Bits and pieces about 1901
- Let there be light! Electric light came to Ushaw Moor
-I could not trace any fatalities at Ushaw Moor Colliery but sadly there were at least three at New Brancepeth, including 14 year old William Smith. I wonder if he was related to my old school chum Edith Smith
-King Edward succeeded Queen Victoria but I cannot imagine that would have in anyway improved the lot of Ushaw Moor residents.
-Although tinned food was becoming common in England from about 1875, it would have been a luxury in Ushaw Moor in 1901. How many people in Ushaw Moor would have possessed a tin opener at that time?
1279
According to current Durham University students there was a rumour that the village of Ushaw Moor was attacked by the cult of Saudan, god of tourture [their spelling] on 06/02/1279. The reference for that is the university's Treasure Trap Society - a fantasy mediaevil world. If we have any young readers please do not quote any of that in your GCSE history script. Thank you.
SOME OF THE PEOPLE LIVING IN USHAW MOOR IN 1901
8 Ladysmith Terrace - Thomas Morris coal hewer aged 40 his wife Jane [38] son Thomas [12] daughter Margaret [10] daughter Dorothy [8] and mother Elizabeth [68]
9 George Street - Joseph Tomlinson [48] coal miner his wife Henrietta [47] son Thomas [29] daughter Martha [16] son Joseph [10] and John Foster [adopted son - any relation to a school chum of mine called Sandra Foster?]
1 Albert Street - John Brady [55] coke drawer his wife Mary Brady [51] and John Hagan [57] coke drawer
20 William Street - John W Jackson [27] deputy overman his wife Louisa [23] and son Thomas [7 months] Any relation to John Jackson who, I believe, was Ushaw Moor school football captain in the 1960/ 1961 season?
10 West Street - William Oyston [53] blacksmith his wife Margaret [45] son Thomas [24] colliery labourer] daughter Mary [22] daughter Alice [17] son William E [16] son John [12] son Charles [10] son Arthur [10] and son Joseph [5]
13 Temperance Terrace - John Armstrong [28] bricklayer his wife Hannah [26] and son Arthur [aged 5].Several more residents of Temperance Terrace are mentiond elsewhere on this site.
2 South Street - George Rose [40] storeman his wife Mary [37] son Thomas [18] driver/coal miner son George [16] daughter Mary [14] son William [12] and daughter Florence [10]
General points:
I find that some of the responses to articles on this site are full and informative features in themselves; I recommend that you read them.
In a school magazine [at least one reader described it as a 'book'] that I produced in 2001 there was a very good article by Wally Hayton, who taught at Ushaw Moor and New Brancepeth. It gave a very descriptive account of life at Ushaw Moor school in 1959. He has given permission for it to be reproduced on this site but unfortunately I gave my last copy away to a school friend.
Paul Clough's mum was given a copy of the magazine, along with 29 other people, so if she, or one of the other recipients, can show Paul the relevant article perhaps he would consider placing it on site.
Regards - Wilf Bell
(Comment this)
Also I am in Canada so am fairly ignorant of the geography in this region...Is Cornsay Colliery close to this area? I have the addresses of where 5 of my relatives were born in Cornsay colliery and am wondering is any of these places still exist!!!
Thankyou. Michele (dlm558@rogers.com) (Comment this)
I am a pale imitation of the Canadian mounted police [sorry I know that is not really very amusing] but I hope that I can help you a little.The information about 1 Albert Street came from the 1901 census.A bit further information is that all the residents of that address, on that census, are declared as born in Ireland.On the night of the census 2 Albert Street was uninhabited.The nearest neighbours [at number 3]were William Nicholson [30],his wife Emily [31] and children Mary [10] and John [3].
The 1891 census has, very probably, the same Brady's living in the Hill Top area near Lanchester. A John Connolly [19 and a coalminer] was living with them as a boarder at that time. Lanchester is close to Cornsay.In fact Ushaw Moor, Cornsay and Lanchester are all within about 5 miles of each other. Ushaw Moor is 4 miles to the west of Durham City which is very famous for its Norman cathedral and has, I suppose, a population of more than 30,000.
The 1881 census has, I believe, the same Brady's living in the Langley Moor area and Mr Brady was a coke drawer even then.No other person was living with them at the time of that census. Langley Moor is about 3 miles to the east of Durham City, next to a bigger village called Brandon.
Note that Cornsay Colliery is now called Cornsay because the colliery closed down.You can be adventurous by typing Cornsay into the Internet [then enter]by doing that you will get lots of information. You can do the same with Langley Moor and Lanchester.
I hope that has helped a little. (Comment this)
Thankyou very much for your response. This is very helpful. I shall have to gain access to the 1901 census as all the places that you mentioned are prominent in my family history. It seems my family spent time in Langley moor, Brandon, and cornsay colliery as well as ushaw moor before moving to doncaster where they continued their mining at Rossington colliery. I'm from a long line of miners!!!
I think that the John and Mary in the original post must be a different line because my ancestors were quite prolific!! I'll keep up the investigation!Kidding aside, I do feel like a mountie tracking down my family history!!
Thankyou again.
michele
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