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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Northumberland => Topic started by: Ronin56 on Friday 15 August 14 01:55 BST (UK)
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I have a number of relatives (Stanleys) who are shown in censuses as living in West Row but my grandfather and great grandmother are shown as living at the same number in New Row. Was there a time when the names were changed?
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Hello Ronin
Isabella pit otherwise known as Cowpen colliery, see:
http://www.dmm.org.uk/colliery/i001.htm
http://northumberlandpast.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/the-blyth-isabella-pit-early-days.html
Doesn't look as though streets are named on the map but Alan Godfrey maps might have a better map of Cowpen.
Gen in NBL England
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It is possible that they moved and may be just a coincidence that the house numbers were the same.
If I were you I would have a look again at the family on each census. If you look at the neighbours, and around the nearby streets, writing names down as you go, you will be following the enumerator's route and get a feel for the layout of the area.
This way you can compare the New Row and West Row locations to see if they are similar or not. You can also check oldmaps.co.uk to try to locate the streets on maps that correspond date wise with the censuses.
A simpler way is to go to the first page of each census where there will be a description of the enumerator's route which may, or should, mention the names of the streets. So if you see both New Row and West Row on the same census you will know that your family moved.
Looking at the names, it seems possible that New Row was a later addition simply due to it's name.
Sorry that's a bit long winded, but hope it helps. :)
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I had a friend, family name Proctor, who lived "doon the 'Bella." But can't remember her address.
Good luck with your search.
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Looks like a coincidence with house numbers Ronin
West Row, Middle Row, East Row then New Row, with South row running along the bottom :) Image taken from a map on www.keystothepast.info :) [edit] 1938 - 1950 historical map [edit2] Is the black line running through the middle of Middle Rown and East Row a railway/waggon way? I'm sure one of the sets of pit rows round blyth had them...
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Thanks Blythian, that's pretty definitive isn't it. They must have been happy with No. 13 which was where i was born (New Row). Lucky for some I say! I don't know about the track between Middle Row and East Row. My parents moved South to my father's county of Wiltshire when I was about 2 and although we visited grandparents throughout my childhood it was always the back of the house that we used and never ventured far. I do remember the allotments across the road though. I have very fond memories of that house.
On another tack, I see your genealogical interests include Parkers in Northumberland. I have Parker connections in my tree, my great-great aunt Elizabeth Stanley married James Parker in 1872. Although he was born in Lancashire, they married in Featherstone, Yorkshire. Judging by children's birth dates they moved to Blyth between 1880 and 1881 and returned to Featherstone sometime between 1883 and 1887. Ring any bells?
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I used to live in the Isabella Colliery from 1968 , as did my sister,we lived in the West Row, my brother lived in the New Row. then there was Middle row, and South Row, where my daughter had her first home. and East Row.. Oh happy days !
Cant say that I remember any Stanleys tho' but my better half knew of a "Tonka" Stanley who lived in the New Row! My brother who lived in New Row sadly is no longer with us, he probably knew him well.
Thanks to GenList for that very sad memorium of miners killed at that pit. My Father worked at the Isabella Colliery when first married, and apparently he used to come home each night so ill that he could not eat his dinner until after his "bath" and a sleep, as he said the air down that mine was so foul.
My own husband was working with a miner who was killed when we first married , he took a long while to get over that !
Dolly
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I haven't looked at the Parkers in detail yet, but i know mine are from Tyneside/Hexham areas :) Have to dig deeper to see if there is a link :)
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A view of the rows taken from the pit heap in the 1960s, New Row being farthest away from the camera.
P
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A historic photo from the top of the pit heap?
Gen in NBL England
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Well done Hodgetts! I just knew you would turn up something about this thread!
A popular place we'd take the kids to play.. Dolly
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This is what nearby rows looked like at ground level.
This is the backs East and South Rows with their nettys.
P
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This is looking North along the front of East Row with their gardens.
P
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When I went to my friend's house there, must have been late 40s, early 50s, their netty was in the backyard, and they bathed in a tin bath in front of the fire.
That first photo, Hodgetts, is lovely - shows the redeeming feature of the sea in the distance.
My Dad once told me how many coalmines there were from Blyth in the heydays of the early 20thC, I think it was over 10. Does anyone know?
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Excellent Phillip, although there is no picture of my row (West Row) which faced what used to be the pit yard, and I never thought to take a photo of the streets. Thankfully TriciaK my house did have indoor loo and bathroom, and I did have very nice decor. A far cry from when I was a child, and used to visit schoolmates who lived there then...
Eh this has brought lovely memories to mind,, thanks Dolly
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Some years ago there was a project carried out at the Isabella Community Centre looking at the history of the village. It was the first in a series of such studies and the information collected was eventually put into a book. It’s full of photographs, reminiscences of people who grew up there, a list of everyone living there in 1940, a street map and much more.
I think there is at least one copy still in Blyth library.
Christine
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An interesting little snippet online.
http://isabellacentre.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/cowpen-in-1840s-beginnings-of-bella.html
P
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I'm not sure, but i'll have a root around at work, i'm almost certain we have copies of the study c-side mentioned.
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I remember the Bella Pit, although not when it was in operation. I've been trying to find a photo of the old smouldering pit heap before it was landscaped. There was hostility between kids from the two areas that adjoined the pit: Cowpen Estate and the area around the colliery rows. The Bella, and the so-called Red Rock Canyon that stood nearby, was bandit territory, and getting stopped by a gang of lads in those badlands was a nightmare.
"Are you a 'Bella' or a Cowpener?" they would ask.
"Erm. . . which are you?" I would reply weakly.
I also fell in the Yellowbabby once - wearing white jeans.
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Yes funny how when we think back it is usually the happy memories that come to the fore. I remember being in a "gang fight" in the early seventies. This consisted of two large groups of kids one lot from the Bella and one lot from the Cowpen Farm Estate throwing stones at each other from about twenty to thirty yards. This epic battle took place at the bottom of Ford drive roughly where Norham close now stands. In fact it may have been during the construction of the close, thus a ready supply of ammunition was available. The result was a trip to the Thomas Knight for me and a plastic spray applied to my split head where a well, or not aimed stone had connected. Still happy days eh!!
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I remember the Bella Pit, although not when it was in operation. I've been trying to find a photo of the old smouldering pit heap before it was landscaped. There was hostility between kids from the two areas that adjoined the pit: Cowpen Estate and the area around the colliery rows. The Bella, and the so-called Red Rock Canyon that stood nearby, was bandit territory, and getting stopped by a gang of lads in those badlands was a nightmare.
"Are you a 'Bella' or a Cowpener?" they would ask.
"Erm. . . which are you?" I would reply weakly.
I also fell in the Yellowbabby once - wearing white jeans.
Didn't you tell me when i was little that Blyth and Bedlington had a rivalry going on? lol Seems like Cowpen was always ready for a fight haha
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Ronin56
did you ever find your Stanleys?
Binky and his wife lived New row We didn't know him by his real Christian name I think this is the family you mean sons were David born around 1950 went to Newsham school and his younger brother Norman. Both sons died before they were 60 Binky lived in the new flats at West Court after the colliery houses were demolished he died sometime after 2002.
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Hi Belay,
It wasn't really a matter of finding them to be honest, I knew who they were. I was just intrigued that I'd found them in West Row and then suddenly New Row at the same number so I thought perhaps it was the same row with a name change but according to the map in an earlier post it's apparent that they moved.
Bink's name was William Arthur and his wife was Grace, he was my uncle, the brother of my Mum. They were lovely people, we were all very fond of them. The story goes that he had an eye defect as a child and blinked a lot so my Mum called him Blinky but couldn't manage the word properly when she was young, hence Binky. Norman had a problem with his eyes as well. David was a year younger than me and tragically took his own life I believe, at the age of 27. I visited Bink in his new flat and he seemed happy there. He died in 2004.
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In 1901
My 2nd Great Grand Uncle Edward Henry Trunbull was a Coal Miner Hewer. Address 19 Middle Row Isabella Pit Blyth Northaland.
Candis
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Candis your uncle must have been a neighbour to my great grandfather, Edward James Mann. He and his family lived at number 16 Middle Row, the home of his father in law in 1901. My grandmother Lillian Mann was born there in August 1901 and by 1911 the family were living at number 37 Middle Row.
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Hi do you mean Edward H Turnbull who was living Double row not Middle row 1901
There were a lot of Turnbulls living at the Isabella My grandfather was 1 of 15 children called Turnbull
Double Row was the row along the top of the other 4 and was changed to South row sometime in 1960s
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Hi you are correct.
In 1911 he is at 19 Middle Row with his wife and son.
Regards
Candis
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Edward H turnbull
his family seem to have moved a lot 1891 at 38 Middle row 1881 Waterloo road 1871 1861 at Guide Post his father born at Bellingham and grandparents in Cumbria