Matthew C. James (1857 or 18581934) 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 publishe ...
marine draughtsman, naval architect and manager, who wrote songs and poems in the local
Geordie dialect as a side-line and as a hobby.
Working life
He started work at
Mitchell’s Shipyard at
Low Walker as an apprentice marine draughtsman. He moved jobs during the years following the completion of his apprenticeship, changing not only employers but also employment, taking posts with several companies including
Robert Stephenson and Company
Robert Stephenson and Company was a locomotive manufacturing company founded in 1823 in Forth Street, Newcastle upon Tyne in England. It was the first company in the world created specifically to build railway engines.
Famous early locomoti ...
. By 1892 he was naval architect and surveyor of the Prince Line, (became part of
Furness Withy & Co in 1916 and
Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) in 1980), responsible for the design of a large number of craft for the Shipping Line.
He remained with Prince Line until 1897 when he rose to the position of manager of the Mercantile Dry Dock at
Jarrow.
Music
Matthew C. James wrote numerous songs, many appearing in the local newspapers and periodicals, with some winning prizes. He often wrote under the semi-pseudonym of Matty C. James.
A book, ''
Sum Tyneside Sangs'' was published in 1898 by Andrew Reid & Co. Ltd, containing a selection of songs written by "Matty C. James", all in dialect and all of which had previously appeared in either the "Newcastle Weekly Chronicle"
or the "North of England Almanac", some having won the coveted first prize in their song competitions.
Works
The following are some of his works :-
* Aad Tynesidor's greeting - (An)
* Billy's bicycle
* Carliol Tower - (The)
* Chinee cheps - (Them)
* Clerk upon the Quay - (A)
* Gyetshed volunteers - (The)
* Merry Christmas - (A)
* Monday mornin'. A song for hard times
* Newcassel fishwives - (The)
* Oot iv a job
* Pit lad at the races - (The)
* Quay on Monday mornin' - (The)
* Stivvison centennery - (The)
* Wor Peg's trip te the play
See also
Geordie dialect words
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 ...
Thomas Allan
Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside Songs and Readings
References
External links
Farne archives click on" Sum Tyneside sangs" and "go"Mercantile Dry Dock at JarrowHistory of Low Walker shipyard CommunigateMercantile Dry Dock at JarrowAllan’s Illustrated Edition of Tyneside songs and readings
British naval architects
English male poets
People from Newcastle upon Tyne (district)
Musicians from Tyne and Wear
Geordie songwriters
1850s births
1934 deaths
Engineers from Tyne and Wear
{{Songwriter-stub