At the age of two, the family decided to return to Lealholm and moved to the site that now bears the name Poets' Cottage.
At the age of 12 he moved to Lincolnshire and began work as a servant on a country estate and soon became note for his talent as a poet, singer / songwriter.
Later returning to Eskdale, he began work as a farm hand, and soon turned his skills to stonemasonry.
He often wrote using local dialect and is most well known for the poems "Aud Isaac"[1] and "The Steeplechase" although he also used standard English.
"Bud noo his eean's geean dim i' deeath Nee mare a pilgrim here on earch ; His soul flits fra' her shell beneeath Tee reealms o' day Whoor carpin' care an' pain, an' deeath Are deean away."