Horton by Blyth - vanished village?

[Preshous]

Michael

Once again your knowledge of local history makes me glad I joined RC.


Gary

[Michael Dixon]

 Gen

You may find the following of interest...

The Newcastle Weekly Chronicle ran a series of articles from Oct 1872 to April 1874 entitled  "OUR COLLIERY VILLAGES"

On 3rd May 1873 edition, their 59th was on "NEWSHAM and NEW DELAVAL"
The reporter roamed the adjacent colliery villages on the same day. About one third of the total report is on New Delaval.

~~~~~~~~----

OUR COLLIERY VILLAGES
3 May 1873
XXIX Newsham and New Delaval

New Delaval is not far from Newsham, but the colliery belongs to another company, which also owns Seaton Delaval, or Old Delaval Colliery.

 New Delaval first commenced operations about 14 years ago and is now one of the largest and most completely appointed collieries in the county. Two shafts have been sunk near each other, one of which is entirely devoted to the working of the yard seam, while the other descends to a " lower deep ??" and is used for working the lower seams.

The engine houses are of the most massive description, and the pit gearing, like that of Barrington, is light and elegant, being made of iron.

About 350 or 360 hewers are employed here, but as there are only about 200 cottages built as yet, large numbers of men and boys rerside at Old Delaval, which is some three or four miles away. A train of carriages however is run between the two places several times a day, at such hours as may be convenient for the men going to or returning from work.

cont.

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Michael Dixon

[Michael Dixon]

  New Delaval Colliery Village

Newcastle Weekly Chronicle 3 May 1873

continued...

" The miners houses at New Delaval are built in long rows, which are very wide apart, so that, although there are no ash pits in the place, the ash heaps are piled up at a respectable distance from the doors.

Delaval has the advantage over Newsham in more pespects than one, for the first place the houses are much newer and loftier, in the second place, there is well at the high end of the rows, which keeps up all the year round a capital supply of the most beautiful water and in the third place, Delaval has an excellent and well-attended colliery school, which Newsham has not.

Newsham however has privies, whereas at Delaval the village schoolmaster is the only man sufficiently refined to be allowed such a luxury.


One of the Delaval "raws" is a double one, but it only contains 30 houses, which is a very small proportion of double houses for such large number of men. Between the double-houses and the single or two-roomed houses there is an intermediate sized "raw", in which the cottages have each three rooms - two up the ladder and one down.

cont
~~~~~~~~----------

[Michael Dixon]

Our Colliery Villages 3 May 1873

New Delaval
cont.

 The fine open situation of New Delaval has placed a considerable quantity of land at the disposal  of the owners and each cottage is most liberally supplied with (a) kitchen garden. Back-yards such as are attached to most of the houses in large towns, are unknown in most of our colliery villages, but there are many indications , not only at New Delaval, but at every place we have visited, of a desire on the part of the pitman to have something of the sort.
This desire is shown in various ways, but chiefly by the erection of low wooden pallings around that part of the space between the two adjoining pantries which belong to the respective tenants. These erections are all home-made ones, and some of the places of carpentry which one fails in with are of the very roughest description, while some look as smart and trim as though they were the work of professional hands.

The news-room at New Delaval is well attended, and it has no rival on the spot to contend with in the shape of a public-house, for there is not one nearer than the Black Diamond at Newsham.

The Wesleyans have a monopoly of the religious teaching at Delaval, and the chapel of the denomination is a most respectable, not to say stylish building.
It also has the great privilege of being allowed to use the colliery gas at nights during the dark season, and on service nights when it is fullu lighted up, it serves as a sort of beacon for miles around.

Having completed our tour of inspection at Delaval, we return again to our strating point at the (railway) junction just as the shades of evening begin to fall and the towering ship masts in Blyth harbour become more and more shadowy and indistinct. Our friend, the station master ( ... Newsham Station)
who by the way has the snuggest little house in the district, is again to the fore, full of energy and as the train from Blyth glides up to the platform, he is there with his voice and never failing formula " Newsham, all change here, Newsham. all change here"


~~~~~~~~--_________________________________________________

M.Dixon

[Wilkinson]

Footnote.   My Grandparents and several lines of my family lived in Sinkers Row and the other pit rows mentioned in New Delaval.
I lived in Delaval Gardens and played around the chapels and on the pit heaps as Michael Dixon did. Delaval Gardens were newer properties just below where the old pit rows used to be. Part of where the rows used to be was used as a timber yard to stack the pit props for the pit at New Delaval. Great fun for mischievous lads to play and make "forts" in  and get chased by the watchman.
Rob

[Gen List Lass]

Thank you Wilkinson. Always nice to have more info on a subject.

Happy New Year
Gen in NBL

[ArtyM]

With respect to Sinkers Row I have overlaid a couple of images.

Near the middle left hand side it says F.P. (just under New Delaval Colliery, Forster & Richard Pits) and the 8 rectangles to the left were Sinkers Row.

North is at the top of the image.

There is a public footpath around most sides of the golfcourse, so don't wander off.

Cheers

[Wilkinson]

If you go to Peter Loud's website . ie  www.peteloud.co.uk you can view a large scale map/plan of the pit rows.

Go to "Photographs by Peter Loud"
           His photos from around the world will come up.
Scroll down until you reach "Now check my UK photos" click this.
Find and click on"Old School Photos, Blyth, Northumberland" 

Scroll through these and you will come to the plan/map showing the pit rows in 1937.  I lived at 59, Delaval Gardens . My house backed onto the tennis courts of the Miner's Welfare Park. Peter lived across the back street on Plessey Road at the bottom of the block. He is younger than me and played more with my younger brother. Peter and my brother are on the photos.
He also has some good photos of Northumberland.
Unfortunately Sinkers Row is just off the plan to the left.
       

[Gen List Lass]

Hello ArtyM

Sorry for late reply, been away - twice!

Many thanks for your excellent map/s.

Can you tell me how you overlaid them? This would be a very handy genealogy tool.

Gen in NBL