Crofton Poor House

[c-side]

I've just come across a reference in Horton burials to Crofton Poor House.

I've never seen this before - can anyone tell me where it was?

Christine

[stanmapstone]

In 1827 South Blyth (or Blyth Nook) had a poor house or workhouse at Crofton.
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/
Stan

[c-side]

Thanks Stan.  I have that site in favourites but hadn't spotted a Blyth connection before.

The question now is which Crofton?  Crofton Mill in the north of the town by the river or Crofton - a little enclave of houses to the south.  Unfortunately my map is 1897 not 1827 - I need an earlier one!

Christine

[stanmapstone]

1825 " There is a poor-house at Hartley, and another in the township of South Blyth."   http://www.rootschat.com/links/07i9/   

Stan

[Michael Dixon]

 Going on from Stan's info that poor house was in Township of South Blyth.....

 The "south" Crofton community had one foot within the "South Blyth Township" which lay within Earsdon Parish.

 The "north" Crofton community lay within the Township of Cowpen, which lay within Horton Parish.

The north one was not part of South Blyth, nor even the enlarged town of Blyth, until 1907, when Blyth Urban District ( 4,000 pop.) merged with Cowpen Urbuan District (12,000 pop) as Blyth Urban District.

So poor house was in vicinity of the southern Crofton,

Maps within the Blyth Community of the communities.northumberland.gov.uk
( Plans and Ordnace Maps sections) show the shape/devellopment of the area ( especially the Armstrond's of 1769)

Michael

[c-side]

Thanks both.

I knew the different localities of the two Croftons but since the burial was at Horton and not Earsdon it led me to wonder which one.

Christine

[Michael Dixon]

 
Parson & White trade directory of 1827 (page 411) under the section "Blyth or Blyth Nook", lists Brodie Adam as governor of the Workhouse, Crofton.
 (this is on line within communities.northumberland.gov.uk web site , Blyth section, "Printed Material".)

~~~~~~~~---

On Burials.....

From my wee book "The History of Blyth" by Blyth man John Wallace,  second edition, published 1869 . he writes (page 35) ...

 "  An examination I have been kindly permitted to make of the church registers at Earsdon confirms this view (of his) of the insignificance of Blyth to the end of the C16th, as for several years together there are neither births, marriages nor deaths registered for Blyth "

Then he adds a footnote...

"After the former edition went to press, I discovered that in the first part of the last century (1700s), many Blyth families buried their dead at Horton; no doubt the distance been so much less than to Earsdon, would lead to the practice.  "

He went on to list deaths from "old Blyth families" and added that 1762 marked the year when the churchyard at Blyth was set aside for the dead
(this would have been St Cuthberts, chapel of ease from mother church at Earsdon)
~~~~~~~~--

Michael

[c-side]

Interesting stuff - I wish I had an old history of Blyth, mine are all recently written and not quite as informative as this.

This wee chap was born and died in 1825 and I did wonder why he wasn't buried at St. Cuthberts - much closer than either Earsdon or Horton though there are a few burials at Horton from South Blyth.  Maybe St. Cuthberts didn't accept anyone from the Poor House!  I wonder whether Horton had a pauper's grave section whereas the others didn't?

Christine

[Michael Dixon]

  C . I think Blyth Library have a plan of Horton Church graveyard.
Michael