Broadside ballad entitled 'The Drunkard's Raggit Wean'

Commentary

Verse 1 begins: 'A wee bit raggit laddie gangs wan'rin through the street / Wadin' through the snaw wi' his wee hackit feet'. This sheet was published by James Lindsay of 9 King Street, Glasgow.

James Lindsay operated his printing business between 1847 and 1907. Many of his premises were in the Saltmarket area of Glasgow, which was renowned for as an higher prolific with printing shops. As a result competition, although fond and familiar, was fierce, especially over quantities of sheets sold. Lindsay specialised in entertaining, rather than news, broadsides and was as equally involved in chapbook production.

Broadsides are single sheets of paper, printed on one side, to be read unfolded. They carried public information such as proclamations as well as ballads and news of the day. Cheaply available, they were sold on the streets by pedlars and chapmen. Broadsides offer a valuable insight into many aspects of the society they were published in, and the National Library of Scotland holds over 250,000 of them.

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