03 Apr 00 - 08:25 AM (#205977) Subject: The Sooth Medomsley Strike From: Conrad Bladey (Peasant- Inactive) The Sooth Medomsley Strike If you're inclined to hear a song, aa'll sing a verse o two Chorus Below the county average then the men was ten per cent, Fisick was detarmined still for tyranny to show; commander Postick gave the word an' they started with their work. -Tommy Armstrong |
03 Apr 00 - 08:38 AM (#205981) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sooth Medomsley Strike From: canoer Dear Conrad, Greetings from Detroit --
I enjoy your postings of bits of working-class history. One term I never saw before is "candymen." It is also in the "Oakey Strike Evictions" referring to a gang that went with the sheriff to throw the evicted workers' goods into the street.
Could you explain this term to me? Thanks -- Larry C. |
03 Apr 00 - 12:20 PM (#206065) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sooth Medomsley Strike From: Conrad Bladey (Peasant- Inactive) dont know the origins but they were the most hated group in the community as they assisted with evictions. Will look it up in my geordie dictionaries and see if there is more. Conrad |
03 Apr 00 - 12:23 PM (#206068) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sooth Medomsley Strike From: Conrad Bladey (Peasant- Inactive) CANDYMAN. A bum bailiff. The man who serves notice of ejectment. The word is almost always used as a term of abuse or contempt. The reason for this is the way these men were regularly used during mining strikes. Pitmen lived in "tied" houses and if they went on strike the coal owners usually evicted them. To do so many bailiffs were needed. They were recruited from the scum of the towns and many street vendors were among those so employed. Some of the street traders sold sticks of candy, their street cry being Dandy-candy, three sticks a penny. So all bum bailiffs were contemptuously described as candymen. |
03 Apr 00 - 01:17 PM (#206086) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sooth Medomsley Strike From: canoer Thanks a lot! I had thought perhaps they were strikebreakers. I see they could be used that way but the bailiff is the primary origin. Appreciate your work looking that up! :-) |
03 Apr 00 - 02:19 PM (#206102) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sooth Medomsley Strike From: katlaughing That was my question, too, Canoer. Thanks, Conrad, my dad will be interested in these, having grown up in an area of mines and strikes, etc. in Colorado. kat |
03 Apr 00 - 02:34 PM (#206110) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sooth Medomsley Strike From: canoer Hi kat, that wouldn't be Colorado, as in Ludlow, Colorado, would it? Or maybe _his_ father? Famous place to some of us! |