Story
William Mitford 1788-1851.
The Tyneside Songster
Written and researched by Darlene Lambert, Stories of the Stones group volunteer.
Introduction
William Mitford was born in North Shields in 1788 and was a writer of popular Geordie folk songs. His parents died when he was young and his uncle brought him to Newcastle where he became a shoemaker’s apprentice working on Dean Street. He then moved on to the licensing trade and ran his own pub, the North Pole, (now called North Terrace), which was near to Spital Tongues Colliery. William would entertain and perform there, singing his own songs for his customers including a favourite, Cappy The Pit Man’s Dog.
The first record of his songs being published was in the budget chapbook Newcastle Songster series in 1816. These books were produced by John Marshall who, as well being the librarian at the Lit and Phil in Newcastle, was a printer and bookseller, committed to making sure politics and ideas were accessible to the working classes of the city. These were cheap books, written in Geordie dialect and sold for a penny. They were very popular and produced in bulk and reflected on popular tastes and news stories of the day.
Mitford wrote an early protest song. When Richard Grainger the architect set out his redevelopment ideas for the town centre, William put his concerns down in a song, The New Fish Market :
Where’s the wee shop that once held Jack the barber?
Gone to make way for the fish brought from the harbour.
He wrote other political songs, including Picture of Newcastle, which refers to a meeting on 19th October 1819 on the Town Moor to protest the Peterloo massacre in Manchester. Mitford’s song The Pitman’s Courtship is generally considered to be one of the region’s finest ‘traditional’ songs and one of only a handful of Tyneside songs to be appreciated outside the region in its day.
Mitford was also a great performer, getting his audience involved, inviting people to join in and clap along. He played the part of the bishop in The Coronation, performed by the Cordwainer’s (shoemakers) Company of Newcastle on 29th June 1823 at the Freeman Hospital in Westgate on the festival of St Crispin – the patron saint of tanners and leather workers. He wrote hundreds of songs during his lifetime. He moved from the pub in Spital Tongues around 1834 to the Tailors Arms near the Quayside, where he would entertain a slightly more diverse audience.
When Mitford retired, he moved to Oystershell Lane near Bath Lane and he died aged 63 on 3rd March 1851. He is buried at Westgate Hill Cemetery.
A Moment in Time Performing at The Cordwainer’s Hall on Nelson street.
An audience with William Mitford, the 19th Century songster.
Introduction to William Mitford, with his fine eccentric swagger charisma and charming manner
He proudly approaches his well polished podium, well worn, but still very sturdy.
With his fine clothes and leather shoes, he presents very well.
Hair groomed and clean shaven ready to sing to all the young maidens.
He is the Greatest Showman of these times.
Clearly confident and bold, he’s loud and proud that is what I’ve been told.
With a good strong voice singing in tune, with the geordie twang we all know,
get your chapstick books ready, you can buy them for less than a penny.
For where does he go when he sings like a bird,
up in the clouds Tally ho Tally ho.
Hitting every single note Tally ho Tally ho.
Come to see a local hero, singing local songs,
of local events happening in the Grainger Market
and about changing times in Newcastle.
Arrive early the night is young,
for all the locals to have some fun.
Have yourself a pint of beer,
sing from your chapstick book to bring some good cheer.
It’s free to get in, there are plenty of seats,
come to see William Mitford it will be a treat,
for the greatest songster will do a meet and greet…
See you there.
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