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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Northumberland => Topic started by: Phodgetts on Monday 23 July 12 23:19 BST (UK)
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Hello Blyth friends!
Once again I have come across a little gem that I just have to share with you, this time regarding the old uncracked nut of Kitty Brewster.
A certain J. P. Godwin wrote a brief note to the Tyne & Tweed history magazine in the autumn of 1976 (issue no. 28) and this is what he wrote.
No copyright restrictions apply.
A Note on Kitty Brewster
This is a puzzling place-name, for which local tradition has catered by saying that a woman called Kitty lived here who was famous for her home-brew. It is, however, remarkable that a second place called Kitty Brewster exists on the west side of Aberdeen. It, to, has a similar tradition of one Kitty, a brewster. The key however, lies in the Gaelic word ceide, a little hill, which at Aberdeen, as at Blyth, was applied to a sloping bank about 50 feet high beside a river about 2 miles from it's mouth. James B. Johnston, in his Place Names of Scotland (1892; 3rd edition 1934 and reprinted 1970), states that in 1376 the place was called 'Browster Lands', and in 1615 'the den(e) called Kittiebrouster' occurs. He derives the name as 'Brewer's hill', adding "The reputed female innkeeper is a myth". For other such Kittys he adduces Kitty-salloch (at Minnigaff, near Newton Stewart, Galloway) and Kitty Frist Well (at Kilsyth, 1796).
The almost exactly similar appearance and siting (on the south banks of their rivers) of the two Kitty Brewsters might be mere coincidence, but is perhaps due to the arrival of Aberdonians at some time past, whom it reminded of home; there was formerly a considerable trade in iron with Scotland from Blyth, Bedlington, and district. These men, on seeing the spot, would have called it 'the Kitty-Brewster', as it is called to this day (not 'Kitty Brewster', tout court), having forgotten the significance of 'Brewster' here; and the name has stuck, aided by the latter myth.
Other such 'Kitty' place-names exist in Northumberland; e.e. Kitty Frisk, east of Hexham, on a steep hillside. There are other Gaelic ('Celtic') survivals in this land of Anglian place-names; Cambois, for instance, which is cammus, a bay, and is pronounced as such, rightly; the 'bois' in it's spelling is a later addition. Collecting these Northumbrian Gaelic names would be valuable: certainly interesting, the results might yield some significant surprises.
Hopefully those of you interested enough will find it quite informative. Whether you still want to believe that there was a woman brewing beer there or perhaps a woman of ill repute in that area, is entirely up to yourselves. Godwin certainly has put an altogether different and plausible light on it from my perspective.
Enjoy. Mention was made on the subject here;
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,101741.0.html
P
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I forgot to say, that with the transport of iron ore or other iron material, the site of Kitty Brewster being within a literal stones throw of the Furnace Bank and the iron works there, especially with the location of the Rose & Crown Inn and the refreshment that the Aberdeen men would most certainly have sought at that watering hole, the information above is most plausible!
P
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I was just asked the other day about how Kitty Brewster got its name. I said that nothing was substantiated but that I'd see what I could find. Now I don't have to look ;D
I like this interpretation and will forward a link to my friend
Christine
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It's nice to be discovering these little gems for myself for the first time. We could do with getting all these old articles and references out into the open air and on the WWW where they can be appreciated again by current and future generations, instead of gathering dust on shelves. All that previous research and comment being kept in the dark isn't doing any justice to the authors or us! It just won't do.
Hope the info is appreciated when you pass it on.
P
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Hmm, food for thought in there.
There must be a few people with similar information and references - all of which will be lost eventually.
Christine
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Some years ago I picked up a mini user-guide from Blyth Library headed
"Kitty Brewster(Notes taken from the Blyth News 2nd Sept 1971)"
Options listed are
1) Kitty murdered her 5 children by drowning them in wash tub
2)Sailors brought the name from Aberdeen
3) Kitty Brewster pub ( formerly called the Foresters Arms) also doubled as a lock-up- a "kitty"
4) Water from the Kitty Brewster well had medicinal properties and was sold by the bottle at the old "Rose & Crown" at Bebside Furnace.
5) Kitty brewed ale in the vicinity and was known as Kitty the Brewster.
6) Or name derived from Celtic words meaning " steep wooded place"
It contains other snippets but they are almost surely badly corrupted tales.
Godfrey Watson in his 1970 book "Goodwife Hot- Northumberland's Past in it's Place Names" covers some of the above, but adds that in Northumbrian "kitty" meant small e.g. kitty wren.
Michael
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Just a minor point, but I always thought Kitty Brewster was to the north of Aberdeen city centre (the note attributed to J P Godwin refers to it being "west").
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Just a minor point, but I always thought Kitty Brewster was to the north of Aberdeen city centre (the note attributed to J P Godwin refers to it being "west").
I thought it interesting that he said / wrote that, when yes, Kitty Brewster is indeed to just over 1 mile to the north-west of the city. I have no suggestion to make! ???
P
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Another minor point ;) but the Aberdeen version of the name is just one word, i.e. Kittybrewster, as opposed to the Kitty Brewster "down south". :)
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The first paragraph of the quote in the first post, I'm sure, is framed and hanging on the wall in the Kitty.
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That's a good excuse to go visit the watering hole! Is it still a functioning pub? I might just go in there myslef when I am visiting the frozen north in August.
P
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According to Wiki - apologies to all who dispute its accuracy ;) the origin of Kittybrewster (Aberdeen) is as follows:
In 1376 the lands around Kittybrewster were known as the Browster lands. The name Kittybrewster is a derivation from the Celtic "Cuitan Briste", meaning "broken fold".
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That's a good excuse to go visit the watering hole! Is it still a functioning pub? I might just go in there myslef when I am visiting the frozen north in August.
P
The Kitty, like a lot of pubs around the area has had some financial woes and quite a few changes of tenant, but still continues to function and offers reasonably priced Sunday lunches.
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Anyone visiting the Kitty Brewster Hotel for historical purposes, should also try to take in The Bebside Inn, Kings Arms and the Windmill Inn.
Nice feature of the building housing the Kitty ( or the "Bowster", as my father used to call it) is the rounded corner, rather than the normal right angle, where Kitty Brewster Road meets Cowpen Road.
Trivia Angle- In late 1800s and early 1900s the Kitty rubbed shoulders with a neighbour- The Percy Arms.
Michael
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A major feature of Kitty Brewster now is the Spine Road. The section leading up to the bridge was, I think, one of the first parts of the Spine Road to be built in the early 1960's. This photograph showing the Spine Road under construction was labelled c.1980's. This looks way too late for me. Is there anyone one there with better local knowledge can tell me:
(a) What the likely date of the photo is (the car and the state of the power station should provide good clues) and,
(b) Where they think it was taken (north of Kitty Brewster bridge, or south)?
Enjoy the detective work!
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Sadly the "Kitty" is no longer! It is now a butchers shop!
There are only 2 pubs remaining on that stretch of road, the Bebside Inn and the Kings Arms.
Something I saw today.....A luxury hotel is being built on the quayside, it looks really grand, apparently being built in time for the "Tall Ships"..it's all happening down there, thoroughly enjoyed myself...
Also walked to the police station hoping I would get a look round, but must be closed Sundays ...
Dolly
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It's closed all the time now, Dolly. They are on the Quayside at Arms Evertyne House and you'd need to get in touch to organise it. I think they usually take a party around rather than one at a time.
Christine
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villageguides, I cannot help with the dating of your photograph. However, I worked at Blyth power station in the offices of the construction firm, Mitchells of Peterborough, in 1960-61. We travelled by the new bridge at Bebside then turned right down towards the power station. Your photo shows all 4 chimneys at the power station completed. When I left in 1961 the 2 chimneys of the B station were only at a height of about 200-250 feet. It looks as though your photo will have been taken much later than the 1960s.
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Christine , thanks for the info on the old police station. Dont think I culd muster up enough folk to make a visit..will just let it rest in peace now.
Dolly x
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Maybe you couldn't but I have a friend who is talking to them about going and there was another lady there who was interested. They will just gather names of interested parties till they have enough.
I think the only thing that will prevent them is if the building is sold
Christine
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Right Christine, thank's , will bear this in mind.
Dolly
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Sending you a pm on this, Dolly
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Please check your email Christine. I have a request.
P :)
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The Spine Road construction took place mid 1970s, perhaps 1974 - 75, or 75 into 76. As a nipper growing up at Cowpen I can remember going to my nanna's at Bedlington and crossing the River Blyth by the river bridge (opened 1961 or 62?) but there being NO roadworks the north side of the bridge. I can remember the roadworks starting and the construction of the new road. I remember the first time my dad took us along the road after it was opened, he managed to get 85mph out of our old Hillman Avenger GLS. A wonder it didn't explode or disintegrate! I also remember my dad on some summer evenings heading for a walk along the construction site. I was always fascinated by the whirlpool on the Wansbeck, after the dam and lock had been built. Is that what created the river park on the Wansbeck. I recall going walking there and also canoeing with friends and family during the hot summer of 1976. That suggests the Spine Road was completed by then.
Very shortly after the Spine Road to the north of the River Blyth was opened, I remember two very nasty crashes which no doubt took place because of the new road layout and people not fully understanding it. The one we passed at night. Bedlington traffic trying to merge with southbound Spine Road traffic ended up in conflict and a lorry was involved in the crash. I saw one man with what looked like blood soaked hands, but it might have been grease. The other crash was a head on, on the bridge itself. I assume the vehicles involved hadn't merged (southbound) into single file traffic, resulting in a head-on. One van hit the east side parapet, and the driver (no seatbelts back then) was catapulted through his windscreen and fell into the mud far below. Fortunately for him, the tide was out. A police person at the scene looked in the van and realised what had happened and went down to the river to rescue the driver of the van. He was stuck in the mud! After his 'flight' the only injury he sustained was a broken arm! Probably a good job he was all muddied up, because I bet the interior of his pants were a bit of a state too! Exciting stories at the time for us kids, and of course the spectacle of seeing the wrecks. Perhaps some others having exciting stories to tell.
P
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Regarding the Hillman Avenger GLS, I suppose in its heyday it was quite a car. Harvest Gold with black vinyl roof. However, my dad was motoring on a budget whilst rearing his young family, and the Avenger was well past its prime. It needed daily, running repairs and maintenance to keep it going and I often ended up helping dad with the work on the car.
Once, at Moreton Hall camping site at Edinburgh, whilst sitting having an alfresco tea, we heard on odd sound (like tinkling rust) from the car, and as we turned to see what it was the WHOLE front fell off! Headlamps, grill and valence. My dad, ever resourceful managed to tie it all back on with my mothers 40 foot green nylon washing line. The temporary repair lasted till we got home. Dad ordered fibreglass wings, and valence, and we had a merry time rebuilding the front of the car.
The day we took the poor thing for scrap, my dad charged up a dodgy old battery, and put 4 bald punctures tyres on the car. We pumped the tyres up to probably 60psi and quickly started the car, hoping the dud battery would last long enough to get us to the scrap yard. My dad drove in proudly, did a deal, and away we walked. We could hear the tyres hissing as they were going down, and the scrapman was most confused after we'd driven it into the yard, that when he got into it, it wouldn't start. My dad didn't look back. I think we had shandy made with Newcastle Brown Ale that night and prawn cocktail crisps. And they wonder why WE call them 'the good old days'.
P ;D
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The Spine Road construction took place mid 1970s, perhaps 1974 - 75, or 75 into 76.
I think the road may have been built before this. I have a distinct memory of my uncle taking my brother and me for a walk up to Bebside to see the giant excavation that would become the flyover by the current Asda store. He died in 1970. I'll look into it.
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The Spine Road from the south, to the 'new' Kittybrewster Bridge was completed by 1961/2. But in the instance of the photo discussion we are talking about the Spine Road, NORTH of the River Blyth.
P
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Just out of a matter of interest I obtain a book some time back regarding this area hand written sort of diary peom book that names all these areas will when i get the chance post the names mentioned in this book if i remember right the surname with photo was mason from the early 1900s
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Will look forward to that David.
Dolly .
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This book does mention kitty Brewster's.it also mention bedlington Northumberland.
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That looks fascinating, David. Does it give any indication of date?
Christine
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Theirs a few dates ranging from 1918 and the 1920s and the a few names one being a kitty short I have looked to see if i could find harry mason local to this area and did find one from blyth
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All so the name Ann gilroy keeps popping up and the area sleekburn if that helps
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Hi there. I have been researching my family history and found in the 1901 census that my forebear John CURTIS was landlord of the Kitty Brewster. He lived there with his wife Catherine and children George, Ann and Elizabeth.
How long he had been landlord I do not know as he was a miner in the 1891 census.
Roy
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Hi there. I have been researching my family history and found in the 1901 census that my forebear John CURTIS was landlord of the Kitty Brewster. He lived there with his wife Catherine and children George, Ann and Elizabeth.
How long he had been landlord I do not know as he was a miner in the 1891 census.
Roy
welcome to Rootschat.. roy john. I grew up within a mile of the Kitty Brewster, and used that pub, and the others nearby in the 1960s and the 70s. I cannot assist re your ancestors, BUT, within a few hours, at the most, ,,,you will be receiving replies from many in here.
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And a welcome from me, too.
Hope you enjoy being with us :D
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Hi
My distant relative, Joseph GRUNSON 1809-1873, was the farmer at Kitty Brewster Farm from about 1836 until the 1860s. He is listed there on the 1841, 1851 and 1861 censuses. In 1866, he was described as "of the Queen's Head Inn", and in 1871 he was living at Choppington Station.
Cheers
Peter