Chater's Annual was a book, published annually, between (at least) 1861 and 1882 by John W. Chater. It contained a mixture of songs, poems, humorous tales, jokes, conundrums, tongue twisters and other items of frivolity.[1]

Chater's Annual for (followed by the actual year)
AuthorJohn W. Chater
LanguageEnglish, many in (Geordie dialect)
Genreannual – book
PublisherJohn W. Chater
Publication date
between (at least) 1861 and 1882
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Media typePrint
Pagesvaries but generally over 50 pages

The full title of the book[2] was "Chater's Annual for (here was the year e.g. 1878) containing – Mirth for Midsummer, Merriment for Michaelmas, Cheerfulness for Christmas, and Laughter for Lady-Day, forming a collection of Parlour Poetry and Drawing Room Drollery, suitable for all seasons; And supplying Smiles for Summer, Amusement for Autumn, Wit for Winter, and Sprightliness for Spring. Illustrated by J. L. Marcke, Newcastle-upon-Tyne J. W. Chater, stationers, 89 Clayton Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Entered at Stationers Hall"

A copy of most years books are now held at Beamish Museum

The publication

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The front cover of the issue for 1878 (most others were virtually identical) was as thus :-

CHATER'S ANNUAL
FOR 1878
CONTAINING --
Mirth for Midsummer, Merriment for Michaelmass, Cheerfulness for Christmas,
and Laughter for Lady-Day,
FORMING A COLLECTION OF
Parlour Poetry and Drawing Room Drollery,
SUITABL;E FOR ALL SEASONS;
And supplying Smiles for Summer, Amusement for Autumn, Wit for Winter,
and Sprightliness for Spring.
ILLUSTRATED BY J. L. MARCKE
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
J. W. CHATER, STATIONERS, 89 CLAYTON STREET.
ENTERED AT STATIONERS HALL
– – – – – – – -
THE SEVENTEENTH YEAR OF PUBLICATION

The cost of the publication was sixpence

Contents

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The contents cover many topics, mainly written in the Geordie dialect, often very broad. You will note that the limerick and tongue twister are slightly dated!

Below is a small sample of the type of items these annuals contained :-

Songs

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  • Bit o' rettify, to the tune of Nae gud luck (1877 annual)[3]
  • Blyth and Tyne – (Th'), to the tune of Aw'll meet ye i' th' l'yen (1879 annual)[4]
  • Brig that leads te Bensham, to the tune of X. Y. Z. (1878 annual)[5]
  • Cheer up Sall, to the tune of Cheer up Sam (1877 annual)[6]
  • D. T., to the tune of Nelly Gray (1877 annual)[7]
  • Droppers in, to the tune of Jeanette and Jeano (1877 annual)[8]
  • Fishwife's dilemma. As sung by Rowley Harrison at the New Tyne Concert, in the pantomime of 'Cyprus' to the tune of The Sunny side of life – author Joseph McGill (1879 annual)[9]
  • Five shillings and costs, to the tune of (1882 annual)[10]
  • Geordy's pay, to the tune of Bawbary Bell (1879 annual)[11] see notes A-D1 & Tune-A (tune should be spelt as Barbara Bell)
  • Greetest want iv aal – (The), to the tune of (1882 annual)[12]
  • Happy Land O' Lazy – (The), to the tune of Land of Erin (1878 annual)
  • Hidden whisky – author Marshall Cresswell (1882 annual)
  • Him an' Me (1879 annual)
  • Jimmy Diddler (1879 annual)
  • Kitty's a kittlor, to the tune of Lass dissent care tuppence for ye (1878 annual)[13]
  • Lass of Annitsford – (The) (1877 annual) see note MC-C1
  • Lotree – (Th') or Upside Doon (1879 annual)
  • Mary Jane o' Stella, to the tune of Lass o' Gowrie (1877 annual)[14]
  • Mother's lektor or B canny wi' the shuggar – author Alexander Hay (1882 annual)[15]
  • Odd man oot an' raffil, to the tune of Newcassel races (1878 annual)[16]
  • Peedees of awd, to the tune of Bonnie Dundee (1878 annual)[17]
  • Poor Uncle John (1878 annual)
  • Ride on the Swing Bridge – (A), to the tune of (1882 annual)[18]
  • Sall's Dilemmor, to the tune of Why don't the men propose (1877 annual)[19]
  • Slaley traykil bubble, to the tune of Happy land o' Canaan (1877 annual)[20]
  • What mun he be, to the tune of Villikins (1877 annual)[21]
  • What will poor fokes de?, to the tune of The Wahin' Day (1879 annual)[22]
  • When t'yuth's wark's bad, to the tune of Plaidee awa (1877 annual)[23]
  • Wor canny toon (1879 annual)[24]
  • Wor koit club, to the tune of ? (1878 annual)[25]
  • Wor river, to the tune of (1882 annual)[26]

Poems

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  • Bella Walker's Advice tiv hor dowter, a poem (1877 annual) see note MC-C1
  • Blaydon Burn, a poem (1882 annual)
  • Dogs Not Admitted, a poem (1882 annual)
  • Getting' used te Nursin', a poem (1877 annual)
  • Sheeps Heed Broth, a poem (1879 annual)

Tales

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  • Jacky's Raffil, a story (1878 annual)
  • On the Quayside (a conversation about the New Fish Market), a story (1882 annual)
  • Two Measures (The), a story (1878 annual)

Example of a limerick

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  • Thor was an awd cobbler at Walker,
  • Had for wife a greet shrew an' high tawker,
  • An' he did a gud job,
  • when he stich'd up the gob,
  • O' this randy awd hussey at Walker (1877 annual)

Example of a tongue twister

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  • Round the rocks the ragged rascal roams his rugged road (1882 annual)

Notes

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A-D1 – according to Thomas Allan's Tyneside Songs and Readings of 1891, the writer is George Cameron
MC-C1 – according to Cresswell's Local and other Songs and Recitations 1883, the writer is Marshall Cresswell
Tune-A -The tune is not given in the book – but it has been added as attributed in Thomas Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside Songs and Readings

See also

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Geordie dialect words
John W. Chater
Chater's Canny Newcassel Diary and Remembrancer 1872
Chater's Keelmin's Comic Annewal – a yearbook published between 1869 and 1883

References

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  1. ^ "Farne Archives – select "Chater's annuals (1877–1879; 1882)"". Archived from the original on 6 February 2010.
  2. ^ compilation by various writers (1861–1882). Chater's Annual. 89 Clayton Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne: J. W. Chater.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  3. ^ "Farne archives – Bit o' rettify". Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  4. ^ "Farne archives – Blyth and Tyne – (Th')". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  5. ^ "Farne archives – Brig that leads te Bensham". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  6. ^ "Farne archives – Cheer up Sall". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  7. ^ "Farne archives – D. T." Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  8. ^ "Farne archives – Droppers in". Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  9. ^ "Farne archives – Fishwife's dilemma". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  10. ^ "Farne archives – Five shillings and costs". Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  11. ^ "Farne archives – Geordy's pay". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  12. ^ "Farne archives – Greetest want iv aal – (The)". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  13. ^ "Farne archives – Kitty's a kittlor". Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  14. ^ "Farne archives – Mary Jane o' Stella". Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  15. ^ "Farne archives – Mother's lektor". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  16. ^ "Farne archives – Odd man oot an' raffil". Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  17. ^ "Farne archives – Peedees of awd". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  18. ^ "Farne archives – Ride on the Swing Bridge – (A)". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  19. ^ "Farne archives – Sall's Dilemmor". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  20. ^ "Farne archives – Slaley traykil bubble". Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  21. ^ "Farne archives – What mun he be". Archived from the original on 18 January 2013.
  22. ^ "Farne archives – What will poor fokes de?". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  23. ^ "Farne archives – When t'yuth's wark's bad". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  24. ^ "Farne archives – Wor canny toon". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  25. ^ "Farne archives – Wor koit club". Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  26. ^ "Farne archives – Wor river". Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
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