The Newcastle Songster, by John Marshall is a volume of six

chapbook A chapbook is a small publication of up to about 40 pages, sometimes bound with a saddle stitch. In early modern Europe a chapbook was a type of printed street literature. Produced cheaply, chapbooks were commonly small, paper-covered bookle ...

s, giving the lyrics of local, now historical songs, but virtually no other information. It was published by

John Marshall John Marshall (September 24, 1755July 6, 1835) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the fourth Chief Justice of the United States from 1801 until his death in 1835. He remains the longest-serving chief justice and fourth-longes ...

in stages between 1812 and 1826.

Details

The Newcastle Songster, by John Marshall (full title – "The Newcastle Songster; being a choice collection of Songs, Descriptive of the Language and Manners of the Common People of Newcastle upon Tyne And the neighbourhood" (the latter parts suffixed with "part II", " part III" etc.) is a volume of 6

Chapbook A chapbook is a small publication of up to about 40 pages, sometimes bound with a saddle stitch. In early modern Europe a chapbook was a type of printed street literature. Produced cheaply, chapbooks were commonly small, paper-covered bookle ...

style books of

Geordie Geordie () is a nickname for a person from the Tyneside area of North East England, and the dialect used by its inhabitants, also known in linguistics as Tyneside English or Newcastle English. There are different definitions of what constitut ...

folk song Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be c ...

s, each consisting of 24 pages and a grand total of 72 song lyrics, published ca 1812, 1812, 1814, 1821, 1824 and 1826 respectively. The books were published and printed by

, one of the most prominent chapbook printers in Newcastle during the early nineteenth century. The books are undated and it is difficult to give an accurate date, but the fact that John Marshall did not move into the Flesh Market premises until 1811, dates them not before that date. Several of the later books can be dated approximately from the events, or dates within the titles. The first volumes appeared around the same time as John Bell's

Rhymes of Northern Bards ''Rhymes of Northern Bards'' (full title – "Rhymes of Northern Bards: being a curious collection of old and new Songs and Poems, Peculiar to the Counties of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle, Northumberland and County Durham, Durham – Edited b ...

, published in 1812,. The six volume set of books contain some of the region's traditional songs and generally seem to stick to the same formulae as many other

s in using the same, or similar, well known songs. There are however a few "different" unusual and rare songs which do not appear in many other similar publications. It is assumed that these books, due to the content, would have been very popular with local population.

The publication

It is, as the title suggests, a collection of songs which would have been popular, or topical, at the date of publication (or some time before). There is nothing at all in the way of biographies of any of the writers and virtually no details or histories of the events. The front cover of the book was as thus :- THE
NEWCASTLE
SONGSTER
Being a Choice Collection of
SONGS,
Descriptive of the Language and Manners of the
Common People of
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
And the Neighbourhood
– - – - – - – - – -
No pompous strains, nor labour'd lines are here,
But genuine wit and sportive mirth appear:
Northumbria's genius in her simple rhymes,
Shall live an emblem to succeeding times.
– - – - – - – - – -
Newcastle upon Tyne:
Printed by J. Marshall, in the Old Flesh-Market.
Where here also may be had, a large and curious Assortment
of Songs, Ballads, Tales, Histories, &c.

Notes

A-C1 – according to

Allan Allan may refer to: People * Allan (name), a given name and surname, including list of people and characters with this name * Allan (footballer, born 1984) (Allan Barreto da Silva), Brazilian football striker * Allan (footballer, born 1989) ...

's Tyneside Songs and Readings of 1891, the writer is George Cameron
A-E1 – according to

's Tyneside Songs and Readings of 1891, the writer is Robert Emery
A-G2 – according to

's Tyneside Songs and Readings of 1891, the writer is

Robert Gilchrist Robert Gilchrist may refer to: *Robert Gilchrist (basketball) (born 1990), professional basketball player *Robert Gilchrist (mayor) (died 1866), mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey * Robert Gilchrist (cricketer) (1821–1905), Scottish cricketer * Robe ...

A-L1 – according to

's Tyneside Songs and Readings of 1891, the writer is John Leonard
A-M1 – according to

's Tyneside Songs and Readings of 1891, the writer is William Mitford
A-M3 – according to

's Tyneside Songs and Readings of 1891, the writer is T Moor
A-R1 – according to

's Tyneside Songs and Readings of 1891, the writer is Henry Robson
A-S1 – according to

's Tyneside Songs and Readings of 1891, the writer is

John Selkirk John Selkirk (1782 – 1843) was a Tyneside songwriter of the 18th and 19th century. His best known works are those about Bob Cranky and the Swalwell Hopping. Early life John Selkirk was born in 1782 in Gateshead (just o’er the blue sta ...

A-S2 – according to

's Tyneside Songs and Readings of 1891, the writer is John Shield
A-S3 – according to

's Tyneside Songs and Readings of 1891, the writer is James Stawpert
A-S4 – according to

's Tyneside Songs and Readings of 1891, the writer is William Stephenson
A-S5 – according to

's Tyneside Songs and Readings of 1891, the writer is William Stephenson
A-T1 – according to

's Tyneside Songs and Readings of 1891, the writer is Thomas Thompson
F-G1 – according to Fordyce's Tyne Songster of 1840, the writer is John Gibson
F-G2 – according to Fordyce's Tyne Songster of 1840, the writer is

F-H1 – according to Fordyce's Tyne Songster of 1840, the writer is Phil Hodgson
F-M1 – according to Fordyce's Tyne Songster of 1840, the writer is William Mitford
F-O1 – according to Fordyce's Tyne Songster of 1840, the writer is William Oliver
F-P2 – according to Fordyce's Tyne Songster of 1840, the writer is Cecil Pitt
F-S2 – according to Fordyce's Tyne Songster of 1840, the writer is John Shield
F-W2 – according to Fordyce's Tyne Songster of 1840, the writer is Thomas Wilson
Fr-W1 – according to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

's Songs of the Bards of the Tyne – 1850, the writer is William Watson
Tune-A -The tune is not given in the book – but it has been added as attributed in Thomas Allan's Tyneside Songs and Readings of 1891
Tune-B -The tune is not given in the book – but it has been added as attributed in John Bell's Rhymes of Northern Bards 1812
Tune-BS -The tune is not given in the book – but it has been added as attributed in

Northumbrian Minstrelsy ''Northumbrian Minstrelsy'' is a book of 18th and 19th century North East of England folk songs and pipe music, intended to be a lasting historical record. The book was edited by John Stokoe and the Rev John Collingwood Bruce LL.D., F.S.A., and ...

of 1882 by

Bruce The English language name Bruce arrived in Scotland with the Normans, from the place name Brix, Manche in Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king Robert the Bruce (1274−1329), it has been a ...

and Stokoe
Tune-F -The tune is not given in the book – but it has been added as attributed in Fordyce's Tyne Songster of 1840
Tune-FA -The tune is not given in the book – but it has been added according to FARNE Folk archive resources North East
Tune-Fr -The tune is not given in the book – but it has been added as attributed in

's Songs of the Bards of the Tyne – 1850
Z-1 –

's Songs of the Bards of the Tyne – 1850, Fordyce's Tyne Songster of 1840 and

's Tyneside Songs and Readings of 1891 give the author as

John Morrison John Morrison or Morison may refer to: In politics * John Morrison (Manitoba politician) (1868–1930), politician in Manitoba, Canada * John Morrison (Saskatchewan politician) (1872–1950), Canadian Member of Parliament * John Morrison (intelli ...

, but in this book it is stated as James Morrison

References

External links

Farne archives – click on “Newcastle songster – Parts 1–6” and “Go”
{{DEFAULTSORT:Newcastle Songster by John Marshall English folk songs Songs related to Newcastle upon Tyne Northumbrian folklore Chapbooks

Details

The publication

Notes

See also

References

External links