One of the aims of the Northumberland Archives Charitable Trust is to improve and promote access to documents held within Northumberland Archives. Projects have been funded to list collections as well as adding descriptive content to existing collections. This additional information is added to our catalogue making the content available and searchable via the Online Catalogue on the Northumberland Archives website either at home or in the search rooms. The current cataloguing project focuses on a collection of deeds relating to lands owned by members of the Clayton family in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
In 1884 Nathaniel George Clayton acquired the Bath House Estate in Newcastle-upon-Tyne which included a mansion called Bath House, shops and dwelling houses at Westgate Road, dwelling houses in Villa Place, and tithes from hereditaments formerly called Moats Gardens. The conveyance refers to an earlier deed of 1873 in which the boundary of the lands was defined and detailed on a map. In between the two transactions a number of mortgages raised funds secured against the Estate. Like his uncle, John Clayton, before him, Nathaniel was also interested in acquiring property and land with a close proximity to the Roman Wall.
Using the plan included on the 1873 deed it is possible to compare it to other plans to see changes to central Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The main streets named on the plan are Bath Lane and Westgate Hill.
ZCY/3/22
The 1844 ‘Plan of Newcastle and part of Gateshead’ by Thomas Oliver predates the conveyances mentioned; it highlights that part the boundary of the Bath House Estate matches the boundary between St. Johns Parish (in pink) and Westgate Township (in yellow). Again, Bath Lane and Westgate Hill are named.
NRO 00324/G/7
Google Earth shows the current view, the route between Bath Lane (highlighted with a blue dot) and Westgate Road (rather than Westgate Hill) is now intersected with St. James’ Boulevard; however, the ‘point’ where the two roads meet is still visible. Adjacent to this is part of the Roman defensive wall built.
Looking at the hand-drawn plans on various 19th century conveyances, it is amazing how often it is possible to match up an area of land to compare it to its modern usage. Why not have a look to see what other maps and plans you can find that show the changing use of this estate.
We publish this week a photo of Mr and Mrs William Hogg, who, as announced in our columns last week, have founded in Canada a “Berwick-on-Tweed Association.” Mr Hogg was at one time a well-known in sporting circles. He was associated with his father and brother in the bill-posting business in Berwick and district and was one of the most enthusiastic workers on behalf of the Berwick Cycling Club, in which he held office. He was also keenly interested in football. Mr Hogg’s wife is a daughter of Mr T. Rule, Fenwick, and a grand-daughter of the late Mr Peter Rule, Tweedmouth, Berwickers in Canada who wish to get in touch with each other should communicate with Mr Hogg at 13 Reynold’s Place, Toronto, Canada.
THE BABY SHOW
There was great excitement amongst the proud mothers of Berwick on Monday when in connection with the Baby Show, officials from the County Council Medical Department attended at the Parochial Hall to examine no less than 107 bonnie babies who had been entered for the competitions. The work of examination was started at 10 a.m. and when the babies arrived with their mothers in relays of ten every half hour, the work went through without a hitch, being about 4.30.
Parochial Hall, Chapel Street, late 1960’s. Ref: BRO 2103-4-4-12a
The examination was a very thorough one, the youngsters being judged in cleanliness, weight, limbs, digestion, and general health. As at other baby shows a number of rising generation objected strongly to be undressed, weighed and handled, and loudly protested, while others appeared to enter into the spirit of health week and posed like little statues of Greek gods.
THE PRESENTATION OF PRIZES
Thursday was of course the field day for mothers and not only those who were showing, but others who would have been likely competitors had the show been held thirty years ago, were lined up outside the Hall nearly an hour before the opening. In the centre of the hall a space had been reserved for the mothers of competing children, and the remaining floor space of the hall was utilised to the last inch, the crowd which was nearly wholly women extending out into Chapel Street. Even the yard was utilised by those wishing to see the babies, and through the open windows women could be seen struggling to get a look inside. At the back of the hall the heat was almost unbearable, nut there was a cool current of air I the centre of the hall from the open windows.
Ald. Wilson presided, and he was accompanied on the platform by Mr D. S. Twigg, Town Clerk; Dr P. W. Macglan, Mrs Redpath, Mrs De La Hey, Mrs Macaskill, Mrs Erskine, Mrs Jno.Gray, Miss Weir and Miss Makin, of the County Council Medical Service; Miss Chisholm, Tweedmouth.
Mrs De La Hey then graciously presented the prizes, and as each proud mother went up to the platform carrying her baby, the assembly cheered loudly. Some very bright children were amongst the winners and several when held up for the inspection of the audience, grinned broadly and one had the courage to wave its hand. Girl prize-winners were in the majority, but the boys rather came in to their own in the twin classes. Ald. Wilson had a special word for Mrs Jefferson, 23 Walkergate, who was awarded a prize and also a special award as the mother who had reared a healthy baby under greatest difficulty. With a large family, said Mr Wilson, Mrs Jefferson has had her hands full, and we are all the more pleased to see her a prize-winner.
At the conclusion of the prize distribution, the Town Clerk moved a vote of thanks to the Chairman (Ald. Wilson), and in the course of a few remarks he said the show a “scream” as he had been led to believe from the advertisement. He noticed that girls predominated as prize-winners, and this pointed, he rather thought, to Berwick becoming in future years an ideal place for eligible bachelors to stay. (Laughter and applause.)
The following were the prize awards:-
Under 6 Months – 1, Mary Gordon, Mill Strand, Tweedmouth, and Janet Patton, 70 Church Street; 2, Elizabeth Johnson, 31 Woolmarket, and Nancy Guyan, 35 East Street; 3, Mary Johnson, 164 Main Street, Spittal.
Under 1 Year – 1, Isolda Wakenshaw, 13 High Street; 2, Margaret Logan, High Letham, Jack Gregg, 14 Quay Walls, Iris Robson, 30 Woolmarket, and Barbara Moffatt, 16 High Street; 3, James Cook, 15 Walkergate, and Charles James Menzies, 50 Castlegate; 4, Catherine Mavin, 76 Church Street.
Under 2 Years – 1, Emily I. C. Smith, Scotsgate House; 2, Harold Yardley, 10 Married Quarters; 3, William Dow; 85 High Street; 4. Thomas Spelman, 8 Church Road, Tweedmouth.
Under 3 Years – 1 Betty Trotter, 70 Church Street; 2. Margaret Horsbrough, 11 Scotts Place; 3, Eileen Swanston, 39 East Street.
Twins – 1 Douglas and William Craik, West End, Tweedmouth; 2 Douglas and Irene Cockburn, Castlegate, Berwick; 3, Norman and Nora Faill, 9 Coxon’s Lane, Berwick; 4, Ronald and Jean Heeley, Church Road, Tweedmouth.
Extra Prizes for Babies under 6 Months – Jessie Patterson, 5 Low Greens, James William Plummer, Married Quarters, George Abbot, married Quarters; Harry Jefferson, 23 Walkergate; George Manual, 16 High Street, Elizabeth Flannagan, 39 Chapel Street, Charlotte Blyth, 37 Chapel Street, and Susan Octon, 52 Church Street.
The Mother who has had the greatest difficulties and who has overcome them – Mrs Jefferson, 23 Walkergate.
Walkergate, dated 1934. REF: BRO 794-70-4-10
THE EXAMINERS’S VIEWS
Miss Weir, one of the examiners, said this was one of the best shows she had ever taken part in as an examiner. She was highly delighted with the way it had been taken up and the organisation was splendid. Both Miss Makin and herself had been particularly struck with the sporting manner in which mothers had received the results of the examination, and to the appreciation hearing they gave to any remarks made by the examiners. Even though many mothers had not the satisfaction of seeing their child a prize-winner they were not stinting in their praise of the examiners awards. “We were greatly impressed by the co-operation amongst workers on the Ladies’ spirit shown on the part of everyone to do their best. The babies on the whole were a very fine lot of youngsters, and we were very pleased with the high standard of mothercraft shown. the clothing of the children was generally good.”
ECHO OF BERWICK BURGLARY
At York Quarter Sessions on Monday Charles Arthur Benson, alias Bourne (21), motor mechanic, was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment for sealing a motor car. Benson, it will be remembered, was arrested at York when attempting to steal a motor car. He had previously broken into Springbank, Castle Terrace, and other places on his way south. He travelled on an old Indian motorcycle, and Alnwick and Gosforth both had his attention.
Indian Motorcycle, dated 1917.
It was stated that he was a native of Edinburgh. He received a good education and was apprenticed to a firm of motor engineers there. In 1916 he was sent to an industrial school for stealing a motor car, but absconded and committed a series of housebreaking offences in Edinburgh, for which he was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment. In 1917 he was sentenced to two terms of three months each at Berwick-on-Tweed for shop breaking at Mr Crisp’s premises, when he was singled out as the ringleader amongst some band boys of the K.O.S.B., and on completing his sentenced he returned to Edinburgh to his parents. In 1918, he committed a further series of housebreaking offences and was committed to a Borstal institution for three years, being released in 1920.
His parents sent him to a relative in Canada, but he stole a motor car there and was ordered a year’s imprisonment and deportation. On arrival home he was arrested and completed the Borstal term. Since September of last year he had resided with his parents a warrant out for him on further housebreaking charges.
One of the aims of the Northumberland Archives Charitable Trust is to improve and promote access to documents held within Northumberland Archives. Projects have been funded to list collections as well as adding descriptive content to existing collections. This additional information is added to our catalogue making the content available and searchable via the Online Catalogue on the Northumberland Archives website either at home or in the search rooms. The current cataloguing project focuses on a collection of deeds relating to lands owned by members of the Clayton family in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
During the nineteenth century the names of women appear in deeds less frequently than men. One deed in the Clayton collection stands out because of the female parties involved and the story the document tells. On 21 May 1873 John Clayton bought land at Layside in the township of Henshaw. Two of the five parties involved were women; Margaret Bell of Brownrigg, Henshaw and Hannah Laing of Hill House, Henshaw.
As is common with deeds, the first section details previous conveyances, wills etc. as a way of explaining the history of the ownership of the property (buildings, land etc). In 1869 Edward Laing conveyed land to Margaret Bell subject to her receiving a payment of £200 plus interest. If the payment was defaulted upon, Margaret had the right to sell the lands at either a public auction or by private contract. When the sum was not forthcoming, Margaret “with approval of her husband” decided to sell the mortgaged property at a public auction held at the Sun Inn, Haltwhistle. John Coats was the highest bidder and declared the purchaser of the premises at a price of £750, with £75 being paid to Margaret Bell as a deposit.
The second women mentioned in the deed is Hannah Laing, she was entitled to ‘dower out of the same hereditaments’ that is she had rights to the property that she was able to inherit. Hannah is recorded as being the wife of Edward Laing, and therefore has not inherited those rights at the time of the conveyance. Edward Laing is an agricultural labourer, which also makes this deed interesting, the naming of a labourer in a legal document. Is this the same Edward Laing that was party to the original 1869 transaction? It is difficult to answer with absolute certainty, but it may explain why Hannah has rights to the property.
As part of the sale to John Clayton, Hannah agreed to release her rights to the hereditaments. The price paid was £750, with £675 going to Margaret Bell and her husband Robert and £75 to John Coats (this indicates that he had paid only the deposit following the purchase at the Sun Inn). Hannah Laing did not benefit financially. The conveyance deed is signed by both women.
Accompanying the document is a certificate relating to the Deeds by Married Women Act, whereby both Margaret and Hannah were examined to ensure that they “freely and voluntarily consented” to the sale. Through modern eyes this appears demeaning; there is no such certificate to confirm that the men had the same understanding. Was it intended to confirm that the women were not placed under any duress to agree to something? The interviews were held apart from their respective husbands. Regardless of the intention behind the certificate, the fact that it remains with the conveyance is unusual.
Details of the documents can be seen via the online catalogue using Ref.No. ZCY/4/13* (the * will return the details of both individual documents) or at the Woodhorn Search Room.
