		Barbara Bell
99	Newgate Street Petition (The) (To Mr Mayor)
101	Burdon's Address To His Cavalry (A Parody)	Jas Morrison
102	Collier's Keek at the Nation (The)	R Gilchrist
104	Blind Willie Singing	R Gilchrist
105	Bold Archy & Blind Willie's Lament (On The Death of Captain Starkey)	R Gilchrist
107	Voyage To Lunnin (A)	R Gilchrist
110	Newcassel Props (The)	Oliver
111	Newcassel Wonders
112	Tim Tunbelly	Oliver	Canny Newcassel
114	Keel Row (The)	T Thompson
115	Barber's News (The) (or Shields in an Uproar)	J Shield
119	Bonassus (The)	Oliver	Jemmy Joneson's Whurry
120	Shield's Chain Bridge (Humorously Described by a Pitman)	Oliver		note archaic spelling of Humorously
122	Colliers' Pay Week (The)	Henry Robson
128	Tyne (The)	Henry Robson		Written in 1807
129	Spring (The)	Henry Robson		Written early in May 1809
129	Parson Malthus	H Robson	Ranting Roaring Willie	Written in 1826 (not in index)
131	Peter Waggy	Henry Robson		Written in 1826
132	Bessy of Blyth (A Virtuous Woman is More Precious Than Rubies)	H Robson		Written in 1826
132	Kelvin Grove – The Lassie's Answer	Henry Robson		Written in 1827
133	Peter Watson (To Mr) – (Who lays powerful bats on the knaves with fire-shovel hats on)	Henry Robson		Written in 1824
133	a mention of	Peter Watson		Opposed the claims of the Government Clergy for the Easter Dues or "Clerical Tax"
135	Newcastle Subscription Mill (The)	H Robson	Newcastle Ale	1814
136	Lizzie Liberty	Henry Robson	Tibby Fowler i' the Glen
137	New Fish Marret (The)	William Midford	Scot's Come O'er The Border	Fish Market
138	New Year's Carol (A) (For the Fishwives of Newcastle)	M Ross	Chevy Chase
139	Jesmond Mill	Phill "Primrose" Hodgson		also "Phill" and "Primrose"
140	Tommy Thompson	Robert Gilchrist		a tribute to T.T.
140	Farewell to the Tyne	Robert Gilchrist
141	Northumberland Free O' Newcastle	Robert Gilchrist		On the Duke of Northumberland being given the freedom of Newcastle
142	Dutchess And Mayoress (The)			Written in Sept 1819
144	Newcastle Assizes (Dutchess verses Mayoress)			(or A Struggle For Precedence)
146	Coal Trade (The)
148	Tom Carr And Waller Watson (or Tom And Jerry at Home)	Oliver	There Was A Bold Dragoon
150	Johhny Sc-tt And Tommy C-rr – A Dialogue
151	Tommy C-rr in Limbo	Oliver	Scots Wha Ha'e
152	Kitty Port Admiral at the Bench (The) (or Dogberry in the Suds)		The Opera Hat
153	Owl (The)	R Emery	X. Y. Z.	Written Feb 1826
155	Lovely Delia		Sleeping Maggie
156	Pandon Dene		The Banks O' Doon
157	Newcastle Hackneys (The)
158	Newcastle Hackney Coaches	Oliver	The Bold Dragoon
159	Newcastle Improvements	R. Charlton	Canny Newcassel
160	Come Up to the Scratch (or The Pitman Haggish'd)	R Emery	Calder Fair
162	Piman's Dream (The) (or A Description of the North Pole)	R Emery	Newcastle Fair
164	Piman's Dream (The) (or His Description of the Kitchen)	R Emery	Hell's Kitchen
166	Famed Filly Fair (or A Peep into Pilgrim Street)
168	T—lly's Best Blood (A North Shields Song)			Written in 1820
168	Newcastle Noodles (The)	James Morrison
170	British Justice (or Newcastle Privy Court)
172	Misfortunes of Roger & His Wife (The)	J. B.	Calder Fair	This could be Joshua L. Bagnall
173	Newcastle Theatre in an Uproar
175	Farewell Archy		Chapter of Donkeys	Written in 1820
176	Sir Tommy Made An Odd Fellow	R Gilchrist
178	Wreckenton Hiring
180	On Russel The Pedestrian	Russell the pedestrian
180	Short bio	George Wilson		Blackheath Pedestrian
180	Short bio	John Simpson		Cumberland Pedestrian
181	On Simpson The Pedestrian's Failure		Barbary Bell
182	Victory (The) (or The Captain Done Over)		O The Golden Days of Good Queen Bess
184	Alarm (The) (or Lord Fauconburg's March)		Chevy Chase
185	a mention of			The Shields riots of 1793
186	Half-Drowned Skippy (The)		Chapter of Donkeys
187	Newcastle Worthies (The)	Wm Armstrong	We've Aye Been Provided For
189	PART II	Humanum Est Errare
189	Old Nick's Visit To H---'s Kitchen		The King of The Cannibal Islands
191	PART III	On George the Fourth's Coronation
191	Invitation to the Mansion House Dinner	Armstrong	Scot's Wha Ha'e Wi' Wallace Bled	(In honour of the Coronation)
191	Newcastle Swineherd's Proclamation (The)			(not in index)
193	Golden Horns (The) (or The General Invitation)
194	Loyal Festivities (or Novel Scenes in Newcastle)			Sung by the "Swinish Multitude" in full chorus on Thursday 19 July 1821
196	Picture of Newcastle (or George the Fourth's Coronation)	William Midford	Arthur McBride
198	Newcastle in an Uproar (or George the Fourth's Coronation)	W Midford	Come Under My Plaidie
201	Coronation Day at Newcastle
203	Coronation Thursday – 19 July 1821	W Midford		The Third Epistle From Bob Fudge to his cousin Bob in the country
203	a mention of			The 1st and 2nd Epistles
209	PART IV	Continuation of general songs
209	Bob Fudge's Postscript (to his account of the Great Town Moor Meeting Mon 11 Oct 1819)
210	Blind Willy's Flight	R Emery	Betsey Baker
211	New Markets (The)	Oliver	Canny Newcastle
212	Changes on the Tyne (The)		Mitford Galloway
216	PART V	On The Attempt To Remove The Custom House From Newcastle To Shields in 1816
216	Custom House Branch (The)
217	Custom House Tree, &c (The)		The Quayside Shaver
218	Custom House Branch (The)		Yo Heave O
221	PART VI	Continuation of general songs
221	Mechanic's Procession (The) (or A Trip To South Shields)	R Emery	The Bold Dragoon
223	Gipsy's Song (A)	H Robson
224	The piper, Sandy Brown (correct title unknown) – Extract from	unknown		Extract from a poem appearing in a Kelso newspaper c1795
225	Verses Written for the Burns Club	H Robson		Held at Mr Wallace's "Nags Head", Newcastle Jan 1817
227	Parody Written on Hearing A Report That The Newcastle And Northumberland Yeomanry Cavalry Were To Be Disbanded (A)	William Greig	The Soldiers Tear
228	Thomas Whittell, His Humorous Letter To Good Master Moody, Razor Setter
229	Natural Philosopher (The) (or The Downfall of Learned Humbugs)		Canny Newcassel
230	Gateshead Rads (The)		to an old tune
232	Election Day (The)	W Watson	There's One Luck About The House
233	Mary Drew	The late Thomas Houston
233	Short bio	The late Thomas Houston
235	Opening of the New Markets
236	New Markets (The) (or Newcastle Improvements)	Midford
238	More Innovations	R Gilchrist
239	Humble Petition of the Old House in Shieldfields (The) – To John Clayton Esq	R Gilchrist
241	Euphy's Coronation	Thomas Marshall	Arthur McBride
243	Sandgate Wife's Nurse Song	Nunn	A Sailor's Wife Has Nought To Dee
244	Bold Jack of the Journal	H. R.		Newcastle Sept 1836
244	Steam Soup (or Cuckoo Jack's Petition)	R Emery	X. Y. Z.
246	Sandgate Lass on the Ropery Bank (The)	Nunn	The Skipper's Wedding
247	Old And Curious Song (An) (On The Late Mr R Clayton Being Made An Alderman)	Mr James Davison	The Vicar And Moses
249	Short bio	Mr James Davison
249	Newcastle Landlords 1834	W Watson
252	New Song For Barge-Day 1835 (A)	Robert Gilchrist		Sung on board of the Steward's Steam-boat
254	St. Nicholas' Church	Nunn
256	Paganini The Fiddler (or The Pitman's Frolic)	R Emery	The Kebbuckstane Wedding
257	Oyster-Wife's Petition (The) (or The Removal of the Oyster-Tub From The Quay)	R Emery	The Bold Dragoon
259	Broom Busoms
259	Extra verses to the last song Written by Blind Willie	Blind Willie
260	Thumping Luck	W Watson	Gang Nae Mair To Yon Town
261	Dance To Thy Daddy	W Watson	The Little Fishy
263	Friar and the Nun (The)			A midnight colloquy of the Nun's Field
264	St. Nicholas' Great Bell
265	Lukey's Dream		Caller Fair
267	Jocker	Nunn	O? Gin I Had Her
269	Corn Market (The) – A Lament		The Bold Dragoon
271	Skipper's Account of the Mechanic's Procession (The)	R Emery		(R Emery of the Nelson Lodge, Newcastle)
272	Drucken Bella Roy O		Duncan McCallaghan
274	Bonny Clock Fyece (The)		The Coal-Hole
275	Music Hall (The)
277	Tyne (The)	Joe Wilson	Banks and Braes O' Bonny Doon
278	Newcastle Old Country Gentleman (The)		Old Country Gentleman
278	Unnamed song about the Tyne		The Keel Row	(not in index)
279	Walker Pits		Off She Goes
280	Beggar's Wedding		Quayside Shaver
281	Do Li A			Sung in Newcastle about 1792-3-4
281	South Shields Song (A)
282	North Shields Song (A)
282	Commit No Nonsense
283	New Nursery rhyme (A)
285	Cookson's Alkali
286	Pitman's Ramble (The)	R Emery	The Kebbuckstane Wedding
288	Worthy Rector (The) (Sung at a Farewell Dinner Given By His Parishioners)
290	Battle of Spitaloo
291	Battle on the Shields Railway (Between A Town Councillor and an Architect and the Pollis)		Cappy's The Dog
294	Blind Willie's Death		Jemmy Joneson's Whurry	Died 26 July 1832
296	Geordy's Disaster			(not in index)
297	Jossy's Nag's Head		A Rampant Lion Is My Sign
299	April Gowk (The) (or The Lover's Alarmed)		Jenny Choak'd The Bairn	referred to as "A Castle-Garth Ditty"
301	Skipper's Mistake (The)	Armstrong	A Chapter of Accidents
303	Newcastle Beer versus Spaw Water (or The Pitman And Temperance Society)	R Emery	Mr Frost
304	Pitman's Pay (The) (or A Night's Discharge To Care)	Thomas Wilson
316	Newcastle Blunderbuss (The) (or Travelling Extraordinary)	R Emery	Calder Fair
317	Pitman's Visit To Newcastle on Valentine's Day (A)		Newcastle Fair
319	Skipper in the Mist (The)	Armstrong	Derry Down
321	Miraculous Well (The) (or Newcastle Spaw Water)	R Emery	Rory O' More
321	a mention of			The alleged spring in Sandyford Dene
322	Skipper's Fright (The)	"J. N." – but Index attributes it to "Bailey"	Skipper Carr And Marky Dunn
324	Sandgate Pant (or Jane Jemieson's Ghost)	R Emery	I'd Be A Butterfly
325	Birthday of Queen Victoria (The)	R Gilchrist		intended to be sung on Ascension Day 24 May 1838
326	Donocht Head	The late George Pickering of Newcastle
327	Herbage Committee (The)	R Gilchrist		The 'Jewel' of a committee
328	Bear Club (The)	R Gilchrist
329	Lass of Wincomblee (The)		Nae Luck About The House
330	Death of Bold Archy (On The)	R Gilchrist
331	Blind Willie's Epitaph	R Gilchrist
332	Acrostic _ on the Death of Blind Willie	R Emery
332	short bio	Blind Willie

John Simpson the pedestrian

John Simpson (lived c.1822) the pedestrian was a Cumbrian competitive walker/athlete.

Simpson was a Cumbrian character who was referenced in The Tyne Songster published in 1840, in the song "On Russell The Pedestrian". While not written in a Geordie dialect, it has a strong Northern connection. The notes to the song mention that Russell walked 101 miles in 23 hours, 56 minutes and 30 seconds on 25 and 26 June 1822 on Newcastle Racecourse.^[3]

On Whit Monday, and again on 29 and 30 July 1822, Simpson^[4] attempted to walk 96 miles, but failed in both attempts.

Russell the pedestrian

Russell the pedestrian, who (lived c1822) was a Newcastle character who was mentioned on page 180 by W & T Fordyce (publishers) in The Tyne Songster published in 1840, in the song "On Russell The Pedestrian" written in his honour. It is not written in a Geordie dialect, but has a strong Northern connection.

The song is a tribute to Mr Russell who walked 101 miles in 23 hours, 56 minutes and 30 seconds on 25 and 26 June 1822 on Newcastle Racecourse.