Norfolk farm labourers in the Northumberland/Durham coalfields

[Duodecem]

Re barryd's post- Obviously my ancestors weren't unusual in travelling north. I have Gedge in my tree but they were from Old Buckenham and mainly carpenters, so probably not related to your Gedge ancestors. I wonder if there are still Osbornes in the area who can be traced back to Norfolk.
As for transport- the coal barge idea was because it would be cheaper, but train is probably more logical if you are moving home!

[Phodgetts]

Comunication along the coast was very easy by sea. Blyth and King's Lynn were what we would call in modern times 'Twin Towns'.

P

[Vicwinann]

Thanks Vicwinann, that's answered a lot of my questions-and raised a few more!. According to the census most of the men were described as Agricultural Labourers, so presumably were day labourers with little or no job security. I hadn't realised Norfolk was such a poor county in the C19th.
My theory of simply hopping on a barge and travelling North for work is obviously wrong as well.
Settlement certificates were a must in the 19th century. Without one, you could not stay.
Were these certificates to prevent vagrants travelling around the country? Did you need proof of work before you could obtain one?
The grandson came back quite quickly but the son and other members of the extended family stayed in the north. I assumed they chose to settle there-I didn't realise that they were trapped. One family obviously did quite well, the head of the house, a colliery worker in 1861 and 1871 was a farmer with 44 acres by 1881, but most remained mineworkers.

Moderator comment: topics merged to keep all information together.

Hello Jan,
I have just mailed the administrator because in answer to your questions, and maybe to help other people, as there are a lot of misapprehensions about,  I have put together a basic peice about the Poor Laws and Settlement Certs. However, it is a bit long and I am not sure if I can post it on here. I will await a reply, and if not I will send a private message to you with my email address, so that I can send it to you.
Vicwinann

[Duodecem]

Hi Vicwinann, I hope you are able to post your piece as I think a lot of us would be interested, but I've PMed you with my email in case you aren't.
Re Phodgett's point, I'm inclined to think travel by sea the most likely as it would have been by far the cheaper option, with more space for luggage.
Did Norfolk migrant labourers mainly travel up the North Sea coast I wonder or did some travel into Wales or the North West?

[Michael Dixon]

 The well-leafed book in Newcastle Library " Dictionary of Tyne Sailing Ships 1830-1930"
 contains an a-z of info, including coal ships ( ie "Colliers" ) taking their cargoes all over the world,   including Norfolk. The number of wrecks, mishaps, etc reveal how dangerous the trade was. The sailors strove to arrange the take on of ballast, to ensure ship stability, rather than return to the north-east empty.
 Sometimes the ballast was human, folk leaving Norfolk after failed harvests.

 Some numbers of people movements........

 1861 Census info.....

 Northumberland pop = 336,385. Includes 1024 Norfolk-born. 14917 Ireland-born
 County Durham  pop = 497,668.  2166 Norfolk-born. 27371 Ire-born
 Lancashire pop = 2,406,678. 2306 Norfolk-born. 215,697 Ire-born
 Wales pop =1,151,033. 590 Norfolk-born. 25840 Ire-born.

 I added the Irish immigration as it was a similar agricultural problem.

 Michael.

[Radcliff]

Was Lord Hastings of Delaval Hall not Norfolk born,I do believe there are documents at the hall and Woodhorn,that may shed light on his staff records,possibly your ancestor worked for his family in Norfolk,
As for travelling my family on my grans side came from Cornwall in the 1880s, to Lancashire,by road and train ,a very long journey,in search of work,distance was no object,

[corpust]

My ancestors also came from Norfolk{Corpusty,Saxthorpe}and they were agricultural labourers who went to work in the coal mines.Lord Hastings owned the land around Saxthorpe as well as mines in the NE.The Norfolk Family History Society is an excellent resource for delving into family trees.Many Norfolk people used to go back to the area for holidays.

[ChrissieL]

I have found this thread very interesting and informative. My great grandma was born in Huntingfield, Suffolk in 1863 and between 1871 and 1881 moved with her parents and some of her siblings to Langley Moor in County Durham.  It has been interesting to learn why they might have made the move.

[TriciaK]

As you say Chrissie, a very interesting topic.
It seems that people moved to the coalmining areas as they were certain to get paid work there, at the start of the industrial revolution, when coal was in high demand.
But I wonder if they realised the awful conditions they would be expected to work in. Especially after an openair life in rural Norfolk or Suffolk.