The Houghtonian Magazine Vol 2 Issue 1 - Houghton-le-Spring

THE HOUGHTONIAN | MAR 2012 | VOL 2 ISSUE 1 | ISSN 1757-3890WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?Can you help solve theseGenealogical & Heritage Quests?HOUGHTONIAN ISS 3Many thanks for the copy of the'Houghtonian' - much appreciated.Two responses regarding 'Who doyou think that you are' : The photo ofthe choirboys singing on the top ofthe tower - that is Mr Shentonconducting the choir. He actuallyplayed the organ for our wedding in1958. Regarding Joe Graham - Iknew him and he was the same ageas me. He lived at Chilton Moor and Ithink that his father was called DickGraham but I may be wrong on that.His uncle was Eddie Graham wholived further along the road from theChurch. Regards.AlanRALPH IRONSIDEHi Paul, I wonder if you are aware ofthe references to Houghton le Springto be found in Elizabeth Grant's"Memoirs of a Highland Lady"?www.archive.org/details/memoirsofhighlan0 0smituoft Of particularinterest to me is the description givenon page 18 (36 of the PDF) of thearea around the entrance to Ironside's"estate". This would be where my 9thGt Grandfather, Ralph Ironside (1560)was born and spent his childhood.He attended Kepier School, and wassponsored to go to Oxford byBernard Gilpin.It would be reallygreat to be able to identify the area,and even the houses if they still exist,that Elizabeth Grant described in1803. I see from Google Earth thatyou have a street named NeshamPlace. Elizabeth's grandmother was aNesham whom she mentions living"just across the street" from theIronsides. I do realise that modernplace names may not be a preciseindication of location of previouslyowned property. Similarly, of course,with Ironside Street. Best Regards,and good luck for this year's "Feast".Mike I EdwardsTHE DAVISONS OFHOUGHTON-LE-SPRINGHi Houghton Heritage, I am lookingfor burial records at Hillside cemeterybelonging to the Davison family.Thanks & regards.Alan DavisonAustraliaTHE WHEATLEYSPaul, Thank you for responding tothe request for info on the Wheatleyand Moore families. My greatgrandfather George Moore (fromLeamside) worked the Pit until 1926and then came to the UnitedStates. I am searching for anyfamily connections to the Mooreand Wheatley families. My Greatgrandmother Josephine (fromHoughton-le-Spring) and Georgewhere members of St. Michael andAll Angels. That is all I have to goon. Thanks for welcoming me tothe group. George Moore was bornin 1884 and Josephine 1899.Josephine's parents were ThomasWheatley (b. 1878) and MaryFrankland (b. 1877). George'sparents were Thomas E. Moore (b.1845) and Mary Jane Moore (b.1854). I am afraid my branch ofthe tree was cut off once we cameto the United States. I am trying toreconnect and planning a trip overby 2013. Ever thankful to God foryou.Pastor Chris BowenVirginia Beach, USATHE WINSKILLSI have an old photograph of agentleman with this address on theback of dated 15/04/1947, to a MrsWinskill, who is my nan (neeJames).She was married toThomas William Winskill in 1937.They had two sons Stanley andThomas, Stanley being my fatherborn 24 April 1945. I have recentlyrequested BMD certificates forvarious people in the family butanyone with any information wouldbe great.Melanie WilsonFEAST REMEMBEREDI remember as a child thefairground in the Lake then stallsalong Broadway, up Church Street,and down into the Market Placewhere there was more shows, stallsalso came out of the rear of theLake and up the side of thePresbyterian Church.Richard LeadbitterNewbottleGEORGE JOHNSTONDear Mr Lanagan, Firstly may Isay how impressed I am with yourweb-page Houghton Heritage andall the work it must have taken. Iam writing to ask if you can shedany light on an ancestor of myhalf sister Jacqueline who lives inMichigan USA. I have beenresearching her family tree andher great grandfather GeorgeJohnston b.1879 a CoalminerHewer was living with his wife andchildren at 11 Hopper Street,Houghton-le-Spring with hisfamily as listed in the 1901Census. George had a brotherAndrew Johnston b.1891 andliving in 10 D'Arcy Street,Houghton-le-Spring with hisparents William and BarbaraJohnston and his siblings Wiliamand John, again as listed in the1901 Census. In trying to find thedate of Andrew's death, in the UKSoldiers Died in the First WorldWar 1914-1918, I came across anAndrew Johnston a Private withthe Warwickshire Regiment 9thBattalion who died inMesopotamia on the 29th June1917. Also on theCommonwealth War GravesCommission web-page there is anAndrew Johnston, again a Privatewith the Warwickshire Regiment9th Battalion who died on 29thJune 1917 and buried at KirkleeCemetery near Bombay (Mumbai)India. Also, from information Ifound on your Houghton Heritageweb-page there is an A Johnstonlisted on the Cenotaph in St.Michaels churchyard and alsomentioned on the roll of Honourinside the Church. I amassuming that all these referencesare for the same AndrewJohnston but unfortunately nonelist his date of birth, age at deathor names of parents. Are you, orany of your readers of theHoughtonian Magazine, able tohelp me confirm that this is thesame Andrew from 10 D'ArcyStreet that I have on the Johnstonfamily tree? There appear to havebeen quite a lot of Johnstonfamily members living inHoughton-le-Spring during the1800's and if anyone has anyfurther information regarding theJohnston family I would be verygrateful. I was born in Thornabyon-Teesand now live in Spainand for medical reasons it is notpossible for me to travel to visitHoughton-le-Spring personally.Yours in anticipation,Ana Foxand for medical reasons it is notpossible for me to travel to visitHoughton-le-Spring personally.Yours in anticipation.Ana FoxSpainPOTTERY CRESTHi Joan, My name is WilliamGilpin. I live in Canada and haveread the first issue of theHoughton Newsletter. I found thearticle about the Gilpin Boarinteresting.Joan, was yourmother a Gilpin? And are theremore than one issue of theHoughton newsletter? I believethat there is another Gilpin crestthat has been put out by someheraldry company, giving also thehistory of the name. I believe thatit's related to the poem that waswritten about Richard the Rider.William GilpinCanadaKEEP SMILINGHello, I'm from Pennsylvania USA.My ancestors, brothers Thomasand Walter Smiles, emigratedfrom Houghton-le-Spring toPennsylvania in the 1840s. Longtime ago, I know. But I wonder ifthere are still some Smilesfamilies there. We are very rareover here.Jack SmilesAN EPIDEMIC?Hello Paul, have you any idea ifthere was an epidemic in theHoughton or Hetton in the 1880s,more so about 1883? I have triedevery avenue but got nowhere.The reason I am asking is I amresearching my family tree andfive members of the same familystem died all within a few weeksor days of each other and all werechildren. Many thanks.Lynn PerryTyne & Wear* * * * * * * * * * *Keep reading for moreFamily Tree Quests.