George Cameron (c. 1768 20 June 1823) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

hairdresser and songwriter from

Tyneside Tyneside is a built-up area across the banks of the River Tyne in northern England. Residents of the area are commonly referred to as Geordies. The whole area is surrounded by the North East Green Belt. The population of Tyneside as published i ...

Life

He was born c. 1768, possibly on Tyneside. Very little is known of Cameron's life, except that at some stage he worked as a hairdresser, with a business in the Cloth Market,

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

. Around this time period,

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

had gathered his armies and was threatening Britain and all over the country volunteer regiments (a sort of Home Guard) were being recruited. Cameron served as a sergeant in one such regiment formed to defend Newcastle upon Tyne. Cameron wrote his first (and what appears to be his only) song "

The Pitman's Revenge The Pitman's Revenge (against Bonaparte) 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. History Around this period, N ...

(against Bonaparte)" during this period, c. 1804. He first performed the song at a meeting of his regiment at the Three Indian Kings on Newcastle's Quayside, and despite being met with much approval this appears to have been the only song he wrote. He died, age 55, on 20 June 1823 and is buried in St. Nicholas' Churchyard.

Notes on the song

According to the 1872 edition of ''

Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside Songs and Readings ''Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside Songs and Readings'' is a book of Tyneside popular and traditional songs consisting of approximately 400 song lyrics on over 600 pages, published in 1891. It was reprinted in 1972 by Frank Graham, Newca ...

'', Cameron's daughter reported that the writer first performed the song at a meeting of his regiment at the Three Indian Kings on Newcastle's Quayside, and that the song was later borrowed by a friend, who, unbeknown to the writer, arranged for it to be published. The story was added to in the 1891 edition when a report from Cameron's grandson showed that on the first printing by Bell, a whole line had been missed and in various other printings the author's name had either been omitted or erroneously given as John Shield. These errors were corrected in the 1891 edition.

References

External links

Allan’s Illustrated Edition of Tyneside songs

Farne Folk Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cameron, George Date of birth unknown Place of birth unknown 1768 births 1823 deaths 18th-century composers 18th-century British male musicians 18th-century English writers 18th-century English male writers 19th-century composers 19th-century English writers British hairdressers Burials in Northumberland English songwriters Musicians from Newcastle upon Tyne 19th-century British male musicians British male songwriters

Life

Notes on the song

See also

References

External links