The Seaton Terrace Lass
This poem first appeared in the 1864 collection: The Collier Lad and other Songs and Ballads, where it was entitled The Collier Lass. It was subsequently revised, re-named and included in the four collections of 1878, 1886, 1888 and 1892. Seaton Terrace is near to Seaton Delaval, on the road towards Earsdon. The poem is narrated by a 'Bebside laddie' and so may have been intended as a companion piece to the Lad of Bebside.
My love at Seaton Terrace dwells, A hale and hearty wight, Who lilts away the summer day, Also the winter night; The merriest bird with rapture stirr’d, Could never yet surpass The melody awaken’d by The Seaton Terrace lass. Chorus: Her like is not in hall or cot; | She’s graceful as a lily-wand, Right modest too is she’ And then ye’ll search in vain the land For one as fair as she; And what she’ll do, with ease she’ll do, And still her manner has A charm would make a stoic woo The Seaton Terrace lass. Discomfort flies her dark brown eyes, And when the men folk come All black and weary from the pit, They find a welcome home: Her brothers tease her, and a pride The father feeleth as Again he meets, again he greets The Seaton Terrace lass. | When day is past and night at last Begins to cloud the dell, She’ll take her skiel and out she’ll steal, And meet me at the well; Then, oh! how sweet the moments fleet - Yet sweeter shall they pass, That night the Bebside laddie weds The Seaton Terrace lass. |