Migration to Northumberland 1700's

[ruthy]

I am curious to know if there was any draw to Northumberland in the 1700's to explain migration to the area of my ancestors. I am aware of the mining industry, but I thought this was in the 1800's. Maybe I am wrong. Any pointers would be most helpful.

Many thanks

[lynxafrica]

There was a wave of migration from Scotland in the aftermath of the second Jacobite Rebellion (1745). Some of my ancestors, rather than supporting either side, found it hard to get work because they hadn't supported ANY side. They were able to find work in rural Northumberland.

Prior to this, Northumberland was a ravaged frontier land, with regular skirmishes back and forth, north and south of the border. The Earl of Northumberland had his main estate in Yorkshire if I recall correctly (Topcliffe, I think) and his retinues would have accompanied him on his visits to Northumberland. Perhaps some of them might have stayed in the North.

Farming and fighting would have been good alternative drawcards.

There's an excellent and eminently readable book called Kings of the North (published 2005 or 2006) which describes the history of the Percy family; Earls then eventually Dukes of Northumberland.

The population was far more migratory than we give it credit for.

[Michael Dixon]

Ruthy,

Whereabouts in Northumberland ?

The county had/has several faces... rural (ie more sheep than folk) industrial ( coal, yes in 1700s, shipbuilding etc)

Michael Dixon (from the ugly end of Northumberland)

[ruthy]

Thank you lynxafrica and Michael,

I will definitely take a look at Kings of the North, and look further into the Jacobite Rebellion. Lots to think about.

The name I am researching in this area is Perry, and the earliest link is in the Woodhorn (Widdrington) area so far, although there are other Perry's in many other areas of Northumberland. If mining was happening in the 1700's , as Michael, you say it was (and all my Perry's up there until recent years were miners) then this would look likely as a reason for the migration north for my lot, although I don't know how to proove this. 

Most general info about the surname indicates the it is from further south, and there are not an excessive number in Northumberland in the 1700's so I was interested in any reasons why the name would appear there originally.  I suppose it would be a combination of all of the possibilities mentioned.  I hadn't realized how migratory the population was.

Thank you both for your insights

Ruthy

[Michael Dixon]

Ruthy,

To give you a flavour of my time growing up in the mining communities in Northumberland.... but unfortunately a little later than 1700s.

I was born in Bebside Colliery village in 1941... lived there until 1951, when pit died and authorities moved us out en bloc and flattened the place...

But I remember folk , not just the natives, but people from Ireland ( my mother's line), from Co Durham, from Scotland, Staffordshire, Norfolk, Cornwall, Wales, Lancashire etc.

Woodhorn was one of several "ancient" parishes in the area. (My "home" parish was Horton.) It once consisted of the "townships" Cresswell, Newbiggin, Ellington, Hirst, Lynmouth, North Seaton, Widdrington and Woodhorn itself ( Later Newbiggin and Widdrington , in 1768, got their "independence" from Woodhorn Parish)

Hirst and a neighbouring community merged into Ashington, which became known as the "Biggest Mining Village in the WORLD"

Blyth, on the coast at some stage in it's better days, became the biggest coal-exporting (in tonnage terms) port in the world.

To see the A-Z of coal and individual coal pits go to www.dmm.org.uk .

There was a coal pit at Woodhorn, that became a mining museum, when coal production ceased. A new complex has been built on the site that includes the musem and the Northumberland County Record Office.


The Surname Profiler web site gives the root of Perry (as far as the year 1881 is concerned) as Somerset, south midlands and Essex (www.spatial-literacy.org )
and no relative source in Northumberland or Durham.


On Census 1841 there were 12589 Perry folk in England. 60 in Northumberland, 46 in Co Durham.

On C1901 there were 26699 Perrys in England, 110 in Northumberland and 353 in County Durham.

A family of 7 Perrys were in Hirst.

(Source for Perrys = Ancestry.com)

Michael Dixon

[aspin]

Michael,
Don't run us down
 Northumberland is not ugly we have to just look at our beaches and the hills over to the Cheviots .We have many lovely Castles ,Walks the Roman wall
||Come on get out and have a look around
Me I'm from Belford a lovely part of Northumberland near to Holy Island ,Alnwick Berwic upon Tweed
now just up the road from you at Amble
We have a nice walk around the prom to the harbour
 Elizabeth proud to be a Northumbrian

[aspin]

missed the K off Berwick

Sorry

[Michael Dixon]

Elizabeth,

I think you have that worried look on you face, cos you must have misread my wee contribution.... I did not say Northumberland was ugly... I said I was from the ugly end of it...

Your bit is rural and unspoilt, my corner was scarred by industry with a continual stink of burning pit heaps giving off sulphur fumes, etc.

My corner was Bebside, Cambois, Cowpen.


But this does not stop me from being  mega-proud to be a Northumbrian.

Michael Dixon

[aspin]

Thanks for that Michael

Elizabeth