Grange Wood Huts, Ulgham

[LisB2]

Thank you all for the research done.  It was more the what than the where I was after.
It seems the term 'huts' may be the key to why there is nothing recorded. They may well have been of crude construction and temporary.
Once again thanks.
LisB2

[Michael Dixon]

LisB2,

 I include a snippet from the book "Goodwife Hot, Northumberland's Past in its Place Names" by Godfrey Watson.
         ---------------------------------------------------------
" .... as late as 1720 Cox in his Magna Brittania wrote about the Wastes of Northumberland as follows- There are several places in this county so called. In them you may see, the ancient Nomades, a martial sort of People, that from April to August lie in little Huttes, which they call Sheals or Shealings, here and there dispersed amomg their Flocks-

He might well have added that these "huttes" were normally circular and made of timber and turf....... "
                        ---------------------------------------
Watson then discusses sheep/cattle  shelters, termed cots, sheals etc which gave their names to Northumbrian places. Eg Hepscott

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 From a homeless context, I have seen accounts of folk "living rough" in Seaham and Crook in the 1800s. These folk did not even have a " hut".

Some Seaham families lived in caves in the cliffs at the seaside. Some Crook families lived in disused coke ovens.

Michael

[belfordian]

Just to say that there was and probably still is a Grangewood Terrace at Stobswood. They were colliery houses.

[River Tyne Lass]

Hi LisB2,

I am delighted to have just come across this old post of yours on RootsChat.  The person you refer to was the sister of my Great Grandfather Simon Peter Conroy.  I believe that their Father, James was an Irish traveler. James also made besoms as well as baskets and sold earthernware.  Their Mother was called Elizabeth Conroy nee Fitzpatrick.  I have done a lot of research on these ancestors and I have been able to find out a lot about them from newspaper articles, etc.  James the besom/basket maker died in Durham area in 1876.  I have never been able to find out what eventually became of Elizabeth (nee Fitzpatrick) Are you a descendant, too?

If you look on the 1851 census you will see that James' family is right next to another family of Conroys.  I believe this is James' Father James, Mother Mary (nee Malloy) and his siblings Ann, Margaret, Joseph and Edward.  Quite a while back I found Ann's baptism at Holy Cross Church, in Chatton and the entry records that her Father James was a 'Travelling besom maker' and that he was from 'Lock Gilley' in Ireland.  Apparently, there is a place in Ireland called Loughgilley and I have heard that this is pronounced as the way it was spelt in the baptism entry.  I have also come across this James as being described as a jobbing labourer on my Great Grandparents James and Elizabeth's marriage certificate.  I also believe he may have been the 'James Conroy' who was mentioned in a Newcastle Courant dated Friday 24 April 1840 in which he was described as one of the Irish labourers working on the Warkworth new harbor (Amble).  The family were Roman Catholics but in my research I have found that on occasions they also used Anglican Churches as they did for Ann's baptism.

The person who you refer to in your post married at Hexham in an Anglican Church.  My research has found that much later in life after she and my Great Grandfather had both been widowed they spent a time living near each other in North Shields (evidence found in newspaper article stories, etc).  I believe from my research that two of their brothers went to live in America and the youngest, Thomas, eventually settled in New York, near North Shields.  I have never been able to find out the end stories for their brothers John and Michael.   They also had two sisters who died as infants.  My Great Grandfather Simon Peter went on to remarry and lived in Gosforth when he died.  He is buried at the RC Ashburton Cemetery in Gosforth.  I believe that Mary died in North Shields and is buried in Preston Cemetery.

I would love to hear from you, if hopefully you still look at RootsChat and you come across this post of mine.

[LisB2]

Hi River Tyne lass,
Lovely to hear from you and thank you for the information about the Conroy family. They are the ancestors of my son-in-law and it has been a while since I did work on our family trees.
Mary Conroy's daughter, Annie Watson, married James Albert Martin in 1908 and after living in Burnbank, Scotland for a few years, migrated to the Newcastle area in Australia with 3 young children in 1911.
Which is where we live.
LisB2

[River Tyne Lass]

Hi LisB2,
It is lovely to hear from you too!   I have done lots of research on my ancestors - I am sending a little bit here on this post which I hope might be helpful for your family history researching. 

Did you know that Annie also had a sister called Isabella who was born in the Tynemouth registration district in 1885 Vol 10b Page 244?  You will see her on the 1891 census when their Mother, Mary Watson was living in the household of her son John.  This must have been after husband William died.  Also, living there were Anne Watson and her sister Isabella - I think if I remember rightly she is just written as 'Isa'.  To help you find this the civil parish was Chirton; ecclesiastical parish was 'Percy'; their address was 'Silkey's Lane in the registration district of Tynemouth.  Mary and her daughter's Annie and Isabella were living at 168 Stephenson Street, in North Shields at the time of the 1901 census.  (I know at a later date my great grandfather Simon also lived at this address.)  I have never been able to find out what happened to Isabella after the time of the 1901 census, unfortunately. 

I did come across some information a while back that Annie married James Martin on  26 December 1907 in Portobello in Edinburgh.  At the time of the 1911 census Mary was living with Annie and James in Benwell in Newcastle upon Tyne.  I was aware that they moved to New South Wales, Australia but I did not know it was that soon.

Mary Watson (nee Conroy) was born on 15 January 1847 and was baptized at St Mary, Felton on 2 March 1847.

This is my great x 2 Aunt Mary's marriage information:
Mary Conroy married William Watson at St Andrew, Hexham
on 18 July 1864
Entry no: 418
His age was: 20  Her age:17
Fathers were: John Watson - Labourer and James Conroy - Labourer
William signed his name (he had lovely writing with flourishes) and Mary signed with a cross
The marriage was by banns  John Watson signed with his mark and someone called John Robson also signed - the latter was probably a Church worker as I noticed that he signed on a lot of other marriages too.

Their son James was baptized at St Thomas, Colliery (Abode Dipton) on 29 March 1865 and he later married Sarah Weighill in 1888. 
Their son William was baptized at the same place on 6 September 1866 and married Jane Towers at St Paul, Cullercoats on 31 July 1886. 
Son John was baptized same place on 29 April 1869 (in later life moved to America) 
Son Isaac was baptised same place on 28 July 1869 and married Bridget Brazzil and lived in Scotland. 
Daughter Mary was also baptised same place on 8 April 1874. 
However, daughter Elizabeth was baptised at an RC Church, Our Blessed Lady & St Joseph, Brooms on 5 March 1874.  She later married Michael Miller on 4 April 1892 at the registry office in North Shields.  Michael Miller was the brother of Isabella Miller who married Thomas Conroy, who was Mary Watson's brother.
Son Thomas was also baptised at this RC Church.  His date of birth was 26 August 1876 and he was baptised on 7 September 1876.  Thomas married Sarah Robson on 10 December 1900 at St Peter, Wallsend.  I have no info on Joseph.  I believe that Annie married James Martin on 26 December 1907 in Portobello Edinburgh.

Mary Watson (nee Conroy's) Father James died on 24 August 1876 and was buried at Our Blessed Lady & St Joseph, Brooms on 27 August 1876.  Sadly, I have never been able to find out what became of his wife (my great x 2 Grandmother Elizabeth after the 1881 census when she was living with daughter Mary and William.

This is the marriage information I have for  James and Elizabeth - (They married after having several of their children)
Marriage at St Mary & St Thomas Aquinas, Stella in Gateshead
30 May 1859
James Conroy age 30 & Elizabeth Fitzpatrick age 31  (bachelor & spinster)
He was recorded as a Jobbing labourer
Residence for both: Winlaton
Fathers: James Conroy & James Fitzpatrick both recorded as  jobbing labourer & deceased
Both signed with their marks and the witness was recorded as Mary Conroy who also signed with her mark.

Their son Michael, born 11 August 1857 was also baptised at this Church on 30 August 1857 according to the register which I found at Tyne and Wear Archives.

I believe Mary Watson died aged 75 years at 98 Hudson Street, North Shields and was buried at Preston Cemetery in North Shields on 25 January 1922.

I hope  all this is helpful for your tree.  I have also put posts re: Mary Watson nee Conroy's nephew John - son of Simon & Jacob - son of Thomas on the WW1 In Memoriam on RootsChat.  These both died young during the first World War. #

Best Wishes