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« on: Sunday 25 June 23 23:08 BST (UK) »
An interesting story has recently emerged about the coffin of a young child having been discovered during the partial demolition and rebuild (in 1888) of an old inn in Dipton. The building is now dedicated to the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides. At the time of the discovery it was known as the Black Bull but had previously been known as the Rose and Crown. The exact age of the inn is unknown but it is believed to have been 18th Century and there were coins found near the coffin - one dated 1721 and the others dated 1773.
I have discovered that the landlord's name was John Dixon in 1779 and he had been there for several years before and after that date so he is a definite possibility as the father of the child. At first I thought it might have been an unwanted stillborn child that had been hurriedly disposed of by an unmarried mother but a press report describes the coffin as an elaborate pattern embellished with tinsel and gilt and ornamental beading - so it was not cheap.
I have no idea why it was buried there but I doubt if it could have been buried without the full knowledge of the landlord.
Can anyone help with advice on a source of information on the landlord as I know nothing about him other than his name. There was no church or graveyard in the village at the time and the village was more or less split between the parishes of Tanfield and Lanchester. It is now one village named Dipton but at the time it was the hamlets of Hilltop, Dipton, Collierley and Pontop. The pub is in what was then Collierley (sometimes called Collierley Dykes). I am specially interested in his age, his wife's name, their marriage date and the names and dates of birth of any children. Many thanks.