Lyr Add: Cuddy Willy's Deeth

Subject: Lyr Add: Cuddy Willy's Deeth
From: *#1 PEASANT*
Date: 22 Jun 04 - 02:19 PM

Cuddy Willy's Deeth

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.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Cuddy Willy's Deeth
From: Little Robyn
Date: 22 Jun 04 - 03:57 PM

Is this related to The Death of Blind Willie that Tom McConville sings? This one would fit to Tom's tune.
There was a thread on Blind Willie earlier this year.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Cuddy Willy's Deeth
From: *#1 PEASANT*
Date: 23 Jun 04 - 09:27 AM

Not the same.
To the best of my knowledge Blind Willie (William Purvis) was never called Cuddy Willy.
Blind Willy was a real person...
Here is a brief Biography-
(http://www.geocities.com/matalzi/eccentrics.html#Blind)
More real Newcastle Personalities Here:
To the Newcastle Eccentrics Page



Was always hatless. Son of John Purvis a waterman bron Newcastle
baptised All Saints' Church, Feb 16,1752. Blind from birth. "Drifting to
music gave him his living..." Rarely performed but rather played in the
public house. fiddler and singer. Favorite song- Buy Broom Busoms which
it is said he may have composed but this is disputed. Favorite stops-
Messrs Clapham and Gilpin's chemist's ship (Silver St. later Pilgrim Street).
There he obtained Spanish juice. He would cry- "Hinny, doctor, gie
us a bit o' Spanish!". "God blish the king- God blish the King; never
sheed him-never sheed him;poor shoul-poor shoul!" was his cry of thanks.
Mother= Margaret Purvis died All Saints' poor-house at age 100. Willie
died there July 20 1832 at age 81.
The Monthly Chronicle, Vol. ii describes him as he entered a public house: "Wit the instinct peculiar to blind people Willie made his way instantly to us.
We rose at once, and handed him a chair. Willie's dress was generally grey, and
he wore buckles, like our keelmen of old. He always went without a hat,
and groped his way about wonderfully.
As soon as Willie got seated he said, "Bonny beer, bonny beer." We took the
hint and at once ordered a pint of beer to be brought to him. Willie went on " God
blish the king--God blish the king; never sheed him-never sheed him; poor shoul-
poor shoul!" Willie we said after he had taken a good draught of the beer-
Willie, we once heard you sing a little song. Will you kindly repeat it?
"Shartinly, shartinly, ma chewel."
Billy puts down the fiddle and accompanies a sort of chorus by clapping his knees with both hands-- For to make the haggish nishe
They put in some brown spishe.
Tarum tickle, tan dum,
to the tune o' tan dum,
Tarum tickle, tan dum. And to make the haggish fine
They put in a bottle of wine.
Tarum tickle, tan dum,
To the tune o' tan dum,
Tarum tickle, tarum tickle tan dum. Ha, ha, ha, ha,ha, chuckles Billy when he had finished, poor shoul, poor shoul!"
Acrostic

On the Death of a celebrated eccentric Character of Newcastle Upon Tyne Blithe Minstrel of the banks of Tyne,
Lo! o'er thy bier, for aud langsyne,
In Silent groups, each rolling year,
Northumbira's sons will drop a tear!
Death cut thee down--the tyrant scream'd,
When thy bright spirit o'er him beam'd!
In vengeful moot he view'd his claim,
Lost in the triumph of thy name.--
Let Tyne's fam'd sons proclaim afar--
You shall outlive the morning Star!
William Purvis, more generally known by the name of Blind Willy, died on Friday the
20th July, 1832
Aged 80 years. R. Emery-In - In: The Newcastle Song Book or Tyne-Side Songster., W&T Fordyce
Newcastle Upon Tyne.