Bernard Rumney

Bernard Rumney (ca. 1700–1790) was a bard and musician from Rothbury

Bernard Rumney was born around the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th century. He was born, bred, lived and died in Rothbury. He was known as the village poet and musician. He was one of the Churchwardens of the Parish in 1662, and his death is recorded in the Parish Register of 11 June 1690.

His initials “B. R. 1660" were cut on a large stone block, originally one of the jambs in the old ingle nook of the "Black Bull Inn." Rothbury, now long since demolished.(The Black Bull had been the venue of the magistrates monthly meeting, and also of the county court sessions). The stone was moved to the Newcastle House yard.

Rumney was the author of a peculiar and slightly humoorous little ballad entitled “Ecky's Mare", the full title of which was “An excellent ballad of the sickness, death, and burial, of Ecky’s Mare. Which was made and composed by the late ancient and famous Northern poet, Mr. Bernard Rumney, a musician, or country fiddler, who lived and died at Rothbury, being about one hundred years old at the time of his death”. The song appeared in Joseph Ritson's Northumberland Garland and John Bell's Rhymes of Northern Bards.