William Stephenson (senior)


William Stephenson was a watchmaker from Gateshead, schoolteacher, poet and songwriter, and father of William Stephenson (junior). His best known works are probably "The Quayside Shaver" and "The Skipper’s Wedding"

Early life

William Stephenson was born in Gateshead on 28 June 1763 and was one of the earliest of the Tyneside songwriters.
He became an apprentice with James Atkinson, clock and watchmaker, of Gateshead and continued working there afterwards until a severe accident disabled him. After a long time out of work, and a lengthy spell in the country to recuperate, he decided to change his trade. Being an educated man and something of a literary scholar, he opened a school on the Church Stairs, Gateshead and became a schoolmaster. In this he had great success and continued for the greater part of his life.
William Stephenson died in Gateshead on 12 August 1836, aged 73.

Works

These include :
In 1832 he collected his poems and songs, and published in a thin octavo volume of 112 pages, dedicated,, to the Rev. John Collinson, the then rector of Gateshead. The principal poem is entitled "The Retrospect" and introduces and deals with the eccentric and well known characters of Gateshead, as he knew it in his youth. This poem takes up almost one third of the book.