Crofton Poor House

[c-side]

No arguments from me on the boundary - in fact there is a map on the wall behind me as I 'speak' which shows it clearly.  The puzzle is that if the poor house was in Crofton and in South Blyth then it should be somewhere beside Crofton Pit and there is no such building to be seen.

Someone at Woodhorn might know - fingers crossed.

C

[Michael Dixon]

C  Yes needing to find a suitable building in Criofton community and lying within Earsdon Parish.

Looking at my 1860 Ordnance Survey map, the streets that make a rough square of "Crofton" ( Crofton Terrace, York Terrace, Crofton St, Robert St) lie on the Horton Parish side of the border line( And I can't see a candidate for an "Official building).. but the Public Slaughter Houses are adjacent and in Earsdon territory.

Of course the purpose of whatever building was the Poorhouse/Workhouse, would have changed after 1837!

Can you see what type of buildings were in Stanley St South.  Would you deem that to be in Crofton ?

Michael

[c-side]

It's all a question of timing - we know it was there in 1825 which is way before Stanley Street South or any of the others were built - only the Roperies were in that location back then.

Even Crofton Pit was still a corn mill and I don't think Robert Street etc. were there then.  Lots of wide open spaces and not many buildings!

C

[c-side]

I think I’ve had most of the Woodhorn staff from the top down involved in this today!  I’ve looked at the earliest OS maps but these are really too recent for the purpose so I resorted to the 1840 Tithe map.  At that time there were no buildings in the area concerned.  The only reference to be found in a trade directory (1820) was to Brodie Adam (or is it Adam Brodie?) but no address was given.

So I’ve been doing a bit of lateral thinking.  What if the reference to South Blyth is erroneous - perhaps a mistaken view that it is the area south of the river Blyth?  There are a few candidates in the buildings of Crofton in Horton Parish and Horton was also part of Tynemouth Poor Law Union.  Just to make sure I’ll check out the Tithe map for Cowpen Township next week.

 There was a suggestion that the Ridley estate papers might shed some light but I did not have time for this today.  Also, as I was leaving, Keith mentioned someone who is working on some papers from Tynemouth union and is extracting references to Blyth Workhouse.  I have to remind him next week about this.

All is not totally lost then but it is proving to be a very elusive place.

[Michael Dixon]

 C-  Well done.... you might get a medal for this- might ! lol

 It was Brodie Adam--- quite a few references to him in Newcastle Courants, but in other bits of Northumberland.

Michael

[c-side]

C- Well done.... you might get a medal for this- might ! lol

Michael

A mention in dispatches will suffice - or maybe I should just settle for a mention on Rootschat 

Christine

[Michael Dixon]

 OOPS !

 He was ADAM BRODIE, not Brodie Adam as I initially said.  Parson & White 1827 and Pigots 1828/29 both have Brodie Adam as Governor of Workhouse at Crofton (within the "Blyth and Neighbourhood" section). A name above him was Annett which I took to be a first name, but it was a surname... so what I took to be Brodie Adam was Brodie Adam!

Michael

[Michael Dixon]

 I popped into Newcastle Library this afternoon.  Saw Adam Brodie as governor of workhouse in trade directory of 1822.

Unfortunately there is a period 1806-1821 where no directories are on the shelves.  Incidentally the directories around late 1820s have him as gov of Crofton Workhouse- not described as " Blyth or South Blyth workhouse"

Michael

[c-side]

There's a shortage of directories for that same period at Woodhorn too.

The reference to Crofton Workhouse is interesting - from my investigations on Wednesday I'd say that there was only one Crofton in the 1820s - the one in Horton parish.

Let's see what turns up next Wednesday!

Christine