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Description: | Election song in support of Thomas Burt, the M.P. for Morpeth. Burt was the son of Peter Burt, a coal miner from Earsdon. He commenced work in the pits at an early age and in 1865 was made Secretary to the Northumberland Miner's Mutual Association, a trade union consisting of 18,000 members. Thomas Burt was understandably popular in a county dominated by the coal industry and was returned to Parliament in 1874, 1880, 1885 and 1886. This song refers to the 1874 election when Burt was challenged for representation of the county by Major Francis Duncan.This song forms part of a selection of songs by local pitman Marshall Creswell. The book was published in Newcastle in 1883 by J.W. Chater. Many of the songs deal with the topics of the day such as 'The Grainger Monnymint', 'The North Durham election', whilst others such as 'A modest appeal', touch on working and domestic life. Interestingly the collection also contains a number of songs relating to sea voyages, undoubtedly inspired by the pitman's journey to Borneo. All of the songs in this collection are written in local dialect.The author, Marshall Cresswell, was born on the 18th January, 1833, in the village of Fawdon Square. After a brief education Marshall was sent to work in the pits at the age of nine years old. Following appointments at numerous pits in Northumberland and County Durham the author learned of a local coal owner, William Coulson, who required three men to go to Borneo as sinkers. Jumping at the opportunity Cresswell set sail and proceeded to encounter ship wrecks, storms and dangerous natives, an account of which is given in this collection. Marshall Cresswell returned from his voyages and commenced work in the pits, writing various songs and recitations for print, chiefly in Chater's publications. ; A collection of songs by local pitman Marshall Creswell. | Publisher: | J.W. Chater Grainger Street ; Newcastle upon Tyne | Rights holder: | rights holder : Border History Museum | Subjects: | Political elections & politics | Temporal: | start=1861;end=1900; | Source: | Folk Archive Resource North East | Identifier: | farne:B0206302 | Go to resource |
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