General history help - Newcastle on Tyne

[lorrainec]

Hello
I have 2 families who came to Newcastle on Tyne between 1891 and 1901. They are both families of blacksmiths and one family came from Edinburgh and the other from Millport!

I am wondering about any social history in the area at the is time.  Was it a time of economic boom ? was there a need for many blacksmiths? It makes me wonder why my people would travel so far for a job ...

Can anyone enlighten me?

The families are Craigs and Sommervilles

Lorraine
(Canada)

[nort]

hi Lorraine,if they were blacksmiths they probably came to work in the Tyne shipyards.
  Steve

[barryd]

A good and cheap railway system helped mobility at this time. As long as you did not attempt to travel in a white dress or suit.

[Ruskie]

Better working conditions, more work, more money, maybe a house provided by the company .... similar reasons people today move towns for a new job. 

[River Tyne Lass]

I have an ancestor called Ralph Marshall who was born in Meldon, Northumberland.  His Father John was also a blacksmith in the same place.  After Ralph married in Meldon, he can be tracked at different places in Northumberland and Durham in his Blacksmith job.

I think blacksmiths might have been able to secure  work at shipyards or at the coal mines.

In a baptism of one of his son's Ralph is living at Boldon Colliery, South Shields.