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Your search for humour returned 177 broadsides
Displaying broadsides 91 to 120 of 177:
Last Speech, Confession and Dying Words of the Bogs: A Farce
This ballad has a preface which reads: The last SPEECH, Confession, and dying Words, o[f] the Bogs, who were burnt in the Pleasance, on Monday the 25th of May, 1767. For the horrid Crime of Blood-sucking, A FARCE.' The ballad begins: 'HOW do you think your works will after thrive? / What cruelly to burn us all alive?' The broadside carries no publication details
Last Will and Testament of Evan Morgan, to his cousin Thom Andrew
This mock will begins: 'I Evan Morgan, being very sick, and Weak, but in perfect Health, do make this my last will & Testament, and do bequeath my Estate in manner and Form following.'
Last Words of Bonny Heck, a famous grey-hound in the shire of Fife
This mock elegy begins: 'ALas, alas, quo' bonny Heck, / On former days when I reflect! / I was a Dog much in respect / For doughty Deed: / But now I must hing by the Neck / Without Remeed.' No publication details are given.
Lecture to the Ladies by a Disobliged Admirer of the Fair Sex
This lecture begins: 'SATAN, to ruin Mankind in the Root, / The universal Queen, betray'd with Fruit; / A single Apple forfeits Adam's Crown; / The Curse of GOD went with the Apple down.' A handwritten note under the title reads: 'said to be Pennicook Aug. 1726'.
Letter concerning a medley of Scottish folk songs
This broadside letter begins: 'Letter from a Friend on a Journey to the North, to an inhabitant of Auld Reekie; being a CURIOUS and ENTERTAINING MEDLY OF SCOTCH SONGS.' A note at the foot of the sheet states that this letter was written or published on the 1st of May, 1822. The letter is signed with the initials, 'W.W.'. 'Auld Reekie' is an old nickname for Edinburgh.
Letter from Jimmy-the-Gum to his Big Brother Barney-the-Smasher
This broadside begins: 'ROYAL HOUSE DISTILLERY, Eliventeenth of Cawnpore, Dear Barney, - I am writing these few lines on the top of an old Indian drum, with neather top, bottom, nor sides to it. We landed here when we got on shore. Our first battle was at Never-sa-dhi. There was many thousands killed but I am happy to state there were no lives lost.' The broadside was published by the Poet's Box in Dundee. It does not carry a date of publication.
Life and Bloody Death of William Lawrie's Dog
Verse 1 : 'William Lawrie had a Dog, / which he with meikle care, / Did train, teach and bring him up, / And breeding did not spare / First he begun to hunt the Hens, / And then because he saw / It pleas'd his Master, he began / to try the Sheep with a.' The ballad was to be sung to the tune of 'The Ladies Daughter'. Although it may appear that this verse is unfinished, 'with a' is more likely the poet's or printer's orthography for withal, meaning besides or as well.
Life and Strange Adventures of Maragaret M'Donald the Female foot Boy
This report begins: 'Margaret M'Donald, the subject of the following narrative, was born in 1842, of poor, but respectable parents in this town. When she left she was but 13 years of age, her parents died and left her & an older brother, totally unprovided for. Her brother though 5 years older was but an apprentice tailor, and his scanty wages went but a short way in supporting them'.
Lodger's Come
This ballad begins: 'One night I wanted lodgings in a country town, / And to a cozy cottage I was led, / When the landlady informed me, as her lodger was away, / She'd agre[e]d that I should take the lodger's bed'. It was published and distributed by the Poet's Box of the Overgate, Dundee, and probably sold for one penny.
Lord Nicholson's Court
This advertisement begins: 'LORD NICHOLSON, FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY, WILL HOLD A COURT In the Music Hall, George Street, ON WEDNESDAY, OCT. 4, 1848.' The text at the foot of the page reads: 'Doors open at 8 - The Court will sit at Half-past 8 o'clock. Admission - Body of the Hall, 3s.; Sides and Under the Gallery, 2s; Gallery, 1s.' The broadside was published by James Brydone of 17 South Hanover Street, Edinburgh.
Lucky Spence's Last Advice
Verse 1: 'THREE times the Carline grain'd and rifted, / Then from the Cod, her Pow she lifted, / In bawdy Policy well gifted, / when now she sawn / That Death na langer wad be shifted, / she thus began...' Although not attributed on the broadside, the great Edinburgh poet Allan Ramsay (1684-1758) is known to have written this poem around 1718.
Ludicrous wedding in Crosscauseway, Edinburgh
This humourous story begins: 'A Full and Particular Account of that Funny and Laughable WEDDING that took place in Crosscauseway, Edinburgh, on Tuesday Evening, the 15th March 1825, between a young Dashing Highland Lad, and a well known Old Lady of that place.' The broadside was priced at one penny and published by A. Turnbull. This is probably Andrew Turnbull & Co, a publisher based in Edinburgh's High Street in the nineteenth century.
Margaret and the Minister, A True Tale
This ballad begins: 'A douse, religious kintry wife, / That liv'd a quiet, contented life, / To show respect unto the priest / Wham she esteemed within her breast'. It is dated 'Saturday morning, July 15, 1871'. A note under the title informs the reader that 'Copies can always be had in the POET'S BOX, 80 London Street, Glasgow'.
Mashers of Ramsey's Pend
Verse 1: 'We'll sing you a song, and it wont be long, / If you listen to what we say / It's about two girls you know very well / And they live straight over the way. / There cheeks are as red as a piece of white chalk, / And they wear a Grecian bend; There's no mistake about it, / They're the mashers of Ramsey's Pend.' This song was published by the Poet's Box, 224 Overgate, Dundee.
Meditations of a Coal Horse at a Toll Bar
This ballad begins: 'O SIRS, and maun I stand and chitter / A' nicht aneath the blast sae bitter'. This poem was, allegedly, written by 'A four-footed tee-totaller'.
Meeting regarding the use of an organ in public worship
This account begins: 'ORGANIC AFFECTIONS. / OR An Account of A MEETING HELD IN THE RELIEF CHURCH, ST JAMES' PLACE, TO Consider the use of an ORGAN in Public Worship.' A light-hearted dialogue at the bottom of the sheet reads: 'Is it not absurd for such illiterate and vulgar speaking men to be rulers of a church? Wha's that talkin' there? WILLIE SMITH! gi'e him a daud i' the lug the daft brute, what right has he to set up his chat! / Stand yont or I shave him! ! ! han' me yir Stick Tam'.
Miss Hooligan's Christmas Cake
Verse 1: 'As I sat at my windy one evening, / The letter man brought unto me / A little gilt edged invitation, / Saying, Gilhooly, come over to tea. / Sure I knew that the Hooligans sent it, / So I went just for old friendship's sake, / And the first thing they gave me to tackle / Was a piece of Miss Hooligan's cake.' The text beneath the title reads: 'Sung by Harry Melville and J.M. Oates with success.' The song was published by the Poet's Box, 10 Hunter Street, Dundee, priced one penny.
Missing From the Neighbourhood of the High Street
This satirical notice continues: 'About the 33rd of Next Month, / A TALL=COMPLEXIONED / Young Man / Five Feet Six Inches of Age, and / Height 27 Years'. It was published by L. Macartney of the Poet's Box, 184 Overgate, Dundee.
Monkey Barber
This broadside story begins: ' An Account of the Wonderful Monkey of Glasgow, Who turned Barber, to Shave the Irish Farmers who came over to reap the Harvest, with a description of the Ludicrous Catastrophe attending his first experiment in that Profession.' Although the name of the publisher is not included and the sheet is not dated, it was printed in Edinburgh and cost one penny.
Murder of common sense in Edinburgh
This broadside story begins: 'A Strange and Wonderful Account of an Inhuman Murder Committed in the Canongate of Edinburgh, on Monday 15th of March, by James Scoogy on the Person of Common Sense'. There are no publication details included on this sheet.
New Act of Parliament
This broadside begins: 'NEW INTENDED Act of Parliament, To be passed into a Law, on the first meeting of the Reformed Members in the House of Commons.' A brief verse then appears, followed by a list of resolutions. It was printed by Menzies of the Lawnmarket, Edinburgh, and probably sold for one penny.
New Intended Act of Parliament
Following on from the title, this satirical report continues: 'For the benefit of Young Men, Old Men, Wives, Old Maids, Batchelors, Widows, &c. AT a meeting of several Ladies and Gentleman of this Town, held for the better management and conducting of order and regularity of Society, Mr Steady in the chair, the following Resolutions were passed . . . ' As illustrated by the reference to King William IV in the title, this sheet was published some time between 1830 and 1837.
New intended Act of Parliament
This broadside begins: 'IV W.R. The New intended Act of Parliament, For the Benefit of Young Men, Old Men, Wives, Old Maids, Batchelors, Widows, &c.' Included at the top of the sheet is a coat of arms with the motto of the Order of the Thistle, 'nemo me impune Lacessit' or 'no one provokes me with impunity'. The reference to William IV dates this broadside to between 1830 and 1837.
New Invented Act of Parliament, for the Benefit of Young Men, Old Men, Maids, Wives, Widows, Old Maids, Bachelors, &c.
This broadside parody begins: 'At a meeting of several Ladies and Gentlemen of this Town, held ior for the better Management and conducting Order and Regularity in Society, Mr STEADY in the Chair, the following Resolutions were passed . . .' Although no date of publication is included, the sheet was printed by John Sanderson of Edinburgh. There is a similar broadside entitled, 'New Intended Act of Parliament', that is also included in this collection.
New Proclamation Concerning Farthingles, or Old Mr Fashoner Shiting Hopt-piticoats
Following on from the title there is a paragraph in which the 'ladies' express their gratitude to fashion, personified as Mr Fashoner (Fashioner). They say '. . . we cannot but acknowledge your kindness . . . These Hopt Petticoats is a very fine invention . . . They are very Airy and ads to our shaps.' Mr Fashioner replies that he can scarce 'shite them out', meaning he can hardly make enough of them. The first line of the poem underneath runs, 'All the inventions that ever was known'. Above the poem is a woodcut print representing the devil producing hooped petticoats.
New Song, Little Frosty
Verse 1: 'Hey, little Frosty, will ye no resign / Your office high, an power sae fine? / Or do you fear the cash to tine, / That ye stay sae land i' yer corner?'
On board the "Kangaroo"
Verse 1: 'Once I was a waterman, / And lived at home at ease; / Now I am a mariner, / And plough the angry seas; / I thought I'd like a seafarin' life, / So bid my love "adoo," / And shipped as cook and stewart, boys, / On board o' the "Kangaroo."
One pound two
This ballad begins: 'Now, Maggy dear, I do declare, / You have been on the spree, / Where is my whole weeks' wages gone, / I pray now tell to me.'
Oor Maggie's got a Bairn
This ballad begins: 'While taking a crack ower a guid social drap, / In a public-house near to the station / Blawing up their heads about my great deeds, / And other important things o' the nation'. It was published in Dundee by the Poet's Box.
Parody on M'Gregor's Gathering
This ballad begins: 'While there's beef in the pat, / And there's soup in the brae, / There's twenty four hours, / In a nicht and a' day'. A 'pat' translates as a 'pot' in English. 'Brae' normally means 'hill', as this is a nonsense song it could possibly be meant as a joke. It was published by the Poet's Box of Dundee and sold for a penny.