The Houghtonian Magazine Vol 2 Issue 3 - Houghton-le-Spring

THE HOUGHTONIAN | SEPT 2012 | VOL 2 ISSUE 3 | ISSN 1757-3890SEPT 2012 | VOL 2 ISSUE 3 | ISSN 1757-3890QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF Houghton Heritage Society:: HOUGHTON DIAMOND JUBILEE FEAST:: FLETCHER'S FRUIT & VEG:: MR HOUGHTON FEAST:: THE GOLDEN QUEEN:: WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE QUESTS:: AND MUCH MORE!THE LAKE FAIRGROUND, CIRCA 1920

THE HOUGHTONIAN | SEPT 2012 | VOL 2 ISSUE 3 | ISSN 1757-3890CAN YOU HELP?If you have any old photographs of Houghton-le-Spring thatyou would like to share, please contact Paul Lanaganvia www.houghtonlespring.org.ukFACES AND PLACESPhotographs are treated with care and respect and arereturned promptly once they have been copied.Allowing your precious photographs to be copied and sharedensures that they will be around for generations to come.

THE HOUGHTONIAN | SEPT 2012 | VOL 2 ISSUE 3 | ISSN 1757-3890www.HOUGHTONleSPRING.org.ukTHE HH WEBSITE IS UPDATEDFREQUENTLY. JUST CLICK ON THEUPDATED LINK ON THE HOME PAGE TO SEEWHAT’S NEW. SOME OF THE UPDATEDPAGES DURING THE PAST THREE MONTHSINCLUDE:WELCOME TO THE HOUGHTONIAN,the quarterly magazine of the Houghton-le-SpringHeritage Society. This is our eighth consecutiveissue, numbered as Volume 2 Issue 3 and, as isusual for this time of year, celebrates HoughtonFeast with a bumper edition!THE SOCIETY HAS been very active over the summer, supporting andattending many events as well as organising several visits for Societymembers. One such visit was to the old Rectory (shown above) whereSociety Chairman Paul Lanagan, Vice-Chair Peter Corfield and SecretaryJoan Lambton took up their places in the Houghton Urban DistrictCouncil Chamber. We have also been very active in many local DiamondJubilee events, including the very successful Homelands Estate ‘StreetParty Without a Street’, which was broadcast live on BBC throughout theday! The Society’s exhibition for the September Heritage Open Days wasrather special this year, as many members of our popular Facebookgroup used the opportunity to meet each other for the first time. Thesocial side of the Society will be further explored in the next issue whenwe have some very special news to share!HOUGHTON HERITAGE SOCIETY became a member of the BritishAssociation for Local History, a national charity which promotes localhistory and serves local historians. Find out more about this esteemedorganisation at: www.balh.co.ukTHANKS MUST BE extended to Houghton Ward Councillors Kath Rolphand Dennis Richardson for their swift help in actioning pressing heritageissues raised by Houghton Heritage Society, namely the encroaching ivygrowth on the Rectory archway (now the churchyard entrance) and forhelping to further the Society’s proposition of relocating the WWIITreasures and memorabilia from the demolished Council Offices intoHoughton Library, a civic building where the items can be easily seen bythe public – and children in particular! The Society is still pursuing themissing Victorian Gilpin Thorn Plaque (of which we now know the fullinscription) and the missing 1953 Coronation Noticeboard.ENJOY THIS ISSUE and enjoy Houghton Diamond Jubilee Feast!PAUL LANAGAN, CHAIRMANH-L-S HERITAGE SOCIETY:: Houghton & Seaham Star – details of PaulLanagan’s weekly heritage articles in thenewspaper.:: Houghton Colliery – the time line has beenupdated with details of Houghton’s pit ponies.:: Build a Miners’ Safety Lamp – a newcardcraft activity in the School Zone, with aprintable template for making a miners lamp likethe one used to transport the Olympic flame.:: Houghton UDC Garage Plaques – details ofgarages featuring plaques from the HoughtonUrban District Council Ratings Department.:: Church Street: House by House Guide – theChurch Street directory has been updated withmore residents and occupants from the Censuses– with grateful thanks to our President, Dr JackMorley.:: Pitmatic Words & Phrases – a new print-athomebooklet, ‘We’re Not Mackems: A PitmaticDictionary’ has been added to the website andfeatures local words and phrases as compiled bymembers of Houghton Heritage Society on theever popular Facebook group.* * * * * * * *IF YOU’RE READING aprinted version of The Houghtonianand are having difficulty seeing theprint, did you know you can readthe online PDF? This can beincreased in size up to a whopping6400% in Adobe Reader!* * * * * * * *FOR INTERNET ACCESS ATHOUGHTON LIBRARY –TELEPHONE 0191 561 6383 FORDETAILS.

THE HOUGHTONIAN | SEPT 2012 | VOL 2 ISSUE 3 | ISSN 1757-3890HOUGHTON FEAST HIGHLIGHTSFESTIVAL DURATION42 ND STREET – PRODUCTION BY ZAZZ atHoughton Dance & Performing Arts Academy,Newbottle Street. Find out more at:www.zazzuk.com or 0191 584 0764JUBILEE & OLYMPICS HERITAGEEXHIBITION - Old photographs with a Royalcelebration and sporting theme toacknowledge this Jubilee and Olympic yearwill on display from the Houghton HeritageSociety’s collections in the Good Grub Cafe,14B Newbottle Street.FRIDAY OCTOBER 5 TH 20127:00 PM – OPENING CEREMONY,ILLUMINATIONS, FEAST TATTOO & JUBILEEBEACON in the Broadway – plus a fireworksfinale! Facepainters, musicians, balloonartists and storytellers will be in the Broadwayfrom 6:00 PM as people are bound to be thereearly to secure their space!SATURDAY OCTOBER 6 TH 20129:00 AM – HOUGHTON HERITAGE PHOTOEXHIBITION - Old photographs from thehistory of Houghton will be on display in theBroadway next to the Gavioli Organ, includingHoughton Feast, Hillside Cemetery, RectoryPark, trams, public houses and more.Members of Houghton Heritage Society will bepresent offering searches of their genealogicalrecords for your ancestors. The Society willalso be taking items for inclusion in theHoughton Heritage Diamond Jubilee TimeCapsule.2:00 PM – 46 TH CARNIVAL PARADE organisedby the Houghton’s Round Table. Help tocelebrate this historic occasion by showingyour support with the on-street collection forlocal charities.SUNDAY OCTOBER 7 TH 201210:30 AM – CIVIC CEREMONY in StMichael’s Church. Please note that theservice is starting later than the usual time.|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||MONDAY OCTOBER 8 TH 20124:00 PM – ROASTING OF THE OX atRectory Field. Get there early as thesandwiches sell out quickly!7:30 PM – FREE FIREWORKSSPECTACULAR launched from Durham Roadplaying fields.SATURDAY OCTOBER 13 TH 201210:00 AM – HOUGHTON HERITAGE WALKvisiting buildings and sites of interest.Book via the HH website.2:30 PM – HOMICIDE IN HOUGHTON 7.Bestselling author Sheila Quigley presentsan investigation of the fictional murderscenes from her Houghton-based novels.The free tour, which is not for the faint -hearted, will end with refreshments whileSheila reads an exclusive preview from hernext novel. Book via the HH website.9:00 PM – HAUNTED HOUGHTON. Dareyou join local historian Paul Lanagan andhis fellow ghost hunters on an intimatesequel to the first Haunted Houghton walkwhich had an unexpected 200 in attendanceat the Feast 2004? This scary look atHoughton’s most haunted locations willfinish at the most haunted building. Over18s only. Admission by way of a £5.00donation to Houghton Heritage Society.Book via the HH website.SUNDAY OCTOBER 14 TH 201212:30 PM – HOUGHTON FEAST BOXINGTOURNAMENT. Houghton v North EastSelect at Rainton Meadows Arena. Thepupils of Houghton Boxing Club will be outto show their skills against young boxersfrom around the northeast in their hometown for the very first time. Tickets are£12.00 and are available from Ken Allen atthe Boxing Club in Wheeler House,Newbottle Street (telephone07780008118), or pay at the door.WWW.HOUGHTONFEAST.CO.UK

THE HOUGHTONIAN | SEPT 2012 | VOL 2 ISSUE 3 | ISSN 1757-3890MORE SIXTIES PLEASEI love the Houghton HeritageSociety website. Having leftHoughton 35 years ago it isbringing back a lot of memories.More of Houghton in the Sixtiesplease!June PearsonTHE HOTONIANSHello everyone, I'm new toHoughton Heritage Society. I amoriginally from Fence Houses andwas a member of the HotoniansJuvenile Jazzband. I'mdesperately trying to find somephotos of the band from the early1970s and wonder if anyone couldadvise if they have any they couldshare on here or where I would beable to get copies. Thanks!Karen HoweDear Houghton Heritage Society,I use the word advice undersubject on purpose, judging by thenotes on the site your 10 dayminimum suggests many specificinquiries, mine is for guidance andan idea on how to proceed withthe following as a DIY project. Mylate wife was a Joyce, one of sixchildren and, unfortunately, alldeceased. Recently our childrenand their many cousins decided totrace their Irish roots throughJoseph Joyce, their commongrandfather. I was asked to helpand at first there was very littleinfo' to go on, no Bible, nomarriage certificate etc, only a fewfacts. To cut a long story short, Idid find a few documents which allled to Co Durham and the namesof JJ's parents, Joseph again andMargaret McGowan. The LDSMormon site was very useful andthrough trial and error, I tracedJJ's birth, exact date of 4thSeptember 1897, and the parentsto Houghton-le-Spring, JJ'schristening at St Michaels 20thSept. The family lived there at 30Prospect Row and the father'semployment shown as a minerworking in Washington. A furtheruseful piece of info' was findingthe birth of a brother, Daniel andalso in H-le-S, same address andwe think he is the brother whowent to Oz, have sent some emails to contacts there, but a longshot. I could not make furtherprogress on that site and typedyour town's name as a search, so,here we are.One of the stories was that theJoyces had left Ireland because ofWHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?Can you help solve theseGenealogical & Heritage Quests?your town's name as a search, so,here we are. One of the storieswas that the Joyces had leftIreland because of the Famine.Researching that terrible time wasan eye-opener, dreadful, but someof the articles proved that many ofthe emmigrants went to England, Ihad imagined that the vastmajority had gone to America.Further reading showed that mostof the men were uneducated andhad to seek work as labourers orminers, apart from the attitudetowards the Irish at that time,therefore the family's Durhamconnection fits. That's thebackground, now to advice. Theidea is not to create a family tree,the gang would like to find thevillage or town in Ireland where theoriginal Joyces came from. Theromantic notion is of course,Joyce's Country which is inConnemara, bordering on Mayoand Roscommon, latter havingLanagan connections as well!Having seen some 1800smarriage certificates courtesy ofLDS, they do not give the namesor addresses of the bride/groom'sparents - that took care of usingthese as a source to trace back.When looking over your site andseeing the time and trouble somany of you have taken to recordHoughton-le-Spring's history, thethought was that somewhere inyour site there might be referencesto the Joyces. Some evidence orclues to lead us on and that,hopefully, you could tell me whereto look in order to continue andcomplete this DIY project. That'sthe story and any advice orguidance will be appreciated.With kind regards.JohnSouth AfricaA BIG THANK YOUA big thank you to Paul and Joanfrom Houghton Heritage Societyfor the illustrated talk Paul gave atGrangewood Care Home last nightto the residents as part ofDementia Awareness Week. Wehad a lovely evening thank youagain on behalf of the residentsand staff.Susan HodgsonShiney RowTHE COTTAGE HOMES?To Paul Lanagan, I was told thatmy great grandfather was broughtup in an orphanage in Houghtonle-springin 1905. Is there aregistry or a way in which I wouldbe able to view/obtain theserecords? I am not sure whichorphanage he was in as it was notspoken about. If you are able tohelp me that would be fabulous.My Great Grandfathers name wasJohn Edward Raymond then it waschanged by deed poll to JohnEdward Paisley in 1936. Thankyou.Jessica PineICE CREAM TIMEDear Paul Lanagan, I amresearching my family historyabout the Dimambro family fromDurham and surrounding villages(my grandmother was aDimambro who moved down fromDurham to South East, St Albans,Herts in 1938) and am aware therewas an ice cream parlour inHoughton le spring. I am trying toobtain a photo of it and wonderedif you can help me? I have read afew memories of the public onyour Houghton le Spring websiteand am aware of your many books- do you have any book with amention of and/or any photo ofthe Di Mambro ice cream that Icould obtain? I would be sograteful for a reply - I wrote a bookabout my father's ice creambusiness Tominey's City Ices of StAlbans in 2010 (his mother was aDimambro) which contains aphoto at the beginning ofDimambro Ice carts c.1900 atVane tempest, Durham. I amnow further researchingDimambros ice cream shops inthe North East to put with myfamily history. I look forward tohearing from you. Best wishes,Sharon TomineyREMEMBERINGPEAR TREE PLACEThe Houghton Heritage website isthe best thing since sliced bread!Paul, I've met up/got in contactwith so many friends from mychildhood and family members Ihaven't seen for God knows howlong, thank you so much, it'sbrilliant! I was told today thatthere used to be a street of housesup behind where the Comrades isand there was prostitute house!Anyone remember that? Doesanyone have any memories ofUnion Street in Houghton, asthat's where my Mam and Dadhad their first cottage after theywere marriedPauline GuerreiroHoughton-le-SpringTHE SEVEN SISTERS OFCOPT HILLHi, I'm wondering if anyone canhelp me. I'm doing some researchon the Seven Sisters, Copt Hill,and the myths. Does anyone haveany information on this? Manythanks in anticipation.Kloe GreyHoughton-le-SpringSEATON AVENUEBig ask but I’m looking forphotographs of Seaton Avenuefrom April 1982.Tony Sherlock HarrisonBurn Park RoadHoughton-le-SpringTHE GILLOWS OFHOUGHTON-LE-SPRINGTo: Paul Lanagan of HoughtonHeritage Society. Re: St. Michael& All Angels Church. I’mdescended from a line of the'Gillow Family’ 1300? Yorks- 1850Lt. Eccleston Lancs. I note youhave a ref. to Henry Gillow 1470,buried with his Mother. Have youany reference to his Mother’sGREYHOUND DERBYname? His parents’ names areCan you help me find a not known to me but ancestorsphotograph of my Dad and hisMam, taken in 1967? It shows hisgreyhound, Peggy, which won theHoughton Feast greyhound derby.I think it was published by theJournal newspaper.and descendants are. The earlygenealogy family trees are not mywork but are of ‘Keith Gillow’internet. Even if you cannot helpme with the query, thank you foryour most interesting work onKaren Hughes Houghton-Le-Spring’s longhistory.Elsie Abram

THE HOUGHTONIAN | SEPT 2012 | VOL 2 ISSUE 3 | ISSN 1757-3890THE LAKE FAIRGROUND at Houghton Feast, October 1963. The ride in the centre is Acquilla Toogood’s Rock & RollWaltzer and still attends the Feast to this day in its guise as Keith Turner & Son’s Imperial Waltzer, having celebrated its30 th anniversary as such last year. The dominant building in the background is the children’s Cottage Homes. Many ofthe resident children would look forward to the Feast as they could get easy access to all the fun of the fair over the wallat the bottom of the Home’s garden. With thanks to Wilf Richardson for sharing.I RECENTLY FOUND a delightful early photograph of DorothyFletcher (b.1918), known to older Houghtonians as a vivacioushelper in her father Richard Fletcher's fruit shop in NewbottleStreet during the 1930s and 1940s. I shall be pleased to passon a copy of the photo to any of her descendents or relatives. Ialso request any corrections or additions to the followingaccount of the Fletcher dynasty: Jane Patrick (b.1832) marriedJohn Fletcher, a whitesmith and iron founder, in her home townof Pickering in 1855, and they had two daughters and four sons.John Fletcher died in 1876, one year after the birth of theyoungest son Richard. For reasons that still elude me, Janemoved to Houghton with Richard sometime in the 1890s, andpurchased the large corner shop at 41 Newbottle Street, wherethey traded as fruiterers. Richard married Amelia Hopper in1903, and they had four daughters, of which Dorothy was theyoungest. All the family helped in the business which prospered.They sold the shop to Robert Wheatley the confectioner (inabout 1938?), and moved to 65 Newbottle Street. Dorothy(Dot), a friend of my sister, was now playing a prominent role inthe business. However, I understand she married StanleyErswell in 1946, and went to live in Warwick. Richard died aged78 in 1953. The business continued as a fruit shop, first underJimmy Wakefield, then under David Johnston, and now asDevonport's Fruit & Flowers.DR JACK MORLEYPRESIDENTH-L-S HERITAGE SOCIETY

THE HOUGHTONIAN | SEPT 2012 | VOL 2 ISSUE 3 | ISSN 1757-3890ON HOUGHTON’SCENOTAPHHi Paul, I checked out the HHwebsite, looking at names ofpeople who died in WWII and livedin Houghton-le-Spring at the timeof their death. I was unable to findmy grandfather’s name on any ofyour sites. Could you advisewhere else I could look for hisname, Joseph Ranson died 22 ndMarch 1943 at the battle ofAlemien, he was awarded themilitary medal. He was married atthe time of his death and lived inThomas Husband Street,Houghton. I don't suppose thefamilies that were left botheredabout putting names onmemorials or anything like that. Iwould appreciate any informationyou have.wishes.Thanks and bestChristine HallPAUL LANAGAN REPLIED:Dear Christine, Thank you for yourrecent email. I am sure you arefamiliar with the Houghton at Warsection of the Houghton HeritageWebsite. You will have noted thatthere is NO SCULPTUREDMEMORIAL for thoseHoughtonians who were killed inaction during WWII. There is abound Book of Remembrance butI note that your Grandfather'sname is not included. I haveheard rumours that there are plansfor a new WWII memorial inHoughton-le-Spring. TheHeritage Society's view, and thatof several others, is that there isspace for panels to be included atthe base of the present Cenotaph.The Commonwealth War GravesCommission may have furtherinformation that could be of use toyou. The website is at: http://www.cwgc.org I have done aquick search and note he iscommemorated on the MEDJEZ-EL-BAB MEMORIAL. See:http://www.cwgc.org/ find-wardead/casualty/ 2632877/RANSON,%20JOSEPH It statesthat his parents lived atPhiladelphia; I do wonder,therefore, if those on theCenotaph are the individuals thatlived in central Houghton and notthe outlying villages? I do hopethis helps.WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?Can you help solve theseGenealogical & Heritage Quests?THE FATHERLY FAMILYHello Paul, I was doing somegenealogical research on theFatherly family (sometimes itseems it is spelled "Fatherley") andI have come across a reference tomy great grandfather, John, andhis wife, Margaret, being thepublicans at the LondonderryArms on Colliery Row circa 1880(from the 1881 Census data). Icannot find any reference to thispub in your article on pubs inHoughton-le-Spring. Was thereone? If so, is it still there? Haveyou heard of the Fatherly family?John Fatherley was born onColliery Row in 1854 and seems tohave been one a MANY!!Fatherleys. Margaret (maidenname unknown) was born inHetton in Durham but I have noidea where that is now - I think asuburb of Durham. Any info youmight be able to give me would bemuch appreciated - and if youhave any contacts with localpeople who are into familyhistories in the area, I'd be pleasedto be put in touch with them. Ifthere are any websites whichmight assist me in my trackingwhich you know of, I'd love to havethem too. Hope this is not toomuch of a burden and there's norush! Thanks in advance for yourhelp. P.S. Enjoyed your site andthe friendliness of it. I hope, oneday, to visit to see where myancestors lived their lives, but timeis short since I am 75 now (alas).Peter HillHamilton, OntarioCanadaPAUL LANAGAN REPLIED:Hello Peter, thank you for yourenquiry. The Londonderry Armspub still stands at Colliery Row butis now known as JD STEWART. Itis located on the corner of FrontStreet, where it intersects withDairy Lane (which leads toHoughton centre). The Pub's fulladdress is: J.D Stewart, FRONTST, COLLIERY ROW,HOUGHTON LE SPRING, DH46LR I do not recollect when thename changed - nor why - but itwas after 1999, as I tookphotographs (not digital) in thevicinity then. There is a relativelyrecent photo online Flicker. Youwill also be interested to know thatthere is a Fatherly Terrace in veryclose proximity to the Pub. Youcan see the Street on this map:there is a Fatherly Terrace in veryclose proximity to the Pub. Youcan see the Street on this map:http://goo.gl /maps /AadUjThe label which says "MEERU SPA& BEAUTY" appears on the mapabove where the pub is (hope thathelps you to pin point it). The redlabel "A" is where Fatherly Terraceis. On the same map, if you followthe B1284 road down (southeasterly)you will come to the nextvillage, Hetton-le-Hole, which youalso mentioned in your email. I dohope this helps you.JOHN DAYLEYLooking for information on JohnDayley who was buried atHoughton-le-Spring's HillsideCemetery.Pauline CrosbySpennymoor, Co DurhamROW OR ROWEI would appreciate information onthe ROW or ROWE surname ofindividuals from Houghton-le-Spring. Regards.Dr J. E. CurranWest SussexADA CHARLTONHello, I hope you may be able tohelp me with this inquiry. I'msearching for the grave of mymother, Ada M Charlton who, Ibelieve, was buried in St Michael'sdetached churchyard, Hillsidecemetery in 1951. My sister and Iplan to visit the graveyard andsearch for our mother's grave. Ifyou can give some advice on howbest to proceed with this I wouldbe very grateful.John CharltonKingston, SurreyMARGARET ROSE MCNEILI need help to find my aunty’sgrave plot as I've tried everythingand can't find her. Her name wasMargaret Rose McNeil and shedied at 3 weeks old with a cleftpalate. All I know is that she wasburied in Houghton Cemeteryunder a tree. I would love to findher for my Grandmother who isnow 91 years.Helen MelvinHoughton-le-SpringLAIDLER’S PITSomeone was asking about thewhereabouts of Laidler's Pit asmentioned in Durham Records for1815-30. We have just found amention of the pit in the 1928 listof Abandoned Mines which coversall abandonments since recordsbegan. It says: Laidler's Pit in theParish of Painshaw. BetweenWaggon Hill and Painshaw Stationto the west of Whitehill Pit andclose to Painshaw Tile Works. Weassume the brick kilns marked onthe 1856 map just to the west ofPainshaw Colliery (Whitefield Pit)now appear to have been underthe two houses now calledWhitefield are on top of what wasquoted as being Painshaw TileWorks. The cottages numbered 8to 11 are either very old (pre 1856)or have been replaced on thesame site and appear to havebeen within the Colliery area.Information came courtesy of theDurham Mining MuseumWebmaster at www.dmm.org.ukRoy LambethCounty DurhamJACKIE MACDERMOTTI am wondering if there are anyrelatives of Jackie MacDermott(used to sell fruit n veg) out there.He died a few years back as Iremember going to his funeral. Hewas my Mam's cousin.Kay LynessHoughton-le-SpringCHEEKYY MINERS AND AMINOR!When I was a lad I lived at 108Newbottle Street sadly it wasdemolished. Has anyone anyphotos of the area in the 50s andearly 60s? I remember agrocers/florist shop & theminers/labourers coming homefrom work dropping pennies in mysisters pram every time they gother to say bugger!Chris WattsCambridge* * * * * * * * * * *Keep reading formore Quests!

THE HOUGHTONIAN | SEPT 2012 | VOL 2 ISSUE 3 | ISSN 1757-3890

THE HOUGHTONIAN | SEPT 2012 | VOL 2 ISSUE 3 | ISSN 1757-3890WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?Can you help solve theseGenealogical & Heritage Quests?DELICIOUS ICE CREAMDear Sir/Madam, I was recentlytold that there was once an icecream seller in the Houghton areaby the name of Gouge. Can youplease confirm if this is true, as Icannot seem to find anything onany web site. Yours sincerelyMr J FairPAUL LANAGAN REPLIED:Dear Mr Fair, Thank you for yourenquiry. That is correct and hewas known as Gougie. We didhope to have an article on the icecream business for the Heritagewebsite, however when weapproached the family inSeptember 2009 they declined toassist, saying they "weren'tinterested". This was a shame, aswe felt that Gougie's icecream vanwas a much loved aspect of ourheritage.THE HOMELANDS ESTATEI'm enquiring about a lady calledAnnie Foster who lived inHolmlands in the mid 60's. Shemarried a man called BewleyMarlow. Does anyone haveinformation?Tanya Marlow-FlemingTHE BETTY PIT & MOREDear Houghton Heritage Society,regarding the enquiry by PaulSykes in Volume 1, Issue 5 of theHoughtonian, the old shaft behindthe Bee Hive public house is theformer 'Betty Pit' - one of the pitsowned by John Nesham. Therewas another Nesham pit not toofar along the road leading toJunction Row, called the the 'JanePit'. Regarding the enquiry in'Quests' regarding Manor House,Penshaw, in the late 1940s andearly 1950s it was used as GroupOffices for the 'E Group' of the No2 Area in Durham Division of theNational Coal Board. I workedthere for a few weeks in 1958 or1959. The offices housed theGroup Mining, Mechanical andElectrical Engineers and also theAccounts and WagesDepartments. It was in later yearsthat the North Eastern ElectricityBoard took over the premises.Alan Vickerssiblings are Lillian b. 16/6/1915,With thanks to Lena community, Inch and for has sharing this year these since passed photographs away, John b. and many more.SunderlandTHE ALMS HOUSESDear Mr Lanagan, ConcerningThe Reverend William Sharpe, aTHE ALMSHOUSESDear Mr Lanagan, ConcerningThe Reverend William Sharpe, abenefactor of the almshouses atHoughton-le-Spring. Mr Sharpewas born in Houghton-le-Springthe son of John Sharpe, andmatriculated at University College,Oxford, in 1743, when he was 19.He took his BA in 1746 (MA 1749)and was ordained deacon in 1747.He served his Title at Houghtonle-Spring,and then servedchurches at Sedgefield, CountyDurham, and Bishop’s Stortford,Herts. He became Usher, or sub-Master, of Sherborne School in1760. He was presented to theliving of Long Burton by the Earlof Northumberland in 1763, butdid not come into residence until1767, having relinquished his roleat the School in 1766. Sharpetook an interest in the(unsuccessful) attempts to findcoal in the parish, publishing ATreatise upon Coal in 1769. Twoor three years earlier he hadpublished The Hard Case of aCountry Vicar in respect of SmallTythes. He died away from LongBurton, though still in office, in1784, and was buried ‘in the Northof England’. [Source: Canon C HMayo, MA, FRHistS. The Registersof Long Burton 1580 – 1812(1894)]. Long Burton (orLongburton, as it is usuallyrendered these days) is a villagedue south of Sherborne on themain road to Dorchester. Itsremarkable parish church beganlife as an outpost of the Abbeyhere in Sherborne, and was servedby the monastic community. Itachieved independent status in1405. By the time of my arrival in1993 it was part of a much biggerBenefice, which has since beendismantled. It seemed good to thepeople of Longburton to rejoin theSherborne Benefice, and wehoped that the formalities for thiscould be completed in 2005 – 600years after its independence, andexactly 1300 years after theAbbey’s foundation by St Aldhelmas the first cathedral of thewestern West Saxons. However,the Order in Council was notsigned until 2006. Today StJames the Great, Longburton, isthe vibrant centre of the villagebeen redecorated, re-ordered andgiven a much needed new heatingsystem! I hope this helps a littlewith your researches.sincerelyYoursgiven a much needed new heatingsystem! I hope this helps a littlewith your researches. Yourssincerely.The Reverend CanonEric Woods MA Jane and her husband.Vicar of Sherborne withCastleton and Rector ofLillington and LongburtonTHE ORIGINAL BEEHIVE,SEDGELETCHWhy would my great grandfatherbe resident at the Beehive Inn withhis wife, son and mother-in-law in1871? He was an agriculturallabourer so I don’t see theconnection. His mother was atBog House Farm - maybe he wasworking there?Liz HallCo DurhamTHE MILLER FAMILYDear Houghton Heritage, Havebeen looking at the Houghton leSpring site, very interesting, a lotof time gone into this site, must bea passion. Anyway I am trying toverify details and information thatmy uncle researched regards theMiller family from Newbottle.Supposedly all family details are inone of the churches in Houghtonle Spring. The family is alsosupposed to have lived forgenerations at a house calledLower Pottery Yard. I have lookedat the history of High and LowerPotteries and am not convincedthis was the case. I know that mygrandfather John and his brotherTom worked in the mines for atime, their father Robert also did astint as a beer boy, but became analcoholic by the time he was 13.The Miller boys, John, Tom,William were known for theirstrength and gymnastic abilities, Ihave a great photo of the three ofthem doing a pose. I am lookingfor verification of the information Ihave and to add extra to the familyas needed. I have looked at theburials and both Hillside Cemeteryand St Michael and All AngelsChurchyard have a number ofMillers interred there. My father isRobert Miller b. 16/11/1926, his16/12/1919, Irene b. 28/4/1923.They were all born in Newbottlesupposedly, christened at TheVicarage, 1 Front St. The familycame out to Australia in 1928,They were all born in Newbottlesupposedly, christened at TheVicarage, 1 Front Street. The familycame out to Australia in 1928,Lillian was left behind to live withMyGrandfather was John Miller b.1/12/1894, married Lily May Clarke,other siblings were: Jane, Martha,William, Susan, Sarah and Thomasb. 4/11/1900. His father wasRobert Miller b. 27/12/1849 marriedto Emma Kershaw. Other siblingsto Robert were John b. 12/6/1835,Edward b. 6/6/1837, Joseph b.29/12/1840, Thomas b. 1/9/1844.Any help with this would be great,or even if I am referred on tosomeone else. I have names goingback to 1510, but my Aunt Irene isa bit skeptical about all theinformation being correct. Willwait to hear from you. Thank youagain, I really enjoy the site. KindRegards.Robyn WebsterAustraliaALFRED BREWERHi, I’m trying to trace the grave ofmy grandfather and wondered ifyou could help. He was a youngcurate at the church and died in1923. His name was Alfred Brewer.He had a full size horizontal stone(possibly marble) memorial withwriting along the sides. I have aphoto of the memorial stone and itlooks as though it was near aproper path in the graveyard. As hedidn’t originate from the Durhamarea, his family had difficulty invisiting the grave and I am trying tosee if it still exists and if it is beinglooked after. If I need to contactthe church wardens then pleasecould you point me in theirdirection? Many thanks for any helpyou can give. Kind regards,Jacquie RusalenePAUL LANAGAN REPLIED:Hello Jacquie, I have a wealth ofinformation on this poor chap, whowas buried at Houghton HillsideCemetery and commemorated inthe south transept of St Michael’sChurch, which I will send by email.Keep reading for m oreFam ily Tree Quests only in theHough tonian

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THE HOUGHTONIAN | SEPT 2012 | VOL 2 ISSUE 3 | ISSN 1757-3890WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?Can you help solve these Genealogical& Heritage Quests?NEWBOTTLE EX-PATMy name is Lynette Young and myfamily lived in Newbottle,Philadelphia, Houghton-le-spring formany, Many generations. I am tryingto gain some information about myNewbottle genealogy. Although I wasborn and raised in Sunderland fortwenty six years, I am now living inSan Diego, Southern California,U.S.A. Yours,Lynette YoungSan Diego, USANEWBOTTLE CHURCHYARDDear Paul, I take my neighbour's dogfor a walk through Newbottlechurchyard and particularly in thesummer meet people searching fortheir ancestors graves. Is there aproject to record the gravestones?The stones are getting damaged andbroken by vandals. I would be happyto spend a couple of sessions a weekmaking a start on recording theinscriptions if someone sets me off inthe right direction as I have beengrateful for other's hard work in othercemeteries when I have been lookingfor family members. Yours.Wendy CostelloNewbottlePAUL LANAGAN REPLIED:I am sure they were recorded around2001 and made available in apamphlet.NEWBOTTLE PICSDoes anyone have any pictures ofNewbottle before the new houseswere built? Or the old buildings wherethe farmer stored his corn and thecoal yard?Alison ElvesTHE THOMPSON FAMILYDear Paul, the book and muchappreciated 'extras' arrived safe andsound. I would like to make thispersonal thank you for your extremelyinteresting book and hope thisreaches you at this email address.My granddad, Charles HerbertThompson lived 100 years ago at 37Britannia Terrace, Fence Houses. Hisgrandfather was John Thompsonwho came over from Northern Irelandas part of the Lord Londonderrymove, with his wife JaneMcCullough(and all the various waysof spelling McCullough – McClough,McCullock, McCulloch, McMullock,McUllock) and two sons John &Richard. Having difficulty in goingback to the Irish records, I tried toMcCullock, McCulloch, McMullock,McUllock) and two sons John &Richard. Having difficulty in goingback to the Irish records, I tried todiscover more by searchingsideways, and the results have beenvery interesting - I now think by onebranch or another I must be relatedto everyone in the area! The Irishfamilies intermarried in Ireland andcontinued to do so once theyarrived in Co Durham so thefollowing names all appear in myfamily tree and I would beinterested to know if any of themring bells with you. THOMPSON,McCULLOUGH, MINNIS, ADAIR,BLACKWOOD, LYONS, DIXON,GIBBNEY, McCHESNEY plus quitea few more! My great grandparentswere John Thompson & Mary AnnCurry. Mary was born on 25th April1844 at the Nags Head, WestRainton, a place which I guess haslong since disappeared, but I gatherfrom Internet searches quite a fewbirths took place there. Have youany idea why? Mary's parents wereGeorge Curry & Elizabeth Purvis,and although I found their marriagein May 1836 by the time of the1841 census Elizabeth can befound on her own as George was'inside'. In 1840 he had been foundguilty, but recommended to mercy,of feloniously assaulting JosephBarwick and stealing fourpencehalfpenny.For that he received 12months hard labour in the house ofcorrection. Report from NewcastleCourant, Friday 23rd October1840. Thank you once again forthe interesting and informativebook about Houghton-le-Spring,and I look forward to Volume 2.Best Wishes.Patsy Beechnee ThompsonTHE WELLYDoes anyone know anything aboutWellington House (was in Dubmire,just behind where Lilley's newsagentis now?) I found out that R Fatherly(local grocer and draper) lived therein 1911 but would love to find outmore about it. From OS it looks asif it was around from late 1800s topossibly early 1960sDawn FinniganHoughton-le-SpringTHE JOLLY FARMERSDoes anyone know what ishappening to the former SpringInn pub in Houghton's MarketPlace? Workmen have been thereall this week.Sarah GardinerHoughton-le-SpringTHE WILKINSONSDear Paul, I rang your number onMonday in the evening and I'mnow following up my phone callwith a quick e-mail. My fatherJohn Thomas Wilkinson was bornin Houghton Le Spring in the1920s. His father, also JohnWilkinson, was a miner and livedat 13 or 18 High Hillside. Hismother's maiden name was AnnieHarkness. Apparently his parentsparted company in his early years,and he was sent to live in a home.Typically,when he was 14 he wasplaced in the Army - the 15/19Royal Hussars. He met mymother in the late 1930s. He wascaptured at Dunkirk and escapedfrom his POW camp four times.He was freed by the Russians in1945. When my parents married,they moved to Slough. I only metmy paternal grandfather twice andnever met my father's mother. In1964 my mother and fatheremigrated to Australia. My motherdied in 2005 and my father diedin 2009. I guess, like many peoplein the same situation, I am tryingto re-forge some connections.I'm trying to find out more aboutmy father's relations - andwondered if you might have comeacross any Wilkinsons who livedat High Hillside in Houghtonduring the 1920s. If you havecome across any suchinformation, in your research, Iwould be glad if you could let meknow.John WilkinsonAustraliaHOUGHTON SCHOOL PICSHas anyone got any photographsfrom Houghton School1981/1986 (Davenport) to share?Jan WilsonHoughton-le-SpringTITLE HEREDear Mr Lanagan, I belong to theDringhouses Local History Grouphere in York and I researched andwrote the chapter in our recentpublication about the Swanns andDixons of Ashfield. I have beenwondering for a long while how Iwrote the chapter in our recentpublication about the Swanns andDixons of Ashfield. I have beenwondering for a long while how Icould access extra informationabout VCSWC and the miningindustry on the Durham coalfield,and was delighted to see yourSociety mentioned in the mostrecent BALH publication! So: Iam wondering if you have anyinformation about this gentleman.He married Fanny AnnabellaSwann, born 1837, of Ashfield, in1869. I have a copy of theirmarriage certificate - his signatureis just amazing! He was a miningengineer from Wortley, nearSheffield, and they lived atHoughton-le-Spring, where hehad a very long and distinguishedcareer extending into the 1920s;there was an Annabella Pitnearby, and I don't think this wasa coincidence. Also, I would loveto learn more about what FannyAnnabella's life was like after hermarriage; it must have been quitea shock to her to find herselfremoved from the elegant circlesof York and the green spaces ofDringhouses. I do emails at mylocal library on a somewhatirregular basis, usually about oncea week. Very many thanks for anyhelp you or another member ofyour Society may be able to give.With best wishesElizabeth SmithTHANK YOUDear Houghton Heritage Society,thank you for my Houghton-le-Spring in Old Photographs bookwhich came today - I thought itwas a summons!Karen BiltonNewbottlePAUL LANAGAN REPLIED:You are welcome!Congratulations on winning oneof the summer’s many ‘where isthis?’ competitions!CAN YOU SMELL GAS?Question for those of a certainage: did there used to be gasstorage tanks behind HalliwellStreet and Cross Street, or is itmy imagination? Thank you.Michael Dean* * * * ** * * * * * * * * * *

THE HOUGHTONIAN | SEPT 2012 | VOL 2 ISSUE 3 | ISSN 1757-3890SEPTEMBER 2012 SAW another bumper turnout for the HeritageOpen Days (HODs) exhibition and heritage walk. Hundredsvisited the photographs in Houghton Methodist Church,Mautland Street, while a special Olympics and Jubilee themedselection was displayed in the Good Grub Café, Newbottle Street.Members of the Society had spent the preceding month renamingmany of the Café’s dishes, such as Nesham Plaice (fish cake andchips), Dimambro’s Cappuccino, the Houghton Feast (beefdinner), and Lambton Worm Pie with Chips. The menu – alongwith the dishes – has gone down a treat! Thanks are extended toall who came along and patronisd the exhibitions and heritagewalk.

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in this author’s opinion, to expand the internationally recognized definition of theword “refugee” and apply it to anyone attempting to escape crime in their home country.One can readily see that such an expansion of the definition would open usup to claims for asylum from all over the world--- requiring us to open our doors wideto those fearing basic criminal activity absent persecution---where their own governmentwas unable or unwilling to protect them.In addition to expanding the definition of “refugee,” for the purposes of thisreport, one must be increasingly concerned with the OTMs (Other than Mexicans)crossing the border along with the “children.” Indeed there are reports of Somaliyoung men and women who cross the border and request asylum after making a journeythat included stops in Russia and Cuba before reaching Central America; onewonders where they obtained the huge sums of money needed for a journey of thatlength and who was instructing them when they reached the US border.O T H E R L E G A L A V E N U E S F O R M U S L I M M I G R A T I O N T OA M E R I C AThere are also myriad other legal opportunities to get into the US. There arevisa programs, most notably student visas, tourist visas and investor visas (oftenabused by foreign nationals who get a foot in the door with such a visa and then filefor asylum). But, you should know that among the top LEGAL avenues for permanentMuslim immigrant status (besides Refugee Resettlement) are the Diversity VisaLottery and, to a lesser degree, a program called, ironically, Temporary Protected Status,that is anything but temporary.Please have a look at the most recent 50,000 lucky winners of the DiversityVisa Lottery (often referred to as the Green Card lottery) and be prepared to bestunned at the number of Muslim countries on the list. Among the FY2015 “winners”are 517 Saudis. 10Those investor visas are also something that must be taken into greater considerationbecause evidence is building that some of the foreign nationals from Islamiccountries who purchase small grocery stores and gas stations are funneling moneyout of the US through widespread fraud in our Supplemental Nutritional AssistanceProgram (food stamp system).10 US State Department, DV2015 Selected Entrants,http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/immigrate/diversity-visa/dv-2015-selected-entrants.html17

THE HOUGHTONIAN | SEPT 2012 | VOL 2 ISSUE 3 | ISSN 1757-3890HOUGHTON HERITAGE SOCIETY members have beenvery busy over the summer months promoting and sharingHoughton’s history with all and sundry. A top priority thisyear has been young people and Gentoo’s Fun Daysafforded the perfect opportunity!(1) Society members watc hed the Houghton Colliery banner being paradedthrough Durham, unaware that two strangers had had to be asked to carry it!The Society Chairman, Paul Lanagan, and Vice-Chair, Peter Corfield, havevolunteered to carry it in 2013 to ensure such a situation never occurs again.(2) The Society’s Heritage Base at the Groundworks Elba Park Fun Day.August 18 th 2012.(3) Billy Purvis the clown making a rare appearance at Houghton outside ofHoughton Feast for the Gentoo Jubilee Fun Day at Rectory Field, July 25 th2012.(4) Members of the Society at the Heritage Base for Gentoo’s Olympic FunDay, August 8 th 2012.(5) A child colouring in one of the Houghton Heritage activity packs atGentoo’s Jubilee Fun Day at the Rectory Field.Further photographs can be seen on the HH Facebook group.

THE HOUGHTONIAN | SEPT 2012 | VOL 2 ISSUE 3 | ISSN 1757-38902013 CALENDERAVAILABLE SOONAVAILABLE WEDNESDAYSFeaturing a Houghton Heritage pageby Paul Lanagan in every issue.Currently priced at 30p andfeaturing truly local news, itis a great read! Available inall good newsagents acrossHoughton-le-Spring andSeaham.www.houghtonstar.co.ukThe Houghton Heritage2013 calendar will beavailable for purchasefrom the HH website inNovember. Please buy acopy and help to supportour work.To join the HH Group onFacebook simply search forHOUGHTON-LE-SPRINGHERITAGE GROUP in thesearch box on Facebook!PUBLIC NOTICEThe Annual General Meeting ofHoughton-le-Spring Heritage Society willbe taking place on Friday November 2 nd2012 in a very special location inHoughton not normally accessible to thepublic – the old Rectory. If you wouldlike to come along, please get in touch.As the venue is an ancient building itsadly does not have easy access forthose with limited mobility. Proposals ornominations should be sent to theSecretary at least a month in advance ofthe AGM. The Committee will be taking ameal afterwards and guests will be welcometo join in. Contact details can be obtained viathe HH website.The next issue of the HOUGHTONIAN will be availableto download in January 2013. Send us your detailsand get a copy sent directly to your Inbox!

THE HOUGHTONIAN | SEPT 2012 | VOL 2 ISSUE 3 | ISSN 1757-3890I would like to support the work of the Houghton-le-Spring Heritage Society andinclude a donation of £____.____ I WISH TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS. I WOULD LIKE TO RECORD THE FOLLOWING IN THE REGISTER OF BENEFACTORS (min £20):NAME [please tick] Mr Mrs Miss _______________________________________ADDRESS ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ POSTCODE _________________________CONTACT NUMBER/EMAIL __________________________________________________ThankYouCHEQUE SHOULD BE MADE PAYABLE TO:Houghton-le-Spring Heritage SocietyCOMPLETED FORM SHOULD BE RETURNED TO:Houghton Heritage Society, 120 Burn Park Road, Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne & Wear, DH4 5DQBOOKS, DVDS& CALENDARAVAILABLEFROMwww.HOUGHTONleSPRING.org.ukTHE HOUGHTONIANPUBLISHED BY BOOKS OF THE NORTHCOPYRIGHT © 2012VOL 2 ISSUE 3 SEPT 2012ISSN 1757-3890V002IS03VE04No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a mechanical retrieval system, ortransmitted, in any form or by means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,without written permission from the publisher. The publisher has made all reasonable efforts tocontact copyright holders for permission. Any errors that may have occurred are inadvertent andanyone who for any reason has not been contacted is invited to write to the publisher so that a fullacknowledgement may be made in subsequent editions of The Houghtonian. Articles andinformation are presented in good faith, occasionally based on people's recollections and memories,which can be fallible. While every effort is made to ensure the content is accurate and up to date ,some errors may exist, such is the nature of recording local history, therefore no responsibility can beheld for any errors contained herein. Thanks are extended to the following supporters/contributors:Tawanda Kawanzaruwa; Peter Corfield; Bradley McCarthy; Andrew Stone; Wilf Richardson; and asalways, Penelope Wilton OBE, for being our Patron.