Thomas Whittle (1683–1736) was a

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 ...

, England, poet/songwriter, artist and eccentric spanning the late 17th to early 18th centuries.

Early life

Thomas Whittle appeared at Cambo around 1700 riding on an old goat. It was suggested by Thomas Allan in his book ''

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 ...

'' that he could have been born at Long Edlingham,

Ovingham Ovingham is a civil parish and village in the Tyne Valley of south Northumberland, England. It lies on the River Tyne east of Hexham with neighbours Prudhoe, Ovington, Wylam and Stocksfield. The River Tyne provided an obstacle between Ovi ...

Shilbottle Shilbottle is a village in Northumberland, north-east England, south-east of Alnwick, and from the coast at Alnmouth, close to the A1 road (Great Britain), A1. History Coal mining began in the district around 1728; by the end of the 18th cent ...

, and that his brother was the parish clerk at

Earsdon Earsdon is a village in the borough of North Tyneside in the county of Tyne and Wear, England. It sits on the border of Northumberland, which it is historically part of, and is approximately two miles from Whitley Bay. The village had a populati ...

in 1750. In fact, his name may have been originally spelt "Whittel". It has been suggested that he was christened at

Kirkwhelpington Kirkwhelpington is a village and civil parish in the English county of Northumberland about northeast of Hexham. It is on the River Wansbeck alongside the A696 trunk road between Otterburn and Ponteland. History Kirkwhelpington has mediev ...

on 10 September 1683. He was employed by an old miller, for whom he worked for years. He became, according to

William Brockie William Brockie (1811–1890) was a 19th-century Scottish born writer, newspaper editor, poet and songwriter who lived for many years in City of Sunderland, Sunderland. Life William Brockie, at the time of his death was one of the oldest journ ...

quoting from ''Mackenzie's Northumberland'' (published 1825), and

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

'', a disciple of "Bacchus", the Greek god of wine (Roman = Dionysus) and remained so for the rest of his life.

Later life

He died in East Shaftoe (near

Killingworth Killingworth, formerly Killingworth Township, is a town in North Tyneside, England. Killingworth was built as a planned town in the 1960s, next to Killingworth Village, which existed for centuries before the Township. Other nearby towns and ...

) on 19 April 1736, and was buried at Hartburn.

Legacy

He was a talented, versatile artist and some relics of his workmanship were to be seen at

Belsay Castle Belsay Castle is a 14th-century medieval castle situated at Belsay, Northumberland, England. It is a Scheduled Monument and a Grade I listed building. The main structure, a substantial three-storey rectangular pele tower with rounded turrets a ...

, Hartburn,

Ponteland Ponteland ( ) is a large village and civil parish in Northumberland, England, north of Newcastle upon Tyne. The name means "island in the Pont", after the River Pont which flows from west to east and joins the River Blyth further downstream, be ...

, and other churches in

Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...

. In addition, his poems and songs were popular, particularly among the rural inhabitants of

Works

* The Insipids - or The Mistress with her Multitude of Man Servants appears in Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside Songs and Readings. * Little Moody, Razor-setter appears in both Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside Songs and Readings and is called "His Humorous Letter To Master Moody, the Razor-Setter" in Bell's Rhymes of Northern Bards 1812 * The Midford Galloway's Ramble appears in Bell's Rhymes of Northern Bards 1812 * Sawney Ogilby's Duel with his Wife appears in both Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside Songs and Readings and Bell's Rhymes of Northern Bards 1812 * Short biography appears in both Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside Songs and Readings and Bell's Rhymes of Northern Bards 1812 * Song - On William Carstairs, Schoolmaster – a song to a contemporary and sometime friend appears in both Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside Songs and Readings and Bell's Rhymes of Northern Bards 1812 * An edition of his poetical works was published in 1815 by another poetry lover, long after his death, and which resulted in a short revival of his popularity.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whittle, Thomas English male poets English male songwriters English artists People from Newcastle upon Tyne (district) Musicians from Tyne and Wear 1736 deaths 1683 births Geordie songwriters

Early life

Later life

Legacy

Works

See also

References