Temperance lecturers had visited Newcastle since the Beer Act of 1830 had led to a nationwide eruption of beer houses. In 1858 the North of England Temperance League was founded and gained massive support in the region. This is one of many songs published in the late nineteenth century on the benefits of being 'teetotal'. Joe Wilson, in particular, wrote a large number of songs for the Temperance Movement in the 1860s. The songs forms part of a collection held by Newcastle City Library. The collection comprises much of the original material collected by Thomas Allan for the publication of 'Allan's Tyneside songs'. From original Ned Corvan manuscripts to photographs of Joe Wilson, and correspondence from local figures such as Joseph Cowen, the collection provides a genuinely fascinating glimpse of some of the region's best known composers. The material dates from 1860 to 1890, spanning the dates of the various publications of the book in 1862, 1863, 1864, 1872, 1873 and 1891. |
