BERWICK ADVERTISER, 30 APRIL 1920

01/05/2020 by Northumberland Archives

BRIGHTENING UP SPITTAL

Councillor Edminson asked if anything was going to be done for Spittal this year. The place wanted a little cleaning up before the visitors arrived. They wanted to brighten the place up somewhat. The shoulder of the “prom” was in a dilapidated state and there were some palings which needed attention. She also suggested that the tree-guards might have a coat of paint to freshen them up, and asked if anything was going to be done in levelling and cleaning up at the new Fish Quay.

The Mayor – That is for the Harbour Commissioners.

Councillor Edminson – It looks a very untidy place, and is very dilapidated. Situated at the entrance to the town, it does not help to attract visitors, and I think something might be done to clear the place up and make it pleasing to look at.

Councillor Hadley – Has the Sanitary Inspector anything to do with the filling up of the new quay.

The Mayor – He has to do with anything which is a nuisance.

Councillor Hadley – Then I would suggest that he takes a walk round there when he has time.

Mr Boyd said the last time he had visited the place there had been a nuisance, but it had been covered up by ashes. It was a regular tip for all manner of things. He did not think there was anything he could object to as a nuisance.

Councillor Edminson – It has an evil look and a terrible smell. (Laughter).

Ald. Boston – The Harbour Commissioners are taking it in hand.

Ald. Short – I think tonight we might endeavour to meet Mrs Edminson’s suggestion about the clearing up and painting.

The Mayor – Her remarks will be brought up at the Works Committee.

Ald. Short – I hope so. With our blessing. (Laughter)

Councillor Edminson – We have got our spring cleaning done inside, sir, and we want to get started cleaning outside. (Hear, hear, and laughter.)

URBAN SANITARY AUTHORITY

OVERCROWDING AT EAST ORD VILLAGE

At East Ord village, four cottages of a poor type, for which Mr Adam Scott, 6 Winchester Terrace, Newcastle-on-Tyne, acts as agent, call for attention. One of these – a wrenched single apartment hovel – shelters two adults and five children whose ages range from 2 to 9. There is no drainage.

With regard to these cottages, Mr Lake reported that the owner had died, and the present proprietrix was resident in America. A new agent, Mr A. Scott, Newcastle, had been appointed. Mr Wood recalled that many years ago, the late Dr Paxton had reported these cottages. It was agreed to draw the attention of the new agent to the defects.

OTHER COTTAGES

Two cottages owned by Miss Lilly, East Ord, present objectionable features. One, a single apartment dwelling, with a capacity of 2304 cubic feet, accommodates four inmates – two adults and two lads of 16 and 20 respectively. The second, which is of similar size, is occupied by two women, a young man, and a girl of 11. Dr McWhir drew attention to the fact that in this case the privies were 100 yards away from the cottages.

It was agreed to send these to the Housing Committee for consideration.

Several dingy, badly lighted dwellings are to be met with on the Green; and in one of the single apartment type, for which Mr James Simmons, East Ord, acts as agent, there are five occupants – a widow and four children, whose ages range from 6 and 16.

Mr Lake reported that this cottage belonged to a Miss MacDonald, residing in England, and Dr McWhir, while agreeing with Mr Wood that the over-crowding was not so serious as it might have been with persons from 18 to 20 years, yet condemned it from a moral point of view.

It was agreed to defer action to a later date.

ORD NOT A MODEL ENGLISH VILLAGE

To the traditional tidiness of the English village, East Ord can lay little claim. Five privies which belief their designation, occupy places of prominence on the Green, three ash-pits utilised by eleven tenants, and a quota of piggeries, hen houses, and coal houses are also dotted round this open space, that, with a little attention, might be made one of the best rural recreation grounds in North Northumberland.

REF: BRO 0426-1185 East Ord Village c.1900

Mr Wood did not think that the Council could interfere with the privies, as the people were allowed to erect them. The only ground for the Council to complain was if they constituted a nuisance, which Dr McWhir and Mr Lake said they certainly did, Mr Lake adding that in summer the privies were most objectionable. This question was referred back to the Medical Officer and Mr Lake.

LOCAL NEWS

At a meeting of the May Horse Procession Committee, held in Berwick on Monday night, it was decided not to hold the Horse Procession this year, in view of the fact that the Northumberland Agricultural Society are holding the County Show at Berwick this year. It was felt that too many calls would be made upon tradesmen in the town should they be asked to subscribe to the two objects. Cost of prizes having advanced so much it is possible that, should it be decided to hold the Procession next year, the event will be more on the lines of the Norham and Paxton games. The idea is to hold a show in the Fields and charge for admission, and it is also suggested the Show might be brightened by having jumping and driving competitions.

An interesting ceremony took place in the Girls’ C. of E. School, Parade, on Friday afternoon, when the Vicar, on behalf of the Managers, teachers and scholars of the School presented Miss A. D. Shields with a wedding gift consisting of a silver tea and coffee service. The Vicar and Headmistress (Miss M.R. Richardson) both spoke of the service so ably and ungrudgingly rendered by Miss Shields during her thirteen years’ connection with the School, and wished her much happiness in her future life. Miss Shields, in a charming little speech, expressed her thanks for the beautiful gift, and referred to the happy relations which had always existed between her and the other members of the staff. Hearty cheers were given by the scholars for Miss Shields and the Managers, several of whom were present, and the proceedings were concluded by the singing of the National Anthem. Teachers and scholars parted from Miss Shields with very real regret and their affection and hearty good wishes go with her into her new sphere of life.

HARBOUR DEVELOPMENT

SURVEY TO TAKE PLACE SHORTLY

An extraordinary meeting of the Berwick-on-Tweed Employment Committee was held in the Board Room of the Employment Exchange, Berwick, on Saturday, when Councillor W. J.Dixon presided. There were also in attendance The Mayor (Councillor T. Bolus), Messrs T. S. Elder, W. Joures, Jas. Kean, J. Makins, Geo. Martin, A. C. Parkes, R. C. Rennison, W. R. L. Blakiston, Divisional Controller, Newcastle, and Mr R. Tipping, secretary.

The object of the meeting was to prepare for the survey of the harbour, which is now definitely decided upon, and the Chairman intimated that a copy of the Department’s minute had now been received. It was in the following terms:- “The Committee should be informed that a reply has now been received from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, who state that arrangements are at present being made for the conducting of surveying operations, which will be put in hand as soon as possible.”

In view of this official assurance, the Chairman proposed that a Sub-Committee be formed to meet the Government Surveyor when he arrived and lay all the information available at his disposal.

After discussion, it was unanimously agreed that the following Sub-Committee be appointed to meet the Surveyor if, and when required:- The Chairman ( Councillor W. J. Dixon), Councillor T. Bolus ( Mayor), Mr J. Makins, and Mr Geo. Martin.

Gin Smuggling and Other Misdemeanours on The Delaval Estate

30/04/2020 by Northumberland Archives

One of my lockdown tasks has been to edit the list of Delaval papers that another of our team has been data inputting. This task has reminded me of a document that I found within the Delaval collection a little while ago. The Delaval family owned land in Northumberland from the 11^th century. In 1717 Admiral George Delaval purchased the Seaton estate from another family member Sir John Delaval and he and his heirs began to develop the estate building Seaton Delaval Hall and developing coalmines, copperas works, farmland, glassworks and saltpans. The document was drawn up in 1807 and is entitled “List of Persons Inhabitants of Hartley Suspected of Lodging Vagrants, Making Salt or of Selling Smuggled Spirits” (ref: 2DE/8/6/8).

We learn at the end of the document that a party comprising “Mr. Faulder exciseman, Mr. Ochiltree, Mr. P. Forster, Mr. Townson and Jno. Bryers’ had undertaken a tour of properties on the estate making notes of properties visited and observations about the residents. John Bryers, John Ochiltree and Robert Townson were all agents of the Delaval family and their correspondence reporting on estate matters can be found within the Delaval papers in our custody. Forster may be Paul Forster who was engaged as a viewer at Hartley Colliery. It is further noted that ‘the constable was not at home and Thos. Taylor the miller being one of the Overseers of the Poor was sent for but engaged that he could not go round with us”.

The document lists by name forty four residents – of these it was believed that twenty five residents were either making salt or strongly suspected of doing so. Salt was produced by boiling seawater or brackish water (water that has less salinity than seawater but more than freshwater). The visiting party were therefore looking for evidence of boiling water in pots to produce salt. Interestingly some of the occupants of the properties visited appeared not to be at home – “door locked” was noted on several occasions. Where this was the case the party appeared to look through a window for evidence of wrongdoing. For example, it is noted that in Fold Yard “Jno. Rhode’s wife – door locked saw a pot on the fire through the window & supposed she & the family were in’. Why was the party so concerned about alleged saltmaking? One of the sources of revenue for the estate was the Hartley salt pans. Preparing salt at home was perceived as depriving the estate of an asset – in effect stealing from the estate. In addition, a tax was payable on the production of salt – Salt Tax introduced under the Salt Act of 1702. The tax was prohibitive and led to widespread salt smuggling and it may be that this home salt production was not just for personal use.

As well as naming the residents visited the document also lists some occupations. Nineteen occupations are recorded – eight pitmen, five widows, one carpenter, one engraver, one paper bag maker, one tailor, one waggonman and a sailor. The entry regarding the latter is interesting. We learn that “Richardson” is “on board a Ship of War lived here last year as a pitman, but taken hold of by Parish Officers from about Morpeth for having a former wife living …”. Not all residents were obtaining an income via legal means. William Brodie, a tailor, is suspected of having sold smuggled gin as is “Widow Todd”. The notes record Brodie and Todd were informed “that if this practice continued they would certainly be detected and could expect no compassion from the Excise Laws as Government was determined to make examples”. Two further residents James Davidson and Nanny Neilson are suspected of being involved in the smuggling of gin from Bedlington. It is further inferred that Nanny Neilson is the ringleader here – “He is a quiet & tolerable good workman – but she is of a violent & wicked disposition, and the fault not supposed to be his”.

There are further interesting observations. Two of the forty four residents are noted as having disabilities. Nicholas Watson is blind and Dolly Taylor is lame. Dolly Taylor is described as a “decent person”. However not all residents are viewed so generously. William Grey is noted as keeping “a poor dirty house & children” and Pringle’s widow of keeping “a very dirty family & house”. John Jackson is noted as a good workman but his home is also reported as dirty.

Sir John Hussey Delaval

29/04/2020 by Northumberland Archives

As part of our shutdown tasks I have been working on an extensive catalogue with the reference 2DE. This catalogue contains estate records of Seaton and Ford Estates, which were the property of the Delaval family. As I have been typing, Sir John Hussey Delaval, whose seat was at Delaval Hall and his family, properties, servants and other people who worked for him have come to life. The time period that these records covered was around 1750s to early 1800s.

John Hussey Delaval (17 March 1728 – 17 May 1808) was the 1st Baron Delaval and is buried in St. Paul’s Chapel, Westminster Abbey. He was a well-known landowner and politician. Threaded throughout these records was his life as a politician serving as a Member of Parliament for Berwick upon Tweed.

The early records that I started with looked into the Seaton and Ford Estates, Northumberland. They show farm accounts, such as labour costs and rents of the many properties of John Hussey Delaval.

2DE begins around 1755, giving me insight into the great importance, extensive and often costly development of Seaton Harbour at Seaton Sluice and its connections to the works at Hartley Collieries, Hartley Bottleworks, salt industry and others. This extensive collection contains evidence about the development and improvement of fire engines for the collieries, machines for raising stones from the harbour amongst others.

Papers and letters in the collection tell of the taking and ransom of one of John Hussey Delaval’s ships ‘The Seaton Sluice’ in 1782. The ship was taken by the Dutch Privateer, Goed Verwagting and was eventually released after taking the Mate, John Hails, was taken hostage. He was held until a payment between the captains of the two ships was made and then he was released.

Other documents from 1797-1799 told of anti-invasion arrangements and the formation of a local volunteer force to protect the coast against privateers. During this time, on 20 June 1796, the French even captured a bottle sloop.

Further into 2DE gives me an idea of what day to day life was like for the Delaval family. The cataloguing is now moving onto the accounts and inventories of the various houses and properties owned or rented by the Delaval family. As well as here in Northumberland, they also had properties in Lincolnshire, Surrey and London. The ordering of furniture makers, masons, and joiners for improvements and maintenance are documented. Bundles of vouchers show listings of personal and household expenses such as wine, fishmongers, china ware, stationery, and parties. One of the most memorable is a locksmith’s bill in 1761 ‘for cutting 3 screws for a waggon that goes without horses ’.

A sad entry 2DE/23/5, includes an account for funeral expenses of John Hussey Delaval’s daughter, Mrs. Sophia Jadis, 1755-1793.

This week I will be continuing to delve into the records of the Delavals once more recording the ups and downs, trials and tribulations, the fortunes and losses of the family and their estates.

John Delaval, 1st Baron Delaval - Wikipedia

Sir John Hussey Delaval

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