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Description: | Song on the trial of local colliery owners.This is one of a number of songs printed in support of Newcastle's keelmen. The song refers to a trial held at York Assizes regarding the erection of staithes on the River Tyne. On the 11th August, 1824, the keelmen of Newcastle brought charges against northern colliery owners, claiming that the staithes injured the navigation of the river. After several hours of cross-examinations (interestingly the accompanying account of the trial sites John Bell as a witness at the proceedings), it emerged that the staithes had been erected upwards of 20 years, during which time trade on the Tyne had more than doubled. Needless-to-say the jury did not find in favour of the keelmen.The trial was part of a much larger struggle that had been fought by keelmen on Tyneside for a number of years. Following the erection of the staithes and the increased use by coal-shippers of mechanical spouts to load the keels, by the early nineteenth century the keelmen found that their work levels had decreased dramatically. The keelmen made repeated attempts to destroy the spouts, the situation becoming so bad in 1822 that the civil authorities were forced to call in the military. Major strikes (sticks) were held by the keelmen in 1809, 1819 and 1822 calling for the maintenance of work levels and increased wages. Sadly these were to no avail.The keelmen fought a long losing battle with the spouts, but by the end of the nineteenth century, having failed to compete with the technology of the day, finally died out.This song is part of the John Bell Collection. ; A collection of broadsheets on various subjects, with accompanying press cuttings and manuscript notes in the hand of John Bell. | Publisher: | T. Blagburn Old Flesh Market, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear | Rights holder: | rights holder : Newcastle University | Subjects: | industry and occupation & law and order keelmen & strikes & trials & law & protest | Temporal: | start=1801;end=1840; | Source: | Folk Archive Resource North East | Identifier: | farne:N0128801 | Go to resource |
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