Old Church in Hensingham, Whitehaven

[Geoff-E]

Brilliant photo, well done Jackie!

[Jackie M]

Thanks Geoff.  Another mystery solved!

[emmsthheight]

Hi Jackie

How fascinating!

I'vee passed through there hundreds of toimes and walked rouind there, and always look at the old buildings.  I knew about the old St John's but it never crossed my mind it was set back like that!  * must look at the really old map of this little corner!

What a brilliant photo!  Well done for persevering, and thank you for a fascinating post.  I'm looking at the other buildings on that photo, too.

Emms

[emmsthheight]

Hi again.

I've been having a good look round the photo..  What a great picture of the life in Hensingham at the time!  The little girl in the pinafore,, children happily playing in the street with not a vehcle in site, the lovely clear detail of the street lights - gas?

I wish I'd a photo as clear as that of some of my own family shoemakers!

Fancy there being grave stones still up there!  I guess they'll never have money to uncover them or make a memorial garden.  I wonder how many good people of Hensingham and how many distinguished mariners and Old Sea Dogs are in there?

By the way, did it have a date?  No traffic and pinafores - Turn of 18/19C?

Any ideas?

Thank you again!

Best wishes

Emms

[Geoff-E]

1901 census
Thomas R REED 30 Manager Leather Warehouse, Cornwall Ludgvan and his wife had no kids at that time.  Married 1898 Wigton dist.  They had two sons by 1911.
He was at Cleator in 1891, a Shoemaker.

Then it was "King Arms Inn" with James MAXWELL, Carter as Head ... then Church Lane.

[emmsthheight]

Ooh

Thank you Goeffe.

You read my mind!  Just what I was looking for! 

Interesting!

I'd looked at the building an thought it was tall, and wondered if they were more involved in the leather trade.  All the premises I've seen for our family who were actually saddlers as well were among the normal street buildings but one of the tallest. 

This one is just in line with the pub, but as the land drops off, therte are three floors with room for a basement too.  I wonder if the warehouse was on the premises, maybe jutting out at the back.

I wonder if they fared any better than ours.

The buisiness did well, but it was a dangerous craft.  I think there were a few fires, but certainly one violent one, due to the chemicals used, including naphtha.  This one was fatal and one of the sons of the family died. 

The flames dropped blazing chemicals from the attic, setting all the floors alight.  Two sons of the other half of the family died as young men but I haven't run to their death certificates yet.  Gg gfather married the boss's daughter).

Interesting they came all the way from Cornwall, too.  I wonder if it was anything to do with mining?

Best wishes

Emms

[Geoff-E]

Interesting they came all the way from Cornwall, too.  I wonder if it was anything to do with mining?

Tom's wife was from Torpenhow.

His dad had been a miner but apparently died (1880) before the family moved north, as they were still in Piskyland in 1881.  Eldest son (15 AgLab in 1881) was 25 Iron Miner in 1891.  Several of their 1891 neighbours were Cornish.

[emmsthheight]

Hi Goeffe

A mini history in no time flat!  So they did migrate with a group from Cornwall.  Thank you for all the fascinating details!  I think watching how greoups moved from one area of the country to another and why is fascinating - and there are good clues for family historians too!

Thank you again!

Emms

[Geoff-E]

So they did migrate with a group from Cornwall. 

I don't know about the "group" thing, you may be right.  There were loads of Cornish in the iron mines.  Moor Row (near Cleator) only had about 6 streets and one of them was Penzance Street.

Someone attached to my tree migrated from Cornwall to Cumberland via Isle of Man.