Noo, Cuddy Willy's deed an' gyen, Aw's sure ye'll a' be sorry; He was as hard as ony styen, An' a' ways was se merry. His creels he used te cowp se fast, Till he was nearly silly; But deeth hes tyun him off at last, Poor, harmless Cuddy Wily!
A fiddle Willy a'ways had, He used te play se bonny; For fiddlin' Willy was the lad- An' what was varry funny, A bit o' wood, tied up wi' twine, Was please a Sandgate filly, A tune he then wad play se fine, Wad cliver Cuddy Willy!
The blagaird lads upon the Kee, They used te treat him cruel: They'd trip him oot just for a spree, An' hurt me canny jewel. But, man alive! aw've seen him row! Till he was soft as jily, An' get up a' reet, upon my sowl! Wad bonny Cuddy Willy!
A crust o' breed, an' drink o' beer, If he cud oney get, man; An' if he gat ne better cheer, He nivver used te fret, man. A bite o' tripe, or bacon raw- Stuff that wad nearly kill'e He'd eat up crabs, an' shells, an'a' Wad bonny Cuddy Willy.
The fishwives a' poor Billy knew, They a' ca'd him thor pet, man; O' wilks they wad gie him a few, Or a share or two o' skyet, man. Poor Bill was nivver at a loss Te fill his hungry belly; He'd drink aud milk at Sandgate cross, Wad canny Cuddy Willy
In jail Will often used te be For sleepin' mang the cinders, Or bein' drunk upon the Kee, An' smashin' folks's winders; Or lyin' doon amang the durt Till he was ca'd an' chilly; But still he did the folks ne hurt.- Poor, canny Cuddy Willy!
But iverything cums tiv an end, An' so did bonny Will, man: Ne mair happy days he'll spend: He noo is lyin' still, man. He vivver did ne body harm, For a' he was se silly; The toon seems noo te want a charm Since it lost poor Cuddy Willy!
-Johsua I.Bagnall, Songs of the Tyne, 1850.
William Maclachlan, better known as "Cuddy Willy," was a well-known eccentric of Newcastle. For years he wandered the streets without hat or shoes, and in clothes of the scantiest and most tatterred description. He contrived to live by frequenting public-houses, and by playing his fiddle in the streets. His fiddle was a curiosity, made by himself: it was simply a flat piece of wood, on which he tied a few pieces of string. He was addicted to drink; and his death was caused by some parties most shamefuly, at a public-house, giving him brandy as long as he would drink it. The result was, he drank to such an excess that he died from the effects. His death took place September 27th, 1847.