Where are Hedspeth and Cowpen Quay

[Irene B]

Elizabeth Tweedy born about 1806, born either Cowpen Quay or Hedspeth (depending on when she was asked) married Luke Rossiter in Tynemouth in 1823.  They settled in New York, Percy Main and had lots of children, all of whom I found in 1861 and 1871 (although Luke was dead)

I know where Cowpen is, but where exactly was Cowpen Quay, and has anyone heard of Hedspeth.  I have checked the Northumberland Gazetteer on GENUKI and I have checked the old-maps website - nothing!

1851 Rossiters have disappeared, and I have checked all the variations of the surname that I can think of.

[Michael Dixon]

Ireneb,

Ah, my favourite topic... Cowpen.

When you say you know where Cowpen is, I am assuming that you are referring to Cowpen Village or Cowpen Newtown, or Cowpen Estate. Cowpen Quay is none of these.

In the 1800s Horton "ancient" Parish was divided into 5 sub-parishes ( mainly for land descriptive purposes). These sub-divisions were called "Townships", an unfortunate term as they had nothing to do with towns.

Horton's 5 were Horton itself ( the land around the church), West Hartford, East Hartford, Bebside and Cowpen.

Cowpen Township was the largest of the 5, covering east of Hethery ( or Hathery) Lane (or Lonnen) right into the middle of the rapidly developing but as yet without any "sway", town of Blyth ( where Union Street is today)

So included in the territory of Cowpen Township was Kitty Brewstew, Cowpen Village, Cowpen Newtown, Newsham, Malvins Close, ( Cowpen cemetery) and all of the western part of Blyth.

Communities in this western ( and northern) part of Blyth included Waterloo and Cowpen Quay.

Cowpen Quay covered the area of Blyth foreshore which later became shipyards and and near the area  where the Golden Fleece pub is today.

I think today natives ascribe Cowpen Quay a much larger area than it originally was.

Sorry it's so long, but I don't do "shorts". I suppose I could have just said the area around Regent Street in Blyth, but that's less fun !

Web site ... communities.northumberland.gov.uk
.....in the Blyth segment, under Ordnance Maps, 1897 map, 6 inch... shows Cowpen Quay in relation to Blyth.

The admin and divisions of "ancient" parishes are on www.Genuki.com/

A wee snippett to finish... Bebside Colliery lay in the Township of Cowpen, not in the Township of Bebside. Newsham also lay in Township of Cowpen and not in the Township of Newsham ( which was one of Eardsdon Parishes 8 Twonships).. but these are other stories...

Michael Dixon
Cowpen ( Estate)

[Irene B]

Thanks!

I knew where Kitty Brewster pub and crematorium are - which bit of Cowpen would that have been as I have someone else who was born in Cowpen but always said she was born at Kitty Brewster - also do you know who Kitty Brewster was?  I have always wondered.

[Michael Dixon]

Ireneb,

Kitty Brewster way back was the name of a farm very close to the south bank of the River Blyth ( just yards to the east of the modern road bridge that crosses the river.)

In those days (early 1800s) there were hardly any buildings from about that point, all the way into Blyth.

in 1870s there was a row of old houses running north from the corner of what is today Cowpen Road ( once called Cowpen Lane), and a pub,  The Forrester's Arms, towards the river.

This road today is called Kitty Brewster Road ( but now with modern houses)

In 1920/30s houses were built on an open site immediately east of The Forrester's Arms . This tiny community was/is named Maple Crescent).

Then in early 1950s after Bebside pit was closed, the housing of Bebside Colliery village and Bebside Furnace hamlet was demolished. Some folk were rehoused in new houses , built just to the east of the railway lines, and to the west of The Forrester's Arms.

These streets included Lonsdale, Avondale and Glendale Avenues.

Then later a large industrial estate was built on land between Cowpen Road and the riverside. This was called Kitty Brewster Ind.Est.

So that briefly is what is Kitty Brewster today. Starting roughly at the railway lines and to some point between Maple Crescent and where once stood the Sidney Arms.
( the western part of Cowpen Village)

So if you acquaintance was born in Kitty Brewster, she likely was born at any of the above streets/places.

If she was born before, say, 1850, she probanly was born on/near the farm on the riverside. If she were born up to say 1900, she was probably born in what today is Kitty Brewster Road.

The Forrester's Arms was renamed The Kitty Brewster as late as 1976. Today , on the pub sign, Kitty is displayed as a young girl, threshing corn.

So I suppose from now on into eternity, folk will think that the place is named after a girl called Kitty Brewster, who worked the harvest. My brother is positive ( but of course without a scap of evidence) that Kitty was a local lady of the night. Others say it is from the name of an old abandoned boat that lay rotting in the mud in the River Blyth for many years.

Incidentally an Aberdeen suburb is also called Kitty Brewster, and there is also much conjecture about how the area got it's name.

Michael Dixon

[Irene B]

Thank you so much. 

I must admit I prefer your brother's theory about Kitty, but I think the boat is much more likely.

Irene

[Pete E]

Michael/Irene,
My mum spent time at the scarlet fever hospital in that area of Cowpen known as Monkeys island (?) as a girl during the 1930's. I still have a photo of her and some of the other children there taken at the time. Do you know how monkeys island got its name?
Pete

[Irene B]

I have discovered that Hedspeth is Hudspath a farm in the parish of Elsdon