vol 2 issue 2 - Houghton-le-Spring

THE HOUGHTONIAN | JUNE 2012 | VOL 2 ISSUE 2 | ISSN 1757-3890RITCHEY’S YARDDear Houghton Heritage, In oneof the censuses it states that therewas a Ritchey’s Yard which wasbehind Ritchey’s shop in NeshamPlace. Can anyone tell meanything about it?Margaret RitcheyA&M Ritchey’s Good GrubNewbottle StreetSIR GEORGE ELLIOTDear Paul, It has been many yearssince we communicated regardingthe life of Sir George Elliot for mybook about Powell Duffryn. I hopeyou are well. Please can you help?I wish to write to the owner ofHoughton Hall seeking permissionto use a photograph I took of theirin home in my forthcoming bookabout Powell Duffryn. Thepublisher, Black Dwarf Lightmoor,postponed publication of thePowell Duffryn book in 2008 dueto the economic situation, but lastyear asked me to get ready forlaying out my work this year. Thetask of laying out the book willbegin soon. Please could you thename of the owner of HoughtonHall? Last year, Black Dwarfpublished my first book, 'Vickers'Master Shipbuilder: Sir LeonardRedshaw', and I attach 'MERReview of LR Book.jpg', which is areview of the book in MER (MarineEngineers Review], a journalpublished by IMAREST, formerlythe Institution of MarineEngineers. Best wishesLes ShoreRAINTON PIT DISASTERHi Paul, After some info off the StMichaels Burial register. Have theform here to send to you for 8records of Blackbird's andBlenkinsop's but then thought Iam probably related to all of them.Just for your info the main thing Iam trying to work out is if theThomas Blackbird who died in theRainton Pit accident of 1823 is thesame Thomas who is my 4 x GrGrandfather. Cheers.Steven SlaterEDWIN STREET SHOPHello, I have been looking at yourwebsite with great interest. Myfather was born at Houghton on 3March 1921 above hisgrandparents' corner shop.Unfortunately I don't know thename of the road but I was takenWHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?Can you help solve theseGenealogical & Heritage Quests?father was born at Houghton on 3March 1921 above hisgrandparents' corner shop.Unfortunately I don't know thename of the road but I was takenthere in the 1960s by which time ithad been re-converted into ahouse. The names of thegrandparents were Elizabeth andH (Henry?) Davidson. They hadfour children. 1.Herbert whomarried Suzie and they had oneson Tom and two girls Betty andDorothy. Both girls married twobrothers by the name of Fulton.2.Grace who married Tom Lax.They had one daughter Bessiewho was knocked down by a buson 20 January 1939. She wasaged just 9. They also had a sonHarry who continues to live inHoughton. I am regular contactwith him and he is trying to obtaina book on the history of Houghtonwhich includes a photo of theaforementioned shop with bothgrandparents standing outside!3.Mildred (my grandmother) whomarried Maddison Wilks. They hadtwo boys William Maddison (mydad) and Thomas Davidson.4.They also had a son William. Iknow nothing of him. My mainquestion concerns the HoughtonCut. My grandfather used to tellme it had been cut by FrenchPrisoners of War during the mid1800s. Is this correct please? Iremember visiting the cemetery offthe cut in the 1960s. What atranquil place it was. He also toldme that some French PoW wereburied there. Is that also correct?Many thanks and keep up thegreat work with your website!Oh yes, and a Happy New Year toyou all.Paul WilksCheshirePAUL LANAGAN REPLIED:There is a photograph in ‘ThePeople's History: Houghton-le-Spring’ by Geoffrey Berriman,2000, on page 52 showingDavidson's Grocery shop in EdwinStreet, circa 1920. Could this bethe photograph you refer to?FOOTBALL TEAMSHi Paul, Last week I decided togive my grandfather's footballmedal to my grandson. Mydaughter put MonkwearmouthCharity Cup into the Internet andup came a picture of the 1912 cupwinning team,Charity Cup into the Internet andup came a picture of the 1912 cupwinning team, with mygrandfather's picture. I remaintotally gobsmacked! I have founda website that states that the onlyplayer so far identified is thegoalkeeper, Jack Heath. Mygrandfather, Simon Graham isnext to him, on his right, i.e. backrow 4th from left. I need to findout where Simon was living in1912. My early years memories areSimon and Isabel Graham living at25 Bullion Lane, Chester-le-street.They had three children, Mary, mymother, Frank Graham and Ruth.Frank's children Peter and Patriciawere brought up in Pelton/Perkinsville. I know that Simon'sfather was the landlord of the ShipInn at Pelton, one reason whySimon was teetotal. I am totallyfascinated by the picture, we havenever seen this before. Magic!Kind regards.Alan DolmanDENE HOUSE FARMDear Houghton Heritage Society, Iam a descendent from theBowden family that owned DeneHouse Farm at Houghton- le-Spring circa early 1800. We willbe in Durham soon and wouldappreciate the opportunity toresearch the family history. Couldyou direct us to the best locationfor help in this matter? We havethe book The Peoples HistoryHoughton-le-Spring by GeoffreyBerriman; it has a photo of DeneHouse Farm being worked in1954. We would like to know theorigin of the photo and the exactlocation of the Farm. We wouldlike to contact him by email andask if you could provide us with hisaddress and/or contact detailsplease, if you have them. In fact ifyou have details of any othercontacts that could be ofassistance, thank you if you couldforward to us. Look forward toyour assistance with thanks.Regards.Moira MorettiAdelaide, AustraliaWHOSE CHABBLE?Paul, I am a American womanliving in Sacramento, CA, USA,and own a very old oak diningtable with a label on the undersideof the table that is quite worn.Some of the writing is worn awaybut I can still read some. Thispiece of furniture came fromtable with a label on the undersideof the table that is quite worn.Some of the writing is worn awaybut I can still read some. Thispiece of furniture came fromClingly Antiques:-----ery Row Methodist Church,Houghton-le-Spring, England, -----s 2030, Sunderland 75012Can you provide me of anyassistance in determining thisbusiness? The address? Thechurch? I have been fruitlesslysearching on the internet and haveyet to find much information.Sincerely.Susan WilkinsonCalifornia, USAPAUL LANAGAN REPLIED:Dear Susan, Thank you for yourenquiry regarding the dining table.This piece of furniture came fromClingly Antiques. I have not heardof Clingly Antiques before but itappears that it was in Sunderlandbased on the old style telephonenumber of 75012 - before the 56prefix was added. The table camefrom Colliery Row MethodistChurch, located in Chilton Moor,near Fence Houses, just outside ofHoughton-le-Spring town centre.I would assume it was probablythe communion table - can yousupply some photos? I don't knowwhat the "-----s 2030" is; if it hadbeen 1830 or 1930 I would haveguessed the date it was donated tothe church. Older locals recollectthat when the church first closed itwas used for storing antiques, sothey probably sold the items left inthe church. It is now used for thestorage of building materials. Youcan see the Church on GoogleMaps. I do hope this informationis of use to you.SOUND FAMILIAR?Hi Paul, I visited your site todayand noticed the following burialsrelevant to my family history:Thomas Forest; Ann Forest;Jacob Forest; Ann Forest; JaneForest; Jane Forest; JohnForester; Jane Forrest; JaneSwailes; Mahala Swails; andRobert Swales. Kind regards.John ForrestAustralia