Ushaw Moor Memories

I have been tracing my family history and one of my ancestors was a gentleman called Ralph Wilson. I think he was born in 1844 or 1845 and lived in the New Brancepeth and Ushaw Moor areas. I was wondering if this could be the same Ralph Wilson who was the organist at the Methodist Chapel for 37 years.

I recall speaking to my Nana a few years ago about what she could remember or what she had been told about our past. She said that one of our ancestors (my great great grandfather), William Ellis, had been a preacher at the methodist chapel in Ushaw Moor and that his wife, Thomason (my Nana had thought she was called Jane), had been the organist there. My research has shown that Thomason’s father was called Ralph Wilson, so with my Nana being mistaken about Thomason’s name I wonder if she too was mistaken as to exactly which ancestor of ours had been the organist?

Any further information you could give me as to whether the two Ralphs are the same, and as to whether anything is known of William and Thomason would be very gratefully received. The kind of timneframe we’d be looking at for this to fit in would be very late 19th and early 20th century.

Thank You,

Michael Steel

1893 - Septimus Aberdeen [later DCM] was born. For a while he lived in Sleetburn Lane, Alum Waters. He attended New Brancepeth School where he acquitted himself well.

He was a man of which New Brancepeth can be proud.

He fought on the Western Front for over two years and that fact alone is testament to his admirable qualities. His Distinguished Conduct Medal was a tangible reward for coolness and courage. In 1918 Mr Aberdeen became a Second Lieutenant. Later that year he was wounded but he recovered and went on to give fine service. I believe that he married in 1921 but I cannot be absolutely certain about that.

1902 –J Potts the Ushaw Moor schoolmaster died on the 7th of May

1908 – George Gardiner had been cashier at Bearpark Colliery for a considerable number of years. He died on the fourth of May.

1920s - Both Ushaw Moor and New Brancepeth Cricket Clubs had teams playing in the Deerness and District League together with the likes of Brandon, Browney, Cornsay, Esh Winning and Oakenshaw. Ushaw Moor later put a team in the North East Durham League and regular opponents included Sherburn Colliery, Washington, Littletown and South Hylton.

1923 -The Durham and District Bowls League began. A Mr Foster from Ushaw Moor was actively involved in the creation of the league. So which Mr Foster was that? Are any of his descendants currently living in Ushaw Moor?

1932 -John George March – known as George March - was born in Ushaw Moor. He played cricket for Ushaw Moor before moving on to play for Bearpark. He played the game at county standard and also achieved further representative honours whilst playing for Durham. More details of his cricket career are given in the Durham County Cricket Club archive. He worked in Ushaw Moor Colliery joiners’ shop alongside Norman Hope. Norman said that George went on to work in the ‘property section’. They were mates and Norman describes his as friendly bloke – not only a good cricketer but also a footballer with clever feet. Norman thinks that George’s football was with Ushaw Moor and very probably he was a forward. George March married Eb Shuker’s daughter, Barbara, and I am told that she had a spell as headmistress at Brandon School.

1936 – Ferguson Brothers Ltd of Middlesborough was selling shirts for Easter that were priced at seven shillings and sixpence each. There was a choice of ‘lustre poplin’ or ‘semi stiff’. ‘Vocof’ was a cure for coughs and colds and available from chemists for just one shilling and sixpence. I am presently under the impression that there is no cure for the common cold.

1938 -Having had a pint and a chat with Joe Mole, the landlord of the Flass Inn, you might have had your haircut by Tommy Gates in Station Road before getting some fish and chips from Florrie Haustead in order to save your wife having to prepare something. That would sound a bit sexist these days. Actually if anyone reading this had done that then they must now be getting on in years!

1953 - New Brancepeth Cricket Club was drawn to play Witton Le Wear in a cup tie. In the event Witton Le Wear was dismissed for a moderate score of 68. Sadly the New Brancepeth team was all out for 34 having been put under the cosh by Lee, who returned 7 wickets for 21 runs. Is it the case that Gilbert Ayre played for New Brancepeth in that match?

1955- I went to a Sunday morning service at St Luke’s Church. During Vicar Welby’s sermon I must have lost concentration because I found myself staring at a naked candle flame. I must have stared for too long because I began to feel sick and had to hurry out of the church. To be exact I was sick on the church steps. Every time I see my Aunty Ethel’s wedding photograph showing the bride, bridegroom and many bridesmaids I think – um…about three years after that picture was taken I was sick on those church steps. Does anyone recall being in that church when a young boy rushed out and caused a problem?

2005 - Now for a bit of controversy! In about 2005 the Football Foundation awarded well over a quarter of a million pounds to enable Deerness Valley School to have a superb football pitch. I believe that the total cost was well over four hundred thousand pounds. I am aware that the several anticipated benefits included more community participation but the figures involved seem incredibly high to me. You cannot blame anyone in Ushaw Moor for applying and accepting that sort of money but as I say my personal view is that the cost seem a bit high and the sense of priorities a bit dodgy. We enjoyed our school team football back in the 50s and did not need a Premier League standard pitch [forget Wigan Athletic] in order to deliver accurate thirty yard passes. The opportunity costs also seem staggering! I am assuming that the project went ahead. If it did perhaps the positive benefits turned out to be beyond my imagination - I do not want to go back to the 1950s merely study them!

I have learnt that it was at about this time that some young and brilliant gymnasts from Deerness Valley School were coming to the nation’s attention. Absolutely wonderful to hear!

2008 - A week ago my mathematician son showed me an old GCSE Foundation Tier exam paper. We thought it would be fun if, without preparation, I had a go at it. Well I did and scored about 90%. I was really chuffed until he explained that such a score would only have meant a grade D pass because of the paper being a ‘Foundation Paper’. I felt humbled but I saw the funny side of my pompous nature! Roll on the Higher Tier paper – but first a trip to the chemist for some headache pills.

Best regards

Wilf Bell

Ten years ago, during one of my infrequent visits to the Deerness Valley, I decided yet again to do the ‘grand tour’ - a sort of ‘all our yesterdays’. I went into the New Brancepeth church, at the bottom of what was Unthank Terrace bank, and it seemed quite grand; it was certainly well polished and clean. The cleaning lady happened to be there and I asked her whether she could recall the Dodds’ family and also young Margaret Reed, who I believe married an artist in the 1950s [I seem to recall that he was much older than her] – the cleaner could recall them all and clearly had a very good memory.

I was made aware of local historian Ken Clark who I believe was living in Woodbine Terrace, which is opposite the church but a little further down .He made me most welcome and presented me with a steaming cup of tea and the very last copy of his book: Deerness – A Short Industrial and Social History [Sleetburn Press 1987]. What a thorough and very useful book it has proved to be. I believe there is a copy of it at the Durham Records Office.

I then popped into the New Brancepeth Working Men’s Club at the top of Unthank Terrace. Several senior citizens were having a quiet drink and I engaged them in conversation about the area, in particular New Brancepeth Colliery. ‘Soccer’ Gleghorn was part of the company and I was actually delighted to buy him a pint – I think Soccer was delighted as well! He was surprised that I knew about the German engineer that worked at the pit in the early part of the 20th century.

Later that morning I was walking up Station Road in Ushaw Moor and would you believe it, a motor cyclist, who was travelling down the road nodded at me, in the way Geordies and Wearsiders do - with a sideways tilt of the head. That was very friendly but that would not happen with motor cyclists in the south of England, for a multitude of reasons.

Somewhere in Durham Road, Ushaw Moor I noticed an information board which explained the times available for confession at the local church. I am not being facetious when I say that my first thought was – not much time allocated for confessions - I supposed there must be few sinners in the village. I am sure that Ushaw Moor residents, whatever religious denomination they follow, if any, have a sense of humour and therefore will not be offended by what was no more that the wry thought of a traveller. These days, because of so called political correctness, many people are reluctant to express themselves for fear of offending – which can sometimes be wise but it has gone far too far and is at the point where freedom of expression is under threat. That last comment might give future generations an inkling of the present political and cultural climate.

I then visited Ushaw Moor cemetery in order to pay my respects to my grandparents and others but I was shocked to find that I could not locate any of them without the utmost difficulty. That had never happened before and I was totally convinced that the cemetery had been radically rearranged. Are there any comments forthcoming about that? It surprised me so much that I absent mindedly left my wife’s umbrella on the seat in the cemetery. It was only when I got onto a bus at Bearpark [destined for Durham] that I realized what had probably happened. I got off the bus, went back to the cemetery and sure enough there was the umbrella. That effort probably prevented a very awkward half an hour with my wife! I got onto another bus for Durham and after showing my ticket and explaining what had happened I was able to continue on my way without further charge.

Wilf Bell

CLICK FOR BIGGER IMAGES