William Dunbar (songwriter)

William Dunbar (1852 (or 1853) – 1874) was a prolific Gateshead songwriting collier who died prematurely at the age of only 21.

Life

William Dunbar was born in 1852 (or 1853) at Wardley Colliery, near Gateshead.[1]

He started work as an apprentice to a Mr Romanis, a Gateshead painter and glazier, but had a restless nature and in a very short time changed trade to work as a cartwright or wainwright, working in Felling and then, for the rest of his short life, as a coal miner working in the coal pits.

Even here he was restless and took to various forms of art to break the monotony. He was already writing songs, many very humorous and topical, and added singing to his repertoire. He took to appearing in various local concerts, and although not a very good singer, his performance and his materials were always appreciated by the audience.

He was also a talented artist, and using water colours and pencil, produced some more than acceptable works of art, but none appear to have survived.

But song writing became his first love. He wrote numerous songs which appeared in John W Chater's "Keelmin's comic annewal", entered many into the various competitions run by John W Chater and others, winning many prizes and medals. He also produced a book of over 40 pages (published by Stevenson and Dryden of Newcastle) containing his own songs, mostly songs which had been previously included in John W Chater's books, periodicals and chapbooks and which appeared in print in 1874, after his death.

His output was prolific, as though he had a premonition of his early death. He died on 23 February 1874 at the age of only 21. After his death many tributes appeared in several of John W Chater's publications.[2]

Works

These include :-

See also

Geordie dialect words
Dunbar's local songs and recitations 1874
Thomas Allan
Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside Songs and Readings
John W Chater
Chater's Canny Newcassel Diary and Remembrancer 1872

References

  1. "Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside songs and readings".
  2. Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside songs and readings with lives, portraits and autographs of the writers, and notes on the songs. Revised Edition. Thomas & Gorge Allan, 18 Blackett Street, and 34 Collingwood Street, (Newcastle upon Tyne) – Sold by W. Allan, 80 Grainqer Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, B. Allan, North Shields and Walter Scott. London. 1891.
  3. "Farne archives Best way to feel for a man".
  4. "Farne archives Billy Baker".
  5. "Farne archives Comic medley".
  6. "Farne archives Deeth o' Jimmy Renforth".
  7. "Farne archives Doing all things for the best".
  8. "Farne archives Don't take offence".
  9. "Farne archives Forester's song".
  10. "Farne archives Geordy's pay".
  11. "Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside songs page 511 – Geordy's Pay".
  12. "Farne archives If ivvor aw cease te speak".
  13. "Farne archives Imitation".
  14. "Farne archives Joe the barber's boy".
  15. "Farne archives Joseph Arch".
  16. "Farne archives Maw bonny Bess".
  17. "Farne archives My A B C".
  18. "Farne archives North Durham election, 1874".
  19. "Farne archives Nothing venture, nothing win".
  20. "Farne archives * Nowt se Queer as Foaks".
  21. "Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside songs page 512 – Nowt se Queer as Foaks".
  22. "Farne archives Playing the troon".
  23. "Farne archives Pull that wins the day".
  24. "Farne archives Robin Ramsay".
  25. "Farne archives She greets me wiv a smile".
  26. "Farne archives The shiftin'".
  27. "Farne archives The Wardley Band".
  28. "Farne archives We hevvent lang te be sober noo".
  29. "Farne archives The Wellesley lads".
  30. "Farne archives We're seldom what we shud be".
  31. "Farne archives Woman charmin' woman O".
  32. "Farne archives Would you like to see".

External links

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