What is a 'Halfway House'?

[EBrand]

Hi all,

I have found an illegitimate baptism for my 3rd great grandmother Sarah Alice Hope in Houghton le Spring, Durham. This was Oct 8th 1837. I'm still waiting on birth cert to arrive from GRO to clear up parents names as on the GRO index her birth is listed as being Sarah Alice Hope Jackson, with Jackson being the surname.

Aside from that, I was intrigued at the baptism record - Sarah Alice's mother was listed as Mary Ann Hope, and her abode listed at 'Halfway House'.

What is a 'Halfway House'? I did a quick google search and there were two possibilities, it being a place of rehab and reform, like the modern connotation, or it simply being an inn midway between two towns.

Which is it likely to be in Durham, 1837?

I would like to clear this up to add a little more context to my ancestor's life.

Thank you,
EB.

[Gadget]

Hi

From this

https://www.twsitelines.info/SMR/326

It suggests that it was a place between Houghton and Newbottle



Gadget

[EBrand]

Thanks so much for that Gadget,
That’s awesome!

EB

[maddys52]

I can't see it on a map, however there are advertisements for a farm for sale called Halfway House (and another Horsely Hill), "in the occupation of John Hunton and Henry Stratford" near Ryhope in 1830.
   Saturday,  Feb. 13, 1830, Newcastle Courant

And another for a farm called "Wall house, near the Halfway House in Ryhope Lane, near Bishopwearmouth" in 1840.
   Saturday,  Sept. 12, 1840, Newcastle Journal

[Gadget]

Also this

The  first  houses    were  located close  to the  colliery in Low  Row (later  to  become  Blue  Row),  Jewitt’s Row, Back Row, Green Row and High Row. The houses which formed the four rows at High Moorsley were  not built  until  the 1860s  Rows  1-3,  and Westgarth’s  Row.  High  Row housed the officials. Opposite  the  school was  a  group  of  5  houses  known  as  the  “Half Way  Houses”, (i.e.  half  way between  Low  Moorsley  and  High Moorsley)  .   The  church  was  set  back  about  15 feet from the  road with a h ard stand  10-12 feet wide leading   from the road to the entrance of the church. On the lower side  some  20  feet  from  the end  of  the church  was  a  rough  dirt  track  which  ran  alongside  the  gable end of the uppermost Half Way House.

http://www.hettonlocalhistory.org.uk/villageatlas/The%20Hetton%20Village%20Atlas%20sections%2019%20to%2021.pdf

I've not found it on the maps either, Maddy.

Gadget

Add -I used to live  between Durham and Houghton when I was first married 

[maddys52]

There is also an inquest at "The Halfway House, Houghton le Spring" in 1866.
Friday,  Nov. 2, 1866, Newcastle Courant

[Gadget]

I think that this last one maybe  different Halfway houses as these are nearer Hetton than Houghton, I'll stick with the Houghton-Newbottle one.

[Gadget]

There is also an inquest at "The Halfway House, Houghton le Spring" in 1866.
Friday,  Nov. 2, 1866, Newcastle Courant

There is mention of there being a few pubs by the name. Was the inquest in a public house. It was quite common  for inquests to be held in PHs.

[maddys52]

Unfortunately it doesn't mention what the establishment was, though I agree, inquests were often held in Public Houses . The article does say that the jury "retired to the Workhouse", however that may have been to interview one of the inhabitants, related to the case.

Modified to add:
There are a few newspaper articles mentioning the "Halfway House [Inn], Ryhope-lane" - in the 1860s and 1870s, so a bit later I guess.