John Castillo
John Castillo (1792 – 16 April 1845), often referred to as the "Bard of the Dales", from his first published book - "The Bard of the Dales - Poems by John Castillo" was a poet who lived for much of his life in the village of Lealholm. Castillo's work is treasured as having rescued the ancient language of the dales from oblivion. John's father, a traveller, met his spouse in Eskdale and they both returned to Ireland where John was born in 1792 near the small village of Rathfarnham, close to Dublin, today a suburb of the city.
John Castillo
- Born
- 1792
- Died
- 1845
- Occupation
- poet
- Languages
- English
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for John Castillo. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
Documentary evidence
Evidence Panel
identity unresolved · checked 25 September 2026
- Identity
- unresolved
- Independent source families
- 0
- Admitted assertions
- 0
- Open conflicts
- 0
Authority files
wikidata · Q6225506
In this article
Biography
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. Methodism was popular across the Dales, and John converted from Catholicism in 1818. Following thoughts of suicide he became a lay preacher, but continued his stone work and poetry. He often wrote using local dialect and is most well known for the poems "Aud Isaac" and "The Steeplechase" although he also used standard English. Very few of his works have been published since the early 1900s. He died in the town of Pickering aged 53, and is buried at the Methodist Chapel in Hungate. His gravestone reads an epitaph of his own creation: SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF JOHN CASTILO Author of Auld Isaac, The Steeplechase, and other Poems In the Yorkshire Dialect. HE LIVED FOR OTHERS He was an original and successful local preacher among the Wesleyan Methodists for many years. "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."
The recorded working language is English.
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Calisto, John. Awd Isaac, The steeple chase, and other poems, with a glossary of the Yorkshire dialect. Horne & Richardson. 8. 1843.
- 2.Ford, Joseph. Some Reminiscences and Folk Lore of Danby Parish and District. Horne & Son Ltd. 156. 1953. 0-900476-04-4.
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 25 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
38,377 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- John Campbell, 9th Duke of ArgyllAuthor
- John CarlinAuthor
- John CassianAuthor
- John CassinAuthor
- John Ceiriog HughesAuthor
- John ChalkhillAuthor
- John CheeverAuthor
- John Ching Hsiung WuAuthor
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by John Castillo?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.