John Bell (c. 1783–1864) was a printer and avid collector of ballads who played a major part in the recording of the lyrics of popular songs in the north east of England.
Bell was born in about 1783, it is thought in Newcastle, and was a printer, sometime surveyor, collector (or probably more correctly, an obsessive hoarder) of anything and everything, but particularly to do with the music that was popular at the time.
He published a series of “Northern Garlands” in 1793 which contained among others “The Collier's Rant”, “The Keel Row”, “Bobby Shaftoe” and “Elsie Marle.” Bell followed close behind, but adopted a more organised and professional approach.
It included “Bobby Shaftoe”, “Buy Broom Besoms”, “Water of Tyne”, “Dollia”, but with very few mining themed songs except “The Collier's Pay Week", ”Footy Agin the Wall” and “Byker Hill”.
The front cover of the book was as thus :- Rhymes Of Northern Bards: being a curious Collection of old and new Songs And Poems, Peculiar to the Counties of Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, & Durham.