From: <http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/north_east_england_history_page/ NWdur-.htm#TOMMY%20ARMSTRONG>  TOMMY ARMSTRONG THE PITMAN POET OF TANFIELD LEA Tanfield Lea, a former mining village to the north of Beamish was the home of Thomas Armstrong (1848-1919), who was known as the `Pitman Poet' or the `Bard of the northern coalfield'. His songs, which were written in the Northumbrian style reflected life in the Durham coalfield at the turn of the century. They were primarily written to keep him in beer money. With fourteen children to support, Tommy's ability to write good folk songs proved invaluable, when he had them printed and sold around the local public houses at a penny a time. Armstrong's best known pieces include Wor Nanny's a Maizor, The Trimdon Grange Disaster, The Oakey Strike Evictions and Durham Gaol. The Oakey Strike Evictions are a reminder of a particularly nasty aspect of life in the Durham coalfiled in the last century; "It was in November and aw never will forget How the polisses and the candymen at Oakey Houses met Johnny the Bellman he was there squintin' roond aboot And he put three men at ivvery door te' torn the miners oot And what would a dee if aw had the power mesel' Aw would hang the twenty candymen and Johnny whe carries the bell" Despite poor and dangerous working conditions, low pay and long hours, the often tyranical coal owners of the last century would not hesitate to resort to such measures as eviction to deal with miners' strikes. The `candymen' employed by the coal owners to evict the miners were disreputable characters of the lowest order, brought in from the docksides of the large towns in the region. Described as "low, mean ragged fellows", the "yelling, shouting, and tinpanning together with the pitiful cries of children had no effect on these inhuman beings employed to do this work".

Thank you, Debbie, for your VERY interesting postings on noted Armstrongs. Helen ----- Original Message ----- From: "Debbie" <debra.street@verizon.net> To: <ARMSTRONG-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2002 1:19 PM Subject: [ARMSTRONG-L] Tommy Armstrong - Pitman Poet > From: > > <http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/north_east_england_history_page/ > NWdur-.htm#TOMMY%20ARMSTRONG> > > TOMMY ARMSTRONG THE PITMAN POET OF TANFIELD LEA > > Tanfield Lea, a former mining village to the north of Beamish was the > home of Thomas Armstrong (1848-1919), who was known as the `Pitman Poet' > or the `Bard of the northern coalfield'. His songs, which were written > in the Northumbrian style reflected life in the Durham coalfield at the > turn of the century. They were primarily written to keep him in beer > money. With fourteen children to support, Tommy's ability to write good > folk songs proved invaluable, when he had them printed and sold around > the local public houses at a penny a time. Armstrong's best known pieces > include Wor Nanny's a Maizor, The Trimdon Grange Disaster, The Oakey > Strike Evictions and Durham Gaol. The Oakey Strike Evictions are a > reminder of a particularly nasty aspect of life in the Durham coalfiled > in the last century; > > "It was in November and aw never will forget > > How the polisses and the candymen at Oakey Houses met > > Johnny the Bellman he was there squintin' roond aboot > > And he put three men at ivvery door te' torn the miners oot > > And what would a dee if aw had the power mesel' > > Aw would hang the twenty candymen and Johnny whe carries the bell" > > > > Despite poor and dangerous working conditions, low pay and long hours, > the often tyranical coal owners of the last century would not hesitate > to resort to such measures as eviction to deal with miners' strikes. > The `candymen' employed by the coal owners to evict the miners were > disreputable characters of the lowest order, brought in from the > docksides of the large towns in the region. Described as "low, mean > ragged fellows", the "yelling, shouting, and tinpanning together with > the pitiful cries of children had no effect on these inhuman beings > employed to do this work". > > > >