Did your Tyneside Ancestor Write A WW1 War Poem In A Newspaper?

[River Tyne Lass]

http://www.newmp.org.uk/article.php?categoryid=100&articleid=120&displayorder=11

There is a very interesting link on the North East War Memorials Project website which shows poems which appeared in North East newspapers during WW1.  This is a link which is likely to be added to so I think it is worth knowing about.  Perhaps you know may have a Tyneside ancestor who may have written a WW1 poem.

I think these poems on here are marvelous and give a sense of the feeling on Tyneside during that period.  It is hard to choose which one I like best from them but I do especially like 'An Empty Grave and Easter Chimes' by James Tompkins and 'Two Silent Minutes' by Mrs Robert Lockhart.

I think this poetry section is a bit hidden on the website.  If you want to find it go to the Home page and click on 'North East Notes' on bottom left hand corner.  Then on 'North East Notes' under district content .  Then scroll down until you get to 'Poems from Newspapers.'

[WhiskyMac]

Hi River Tyne Lass,

I have ancestors from Tyneside. No poems written as far as I know.
I found Poem number 4 "Two Silent Minutes" by Mrs Robert Lockhart very moving.

Thank you for posting the link. 

WhiskyMac

[silaswall]

Thank you for the link. None of my family appear but the poems are still very moving.

[River Tyne Lass]

Thank you for these posts WhiskyMac and silaswall.

This is an on-going resource so more are likely to be added in future.  I found the poem by Mrs Robert Lockhart (Two Silent Minutes) very moving, too.  I found this in the Whitley Seaside Chronicle and Visitors' Gazette and sent this in.  I am not the only contributor though in having sent poems in.

I am still trying to discover who Mrs. Lockhart was.  I think she may have been either one of two possible people but I could be totally wrong.  She lived in Cullercoats, Whitley Bay and then moved to Newcastle after the war ended.  Through her poetry I have become fascinated about who Mrs Lockhart really was.  She was certainly a good encourager during the war.  I wonder what became of her.  I have posted about her before on RootsChat.  If I ever discover who she was I will let you know and send this to NEWMP too.

If anyone comes across a local war poem written in a newspaper at that time I would encourage you to send this in.  I think it sad that these gems are at risk of being lost in the passage of time

I have not as yet come across a war poem written by an ancestor of mine and probably never will.  However, I think these poems are very good and I am sure these will mean a lot to any descendant who discovers that an ancestor wrote one of these poems.