John Craggs (songwriter)

John Craggs (1849 – after 1874) was a poet from North Sunderland who wrote several poems and songs including "The Lass that sell’d grozers upon the aad bridge", an example of Geordie dialect.

Life
John Craggs was born in 1849 in North Sunderland. It is assumed that this is the north part of Sunderland and not the tiny village of North Sunderland, which is now a suburb of Seahouses. He was employed for several years as a clerk on the Tyne until in 1877, he migrated to the metropolis where he became a member of the Detective division of the police force. He was a regular contributor to the local newspapers and used as a Pseudonym, the nom-de-plume of "Mrkg. Fudjjv", which is a cryptogram of his name. In 1874 he was awarded Chater's gold medal for his sentimental song, "The Old Cot on the Tyne." The date of his death is not known.

Works
Works include, among others:
 * M.P. for Jarra (The)
 * Letter from Hannah
 * Old cot (The) – which won the 1874 Chater's gold medal
 * Lass that sell’d grozers upon the aad bridge (The)
 * Cuddy's egg -  Comic song about hatching a 'cheese'
 * Ninety-nine  song about old age, similar to Sair Fyel'd, Hinny