Author Topic: Whitehaven Town Mission and "slums"  (Read 29857 times)

Offline alkari

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Whitehaven Town Mission and "slums"
« on: Thursday 21 July 11 12:50 BST (UK) »
Can anyone tell me the correct address for what my grandfather lovingly called the Whitehaven "slums". As children we would walk down from the Town Mission, down a series of steps with spaces that would have been the outlines of houses built into them, down to the docks. I believe my grandfather may have actually lived there as a child. Is it possible this is the Preston Quarter (as this also rings bells in my memory)? All very vague but it is years since I was there.

Also does anyone know which denomination the Town Mission is associated with? The one up on the hill overlooking the docks (Hensingham side?).

Offline Geoff-E

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Re: Whitehaven Town Mission and "slums"
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 21 July 11 13:46 BST (UK) »
From Genuki http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/CUL/StBees/Gaz1868.html

"PRESTON-QUARTER, a township in the parish of St. Bees, ward of Allerdale-above-Derwent, county Cumberland. It is a large township, extending northward from St. Bees to Whitehaven, and contains the hamlet of Harris Moor. There are numerous large collieries belonging to the Earl of Lonsdale, who is lord of the manor. There is an endowed free school."

In the area you are talking about was possibly the inappropriately named Mount Pleasant, seen at the top of MandieP's delightful photo-



I think the houses at the side of the steps were "McGarry's buildings".  I imagine the houses lost under Quay St car park were not paticularly healthy places to live ... Bardy Lane, James Place etc. 

Then there were the "Newhouses" - 266 houses sharing one tap :( and no privies  >:(
Later on, privies were provided, 1 per 10 houses.  It's hard to see where these once were, but you can just about make out their foundations here http://tinyurl.com/3uu38b4
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Offline alkari

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Re: Whitehaven Town Mission and "slums"
« Reply #2 on: Friday 22 July 11 09:31 BST (UK) »
Thanks Geoff. The map references helped. The area I'm thinking of is probably a little nearer the docks on the steep slope between Rosemary Lane and West Strand, up above the Quay Street and Beacon car parks. I think I probably need to find an old map of the area and hopefully a census reference to my grandfather's family (Truett) but it's a long shot. The photo is amazing!

Offline ainslie

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Re: Whitehaven Town Mission and "slums"
« Reply #3 on: Friday 22 July 11 09:35 BST (UK) »
If you are interested in around 1923, the Godfrey Edition reprint of the OS maps of that date will  be useful:
http://www.alangodfreymaps.co.uk/cd6702.htm

I am not linked with the publishers except as a customer!
A


Offline Geoff-E

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Re: Whitehaven Town Mission and "slums"
« Reply #4 on: Friday 22 July 11 09:46 BST (UK) »
Here is a larger map than the Godfrey version :)

Go to http://www.old-maps.co.uk/maps.html?coords=296990,518135

Select (on right) 1866 Town Plan 1:500

You can enlarge the "viewing window" by pressing Ctrl + a few times.
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Offline alkari

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Re: Whitehaven Town Mission and "slums"
« Reply #5 on: Friday 22 July 11 13:45 BST (UK) »
Thanks everyone. Looking at the old maps the steps adjacent to MacGarry's Buildings are certainly the area I am recalling. Now all I have to do is tie it into some actual records.....

Offline Geoff-E

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Re: Whitehaven Town Mission and "slums"
« Reply #6 on: Friday 22 July 11 15:21 BST (UK) »
One of my books calls them Mount Steps.

I think the 1881 and 1891 censuses call them Quay Steps.  I'm sure you know them well enough http://tinyurl.com/3lxkj2o

The problem with the censuses is that numbering (if there was any) seems to change from one census to the next in that area.  I was trying to decide where my folks lived by following the "Enumerator's Walk".  It's just possible they lived in the old house by Bardy Steps http://tinyurl.com/3jluxvh

I think these could be the houses visible on the old photo of MandieP's that I posted above.
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Offline Jos, Whitehaven

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Re: Whitehaven Town Mission and "slums"
« Reply #7 on: Friday 16 December 11 20:15 GMT (UK) »
The photograph below shows a modern view looking down to Whitehaven Harbour from where the Mount Pleasant houses were located. This was taken immediately above the Sewage Treatment Works / Old Electric Lighting Building.

The Mount Pleasant steps are on the left-hand side of the photograph (one of the viewing areas from the steps can be seen). This photograph can be compared with that of Geoff-E (posted 21 July 2011) which is also the same as Mandie P's avatar.

Offline Jos, Whitehaven

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Re: Whitehaven Town Mission and "slums"
« Reply #8 on: Friday 16 December 11 20:32 GMT (UK) »
I think I probably need to find an old map of the area and hopefully a census reference to my grandfather's family (Truett) but it's a long shot. The photo is amazing!

Good day Alkari,

Do you have a family connection to either the Mary Ann Truett who married (Jesse) David Deacon, Whitehaven Registration District (Sep 1878 Qtr) or the William Scott Truett (known as 'Biff' or Billy) who was lost at sea by enemy action (Nov. 1942) by any chance?

Mary Ann Truett was David Deacon's second wife. They seem to have have left West Cumberland for pastures new not long afterwards. Any chance you know what happened to them please? 

'Biff' Truett was the son of William Beck Truett and Margaret Ellen Truett (nee Conery). By the 1940s that branch of the Truetts were living at Kells but I imagine they had started out somewhere in the harbour area. Perhaps if you are a relative to them you may know the details?

Thanks very much.