Belle Vue House in Darlington

[tamarakel]

I found possibly my 4th great uncle and aunt living in Belle Vue House on a cencus in 1841, the uncle's name is Charles Russell and he was a pupil there but his sister Mary Ann was not and I can't decipher what she was doing there as it seems it was a boy's school. Does anyone have any information on Belle Vue House?

[PaulineJ]

Was their parent a teacher/ member of staff?

[tamarakel]

Was their parent a teacher/ member of staff?

No they were not, they were catholic, so I thought perhaps that this was a Catholic run school?

[KGarrad]

I found the following in an article in The Northern Echo, which may or may not be relevant?

NO 140 Coniscliffe Road was originally a villa known as Belle Vue. Its earliest resident was Cockfield-born John Dixon, who had been George Stephenson’s deputy surveyor on the Stockton and Darlington Railway.

Dixon died in 1865, and Belle Vue was taken over by John Hardcastle Bowman. He had started out as a young man in the leather trade, riding around the North-East with a blunderbuss for protection, selling his wares. His tanning pits were in Archer Street – which is a punny play on his surname.

Bowman, who had lots of business interests, died in Belle Vue in 1898.

The house then became home to Sir Thomas Putnam, chairman of Darlington Forge and a racehorse owner, and he re-named it Greylands.

He died there in 1936, which left the way open for Ropners.

Post-Ropners, 140, Coniscliffe Road, has been the headquarters of Clive Owen and Company, a firm of chartered accountants.

[JenB]

Charles Russell and he was a pupil there but his sister Mary Ann was not and I can't decipher what she was doing there

The reference for this is HO 107 / 303 / 23 / 13 / 20.

May Ann's 'occupation' is Ind[dependent]. The census indicates that she was born in County Durham but that Charles wasn't.

[tamarakel]

Charles Russell and he was a pupil there but his sister Mary Ann was not and I can't decipher what she was doing there

The reference for this is HO 107 / 303 / 23 / 13 / 20.

May Ann's 'occupation' is Ind[dependent]. The census indicates that she was born in County Durham but that Charles wasn't.

I hadn't seen that there was a question on the cencus on if they were born in the same county, thank you for that tip, what does MA stand for under mary ann's occupation, could it be maid?

[tamarakel]

I found the following in an article in The Northern Echo, which may or may not be relevant?

NO 140 Coniscliffe Road was originally a villa known as Belle Vue. Its earliest resident was Cockfield-born John Dixon, who had been George Stephenson’s deputy surveyor on the Stockton and Darlington Railway.

Dixon died in 1865, and Belle Vue was taken over by John Hardcastle Bowman. He had started out as a young man in the leather trade, riding around the North-East with a blunderbuss for protection, selling his wares. His tanning pits were in Archer Street – which is a punny play on his surname.

Bowman, who had lots of business interests, died in Belle Vue in 1898.

The house then became home to Sir Thomas Putnam, chairman of Darlington Forge and a racehorse owner, and he re-named it Greylands.

He died there in 1936, which left the way open for Ropners.

Post-Ropners, 140, Coniscliffe Road, has been the headquarters of Clive Owen and Company, a firm of chartered accountants.

Thank you for that, I have the actual address now

[JenB]

what does MA stand for under mary ann's occupation, could it be maid?

It doesn't say MA  As I said in reply #4, it says Ind. i.e. 'Independant'.

May Ann's 'occupation' is Ind[dependent].

This is usually taken to mean that she was of 'independant means' i.e. had no occupation but was living on some sort of private income.

[JenB]

Was their parent a teacher/ member of staff?

No they were not, they were catholic, so I thought perhaps that this was a Catholic run school?

I think you might be right there.

Take a look at this thread http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=626987.msg4750033#msg4750033