Netherby Hall Estate - Bruntons Hill Farm

[Bruntonshill]

Hello,

The 1861 Census shows my GG Grandfather living at a 'railway construction workers camp' located on Bruntons Hill Farm, which was then still part of the Netherby Hall Estate. I assume that land was leased to the railway construction company to provide accommodation and food for its workers. This was for the construction of the 'Border Union Railway' or 'Waverley Route'.

There were 7 temporary dwellings, providing accommodation for 21 labourers and their families: a total of 49 people including 17 children.

My G Grandfather who was then aged 9, was recorded as a "Scholar"; many of the other children were also 'scholars'.  This implies that they was attending a school somewhere in the vicinity.

I would love to hear from any enthusiasts of Netherby Hall who might be able to shed some light on this for me. I believe there was a Netherby School: are there any records?

 

[Gan Yam]

It looks like the nearest school to Bruntons Hill Farm was at Kirkandrews Moat (less than a mile away), which was in what is now the village hall.  It was started in 1829 and rebuilt in 1869 and closed in the 1940's.

This website mentions the increase in population due the railway workers https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/4605

[Bruntonshill]

Hi, Thanks for that.

I'm Building a bigger picture. The railway workers billeted at Bruntonshill Farm seem to be just one 'gang': with 7 stone quarriers; a carpenter; a foreman and workers.

I found a map that shows all, including the school.

[clearly]

I think Gan Yam is right in suggesting that they went to the school at Kirkandrews Moat. It would only be a few hundred yards from Bruntonshill if they crossed Carwinley Burn by one of the many paved fords.
As quarrymen they would probably be employed in the extensive quarry at Low Moat as there would be a fair amount of dressed stone required for the Scotsdyke and Riddings stations as well as the viaduct for the Langholm branch and numerous road bridges. There was also a quarry at Laws Hall about a mile to the south of Bruntonshill.
You will find that most of the farms and houses provided accommodation for the railway workers. I did research on the neighbouring Nicholforest parish where the population went up from 749 in 1851 to 1216 in 1861. Some of the names concocted by the Irish navvies are unrepeatable here but can you imagine the atmosphere when an English enumerator went into a hut housing 20 rough and ready navvies and then said he want to know all their names, ages, where they were born and if they were married. Must have been really scary. There was a murder just up the road at Penton Bridge Inn in 1861 which shows how rough the workers were.
There are many more maps at maps.nls.uk The National Library of Scotland as per pm to you.

[Bruntonshill]

Thanks - that all makes good sense. The census pages (11) I am looking at are for the "Township" of Netherby. They include Netherby Hall itself and all the staff an servants there. I had thought there would be a Netherby School; I saw it mentioned somewhere but I can't find it now; perhaps it was at a different time.

Carwhinley is a locál / hamlet that seems to have gone. I found a list of administrations: Thomas Watson Graham of Bruntonshill Carwhinley Longtown - 1938.

There are many farms covered in those 11 pages; only one railway gang. I think you are right to suggest that they were there to deal with one particular task.

I used the word 'gang' because I believe that it is a term used for a group of railway workers. I have seen the word "Railway Ganger" used for a railway Foreman. You can google it and it comes up in a list of Victorian occupations. I found another relative who was an apprentice 'loriner': that is a person who makes the metal bits on a horses harness; nobody seems to know what a loriner is anymore!

[Gan Yam]

There was also a school at Easton, a little bit further away than Kirkandrew Moat, but slightly closer to Netherby Hall. 

In 1861 there was no legal requirement for children to attend school, so an education may have been a little hit and miss and dependant upon whether there was a school nearby, if it was free, or if not whether their family could afford the few pennies that it may have cost and whether the children were  working.  Some children's only education may have been via Sunday school or no education at all.

Its possible that your G Grandfather may have had an intermittent education as the family moved about, depending on what was available and no doubt, it wouldn't have been that long before he was working himself, possible with the "gang".

[Bruntonshill]

Yes, my G Grandfather's elder brother, aged 11, is recorded in the census as a 'Niper'. Some kind of child labour is suspect.

Is there any chance that there are records for Kirkandrews Moat school?

[Bruntonshill]

Oh, I have googled further; of course Carwinley is still there. I live in Australia. I'm just starting to realize what a beautiful part of the world this is! Thomas Watson Graham used this as his address.

[Gan Yam]

Is there any chance that there are records for Kirkandrews Moat school?

Possibly Cumbria Archives or they may know if any records exist somewhere.

Oh, I have googled further; of course Carwinley is still there. I live in Australia. I'm just starting to realize what a beautiful part of the world this is! Thomas Watson Graham used this as his address.

Graham is very common name in the area and one of the Border Reivers Clans!