Thomas Wilson (1773 – 9 May 1858) was a Tyneside poet, from Low Fell in Gateshead. His most famous work, written in the Geordie dialect, is The Pitman's Pay , originally published between 1826 and 1830. [1]
Thomas Wilson (1773 – 9 May 1858) was a Tyneside poet, from Low Fell in Gateshead. His most famous work, written in the Geordie dialect, is The Pitman's Pay , originally published between 1826 and 1830. [1]
Wilson, was born on 14 November 1773 at Low Fell, now a suburb of Gateshead into a very poor family. Like many from the North East, he began his working life down the mines at one of the many local pits, starting as a trapper-boy at around the age of around 8 or 9 years old. He had the determination to better himself, and wanted to improve his life and so studied, educating himself to a high standard, before moving on to become a schoolmaster at an early age.
After a short stay in this job, he moved to a clerkship on Newcastle's Quayside. [2]
In 1803, Wilson followed this with a move to join a Tyneside engineering company run by Mr John Losh. [3] He became a partner in the company in 1807 and the partnership changed its name to Losh, Wilson and Bell, manufacturer of alkali and iron. [4]
In 1826 the first part of his most famous song The Pitman's Pay was published in a Newcastle magazine. Subsequent parts appeared over the next two years. Other well-known works include The Weshin’ Day; his last poem was The Market Day.
Wilson never lost his love of the area, or its people. He moved to Fell House, close to his birthplace, and spent the remainder of his long life there. He went on to write many other songs and pieces of prose, usually in the Geordie dialect; these were mostly published by George Routledge & Sons.
Wilson died on 9 May 1858 at the age of 85 and is buried in St Johns Church Sheriff Hill Gateshead. A philanthropist, he was responsible for the erection of a building in Low Fell in 1841 which provided reading rooms, a schoolroom and a lecture theatre for the working classes. A social club in the Low Fell area is named after him.
Gateshead Borough Council plans to erect a Blue plaque to commemorate "Thomas Wilson (1774-1858) Poet, Teacher and Business Man". [5]
There is also a CIU Working Men's Club in the Low Fell area named after him.[ citation needed ]
George "Geordie" Ridley was a Tyneside concert hall songwriter and performer in the middle of the 19th century. His most famous song is "Blaydon Races". He was a contemporary of Edward Corvan. He has been described by a council source as a candidate for Tyneside's most famous songwriter.
Losh, Wilson and Bell, later Bells, Goodman, then Bells, Lightfoot and finally Bell Brothers, was a leading Northeast England manufacturing company, founded in 1809 by the partners William Losh, Thomas Wilson, and Thomas Bell.
Thomas Wilson's "The Pitman’s Pay" was first printed in a Newcastle magazine called "Mitchell's Magazine" in 1826. Further sections were printed in 1828 and 1830.
Thomas Thompson (1773–1816) was a Tyneside poet, from Bishop Auckland area in County Durham. His last song was Jemmy Joneson's Whurry, first published in 1823, seven years after his death.
Robert Gilchrist (1797–1844) was a Tyneside poet, born in Gateshead in County Durham. Possibly his best-known work is "The Amphitrite" –.
William Oliver was a Tyneside poet, singer and songwriter from Newcastle upon Tyne. Possibly his best known work is the song "Newcassel Props", an example of Geordie dialect.
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.
George Charleton Barron of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, was a Gateshead-born actor, mimic, elocutionist and general entertainer.
George Cameron was an English hairdresser and songwriter from Tyneside.
Joshua L Bagnall was a Tyneside composer of the early and mid-19th century.
Henry Robson was a Tyneside concert hall poet, songwriter and performer in the late 18th and early 19th century. His best known works were perhaps the narrative poem "The Collier's Pay Week", and a poem "The Northern Minstrel's Budget", describing the repertoire of a travelling fiddler and piper.
James Stawpert was a Newcastle based brewer’s clerk/songwriter of the early 19th century. His most famous song is possibly "Newcastle Fair".
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"
R Usher was born in Felling. He was a Tyneside songwriter, who, according to the information given by Thomas Allan on page 572 of his Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside Songs and Readings, published in 1891, has written a good many songs, which have been printed in slip form. He was a member of The Salvation Army and sang in their local church choir.
William Dunbar was a Gateshead songwriting collier who died at the age of 21.
Marshall Cresswell (1833-1889) was a Northumberland born miner, poet and songwriter. His experiences to and from his job in Borneo were serialised later in the local newspaper.
James Clephan (1804–1888) was a British journalist, newspaper editor, antiquary, and poet.
The Tyneside Songster (or to give it its full title – "The Tyneside Songster containing a splendid collection of Local Songs by popular Authors, in the Northumbrian Dialect Printed by J W Swanston, 67 & 69 St Andrews Street, Newcastle and may be had at all Booksellers, Newsagents, &c" is a chapbook of Geordie folk song consisting of 39 songs, crammed into its meagre 16 pages, and published in the 1880s by J. W. Swanston, a Newcastle printer and publisher.
The Newcastle Songster, by John Marshall is a volume of six chapbooks, giving the lyrics of local, now historical songs, but virtually no other information. It was published by John Marshall in stages between 1812 and 1826.
Dennis Embleton MRCS, FRCS, LSA, MD (Pisa) MD FRCP, was a Newcastle medical doctor and surgeon of the middle and late 19th century.
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