John McKenzie, matchseller from Haslingden

iBase ID

321525

Reference identifier

HAC-D02-G3-1806-1

Title

John McKenzie, matchseller from Haslingden

Place

Haslingden

Personal names

John McKenzie

General notes

Long-de-Dong or Long-me-Dong, the matchseller, resided in Haslingden, but his periodic visits to Accrington made him equally well known here. He received his name from the refrain he chanted when walking along the streets, which sounded very much like Long-de-Dong, but what he really intended was a description of his sulphur matches as "long and strong." A Scotsman by birth, he was named John McKenzie, but could not speak English properly, nor yet even Scotch correctly. Close acquaintance revealed a charming old man, an old army veteran, having fought in Spain and finished up in the Scots Greys at the battle of Waterloo. He died at his lodgings, in High Street, Haslingden on the 24th October 1872, aged 100 years.

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Medium

Photographic print

Colour

Monochrome

Year of image

Mid 19th Century

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Subjects

Place Names > Haslingden

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