The Newburn Smugglers

Newburn (upon Tyne) is situated on the banks of the River Tyne in North East England, and was once a larger settlement than Newcastle upon Tyne of which it is now a district. To the east of Newburn lies the village of Denton, where in 1657 Lancelot Errington was born to Gilbert Errington and Margaret Babington. There begins our story.

The Erringtons were a respected family, and reasonably wealthy. Lancelot himself became a trader, bringing goods from Europe and no doubt returning with a full ship of North Eastern goods. Hand in hand with most legitimate trade went more profitable illegitimate trade. His ship “Mary” was known in these parts as a source of armaments and moonshine and Lancelot became a Jacobite sympathiser and activist.

In October 1715, at the age of 58, he and his nephew Mark hatched a plot to capture Lindisfarne Castle for the Jacobite cause. He knew the Master Gunner at the castle, who was once his barber, so his approaches on the castle were unlikely to have been regarded with suspicion. Several versions of the story emanate from this point, and three of them are told in my latest release “The Newburn Smugglers” EP, now available HERE 

The EP comprises three songs all about the same attempt to take the castle for the Jacobites. Like their insurrection, the Errington’s plot failed, and the story is frankly ridiculous and at times Pythonesque.

I was introduced to the Erringtons’ story by a local illustrator who in late February asked me to write and then perform a song about the incident on 27th March. One song led to the three on the EP. These songs are a departure from my usual miserable fayre, and mark a return to the writing style I used for Moorscape ten years ago.

Enjoy the EP, and let me know what you think.

Peace.

John