A letter from Alnmouth 1878

[c-side]

I have a transcript of a letter written by an Alnmouth man to an ex-resident named HARBOTTLE living in America.  It’s a wonderful glimpse into the past - too long to include here - but it contains snippets of information on some of the residents.  Surnames mentioned are:

ALLAN            
BAIN         
CAIRNS
GIBB            
HEATLEY         
HEDLEY
HINDMARSH      
SIMPSON         
WEALLEANS
WELSH            
YEARNSHIRE

If you think one of these could be your ancestor I’d be happy to let you know what it says about them though some are more informative than others and occasional bits have been omitted because they were illegible.

Christine

[jonah4]

Hi,
I have Bain and Yearnshire families in my tree. These families lived in Alnmouth and I would appreciate you giving me any information you have about them. Many thanks.

[c-side]

Hello there and welcome to Rootschat,

Here's what it says about your family

"John Yearnshire has long been dead, as also his father and sister Jane. The  others, Adam, George and Henry live here with their mother. William and the two sisters living are married. William and Dorothy are in the village. Mary was married lately to Edward Bain and lives at the Link End. Cairns’ late place, the old farm house was pulled down and two cottages built where it stood and Edward Bain lives there now. The other one being occupied by strangers."

I hope this adds a bit of colour to your family tree

Christine

[dblun]

I'm interested in the Hedley comments..Thanks muchly
Dorothy

[c-side]

Hi Dorothy,

The Hedleys are in one of the sections which has been damaged over time but here is what it says.

"PAPER EDGE UNREADABLE then continues . . . few years ago . . . George is a
ship . . . his wife . . . here. Their only sister is married and living ???ateshead. I was telling Edward a few days since about your letter and he remembers you all quite well. His uncles Robert and Edward Hedley are both dead."

I'm not even sure whether George and his sister are part of the Hedley family but this man seems to collect all those of one name in the same paragraph so they could be.  Obviously his sister is living in Gateshead but this was transcribed by an American with no knowledge of the north east of England.

Christine

[c-side]

I thought you both might enjoy this extract.  It doesn't mention any names but gives a glimpse of how your ancestors were living.

"Many changes have been made in the village itself of late years. We have now a very neat little Church in the centre of the village. It stands next the old Post Office. The front railing stands on the site of the blank wall, where the ‘muggers’, old Harry Augus, Harry Wilson and others, used to plant them. The School Board (of which, I am a second time a member) has built a nice school and house for the master, in the ‘Bakers’field, as we used to call it, opposite the night fold. We have a nice stone bridge over the river. The road to it being through the ‘Well’ field about half way
between the head of the village and the new school house. By this route we are only about a mile from Bilton Station and there is considerable passenger traffic upon it in the summer season. A great many people coming to us every season for the sea bathing. We have also Gas works, situated near the ferry and hot and cold sea water baths connected with them. A rate of 2-1/2 or so keeps the village lighted during the dark nights. You will remember the ‘Howe Kiln’ where we used to sail our ships, and slide, it has long been drained off and that part is now the best piece of pasture on the common. By the way, only a few weeks since during a temporary stoppage in the drain, the water rose considerably there and the present generation of boys took to sailing their ships on it just as we used to do and the sight of them thus engaged
called up in my mind many a pleasant memory of thirty years ago. The old Bond-yard and the ‘woods’ as we used to call the logs and deals, have all been removed."

Christine

[Michael Dixon]

  Bilton Railway Station   ... snippet

When the railways were progressing northwards from Newcastle in 1830/40s, the Duke of Northumberland refused permission for a line through Alnwick.

The line was built between Alnwick and Alnmouth, at Bilton where a station was built c1845.

Alnwick realised it's mistake and in 1848 a branch line Bilton to Alnwick was built.
 At it's peak 45 trains per day did the Bilton-Alnwick-Bilton "shuttle"

Bilton Station changed it's name to Alnmouth in 1892 and is still on the mainline to Edinburgh etc.

Today travelling north through Newcastle on the train, there is a great view of Alnmouth and the river estuary. ( But I would not like to walk from station to town with a heavy bag !)

Michael Dixon

[dblun]

Thanks Christine and Michael
The best parts of genealogy are the tidbits which put the flesh on the skeletons!!

By the way Michael ..I got a little bit from the Newcastle Courant  March 28, 1851 about the sentencing of William Kitchen to one month in gaol for 'allowing his wife and children to live off the parish of Sunderland" Would you know of a paper which might provide a few more details
Dorothy

[Michael Dixon]

  Perhaps the NORTHERN ECHO, which pre-dates the Sunderland Echo.  Tough penalties for been work-shy in those days.

MD