The Lancashire Dialect Writers' Memorial, Rochdale

The superb Lancashire Dialect Writers' Memorial in Bradfield Park, Rochdale, Greater Manchester has been the unfortunate subject of vandalism in the past, but I was delighted to see it now restored to its former glory. It was designed by Edward Sykes with the portrait medallions in bronze by John Cassidy, whom I've mentioned previously in relation to the former statue of Ben Brierley in Queen's Park.

 

 

'BORN ROCHDALE    EDWIN WAUGH    DIED NEW BRIGHTON

27 JANY 1870 "COME WHOAM TO THI CHILDREN AN ME." 30 APRIL 1850'

 

'IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF

OUR ROCHDALE WRITERS OF THE

LANCASHIRE DIALECT WHO HAVE PRESERVED

FOR OUR CHILDREN, IN VERSE AND PROSE

 THAT WILL NOT DIE, THE STRENGTH

AND TENDERNESS, THE GRAVITY AND

HUMOURS OF THE FOLK OF OUR DAY, IN

THE TONGUE AND TALK OF THE PEOPLE.

THIS MEMORIAL WAS ERECTED A.D. 1900'

 

'1908    HARVEY KERSHAW M.B.E.   1986

"A MUN WI' T' COMMON TOUCH"

 

 

'BORN MILNROW  JOHN TRAFFORD  DIED BOURNEMOUTH

22ND  JANY 1857  CLEGG   18TH MARCH 1895'

 

'SAY NOWT AGAIN FOLK BEHIND THEIR

BACKS, SUP NOWT STHRONGER NOR WOM

BREWED, AN NOANE TOO MICH O THAT

KEEP LOW THOUGHTS EAUT O THI MIND

BI FILLIN IT WI THINGS BRODE AN HEE

FESTIN THI E'EN ON TH SKY ITS AS YEZZY

TO LOOK UP AS DEAWN, AN IT MAKES

A VAST DIFFERENCE IN A MON.'

 

 

'BORN CARLOW  MARGARET REBECCA   DIED ROCHDALE

IRELAND. 10TH MAY 1831 LAHEE                       14TH JUNE 1895'

 

'WHEN WE LAY DEAUN LIFE'S SHUTTLE AN

STON BEFORE TH GREYT JUDGE HE'LL

WANT TO KNOW WHAT SOOART OF A PIECE

WE'N WOVVEN, AN HOW MONY FLOATS THERE'S

IN IT. HE WINNUT CARE ABEAWT EAWR

HEE SEAUNDIN NAMES AN WORLDLY

POSSESSIONS, HE'LL AX US HOW WE GEET

EM AN WHAT WE DID WI EM.'

 

 

'BORN ROCHDALE   OLIVER ORMEROD DIED ROCHDALE

                         21 JUNE 1811      1ST NOVR 1879'                 

 

'AW SED AWM O ROCHDE FELLEY

MON UN WE'RE METERLY FAUSE THEERE

AW'LL WARRUNT TE.'

'OLIS LET O MON DOO THAT UTS REETE

UN E'S SARTIN SHURE FUR TO KOOME

EAWT TH UT LAST OV O.'

 

Below are links to my other posts on Lancashire dialect writers:

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John Collier / Tim Bobbin in Rochdale
Ben Brierley in Failsworth and Harpurhey