Crofton Poor House

[c-side]

I'll check that out next time I am there - probably next week

C

[Michael Dixon]

C-,

If possible can you have a quick gander to see which building was the Poor/Work house in the Crofton area  (to lay within Earsdon Parish it must have been on what is now the right-hand side of Plessey Road(from a Horton direction))

Michael

[c-side]

Good idea - they do have some good maps down there.  Crofton as far as I know it, Robert Street etc., was actually north of Plessey Rd. - I'm not even sure whether Plessey Road was there in 1825 - can't tell from my 1897 map which ends just below what would now be Princess Louise Road.

Now I'm rambling - I should wait till I've looked at what they have at the library!  I'll report back.

C

[Michael Dixon]

C_

I am busy here browsing through my stuff, including lots, maps, notes etc, I copied when I used to sit in that dusty corner, upstairs in Blyth Library, a few years ago.

The Plessey Road of today lies on top of the old Plessy/Plessey Waggonway
(Plessy>Bog Houses(Wway still visible)>Three Horse Shoes>Plessey Roadetc)

The Horton/Earsdon border was the waggonway until Crofton, then it turned left/northwards (Wway continued to river edge- close to Dun Cow) along the line of the Gut .( Union Street marks where the Gut was.)

 Robert St would have lain in Woodhorn territory, Crofton Pit head on the otherside of Plessey Road/Plessy Waggonway would have been in Earsdon territory.

Maps in Blyth Library show boundaries of Horton Parishes five townships, and lots more.   Some of the maps in the Blyth section of Northumberland Communities site... show the Horton/Earsdon boundary as a dotted line running as I described above.


Michael

[c-side]

Been to the library - in the same corner though not so dusty these days.

I have to admit I’m puzzled as there are no buildings showing on the south side of Plessey Rd at the appropriate time except for Crofton Pit.  These are hand drawn maps so I suppose he could have decided to miss off the workhouse but it’s unlikely.

One map, however, appeared to have the parish boundary to the north of Crofton village and I wondered whether there might have been a discrepancy between the UD boundary shown on the OS maps and the original parish boundaries.  If so there are some buildings where Robert Street was eventually built which could be suitable candidates.

Next stop Woodhorn on Wednesday!

Darn it!  I've just spotted the reference to the cemetery plan for Horton and realised that I forgot to look.  Wish I had a memory

Christine

[c-side]

Thought I'd just add for general interest - I discovered a couple of fat folders full of transcriptions of matters to do with Tynemouth Workhouse Union - Blyth was the other workhouse in the union.  Too many to read today but one item stood out - dated 29 June 1837

“The Board deem it expedient that the Workhouse at Blyth should not any longer be used as a union workhouse.  The Tynemouth Workhouse being considered amply sufficient….”

[Michael Dixon]

 Christine,

 Looking again at the maps on Communities website....   1828 map, 1860  6" and 1987  6" version show border as dotted line

The 1828 shows it clearly up by Low Horton, then coming along Plessy waggonway (Plessey Rd) then gets harder to follow...

The later maps show the border running thru the middle of the Gut (Union St)

So the 1837 cessation date gives reason why I could not find the Blyth Poorhouse/Workhouse on the 1841 census ( but I suppose the building that was used would have still stood)

If you bump into Keith at Woodhorn (staff) bend his ear- helpful lad help design the Communities website and I think the maps !

Michael

[c-side]

The border on the 1897 OS definitely goes along the Wagonway, putting Crofton Village in Horton parish but the map I saw today takes the border from the bottom of Union Street (ish), loops it around the north of Crofton and links it back onto the Wagonway a little further west putting it in Earsdon

Good idea asking Keith - if I spot him!

Christine

[Michael Dixon]

C

There was a note in Blyth library, in amongst all the bits that said and showed the border continuing along Gut (Union St) then across where the bridge was ( Hedley Young shop to Bus Station, then through where Gasometer was to be, then into the river.  Putting everything right of Post Office into Earsdon... sorry that wasn't very clear....

M