Name William Armstrong | ||
William “Willie” Armstrong (1804-????) was a Newcastle upon Tyne concert hall song writer and performer of the 19th century. His most famous song is probably The Newcassel Worthies.
Contents
His life
William Armstrong was born c1804 in Painter Heugh (or Hugh), (which was an old lane dating from medieval Newcastle, a lane joining lower part of Dean Street to the higher part of Pilgrim Street), the name possibly derived from the fact that ships tied up here in the tidal parts of the Lort Burn (now filled).
His father was a shoemaker owning a business in Dean Street.
William himself was apprenticed to a Mr Wardle, a painter of White Cross (the site of a previous market cross dating from 400–500 years previous) in Newgate Street.
After his apprenticeship he worked as a journeyman. (It is not known whether he actual achieved the degree of “master” in his trade).
He was admired as the singer ”Willie Armstrong” as well as being appreciated as a songwriter, and was known as a performer who enjoyed singing his own songs.
He moved to London c1833-34 after which, very little is known of him or his life.
Works
Many of his songs were of the times, of the Colliers and the Keelboatmen, or humorous occurrences.
Taken as a whole, the collection of songs become a social history of the times as well as a feast of dialect materials
Some of the publications containing his works are :
The following is a list of just some of his songs :-