Bernard Rumney (ca. 1700–1790) was a bard and musician from

Rothbury Rothbury is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, on the River Coquet. It is northwest of Morpeth and of Newcastle upon Tyne. At the 2001 Census, it had a population of 2,107. Rothbury emerged as an important town bec ...

Northumberland Northumberland () is a ceremonial counties of England, county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Ab ...

, England. Bernard Rumney was born around the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th century. He was born, bred, lived and died in Rothbury where he was known as the village poet and musician. He was one of the

churchwarden A churchwarden is a lay official in a parish or congregation of the Anglican Communion or Catholic Church, usually working as a part-time volunteer. In the Anglican tradition, holders of these positions are ''ex officio'' members of the parish ...

s of the parish in 1662, and his death is recorded in the parish register of 11 June 1690. His initials "B. R. 1660" were cut on a large stone block, originally one of the jambs in the old ingle nook of the Black Bull Inn, Rothbury. The inn, now demolished, had been the venue of the magistrates monthly meeting and the county court sessions. The stone was moved to the Newcastle House yard. Rumney was the author of the peculiar and slightly humorous ballad ''An excellent ballad of the sickness, death, and burial, of Ecky's Mare'', usually known as ''Ecky's Mare''. The ballad appeared in

Joseph Ritson Joseph Ritson (2 October 1752 – 23 September 1803) was an English antiquary who was well known for his 1795 compilation of the Robin Hood legend. After a visit to France in 1791, he became a staunch supporter of the ideals of the French Rev ...

's '' Northumberland Garland'' and in John Bell's ''

Rhymes of Northern Bards ''Rhymes of Northern Bards'' (full title – "Rhymes of Northern Bards: being a curious collection of old and new Songs and Poems, Peculiar to the Counties of Newcastle, Northumberland and Durham – Edited by John Bell 1812") is a book of N ...

''.

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Rhymes of Northern Bards by John Bell Junior

Upper Coquetdale, Northumberland: its history etc. by David Dippie Dixon
English singers English male songwriters People from Rothbury Musicians from Northumberland 1790 deaths Geordie songwriters Year of birth unknown Year of birth uncertain {{Songwriter-stub

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