Thomas Wilson (poet)

Thomas Wilson, poet and partner in Losh, Wilson and Bell

Thomas Wilson (1773–1858) was a Tyneside poet, from Low Fell in Gateshead. His most famous work, an example of Tyneside Dialect Literature, is The Pitman's Pay, originally published between 1826 and 1830.^[1]

Early life

Wilson, was born on 14 November 1773 at Low Fell, now a suburb of Gateshead into a very poor family.
Like many from the North East, he began his working life down the mines at one of the many local pits, starting as a trapper-boy at around the age of around 8 or 9 years old. He had the determination to better himself, and wanted to improve his life and so studied, educating himself to a high standard, before moving on to become a schoolmaster at an early age.

Later life

After a short stay in this job, he moved to a clerkship on Newcastle's Quayside.^[2]

In 1803, Wilson followed this with a move to join a Tyneside engineering company run by Mr John Losh.^[3] He became a partner in the company in 1807 and the partnership changed its name to Losh, Wilson and Bell, manufacturer of alkali and iron.^[4] (The company was one of the large employers in the area, a forerunner to the likes of the shipyards and Vickers Armstrong).

In 1826 the first part of his most famous song The Pitman's Pay (with a subtitle of Or, A night's Discharge to Care) was published in a Newcastle magazine. Subsequent parts appeared over the next two years.

Thomas Wilson never lost his love of the area, or its people, He moved to Fell House, a residence close to his birthplace, and spent the remainder of his long life there.

He went on to write many other songs and pieces of prose, mainly in the Geordie dialect, most of which were published by George Routledge & Sons of The Broadway, Ludgate, London.

One of his other best known and loved works was The Weshin’ Day, and his last was The Market Day written when he was over years old.

Wilson died on 9 May 1858 at the age of 85.

Works

• The Pitman's Pay
• Stanzas on the Intended New Line of Road from Potticar-Lane to Leyburn-Hole
• The Oiling of Dicky's Wig
• The Opening of the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway
• The Captain's and the Quayside
• A Keelman's Tribute to a Friend
• A Dirge on the Death of Coaly
• Joyce's Patent Stove
• The Humble Petition of the Sand Banks in the Tyne
• The Alderman's Lament
• The Pea-jacket
• The Movement
• A Glance at Polly Technic
• Lines on John Smith
• The Author's Arm-chair
• The Author's Favourite Dog, Pincher
• On Parting with a Favourite Mare
• A Character
• Charley the Newsmonger
• On Seeing a Mouse Run Across the Road in January
• Petition of an Apple-tree
• Answer to the Foregoing
• The Tippling Dominie
• The Washing-day (or The Weshin' Day)
• Woman
• David Profit
• Carter's Well
• The Industrious and Peaceable Pair
• The Village-howdy
• The Happy Home

Notes

There are plans to erect a Blue plaque in Gateshead to commemorate “Thomas Wilson (1774-1858) Poet, Teacher and Business Man”^[5]

References

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Author:Thomas Wilson

External links

• http://www.asaplive.com/archive/browse_by_collection.asp FARNE - Folk Archive Resource North East
• http://www.indigogroup.co.uk/durhamdialect/wilson1.html Online version of The Pitman's Pay
• The Bards of Newcastle</ref>
• Wor Geordie dialect – the songwriters</ref>