Catherine Petch (nee Stevens) Blackhouse/Edmondsley

[Elliven]

Can anybody please help demolish a brick wall?  I have been looking for a family named Stevens from a hamlet of just 3 or 4 houses named Humbleburn Cottages.  This is close to Craghead and Blackhouse but I think it was in Edmondsley parish.  Catherine's maiden name was Stevens and, in such a tiny hamlet, it seems very likely that she was from that family.  Can anyone give me information on her parents - particularly her father or maybe her brother(s) who also lived there.  She died there, aged 37, on or about 15th August 1939 and was buried in Craghead Churchyard - presumably St Thomas' Church.  Many thanks

[DCB]

The family is on the 1921 census in Edmondsley. We can't give the details but she was with her parents and three siblings.

This is the family in 1901 - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XSH1-DW4

1911 - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWCM-3WX

Thomas Stevens married Sarah Ann Johnson in Q2 1894 in Chester le Street District.

Sarah's maiden name was Proud. Catherine was registered as Kate in Q1 1902.

Thomas Henry Stevens died Q3 1932 in Chester le Street District.

Sarah, a widow of Humble Burn Cottage, Edmondsley, died on 22nd December 1935 and administration was to John Johnson, a colliery Stonemason.

David

[AlanBoyd]

Just in case you don't know exactly where Humbleburn cottages were here is a link to a map view from the 1896 25 inch OS map. It is zoomed out to show their position in relation to Crag Head, but you can zoom in to get a clearer view.

http://tinyurl.com/59a9uks8

It looks like three cottages on the map, and that fits with the 1891 census where there are three cottages listed, although one of them has two families (names: Newton (2), Proud (2), Knox (4), and Gill (5); Knox and Gill sharing (!)).

[AlanBoyd]

As I pointed out in my previous post, it seems that there were three Humbleburn cottages in 1891. However, Catherine Petch's funeral notice says 'Humbleburn Cottage'. The entry in the 1921 census also suggests that was one Humbleburn Cottage at that time, and this 1939 OS map also has a label for one cottage:

http://tinyurl.com/562nxmzh

It seems likely that the original three cottages were demolished or reconfigured. In an article from the Friday June 1914 edition of the Durham County Advertiser I found this:

CHESTER-LE-STREET RURAL DISTRICT COUNCIL
...
HEALTH COMMITTEE
...
Inspector Swaddle reported that closing orders respecting...three cottages at Humbleburn, Edmondsley had become operative, and it was resolved that notices be served on the owners stating that the Council would at their meeting on July 14th next consider the question of demolishing the property, and that they might attend on that date to show cause why they should not be demolished.

I have not managed to find a report on the subsequent meeting.

[Tickettyboo]

Re: The 1921 census, if you register with FindMyPast then even without a subscription you can legitimately get a lot of info for free.
Doing a free search (on an account which doesn't have a subscription) on FindMyPast for
Catherine Stevens born 1902 living in Edmondsley and hovering over the transcript results icon tells me that there were 6 people in the house in total , names for two of the others were John and Sarah Ann Proud (that will be her first and middle names, not surname)

Repeating the search using just the surname Stevens living in Edmondsley brings up a list of just 6 names - so will all be in the same household as Catherine.
Thomas Henry had been born in Cornwall, all the others were born in Durham

Catherine Stevens, born 1902,
John Stevens, born 1891
Sarah Ann Proud Stevens, born
Susan Stevens, born 1893
Thomas Henry Stevens, born 1847
William James Stevens born 1898

Your local library may have access to FindMyPast via their on site computers, in which case you'd be able to see the record image which would give their relationships and occupations
Boo

[Elliven]

My thanks to DCB, AlanBoyd and Tickettyboo
Between you, you have solved my problem!  The licensee was known locally as Father Tom
DCB  According to your Census information the Thomas Henry Stevens you mentioned was born in 1861 (1901 Census) or 1859 (1911 Census) but he is definitely the man I am looking for.  He was a bootmaker but also run his house as a beerhouse.  His son was a scavenger and drayman so that tells me who supplied beer to the beerhouse.
AlanBoyd  I know exactly where it is - I was born just about 400 yards from the spot!  I also found the proposed demolition article but no further information so I presume the owners took some action to bring the property back to being fit for human habitation.  It was your reference to cottage rather than cottages that made me look closer at the maps and I see that the reconfiguration did happen and whilst the cottage was made into one, a couple of smaller buildings had disappeared so there were clearly sufficient changes/improvements made to satisfy the local authority.
Ticketyboo  Your information ties in very well with the others and it was your suggestion about checking the occupations that leads me to believe that Thomas Henry was the man I was looking for.  Although his primary occupation was as a bootmaker, he was the only one in the family who was old enough to hold a beerhouse licence but his son John was a drayman so even though he was not old enough to hold a licence at the relevant time, he was linked to the source of the beer supply.
So thanks again to all of you.

[Tickettyboo]

Newcastle Evening Chronicle
08 August 1932, page 2, col 2
Deaths
STEVENS  - Edmondsley, Humble Burn on the 5th inst., aged 83 years. Thomas Henry, dearly loved husband of Sarah Ann Stevens. Interment at Craghead on Tuesday, cortege to leave residence 3.30p.m. Friends please accept this intimation.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle
24 December 1935, page 2, col 2
Deaths
STEVENS  - Edmondsley, Humble Burn, Black House, on the 22nd inst., aged 73 years, Sarah Ann, beloved wife of the late Thomas Henry Stevens, and John Johnson. Interment at Craghead on Thursday  Funeral Private.

Boo

[DCB]

I don't know if you have earlier records for Thomas. He was always a miner, except for 1911.

He married Grace Harvey in Truro on 7th November 1870. Name transcribed as Stephins on FindMyPast.
https://www.cornwall-opc-database.org/search-database/more-info/?t=marriages&id=1534079

1881 - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q271-M4JL

1891 - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WJLC-PN2

David

[Elliven]

That makes sense.  A lot of Cornish tin miners came to this area to work in the coal mines.  With financial support from his sons and from his beerhouse profits he may have retired from the mines and his boot making might have just been a side line.