Samuel Salt of Halesowen

[Antie Em]

My rellie Samuel Salt, on BCC here : http://bcconnections.tribalpages.com/tr ... onnections

was a local poet and a bit of a celebrity

If you have a couple of hours to spare, you might like to read one of his poems :

Salt is the man of Halesowen town,
A writer of poems of famous renown,
His works are well known for many miles round,
In the hall and the cottage they're sure to be found.

He has to toil hard to earn his own bread ;
And while carrying his pack he works with his head ;
And when he gets home he sits down to write
His lectures and poems till after midnight.

For a number of years this has been his plan -
To stick to his trade like a hard working man.
He's surrounded by enemies on every side,
And to bring him to ruin it would be their pride.

But the wolf and the eagle he always will fight,
For he hates what is wrong and does what is right.
S. Salt is undaunted, and heeds not his foes,
For he knows how to fight and win without blows.

Like a brave sturdy oak, Salt is still living on,
And his works will be read when he's dead and gone.
Salt is made of the right substantial good stuff,
And not like the hypocrite, with fungus and puff.

Salt's works they are good, and long will endure ;
They are built on a rock - his foundation is sure.
He fears not the storms nor the wrath of his foes ;
Salt is safe on his rock, and there will repose.

It is certain, my friends, the grass fadeth away,
And the flowers fade too, and the trees do decay.
But Salt's poems and works will endure for ever !
O yes, they'll stand the test in all sorts of weather.

The self-described "writer of poems of famous renown" produced this baleful effort :
Come listen, dear friends, and I will unfold
A tale to amuse the young and the old.
The subject is true; and here may be read
How the sexton of Cradley treated the dead.
At Halesowen town he used to reside,
A tailor by trade, well starched with pride ;
With his new-fashioned suit, and boots blacked bright,
And broad brimmed hat, that fit his head tight.
He strut there about till a parson, they say,
Who then lived at Cradley, sent for him one day,
And told him he thought he would do very well
To be the grave digger, and ring the church bell.

Now for a number of years this wicked sexton
Kept fleecing the public, and would longer have done
But a man of some pluck, who now lives at Light Green,
Kicked up such a towrow as never was seen.
A relation he took to be buried one day,
On a Sunday this year - on the second of May ;
But the sexton being primed with ginger, or gin,
Ran up and down raging, and a fight did begin.

He declared that the fees to him should be paid,
Or the corpse in the grave should never be laid.
Nor in the churchyard would he allow it to go,
Till he had his cash and certificate also.
Now the Walkers were firm, and they flatly refused,
And the warmer they got the more he abused;
The to the church gates made a hasty retreat ;
And the scenes which took place I will just now repeat.

And now the church gates he tried hard to close,
But a policeman was there, and he soon interpos'd,
Which made the poor sexton dart off like a row,
Up to the church doors to perform the next show.
Now pursued by the people up to the church door,
He there made a stand for a pitch'd battle once more;
And declaring aloud, let them do what they may,
His fees should be paid before the burial that day.

But the Walkers were plucky, being arm'd with the law,
And would not then pay as the sexton soon saw,
For it never was legal till the burial was o'er.
In a rage he then tried to close the church door.
The beadle now came as there was such a row,
But to stop the disturbance he did not then know how,
Though he open'd the door and let them all in,
Which made the poor sexton like a baboon to grin.
Then a struggle took place, and the shouts of the crowd
Were heard a long way, for the shouts were so loud !
The parson then preaching was compelled to desist,
And the sexton kept bawling and shaking his fist!
On a seat he then jumped, and, madden'd with rage,
Declared he would fight - but afraid to engage,
For the people were ready to take up the cause,
And to give him a taste of King Lynch's laws !

To the grave he then ran, and there was such a scene
Which never before in a churchyard had been,
Still loudly declaring he would then have the cash,
Or else he to pieces the coffin would dash.
So hot grew the fray he withdrew out of sight,
But his son then came up an renewed the fight,
And quickly he found, what before might have known,
That he in the grave would be very soon thrown.

And soon he was there, though he did not long stay,
But he got a nice daubing with bones, dirt and clay!
And he long will remember the treat in the grave,
And of being so anxious his father to save.
The sexton now came, that his son he might save,
But the crowd soon threw him to his son in the grave,
Some shouting, some laughing, and all thought it nice fun,
By covering with dirt both the sexton and son.
But at last they came out in a sad dirt plight,
And the people were amused to see such a sight;
For the sexton and his son were so thoroughly beat
That they never will again want such a treat.

But now it is time that I should bring to a close
My tale of the sexton and his valiant foes :
For his friend parson Pepper began to feel queer,
As the Bishop had told him to stop his career.

So now he has left us, let us bid him farewell ;
But where he is going I cannot you now tell.
He may take a ride on his goose to the moon,
And in case he does that he will not be back soon.

The Trial of the late Sexton of Cradley Salt has left us this unique report on the trial of Charlton. Although on the face of it a verbatim transcript, we should assume that some, most or all of it was manufactured by Salt; but it still makes fascinating reading, not the least for the Cradley names mentioned: some are real, some are disguised, and some are total fiction.

[Antie Em]

I also have the transcript of the Cradley Outrage - quite a long document, if some can tell me how to add it as an attachment

Maggie

[linell]

He was definitely a Poet and did know it Maggie, how nice to have found all that information out, all more meat for the bones, great stuff

Linell.