William Oliver (songwriter)

Oliver was born in The Side, near the Quayside in Newcastle upon Tyne. His father was a cheesemonger and had his own business.{{cite book |last1=Allan |first1=Thomas |last2=Allan |first2=George |title=Allan's illustrated edition of Tyneside songs and readings. With lives, portraits, and autographs of the writers, and notes on the songs |date=1891 |publisher=T & G Allan |location=Newcastle on Tyne |url=https://archive.org/details/allansillustrat00firgoog/page/232/mode/2up |access-date=19 August 2022}}

Oliver became a draper and hatter, working for a Mr.Bowes of The Bridge End, Gateshead, where he stayed there for many years. For a short time, he ran his own business as a hatter, but this was unsuccessful. He eventually left the business around 1830 and joined his brother Timothy working in his grocery shop situated at the corner of Cloth Market and High Bridge, and there he stayed until his death.{{cite news |title=Deaths |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000366/18481104/062/0008 |access-date=19 August 2022 |work=Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury |agency=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |date=4 November 1848 |page=8 col.3}}

File:Autograph of William Oliver songwriter (1b).JPG

Oliver was popular as both singer and songwriter in his time. His 1829 collection of songs{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/collectionofloca00oliv|title=A collection of local songs, poems, &c|first=William|last=Oliver|date=18 July 1829|publisher=Newcastle : Walker|accessdate=18 July 2020|via=Internet Archive}} was dedicated to Robert Bill, Mayor of Newcastle upon Tyne.

He was politically motivated, sympathized with the protestors for reforms, and was a keen supporter of the 1832 Reform Bill. Oliver was also a member of several of the reformist societies, such as Sons of Apollo, Stars of Friendship, and the Corinthian Society (that held its meetings at the Blue Posts, Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne).

William Oliver, like his brother Timothy, was unmarried. He died on 29 or 30 October 1848 aged 48, and was buried in Westgate Hill General Cemetery,{{Cite web |url=http://www.tynesidegravematters.com/page_westgatehill_generalcemetery.htm |title=Westgate Hill General Cemetery |access-date=13 February 2012 |archive-date=20 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120180453/http://www.tynesidegravematters.com/page_westgatehill_generalcemetery.htm |url-status=dead }} Arthur's Hill, Newcastle upon Tyne. The Newcastle Courant described him as "much respected".{{cite news |title=Deaths |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000085/18481103/010/0004 |access-date=19 August 2022 |work=Newcastle Courant |agency=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |date=3 November 1848 |page=4 col.3}}

His works include:

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• "The Bonassus" – the tale of a buffalo in a wild animal show; to the tune of "Jemmy Joneson's Whurry"
• "The Clock Face"{{spaced ndash}} to the tune "Bold Dragoon"
• "England Awake" – a political song
• "The Lament"{{spaced ndash}} to the tune "The Bold Dragoon"
• "The New Markets" – to the tune "Canny Newcassel"
• "Newcassel Props" – in which we remember the passing of local characters, with a small part dedicated to those still living; this is considered by many to be one of the best of the old Tyneside songs
• "Newcastle Hackney Coaches" – to the tune "The Bold Dragoon"
• "The Newcastle Millers" – about the great prize fight of October 1824 in which Jim Wallace defeated Tom Dunn for a purse of 40 sovereigns; to the tune "The Bold Dragoon"
• "Shields Chain Bridge"
• "Tim Tunbelly" – to the tune "Canny Newcassel"
• "To the Mechanics Institute of Newcastle upon Tyne"
• "Tom Carr and Waller Watson" (or "Tom and Jerry at Home") – to the tune "Bold Dragoon"

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• Geordie dialect words

{{Reflist}}

• {{Commons category-inline|William Oliver (songwriter)}}
• [https://archive.org/stream/allansillustrat00firgoog/allansillustrat00firgoog_djvu.txt Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside Songs and Readings &c.1891] (pp. 228–234: Section on William Oliver, including some of his lyrics)
• {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20160305175942/http://www.asaplive.com/archive/detail.asp?id=N1501202 Farne folk archives]}}
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=-MIUAAAAQAAJ&dq=Hydrophobie+%28or+the+skipper+and+the+Quaker&pg=PA64 Songs of the Tyne]

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Category:1800 births

Category:1848 deaths

Category:English male singer-songwriters

Category:English singer-songwriters

Category:Geordie songwriters

Category:Musicians from Newcastle upon Tyne

Category:People from Gateshead

Category:Musicians from Tyne and Wear

Category:Writers from Tyne and Wear

Category:19th-century composers

Category:19th-century English writers

Category:19th-century British poets

Category:19th-century British male singers

Category:19th-century English poets

Category:19th-century English musicians

Category:19th-century English male writers