Under an Artificial Sun

23/10/201819/10/2018 by Northumberland Archives

This guest blog is written by Debbie Ballin

I am a filmmaker and writer based at Leeds Arts University and was recently granted a Wellcome Trust Bursary Award to research materials in the Stannington Children’s Sanatorium collection at Northumberland Archives. I plan to use the research as inspiration for a new art work called, ‘Under an Artificial Sun.’ I am at the very early stages of the research so don’t, as yet, know exactly what form this will take, except that it will include creative writing and film. My interest in developing a project on childhood tuberculosis was initially inspired by an interview I found with the musician Tom Jones. In the interview he talked about how childhood TB had shaped his life.

‘Oh yeah, I would have been a coal miner, I would think, if I hadn’t had tuberculosis when I was 12.’ Tom Jones, Singer-Songwriter

I started to think about that experience from a child’s perspective and to wonder whether other similar stories of childhood tuberculosis existed. I began doing some online research and discovered the Stannington Children’s Sanatorium archive. This collection contains a wealth of material including: patients medical records and reports, radiographs, educational logbooks from the Sanatorium School from 1906 – 1970, a Matron’s Day Book from 1906 – 1933, photographs, ephemera and a collection of twenty-six oral history interviews with former patients recorded in 2013. I approached Sue Wood, Head of Collections at Northumberland Archives and she kindly supported my Wellcome Trust funding application and has helped me begin to navigate this wonderful collection along with the other archive staff.

My research focuses on the first fifty years of the sanatorium – 1906 to 1956. The period before antibiotics were widely available to treat tuberculosis. Most of the children hospitalized at Stannington at this time, were from working class backgrounds. A lot of them came from Newcastle and the nearby towns of Ashington, Blyth and Morpeth, but some from as far as Yorkshire and Wales. The children were aged from tiny infants and toddlers to young adults of seventeen and eighteen. They were often hospitalized for very long stretches of time, in some cases four or five years. The regime at Stannington was very strict, parents were only allowed to visit on one Saturday and treatments included fresh air, rest, healthy food and sunlight therapies.

I am interested in the emotional legacy of this experience and the way it shaped these children’s lives. What was it like to be isolated and separated from family and friends? What did it feel like to be confined to your bed for long periods of time? Was it boring? Or was it fun having lots of other children on the ward to play with? Did the experience make you more resilient and stronger? Or did the effects of the illness still persist in later life? Was it lonely? How did all that time to think effect your creativity and imagination?

I have started my research by reading the educational logbooks from the Sanatorium School (1906 – 1970) and the Matron’s Day Book (1906 – 1933). Through these, I am beginning to build a vivid picture of the day to day life of the sanatorium, the daily rhythms and routines, the nursing staff, teachers and doctors’ the development of the building and resources and the shifts in medical approach and educational thinking. Threaded through these records are the key historical events of the early twentieth century: the declaration of the First World War in 1914; the armistice celebrations in 1918; the Spanish flu, which led to the deaths of four of the children and the evacuation of the sanatorium to Hexham during the Second World War.

Stannington Childrens Hospital School Log Book

I have also started listening to the oral history testimonies which bear witness to deeply personal memories and experiences. Stories of the strangeness of arriving at Stannington and of homesickness and loneliness are interspersed with fond memories of individual nurses and doctors. There are tales of friendship and adventure, of nature rambles and pet rabbits and of dressing up for plays and pantomimes. There are stories of children being pushed out on the verandah in their beds no matter what the weather to take in the fresh air. Huddled up in warm clothes, red rubber blankets wrapped tightly around them, while snow piled up on the foot of their beds. Recollections of huge plates of tasty food and school in the garden sit alongside traumatic memories of pain, illness, sadness and fear.

In November, I plan to interview some of the former patients again to try and understand more about what it was like to have tuberculosis as a child and to be hospitalised for a long period of time. I want to weave their stories into a wider story about the life and history of the sanatorium. Whatever form the final project takes I would like it to enrich our understanding of historical TB and childhood hospitalisation and the way it shapes us as adults.

This Week in World War One, 18 October 1918

19/10/2018 by Northumberland Archives

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 18 OCTOBER 1918

FUNERAL OF CAPT. NORMAN

A LARGE AND REPRESENTATIVE FOLLOWING

SERVICE IN ST. MARY’S

The funeral of the late Captain Norman took place to Berwick Cemetery on Thursday afternoon, when local gentlemen who had sat with the deceased on public bodies, or had been associated with him in Church, School, and social movements, attended in large numbers to pay their last tribute to a life spent in the public service.

At Cheviot House a large company of mourners had gathered and at two thirty the cortege moved off down Castle Terrace to the Church of St. Mary’s, where a short service was held. The blinds of all residenters on route were drawn during the passing of the cortege while here and there could be seen groups of people in the humble walks of life anxious to pay the last respect they could to one who had been a true friend in life.

Heading the procession was a detachment of the Borough Police Force, under Chief Constable Nicholson, and behind walked the sergeant at Mace (Mr Blakie) carrying the halbert draped in crepe. Following in procession walked the Magistrates and Council, and immediately behind the hearse and mourning coaches were members of the Bible Class which for so many years was conducted at Cheviot House, and then followed the boys of Berwick Grammar School, at which centre the Captain was chairman of Governors.

NEWS FROM THE LADS IN GERMANY

Mrs D. Bryson, Kiln Hill, was cheered this week to receive a post card from her son, Private Dan Bryson, H.L.I., from Gustrow Camp, Germany. He was taken prisoner in the March drive by the Germans, but he is evidently quite happy, and writes that he has some fine fellows in the camp along with him.

A group of allied prisoners at Gustrow POW Camp, Germany, where Private Dan Bryson, H.L.I. was a prisoner. © Expired.

Private Davidson, son of Mrs Davidson, Well Square, who is prisoner at Stammlager, Germany, writes that he has been in hospital, but that he is now much better and hopes to soon be out of the hospital cot.

Private John Dawson, N.F., grandson of Mrs Ogilvie, Well Road, who is a prisoner at Stargard, Germany, has sent a letter card to his grandmother, stating that he is quite well, but would welcome a letter from her every week. The letter card he sends is rather a clever made affair and can be used again by the recipient when replying.

A PREMATURE PEACE REPORT AT BERWICK

On Sunday morning, as people were coming out of Church, a report spread like wildfire that Germany had accepted President Wilson’s terms, and peace was to be signed at mid-night. It was said that an official message was on view at the huts. We immediately set out to find if it was true. Ongoing to the huts, there was no notice to be seen, and we were told that it was on view at the Barracks, and ongoing to the Barracks, we were referred back to the huts. The fact of the matter seemed to be that some soldier had out up a notice to the effect at the huts on his own account, and later had taken it down again. We also enquired at the Police Station and at the Post Office, but nothing was known. In the evening, however, definite news came to Berwick, as it well might for the news had been known in London on the Saturday night at ten o’clock.

BRO 1944-1-149-1 CROPPED. The army huts in front of Berwick Barracks, where a soldier prematurely posted President Wilson’s peace terms accepted by Germany. © Berwick Record Office.

LOCAL NEWS

On Wednesday morning a Berwick lady was rather surprised to find herself stopped by another lady who was carrying a young baby in the full array of christening clothes. She was even more surprised when she was asked to accept a paper bag containing a piece of cake, a piece of money, and salt. This she did and for the benefit of readers who have not heard of this old custom before, we may say that it is one which is quite usual in some parts of Scotland. When the mother leaves the house to attend Church where the “baptism” is to take place it is lucky if the first person met is fair. The gift of cake, money and salt is then handed over and the future welfare of the child assured. We were permitted to examine the “gift offering” and in so doing the cake broke in two. This we are informed is symbolical of good luck and a double event next time.

Fuel and Lighting economy is responsible for several alterations in church services, St. Andrew’s Church, Berwick, and the English Presbyterian Church, Tweedmouth, are doing away with a second service on Sunday. Wallace Green and the Primitive Methodist Congregations are uniting for a week day services, and Bankhill Church, during the absence of its minister on six months sick leave, is uniting with St. Aidan’s, Church Street. A large number of the Wesleyan Methodists are worshipping with the Primitives, and several are attending Wallace Green, each individual or family deciding entirely for itself.

Sir David William Smith, 1st Baronet

16/10/2018 by Northumberland Archives

The name, signature and reference ‘D.W. Smith’ frequently occurs within Dickson, Archer & Thorp paperwork from the 1820s and 1830s; particularly in relation to transactions involving the Duke of Northumberland (Hugh Percy, 3rd Duke). In a letter, discovered amongst paperwork covering the purchase of premises in Walkergate, Alnwick by the Duke, ‘D.W. Smith’ was referred to as ‘Sir’ and ‘Baronet.’ So, who was D.W. Smith?

David William Smith was the son of Colonel John Smith and his wife, Anne. Born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, he joined his father’s regiment, 5th Regiment of Foot, as an ensign in 1779. He married his first wife in 1788 and rejoined his father’s regiment at Detroit in 1790 (at that time, Detroit was still under British rule). Smith served on the land board in the Hesse District (named after the Hesse region of Germany and subsequently part of Quebec) in 1791 and 1792, was Acting Deputy Surveyor General in 1792 and Surveyor General of Upper Canada in 1798. He resigned from the army and, in 1792, was elected to the first Parliament of Upper Canada (part of British Canada established in 1791 to govern the central third of the lands in British North America) representing Suffolk and Essex, and went on in 1796 to be elected for the 3rd Riding of Lincoln. Smith became a Member of the Executive Council of Upper Canada in 1796 and in 1800 was elected to the Legislative Assembly representing Norfolk, Oxford and Middlesex, becoming Speaker from 1796-1801.

An influential and wealthy man, he owned 20,000 acres of land in Ontario, was an established politician, businessman and known to be fair-minded. He was even the author of the snappy-titled book: “A Short Topographical Description of His Majesty’s Province of Upper Canada in North America to which is annexed a Provincial Gazeteer”!

It would appear he was well-respected, and yet he turned his back on Canada and returned to England in 1802 where he became Land Agent for the Duke of Northumberland and was made a Baronet in 1821. Whether he left Canada due to some political disagreement or his health is unclear, however he did frequently suffer from fever and correspondence within the Dickson, Archer & Thorp collection does often refer to his health. With correspondents wishing him better and, in one letter, describing himself as being “too weak” to become embroiled in lengthy arguments. These documents were dated between 1827-8, although Smith did not die until 1837.

We would like to thank the volunteer who has kindly cataloged and researched D. W Smith’s correspondence, their blog is a fascinating insight into an engaging character.

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