help with my geography please

[frenchdressing]

Hi!
I've discovered that gtx3 grandmother Caroline Whitecross came from Northumberland. 
On the different censuses her birthplace is given as just Northumberland, Bells Close Northumberland, Newcastle or Newcastle Wickham. She was christened in Houghton le Spring, Durham in 1825 (same day as 4 other brothers and sisters).
She was married in Bishopswearmouth in 1839 and first 2 children were born in Horslindon and Monk Hesleton.
I don't know Northumberland at all and would like to know if all those places are close to one another?
Regards
French

[Gadget]

Hi French

A wee bit scattered. Whickham is in Co Durham rather than Northumberland and is a way from Houghton le Spring.

here's a map that shows the locations:

http://tinyurl.com/2a28rv

Gadget

[Gadget]

PS Bells Close is in Newburn - just to the west of Newcastle.

http://tinyurl.com/23lnvw

Gadget

[SingNic]

Hi French,

Even if you know and area quite well you come accross places you have not heard of. I am research my family and if I go back the furtherest relation from where I was born is about 15 miles and we have gone back 350 years. So what do you do?

You use an online map. I recommend http://www.streetmap.co.uk (block popus otherwise it is annoying) or Google maps at http://maps.google.co.uk/ As the name can be miss transcribed it does not always work but a lot of the time.

I'll leave you to try and find those places. If in difficulty you need someone who knows the place to correct for transcription errors. Bells Close must be a street.

I hope that is of help.
Nic

[Gadget]

Ummmm ....

See previous two posts, Nic ... Bells Close is a place on the Tyne in Newburn  opposite Blaydon.

Gadget

[Michael Dixon]

Danger Danger.... using modern maps to research events taking place in 1800s, can lead to problems.

As Gadget says Bells Close was a place just west of Newcastle. The community lay within the "ancient" parish of Newburn, Northumberland.

Today Bells Close it lies just on Scotswood Road, one of the main roads out of Newcastle. Lemington is closeby.

(And yes within the community there is also a street called Bells Close, and also an Industrial Estate called Bells Close I.E.)

Other places grow in importance, some fade, connected to the changing patterns and growth of population and the lessening of importance of the parish system.

Some also change their name..... e.g. Hazelrigg (number 2) is now Camperdown (after the sea battle)

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Whickham, the community and the parish, was over the River Tyne, into Co Durham. Just opposite Newburn parish.

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But it looks as if Caroline was just in Northumberland to be born.

Baptised in Houghton-le-Spring, in eastern Co Durham. This is about 5 parishes away, south,  from her birth parish.

She was married in Bishopwearmouth parish, Co Durham, (Sunderland), one parish north from H-l-S. parish.

Monk Hesledon, Co Durham, where her child was bapt, is then 5 parishes south from BWM.

Then she is off to Lancashire with husband and family, where she dies in 1894.

So it could be that her only "footprint" in Northumberland was her birth!

Michael Dixon

[Gadget]

I spent 8 happy years in Durham and Newcastle Michael (and still return about 4 times a year). As you say, modern maps are misleading. It's knowing the place that's important.

Gadget

[frenchdressing]

Thank you all for replying.
When I look at a of map NE England it doesn't "say anything" to me.
 I left England over 40 years ago and never ever in my wildest dreams imagined that I had ancestors from the North East (I was born in Lancashire). In fact, the idea of ancestors didn't cross my mind, I was too busy thinking about me (I was young at the time).
Now, getting older, I'd like to learn more about where "I" came from and learn about the different areas where my ancestors lived. It's important for my grandchildren to know that our roots haven't always been planted along with the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay of Burgundy.
Now, to get back to Caroline. All her siblings were baptised in Houghton le Spring (according to the IGI) and her mother's family Revely came from St. Giles Durham (which I haven't found on a map). On her marriage cert. it says that the residence at time of marriage was New Town". She was baptised in Houghton le Spring in 1825, 8 years after her birth as when she died in 1894 she was 77. Her eldest sister was born in St. Giles, Durham, the same place her mother was born. Her parents were married in Houghton le Spring in 1808 and all her siblings were baptised there.
If I want to find her birth (to make sure I'm on the right track) where will the parish records be?
Sorry to be such a nuisance.

Regards

French

ps. Michael, the idea of giving the number of parishes seperating the places helps imagine the distances better.

Where there a lot of coal mines up there as her husband Joseph ended up being manager of a mine in Lancashire?

[Gadget]

Hi French

To get you started - here's a summary of St Giles.

http://www.pjoiner.demon.co.uk/genuki/DUR/DurhamStGiles/index.html

and Houghton le Spring:

http://www.pjoiner.demon.co.uk/genuki/DUR/HoughtonleSpring/index.html

The North East is a wonderful place - you should be proud to come from there.

Gadget