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

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