External links
- FARNE - Folk Archive Resource North East
- Wor Geordie songwriters
- Allan’s Illustrated Edition of Tyneside songs and readings 1891
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David Ross Lietch (c1809-1881) was a 19th-century Tyneside born poet and songwriter. His most famous song is the ballad "The Cliffs of Old Tynemouth".
Lietch was born c1809 at North Shields, [1] [2] the second son of Rev William Lietch. For some years he practised on Tyneside as a physician having gained his degree at the University of Edinburgh. [3]
He published "Poetic Fragments", a volume of poetry in 1838 and founded the North Shields newspaper, "The Port of Tyne Pilot" which was published 1839-42 under his ownership.
He retired to the Lake District in the late 1840s, where he famously corresponded with William Wordsworth.
He died on 16 August 1881, and was buried in Crosthwaite Churchyard, Keswick, Cumberland, not far from the grave of Robert Southey.
Lietch was the second son of Rev William Lietch who was a Presbyterian minister. An article in the local paper describes a dinner given in Seaton Sluice to "the Rev William Lietch of North Shields" at which he was presented with a gold watch inscribed "-----from his congregation and friends at Seaton Sluice, as a mark of esteem for him and his ministry during 34 years. 1837". Lietch had at least 7 siblings including William (died June, 1837), Barbara, Jane, Thomas Carr [4] [5] (a lawyer who became a solicitor, the first town clerk of Tynemouth and possibly Russian Vice Consul in Newcastle), Isabella, Robert, and Ellen.
He was also a schoolmaster, and founded the Albion Academy in North Shields.
The family always spelled their surname as Lietch but after the late 1800s it almost always appears in records as Leitch. However, some other publications appear to have mis-read the hand-written comment on a manuscript as "D Leutch"
Much of this information is from Mr Leitch's 3x great niece, Eleanor Clouter, of Canada. [3]
These include :
John "Jack" Shield was an English songwriter. One of his best known and liked songs at the time was "Bob Cranky's Adieu". Shield was a contemporary of the earliest Geordie dialect songwriters Thomas Thompson and John Selkirk.
Charles Purvis, a 19th-century songwriter, was born near Otterburn, Northumberland and moved to Newcastle upon Tyne
His employment included schoolmaster, followed by a clerk to a merchant on the Quayside. He later set up as a general merchant which failed after a short period of time "leaving a few empty barrels to pay his creditors with." In his writings he used the pen name "C. P."
James Horsley (1828–1891) was an Alnwick born songwriter, editor, and general handyman. In addition to his songs, he wrote many pieces of poetry about Jesmond. The most well-known of the songs may well have been "'She's sumboddy's bairn".
T. Moor was a Tyneside singer/songwriter of the 19th century. The only song attributed to his name is "The Skipper's Dream".
"The Cliffs of Old Tynemouth" is a Geordie folk song written in the 19th century by David Ross Lietch. This song is a ballad, romanticising about one of the tourist sights of the Tyneside area.
John Peacock was a South Shields born songwriter and poet in the 19th century. His most famous piece is possibly "Marsden Rocks".
Thomas Haswell (1807–1889) was a Tynemouth-born schoolmaster, head master, songwriter and composer.
John Morrison was a Tyneside songwriter from the early nineteenth century.
Thomas Marshall was a Tyneside songwriter of popular songs in the early and middle 19th century. His most well-known song is probably "Euphys Coronation".
James Stawpert was a Newcastle based brewer’s clerk/songwriter of the early 19th century. His most famous song is possibly "Newcastle Fair".
William Watson (1796–1840) was a Tyneside concert hall singer and songwriter in the early 19th century. His most famous song is "Dance To Thy Daddy".
William Stephenson (senior) (1763–1836) was a Geordie (from Gateshead) watchmaker, schoolteacher, poet and songwriter, and father of William Stephenson (junior). His best known works are probably "The Quayside Shaver" and "The Skipper’s Wedding"
William Stephenson (junior) (2 September 1797 – 20 May 1838) was a Geordie printer, publisher, auctioneer, poet and songwriter born in Gateshead, the son of William Stephenson (senior).
Ralph John Wilkinson was an English bookseller from Newcastle active in the late 19th and early 20th century. and songwriter, with premises in the Market.
George Guthrie moved away from the town eastwards towards the coast, and worked as a blacksmith in Wallsend and Sunderland.
Ralph Dowey was a Northumberland born miner, songwriter and poet.
Richard Oliver Heslop (1842–1916) was a British businessman, author, historian, lexicologist, lexicographer, songwriter and poet. His most famous work is the two-volume "Northumberland Words".
John Higgins was a town crier in Newcastle upon Tyne in the 19th century.
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