John Kelday Smith [1] [2] (c1834-1889) was a Scottish-born Geordie bellhanger and songwriter in the middle and late 19th century, many of the songs being in the local Geordie dialect. His most famous song is possibly "Since aw hev been away".
John Kelday Smith was born [3] c1834 in Stromness, Orkney, Scotland, the second son of three of Thomas Smith (b 1804) a sailor, and Sibella Kelday (1802 - 1872), a laundress, but moved to Newcastle as an infant.
By the age of 17, he was a sailor, presumably on his father's ship, as Thomas was by this time a ship's master. However, he established a business as a whitesmith / bellhanger and by 1871 was a master bellhanger, employing two apprentices in Shield St, Shieldfield, Newcastle. Bellhangers were employed in ship construction as well as bell-hanging and mechanical wiring for bells.
In 1880, he married Mary Thompson (1857 - 1922) of Penrith, Cumberland. They had seven children between 1879 and 1888, of whom five survived infancy. His son, nephew and grandson all bore his name.
John Kelday Smith died on 12 June 1889 at his home Temperance Row, Shieldfield, Newcastle, age 54.
He wrote many local songs and articles that appeared in "Charter's comic publication", "Ward's Almanack" and the "Weekly Chronicle". He also won a prize for a song about the Gateshead Working Men's Club and for an essay on working men's clubs in general.
A few details of Smith appeared in "The Monthly Chronicle of North Country Lore and Legend"—printed and published for proprietors of the "Newcastle Weekly Chronicle" by Walter Scott, Newcastle upon Tyne—at about the time of his death.
These include :-
"Blaydon Races" is a Geordie folk song, the words for which were written in the 19th century by Geordie Ridley, in a style deriving from music hall. Ridley's words were set to an existing American tune labelled "Brighton" in early publications of Ridley's song, which refers to an American song called "On the Road to Brighton". It is frequently sung by supporters of Newcastle United Football Club, Newcastle Falcons rugby club, and Durham County Cricket Club.
"Cushie Butterfield" is a famous Geordie folk song written in the 19th century by Geordie Ridley, in the style of the music hall popular in the day. It is regarded by many as the second unofficial anthem of Tyneside after Blaydon Races.
The Pitman's Courtship is a famous Geordie folk song written in the 19th century by William Mitford, in a style deriving from music hall. This piece takes a humorous look at the courtship of a Pitman and his lass where the discussion forms the proposal of marriage and the couple's plans for a life together. This song was generally considered to be one of the region's finest 'traditional' songs, one of only a handful of Tyneside songs to be appreciated outside the region in its day.
"Wor Peg's Trip te Tynemouth" is a Geordie folk song written in the 19th century by Joe Wilson, in a style deriving from music hall.
Rowland "Rowley" Harrison (1841–1897) was a Tyneside poet and singer/songwriter, from Gateshead in County Durham. Possibly his best known work is "Geordy Black", an example of Geordie dialect.
Newcassel Props is a famous Geordie folk song written in the 19th century by William Oliver, in a style deriving from music hall.
Ralph Blackett was an English poet, hymn writer, and businessman, associated with Tyneside in North East England.
The Pitman's Revenge is a traditional Geordie folk song, written circa 1804, by George Cameron in the Geordie dialect. The song is about the threat of invasion posed by Napoleon Bonaparte.
"The Skipper’s Dream" is a Geordie folk song written in the 19th century by T. Moor, in a style deriving from music hall.
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".
Marshall's Collection of Songs, Comic, Satirical is a chapbook style songbook, giving the lyrics of local, now historical songs, with a few bits of other information. It was published by John Marshall in 1827.
Thomas Kerr was a Tyneside writer, journalist and songwriter of the middle and late 19th century.
John W Chater was a prominent 19th-century Tyneside publisher, printer and bookseller, with premises in the centre of Newcastle
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".
James Anderson was an English, Tyneside miner/songwriter of the late 19th century. He was quite famous locally at the time, and his most popular song is probably "Aw wish Pay Friday wad cum".
Chater's Canny Newcassel Diary and Remembrancer was a book, published in 1872 by John W. Chater. It contained a mixture of "songs, poems, humorous tales, jokes, conundrums, tongue twisters and other items of frivolity".
Matthew C. James was a Tyneside marine draughtsman, naval architect and manager, who wrote songs and poems in the local Geordie dialect as a side-line and as a hobby.
The Keelmin's Comic Annewal, for 1869 was a book, published and printed annually by John W. Chater, between 1869 and 1883. It contained a mixture of songs, poems, humorous tales, jokes, conundrums, tongue twisters and other items of frivolity.
James' Sum Tyneside Sangs 1898 is a chapbook on Tyneside music, published in 1898.
"The Cullercoats Fish Lass" is a folk song, written by Edward Corvan, originally printed as a broadside in 1862 and collated in Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside Songs and Readings in 1891.