Richard Watson was known as the ‘Bard of Teesdale’, famous in the 19th century for his many poems honoring the beauty and culture of Teesdale in northeastern England.
Born in the town of Middleton, from youth Watson felt solidarity with his fellow man working in the region. Watson began work in the mines while still a child; he was just ten years old when his father tragically died following a period of illness. Richard spent much of his life in poverty, but was helped along by his poems, which he wrote and recited at public meetings for many years. It wasn’t until he was well into maturity that this anthology was published; by then, he had become somewhat of a local celebrity, celebrated for chronicling life in Teesdale.
Some of the poems are written as conversations in the local northeast England dialect, recreating the local’s pronunciation of words. Others celebrate the natural beauty of the area, speaking of the rolling fields, streams and wooded areas with beauty and affection. Still others describe hunting and other adventurous capers, or muse nostalgically about life in rural England. Tragically, Richard’s life was cut short at the age of fifty-eight after he suffered a fatal injury at work.
