Boat House Terrace,Cambois

[Northumberland daughter]

Thank you for the photo of Boat House Terrace.  Ah, to open the door and go inside!
The old map of Cambois was a special pleasure; and led me to a site called sixtownships.org.uk - if you haven't see it, so much to look at about Bedlingtonshire. 
Northumberland Daughter

[Northumberland daughter]

Dear Friends of Bedlington and Cambois and...
My great grand-uncle, Aaron Thompson, died at 19 years of age of phthisis (TB) in September 1881.  It was in March of that year that he signed an arithmetic book - the only thing we have of his - treasured.  He is also listed as a "coal putter" - what was that occupation?  Do any of you have knowledge or personal history of TB at that time?  Aaron was buried at St Cuthbert's in Cambois; I've been there - no stone of course.  I believe it was his death which compelled the family to give me an American accent (ha)!  Your insights are important to me.  Aaron's younger brother, John was my grandfather - who also died an early death at 46 in America - of course, affecting my father's life.  These deaths set the tone for our family perspective on life - "we don't go in order".  It's a precious heritage.   yours truly, Northumberland Daughter

[Gen List Lass]

Throughout all the 1800s, TB was pretty common. "In the 1800s up to 25% of deaths in Europe were attributed to TB". (https://www.nhs.uk/news/medical-practice/tb-rises-in-uk-and-london/)

From 5th October 1872 to 25th April 1874 The Newcastle Weekly Chronicle published a series of articles entitled Our Colliery Villages. Here is the link to the Cambois article. As it was written only a few years before Aaron Thompson died of TB, it will give you an idea of the miners living conditions.

http://www.sixtownships.org.uk/our-colliery-villages-cambois-1873.html

Miners were probably more liable to catch TB than farm workers or the more affluent as they breathed coal dust every day of their working lives.

I have a whole family in my tree, who had moved from a farm in Bellingham to be miners at Cramlington which is not far from Cambois. Between 1878-1907, they all died of TB. the mother died first then the father. All four children were taken in by a neighbouring miners family (no relation) and they lasted into their early adulthood. Only the daughter married but the sons all died unmarried.

Gen in NBL UK

[Northumberland daughter]

Dear Gen List Lass,
Thank you for responding so quickly, and sharing that part of your family story.  I appreciate your information and links.  It's not that our family dwelt or dwells on the sad stories, but they need to be shared.  If it's as true with yours as it is with ours, those family stories are told again and again - oral history.  I'm working on setting the stories in our family down for coming generations.  Some people, I find, want to know more, others don't at all.  Northumberland Daughter

[Gen List Lass]

NBL daughter

You're welcome.

You always know the ones who aren't interested, they are the ones whose eyes glaze over!

Gen in NBL UK

[Northumberland daughter]

Hello, Boat House Terrace, Cambois or Bedlington descendants,
Have any of you been able to access medical records from the 1880's? Or is that too much to hope?  Do you know what would have been the access to medical care while working for the colliery (or is that too, a pipe dream of mine?)  Was there a community doctor? Social services, etc?  I'd appreciate a push in this direction.
best wishes to all,
Northumberland Daughter

[Ruskie]

Look under "Putter":
http://www.dmm.org.uk/educate/mineocc.htm#putter

There will be no medical records - death certificates giving cause of death are about all you will find.
No social services.
Some collieries provided housing to workers - I wonder if they may have also provided medical care - others will probably know for sure.

Some workhouses contained infirmaries eg:
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/NewcastleUponTyne/
(not implying your ancestors would have attended one of these but just given as an example of such places)

[Northumberland daughter]

Thank you for your quick response.  I appreciate any information.  I'm reading "The White Death" by Thomas Dormancy about TB.  I want to know what the family went through.  ND

[Northumberland daughter]

Dear Folks of Boat House Terrace interest,
I'm writing a story about my family who lived on Boat House Terrace for about a decade; they emigrated to America in 1888.  Thanks to all of you who posted photos or had comments and memories of the area and street.  I would like to know if there was a clinic for miners' families; if there was a school; if there was indoor plumbing (I presume not); if there was a cooker or stove in the house - or if water and cooking was handled in a community building/site.  (I know at the time in London, cooking was handled at a "baker".)  Some of the other miners' residential areas had garden plots.  Any detail is of interest to me, and I would be so appreciative of your information.  Hoping you and your families are all well and safe during this pandemic.  Northumberland Daughter