Author Topic: Hindley Steel near Henshaw  (Read 3499 times)

Offline gwyninoz

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Hindley Steel near Henshaw
« on: Thursday 11 February 10 07:50 GMT (UK) »
Hello
I am hoping that someone who lives in the Haltwhistle/Henshaw area might be able to tell me what activity is currently pursued at Hindley Steel "a remote farmstead" NW of Haltwhistle and Henshaw. It used to be a farm and our ancestors the Armstrong family were farmers there for at least a century. The GoogleEarth pictures show what looks like timber production/forestry on the edge of the National park.
The earliest family members I have been able to trace are Thomas Armstrong (b1724) and his wife Mary Ridley (b1724) who married in 1744 and had a son called John in 1747. There are some Armstrong names still in the Haltwhistle phone book. Thomas is my husband's 5xG Grandfather.
My husband will be in the UK later this year and, all being well, will try to get a look at the Haltwhistle gravestones to see who he can find. If we had someone at Hindley Steel we could contact he may be able to go there too.
Regards
Gwyn

Offline robarmst

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Re: Hindley Steel near Henshaw
« Reply #1 on: Friday 27 August 10 23:21 BST (UK) »
hi
I am a Hindley Steel Armstrong. I was always told as a child that Armstrongs farmed there for hundreds of years. I have only been back there once, many years ago. The farmhouse remains but the land was sold for forestry and had all been planted with rather ugly pine trees. I think my Grandfather Charles Armstrong was the last Armstrong to farm there. He also farmed Middleburn which was the next farm down the valley, the Warks Burn. After he left (I think around 1910) the family moved briefly to Kirkharle where tragically they lost a child, Eleanor, who fell into the fire and died from burns. Then they moved to a farm called Raylees near Otterburn where my father, also called Charles, was born and that's where I grew up. My father could remember Hindley Steel - his father took him back there. He told me that from the house you could see the peat bed where in the summer peats were cut for fuel. That rather suggests to me that it wasn't a great place to farm! I'm not a farmer but I have several Armstrong cousins still farming in Northumberland - including two in the Wooler area, and their sons. About 30 years ago I worked up a family tree that traced the Hindley Steel Armstrongs back to the 1700's. I'm on holiday right now but I expect I could dig it out when I get home if you are still interested.

Offline gwyninoz

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Re: Hindley Steel near Henshaw
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 28 August 10 01:27 BST (UK) »
Hello Rob
Yes please, I should be very interested to see your tree. The earliest Armstrong I have is Thomas, christened 1696 in Haltwhistle, who married Elizabeth Carrick in 1716. My husband, Richard, is descended from their G Granddaughter Isabella Armstrong who married John Graham.
Richard is currently on holiday in the UK and they went up to Haltwhistle to see if they could get a look at Hindley Steel but it is a dirt road apparently and they only had a small (borrowed) car so they didn't try it. A local in the information place told him that some of the Armstrongs were notorious reivers which pleased him no end. We aussies have a soft spot for those who help themselves  ;)
If you would like to get in touch when you get home please use my home email: gwynsimpson1@optusnet.com.au
Thank you for the information, Gwyn.

Offline srbuck

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Re: Hindley Steel near Henshaw
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 02 August 17 17:37 BST (UK) »
Rob - sorry to bother you, but I am searching for an old friend from King Edward's school, Bath, called Alistair Whyte -  we are having a school reunion next year to mark our 60th birthdays, so are trying to track everyone down.

Sadly, though, the research I've done so far looks like it could have an unhappy outcome, as I've found a person matching his approximate age and name buried in Otterburn churchyard -

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=99180344

I'm wondering whether you may possibly be related to his wife, Anne Armstrong? It looks as if they were both tragically killed in an accident in 1992.

Any further news you may have would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks,

Stephen Buck

PS Co-incidentally, my late wife's parents, Frank and Heather Bealby, lived at West Hepple Farm, just a few miles up the road from Raylees, and we were married in Hepple church in 2001.


Offline EloiseArm

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Re: Alistair Whyte
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 28 May 22 12:35 BST (UK) »
Hi Stephen,

I’m not sure my father saw your message here… and I found it today. Anne and Alistair were my Aunt and uncle and they sadly died in a car accident in 1992, tragically young and only a year after they were married. I don’t know if Alistair was from Bath but I have plenty of photos. If you would like to get in touch my email is eloisearmstrong@hotmail.co.uk

Offline Radcliff

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Re: Hindley Steel near Henshaw
« Reply #5 on: Wednesday 15 June 22 17:06 BST (UK) »
I am sure your Dad would have replied Eloise,if he had seen this reply, he's a true gent
Gunning County Down,Kneale Isle of Man,Riddle Tynemouth,Bibby Kendal/Bradford,Colenso Penzance/Barrow-in-Furness,Steele Corney Fell,Chapman Ely,Dawes Alfreton,Blamire Westmoreland and Ulverston
Dislike the use of P Messaging system, unless its of a sensitive nature, Rootschat is  an open forum,