Carpenter's Square, Thornaby, Yorkshire

[originQuest]

Hi there,

I'm trying to see where Carpenter's Square in Thornaby was ... I studied at Thornaby, and an ancetor of mine was born there in the 1860s.  I imagine they were very different places between his and my time there.

Would there be an old map with it on?

Best wishes.

[AlisdairGB]

This came from a 1968 paper

" BOROUGH OF THORNABY-ON-TEES
Notice is hereby given that at 10.30 in the forenoon of 12th March 1968, the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Thornaby-on-Tees, acting by the Council, will apply to the Magistrates for the Petty Sessional Division of Thornaby and Yarm for Orders for the stopping-up of the following streets or parts of streets as being unnecessary, namely:
Trafalgar Street (part of), Prince Street (part of), Carpenter's Square (part of), Norton Place (part of), Trafalgar Street Side Street, Trafalgar Street (West Back) (two sections), Britannia Street (part), Alfred Street (part), Edward Street (part), Edward Street (West Back), Norton Place (South Back), Unnamed and Unadopted Street abutting the northern gable of number 36 Edward Street and part of northern gable of number 36 Chapel Street.
Plans showing the streets or parts of streets pro- posed to be stopped-up are deposited at the Town Hall, Thornaby-on-Tees, and may be inspected free of charge at all reasonable hours.
On the hearing of the application any person who uses the highways or any other person who would be aggrieved by the making of the Orders shall have the right to be heard."

If you can trace any of the other nearby streets it may give you an idea ...

[cristeen]

http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=54.5608&lon=-1.3038&layers=171&b=1
Hopefully this link will take you to an 1890's (ish) map of the area. Some of the streets named in the post above are located between the station, Cleveland Flour Mills and Teesdale Iron Works. Carpenter's Square isn't marked but probably in that area now unrecognisable after redevelopment.

[Sc00p]

I'm 99% sure it's the square of buildings immediately below Nile Street on that link.

[Jomot]

I have a couple of old Thornaby maps but it isn't marked unfortunately, although I agree with Sc00p that it's in the immediate vicinity of Nile Street / Hanover Street.   

The 1861 shows the households listed immediately before Carpenter's Square as being in Red Row, which is the block to the right of the numbers 19.0 on the map provided by cristeen, just below Hanover Street.

[originQuest]

Thank you so much for this - much appreciated indeed.

Aren't old maps wonderful?! 

My ancestor was baptised at Holy Trinity Church which appears on the map over the river in Stockton.

Would it be fair to say that these houses were slums?

Thank you again.

[Jomot]

I wouldn't say they were slums, no, but they weren't the greatest either.  My dad was born in Darlington Street - just a little further down on the map, below the town hall.  His dad grew up around there too - Carr Street & Britannia Street. Probably the worst areas were over in Stockton around Housewives Lane.

I love the ruins of the old Holy Trinity church.

[originQuest]

Thank you for that info - my ancestors were potters and hawkers, so I assumed incorrectly, that their accommodation was very poor but perhaps not the case.

Ah Housewives Lane - does Cherry Lane fall into that catergory?  My ancestor born in Carpenter's Square, South Stockton was in 1864.  His mother was born in Cherry Lane, Stockton in 1844.  That was a slum area I believe.

I too love the Holy Trinity Church ruins.  I spent a lot of time in Stockton and loved looking it.  You know, I'm ashamed to say that I've never visited.

[Jomot]

Yes, I believe that Cherry Lane was part of the slums. I haven't looked it up on a map but I believe it was in the same area as Housewives Lane & Paradise Row.

Going back to Thornaby, I cant speak for the specific housing your ancestor was in as there may well have been the odd notorious block, but at the time my Grandad & Great Grandad were living around there it was a poor neighbourhood but nothing like as bad as the Stockton slums.

You see they're closing the campus down?