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Topics - PurdeyB

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1
Northumberland / Barony of Bywell
« on: Friday 17 June 22 16:06 BST (UK)  »
The Boutflower family has its origins around Apperley, New Ridley and Riding Mill to the west of Prudhoe in the Tyne valley. My branch turns up in Hirst, Sheepwash/Shipwash, North Seaton in the Ashington area and I can't link them back to the Apperley. I recently read that both areas, although some distance apart, were part of the barony of Bywell. It seems reasonable to think that my ancestor was raised in the Tyne valley area, but coming of age and needing land leased or rented from the same landowner in the Ashington area. The gap is sixteenth/early seventeenth century so I'm really not sure what records, if any, could be available to assist.  Could anyone suggest where I start looking, please?

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Durham / Deodand - John Branfoot & John Hewson - killed on Hetton Colliery Waggonway
« on: Saturday 16 April 22 15:34 BST (UK)  »
My 3x GG, John Branfoot, was a primitive methodist preacher. Walking to an appointment with fellow preacher, John Hewson, he had a fatal accident crossing Hetton Colliery Waggonway near to Warden Law on 26 February 1831. John Hewson was killed immediately, John Branfoot died of his injuries later that day at Sunderland Infirmary. It seems they hadn't realised the wagons operated on a reciprocal arrangement with a light wagon travelling in the opposite direction when a heavy wagon passed.

Although I knew about the accident, I have just found a press article I haven't seen before which refers to the inquest finding 'accidental death' and awarding a deodand against the wagon of 5s.

I have found an article on deodands on wikipedia, which suggests that the number of railway deaths in the 1830s and the attitude of railway companies led coroners' juries to award deodands to penalise railway companies.

Does anyone know anything more about how this would have worked in practice? 5 shillings doesn't seem much of a penalty - would it have been reduced for what today would be considered 'contributory negligence'? Would the money have gone to the state or to the widows?

The full report is bottom of column 2/ top of column 3:
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001653/18310305/042/0003

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Durham / 17Nineteen Holy Trinity Sunderland
« on: Saturday 09 April 22 12:07 BST (UK)  »
Anyone with links to Sunderland's East End might be interested in the Dear Friend project https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/1719/news-listing/dear-friend.html

4
The Common Room / Literacy in 18th Century England
« on: Monday 04 April 22 17:18 BST (UK)  »
I've been watching the repeats of Michael Wood's Story of England and the last programme covered the fact that literacy rates were much higher than many of us understand them to have been. It made me look again at the record I have for my 5 x GG marriage in 1761.

As my G x 5 grandfather's trade was charcoal burner, had I thought about it before, I would probably have expected both to be illiterate. In fact, both appear to have signed the register in their own right. There are entries elsewhere on the page which are signed by mark.

It's an observation rather than a question as such but if anyone can shed light on the level of education they might have received - church school? at home? - it would be interesting.

5
Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs / Possible Boutflower Family Photo, Tynemouth or Sunderland, County Durham
« on: Wednesday 30 March 22 16:28 BST (UK)  »
Hi,

Could anyone help with a likely date and improvement of this photograph, please? It's from a collection of photos my dad's cousin passed to him.

Is it a cabinet card? The photo measures 10cm x 13.5cm and is mounted on thick black card with rounded corners. There are no logos, photographer name or other markings.

Thank you.

6
World War One / Durham Light Infantry - Ralph Stafford Boutflower
« on: Thursday 10 March 22 18:48 GMT (UK)  »
Hello, can anyone help identify the nature of the uniforms in this photo, please? I believe the person on the left is my great uncle, Ralph Stafford Boutflower.

From March 1912 to June 1917 he was in the 7th Battalion, from June 1917 to January 1918 he was in the 19th Battalion and from January 1918 to February 1919 he was in the 3rd Battalion.

He joined up as a private but was a sergeant by the time he was awarded the Military Medal for the battle of the Somme. He was subsequently promoted in the field to 2nd lieutenant and some archive records refer to him as lieutenant.

I've looked online but none of the DLI WWI uniforms I have seen have a white belt or piping (I assume they are white?).

Thanks.

7
Europe / Diane Bijl, the Netherlands - pictured with my grandfather 1945
« on: Thursday 17 February 22 12:57 GMT (UK)  »
I have this photo of my grandad, Jack Horwell, (on right in photo) taken in the Netherlands (I think) in March 1945. It has a poignant message on the back, and I thought it was worth posting in case anyone knows of Diane Bijl.

8
Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs / Footballer - Yorkshire or County Durham
« on: Wednesday 16 February 22 19:28 GMT (UK)  »
This photo is in a bundle of old family photos but I'm not sure which side it relates to so he played in a team based in or near to York or Sunderland/County Durham.

Could anyone help with the likely date, please? I assume he played for a work team or local club but does anyone recognise the logo?

Many thanks!

9
Yorkshire (West Riding) / The Guildhall, Doncaster
« on: Thursday 10 February 22 08:20 GMT (UK)  »
My great grandfather, Samuel Bettley, was a police constable living and working in villages to the west of York. He was missing from the 1921 census at his home address with his wife described as the acting head of household. I've found Sam shown as a boarder at the Guildhall, Doncaster along with a police sergeant and several other constables. I've snipped the address and think it says 'Science Room' as well as the Guildhall.

I've found online that the Guildhall was used as the police station in Doncaster but that the city had its own force until later in the 20th century, when it merged with the West Yorkshire constabulary. Sam and his colleagues are shown as employees of West Riding County Council and their work addresses are various villages around the West Riding, which I think were their usual postings. Sam's work address is Marston, which is the village of Long Marston where he lived and worked in a police house.

Does anyone know more about the history of the Guildhall as a police station that might shed light on why Sam and the others were boarding there? I saw some reference to the magistrates' court being behind the Guildhall but it seems unlikely they'd all have been required for a single case given their disparate working locations. Would training have taken place there?

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