The Collier's Wedding, a Poem by Edward Chicken, printed by ...

Estimate

£200 - £300

The Collier's Wedding, a Poem by Edward Chicken, printed by J Marshall, Gateshead and Old Flea Market, Newcastle, undated 

Footnotes
CAIL'S ORIGINAL TRANSCRIPT OF THE COLLIER'S WEDDING: 'a candid and uncensorious narrative of the riotous courtship, marriage, and revels of a collier lad and his Jenny, adorned with description of local custom of such detail as to be regarded by local historians as a valuable source: 'Chicken's poem is a classic in accuracy and record' (Colls, [The Collier's Rant: Song and Culture in the Industrial Village, 1977,] 58). The poem has real quality in its vigorous and sharply focused narrative, unvarnished yet affectionate, and clearly based on direct experience. No date has been proved for this poem. Cail claims to have seen a manuscript dated 1729; this has not been traced (William R. Jones, ODNB). With this manuscript, we have at least Cail's transcript. It has few revisions in four places that suggest that Cail, rather than Chicken, tweaked the poem (such as substituting "rustic fellows" for "topper fellows", or "Brighter Charms" for "greater Charms"). But the statement that he secured the manuscript through the agency of Elizabeth Sheville lends it greater credibility, for she was the grand-daughter of Chicken's only sister (see Eneas Mackenzie, Historical Account of Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Including the Borough of Gateshead, 1827, pp. 342-357; see British History Online).