The Pitman's Revenge
The Pitman’s Revenge is a traditional Geordie folk song from around 1804, written in the Geordie dialect by George Cameron. It reflects the fear of Napoleon Bonaparte’s invasion of Britain and the country’s response, with volunteer regiments being formed to defend towns like Newcastle.
Cameron, who served as a sergeant in a Newcastle defense unit, wrote the song during this period and first performed it to his fellow soldiers. It seems to be his only known song. A 1872 edition of Allan’s Illustrated Edition of Tyneside Songs says that Cameron’s daughter recalled him performing it at a regiment meeting at the Three Indian Kings on the Quayside, after which a friend secretly had it published.
In the early 19th century, many cheap books printed songs without proper copyright or proofreading, so dialect spellings and wording vary a lot between editions. The Pitman’s Revenge was very popular and appeared in many versions with differences in spelling and phrasing. In 1891, Cameron’s grandson reported that the first printing by Bell missed a line and that the author’s name was sometimes printed as John Shield; these errors were corrected that year after about 70 years.
The song’s verses describe the pitmen’s readiness to defend their town and king against the French, with a recurring chorus between verses.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 10:42 (CET).