RootsChat.Com

There is a Church Street on the 1856 OS Map next behind the Chapel Of Ease/St Cuthberts Church on Plessey Road. It's closer to the river and it's gone by the next map so it might have been demolished when they were building St Cuthberts in the 1880's or the Police Station in the 1890;s
(Just checked and the back boundary wall of the Police Station seems to run down the middle of what was Church Street)

https://communities.northumberland.gov.uk/004891FS.htm this map shows it pretty clearly (Its tiny on the OS map lol)

I had forgotten about that Church Street!

The north end was where the old Ebenezer Chapel stood. I understand it was a school and chapel built in 1814. It was used as a church for some sixty years and was after that used as the Scientific Institute. It was demolished to make way for the 'new' Police Station in 1894. The information is taken from a book about Blyth. At the south end of Church Street was the little Chapel of Ease, so which of the two it was named after I have no idea. I guess it depends which one was there first, and my guess is that it would have been the Chapel of Ease, though I am happy to be corrected by anyone with better information.

P

Another Cowpen face from the past.

The photo taken at Blyth, probably in the early 1900s, of a certain James Edward Batey. If my research into this young man is correct he was born at Wylam on 17 May 1874 to parents Thomas and Helen.

On the 1881 census the lad was age 6 living at East Denton with his parents and siblings. They lived in the Police House, his father being a Sergeant in the Police.

1891 census age 16 he was with them at Low Prudhoe and working as a Grocer's Apprentice.

1901 age 26 he was single and living with his parents on Double Row at Cowpen (St Mary's). His father was a Colliery Policeman! I'm guessing that was about the time he had his picture taken.

By 1911 he was married to his wife Jane and they had a son, Stanley age 3, and they lived at 8 Rosedale Terrace, North Shields. His occupation at that time was a Policeman, following in his father's footsteps eventually.

I haven't looked for him on the 1921 census, but on the 1939 Register he was age 65 a Widower, living at 94 Belford Terrace, Tynemouth. It seems he died age 67 in 1941, so I am not sure if that was because of the war and perhaps bombing, or perhaps he had had his allotted innings just short of 'three score and ten'.

I hope this post is discovered by a family member at some point in time.

P

As I understand it, there were three fords across the river at Blyth. The three ferry crossings basically matched the old fords as the river was dredged to allow for larger ships to enter the harbour. Originally the High Ford at High Pans, the Middle Ford at Cowpen Quay and the Low Ford at Low Quay, they became the High Ferry, the Middle Ferry and the Low Ferry respectively. Once upon a time a long time ago the River Blyth was described as a shallow trout stream, tidal of course but not deep. In our modern day we think of fords being dry at some point, enabling us to cross them, but back in the day most fords would have meant taking your shoes off and rolling up your trousers or hitching up your skirts with water depth varying from ankles to thigh deep.

P

Aww, you just pipped me to the post!

P

Thank you both, nanny jan and heywood

Philip