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Description: | Love song on a member of the local Militia.The Militia was originally a force intended for home defence and was much older than the regular army. Men were both enlisted and volunteered into the Militia. Men could be selected by local ballot, and if chosen were obliged to serve in the regiment. However, most of the Militia came from the dregs of society. The most common reason for enlisting was unemployment and the soldiers were renowned for their drinking. The Militia were called on a number of occasions in Newcastle, usually during strikes or protest meetings.This song was written by Rowland Harrison and printed some time in the 1860s. Harrison was born in King William Street, Gateshead, on 23rd June 1841. From the age of 23 he found success as an author and comic singer, appearing at a number of music halls throughout the North East. Known for his talents at character portrayal, Harrison went on to manage the Geordy Black pub in Gateshead, the Commercial Hotel at Winlaton, and various music halls. It is not known when Rowland Harrison died but references in Allan's Tyneside songs indicate that he outlived Joe Wilson, Ned Corvan and other contemporaries by a number of years.'Chep on strike' forms part of a small song book issued by an unidentified publisher. It contains over 50 pages of local songs composed by Harrison, and contains an interesting illustration of the author as 'Geordy Black' in his famous song of the same name. The latest reference in the book dates its publication to around 1871. ; A collection of songs composed by Rowland Harrison. | Publisher: | unknown | Rights holder: | rights holder : Newcastle University | Subjects: | Army war/armed forces British & Militia & unemployment | Temporal: | start=1861;end=1900; | Source: | Folk Archive Resource North East | Identifier: | farne:B0300802 | Go to resource |
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