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This Week in World War One, 3 November 1916

08/03/201804/11/2016 by Northumberland Archives

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 3 NOVEMBER 1916

BERWICK SCOUT HONOURED

In our issue of Friday, August 11^th, the following notice appeared regarding a brave action by a local Boy Scout:-

On Wednesday afternoon, while playing on the jetty at Berwick Quay, a little boy named Alex. Marshall stumbled and fell into the water. Fortunately, George Hawkins, younger son of Mr W. Hawkins, Hide Hill, who was close at hand, gallantly plunged in and succeeded in bringing the boy safely ashore.

In so few sentences was a gallant rescue made known to the public, but we are pleased now to report that Scott Hawkins’ gallant deed has found its reward. He has earned by his conduct the testimonial of the Royal Humane Society (in vellum), and in addition has been awarded the Medal of Merit and Certificate of the Scouts Association. Scout Hawkins on that memorable autumn day entered the water to the rescue of a boy, six years his junior, minus his blouse alone, and it was then that his knowledge of Life Saving stood him in good stead. A member of No. 3 troop (Scoutmaster E. W. Turnbull), the young hero received his instruction in life saving under Assistant Scoutmaster Edmond Smith. We heartily congratulate him upon his brave action, and the honours which have come to him, and trust his example may be followed by every one of his comrades who have qualified in life saving, and who find themselves in a similar position. We understand a public presentation will take place at a later date.

BERWICK PETTY SESSIONS

SATURDAY

Before D. H. W. Askew, Esq., and Thomas Wilson, Esq.

An Old Offender. – Robert Clarance Gilchrist, labourer, (43), Berwick, an old offender, was charged with being drunk and disorderly in Marygate on Friday night, and further with breaking a window, the property of Mr Burgon, fish and chip merchant, High Street. Mr Burgon gave evidence, and P.C. Crombie proved the case. Defendant on his own behalf said they had no idea what he had to stand. He was willing to join the Army – that was his own regiment, the Coldstream Guards – but he would prefer to wait until after Sunday, as there was a harvest festival on that day. (Laughter.) he was sentenced to two months imprisonment.

THURSDAY.

Before His Worship the Mayor, and Messrs T. M. Morrison, A/ Darling, C. Forsyth, Dr Fraser, V.D., Thomas Wilson, A.J. Dodds, T. Purves, R. Boston, and Walter Hogarth.

COMMUNICATION NAVAL INFORMATION.

Robert Dicknson, Wallace Green, Berwick, was charged with haying on 28^th September, contravened the Defence of the Realm Act by imparting certain naval information. The indictment bore that on that date he, without lawful authority, did communicate information with respect to the movements, number and description of certain of H.M. ships, and which was of such a nature as to be calculated to be directly or indirectly useful to the enemy.

Defendant – I admit the charge…………………….

Mr Dickinson then addressed the Bench, and said as the agent for the prosecution had stated the letter was written to no German emissary to injure his country. It was written to a younger brother, a chief engineer in marine service, and who now wore the medal and clasp for the South African campaign. During the present war his brother had sailed in ships conveying troops to and from different countries. At the present moment he was in H.M. service. Enclosed with the letter was one from an orphan niece, and he thoughtlessly added some rumours and gossip which he thought would be of interest to the service in which his brother was engaged. These rumours everyone had heard more or less since the war had started. Whether the news was true or not his brother could judge. The assurance was given that the British Navy was being maintained at high water mark, and likely to keep the ocean highway clear of the enemy. He asked them to think of his sailor brother engaged in the active defence of his country, who did not hear from the homeland for months of an interval at a time. Cut off as he was in this way, all news was welcome, and to be interesting and cheering were the only objects he had in forwarding the letter. The letter was addressed in no secret manner, but in the usual official way………….

The Bench afterwards retired, and on returning the Mayor said they were exceedingly sorry to see defendant in such an unfortunate position. It was a very serious offence, and the Regulations had been expressly framed for the protection of our country in these perilous days. The defendant had pleaded guilty to the charge, and although he had not been actuated with any malicious or unpatriotic motives in the eyes of the law it was a serious matter. The Bench were desirous to take a most lenient view, but the fine could not be less than one of £10 with £11 18s 10d of costs, the alternative being six weeks’ imprisonment.

BIRDGE GUARD’S MASCOT

We have pleasure in publishing this week a photo of Private William Marsdon, Royal Defence Corps, a native of Rothbury, along with a pet fox which is the mascot of the section stationed at Berwick. The fox was brought as a cub from Rothbury, and is now almost thoroughly domesticated. Private Marsdon, who has been with the Defence Corps since the outbreak of war, and prior to the present conflict took part in the South African War. His eldest son, Gunner John Marsdon is presently in France with the Royal Garrison Artillery.

GLENDALE NOTES

WOOLER

Lighting. – Now that Mr Scott is busy putting in plant for supplying electricity for lighting purposes it may be interesting to note that gas was first introduced into Wooler so far back as 1846, and the street lamps were put up the following year.

Both the day schools in the town have been closed this week so that the elder boys and girls might assist in potato gathering. We don’t know how many have taken advantage of it, but the weather during the week-end was deplorable but a marked improvement took place on Tuesday, only the land must still be in a very saturated condition. There is a wonderful variation in the crops. Some have an excellent crop and wonderfully free from disease, while others are an absolute failure.

The Black Bull is the nearest white painted building on the left of the photograph. An old gas lamp can be seen on the right. © BRO 426-1228

Free Gift Sale. – At a meeting held in the Black Bull Hotel on Monday with Mr A. Riddell in the chair, arrangements were made for the proposed Free Gift Sale to be held at Wooler Mart. It was decided to hold it on Wednesday, 20^th December, in aid of the British Farmers’ Red Cross Fund and Agricultural Relief of the Allies Fund. It was arranged to have block test competitions on the day of sale. The committee are practically the same as last year with a few additions for Wooler.

From Tibet to Craster

02/11/201601/11/2016 by Northumberland Archives

Craster is small village on the Northumberland Coast, famed for its kippers and with a long heritage of fishing. At first glance it would appear to have little connection to country of Tibet. But on closer inspection of the Harbour, a plaque reveals that there is a connection.

By George Robinson, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13678994

The Crasters have lived in the area since the 11^th Century and built the Tower that bears their name and it was there that John Craster lived after his birth in 1871. His father, also John, had been born in Ireland and his wife Charlotte in Scotland. As well as John they had five other children Thomas [born 1860]; Amy [1862]; Edmund [1863]; William [1867]; and Walter [1874].

John joined the Northumberland Fusiliers and was appointed 2^nd Lieutenant in 1892, being promoted to Lieutenant in 1899 and finally Captain in 1901. He had joined the Indian Army staff in 1895 and throughout the later part of the 1890s took part in campaigns all along the Northwest Frontier. By 1903 he was an Adjutant, the rank he held when he volunteered for the expedition to Tibet.

The reasons for the trade mission to Tibet, which became effectively an invasion, are obscure. But it is argued that the British Government was concerned about potential Russian influence in the area. Rumours were circulating that the Chinese Government, which ruled Tibet, were intending to allow the province to be taken over by Russia. This would have allowed the Russians a direct overland route to India, the jewel in Britain’s imperial crown. Credence had been lent to these rumours by a Russian exploration mission to Tibet, which had taken the first photographs of Lhasa some four years earlier. Tensions between Britain and Russia were high due to the recent conclusion of what was known as ‘The Great Game’, a struggle between the two powers for control of territories in Central and Southern Asia.

Whatever the reasons, the expedition pushed into the interior, inciting a response. Despite the Tibetan forces best efforts, they were grossly outgunned and their flintlock muskets were no match for Maxim Guns. They had particular trouble firing down onto British Forces as their muskets lacked sufficient wadding, causing the musket ball to simply role out of the weapon when at an angle. Most of the Tibetan Muskets were also Matchlock, using a simple lit taper to ignite the powder, a process that became virtually impossible in the rain. It’s estimated that 2000-3000 Tibetans were killed while the British lost some 200. Of one engagement, Lieutenant Arthur Hadow, commander of the Maxim guns detachment, wrote “I got so sick of the slaughter that I ceased fire, though the general’s order was to make as big a bag as possible. I hope I shall never again have to shoot down men walking away.”

It was during fighting at Tsechen, that John Craster was killed. Tsechen consisted of a village, overlooked by a monastery and fortress. Gurkhas stormed the monastery, defended by some 1200 monks mostly armed with rocks, while Craster’s regiment cleared the town. The fighting was all but done, with a only small band in one house giving any resistance. The British forces suffered only two casualties, one of which was John Craster, who was shot through the head at almost point blank range by a musket.

After his death it soon became apparent that Captain Craster had no Will and that his military service and travelling meant he had assets scattered throughout the British Empire. The task of administering these assets must have been considerable. However, once it was done his estate proved considerable and it was decided to use some of it to fund the building of Harbour, something that had Captain Craster had been a keen advocate of.

Plans were drawn up by Mr J Watt Sandeman of Newcastle and the legal and parliamentary issues were dealt with by Charles Percy & Son, Solicitors of Alnwick. Formal Application to the Board of Trade for a provisional order was made in Autumn 1904 and this received Parliamentary sanction in 1905. The work excavating the rock on the site of the Harbour began in October of that year, and in July 1906 the first concrete for the piers was put in place. The North Pier was completed in September 1907 with work commencing on the South pier the following December.

It was originally intended to be a smaller Harbour than was eventually built, but extra money was obtained from the Fishery Board for Scotland and from the Treasury. The excavation was out of solid basalt and much of the work had to be done at low tide, which might account for the delay in completion of the South Pier. The Harbour was finally completed in 1910.

Asthma, school phobia and broken bones: other conditions at Stannington in the era of antibiotics

31/10/2016 by Northumberland Archives

Whilst the majority of the case files we hold are for patients who suffered from tuberculosis, a significant number of the latter case files we hold are not. In the middle part of the 20^th Century detection and antibiotic treatment for T.B. developed and social conditions improved. This resulted in fewer children suffering from the disease requiring hospital treatment and beds being made available to children suffering from other complaints. From just a few non tuberculosis patients admitted in the mid-1950s numbers grew and in the 1960s around 80 in every hundred patients did not suffer from tuberculosis. Here we will look at the range of other illnesses and afflictions which children admitted to Stannington suffered from during this period.

To begin with, starting in 1956, non T.B. patients were admitted by referral from the same three visiting consultants who oversaw the treatment of tuberculosis patients. These patients were children who had chronic illnesses including asthma, respiratory infections, rheumatism and orthopedic conditions. This reflected the individual specialisms of the visiting consultants who were treating T.B. patients, and the illnesses it was thought would benefit from the environment and experience of the sanatorium and its staff.

By 1959 the situation had changed to the extent that most patients did not have tuberculosis; In the extract below from a letter found in a patient file, Dr Miller, one of the consultants who oversaw the care of patients at the hospital, explains what has changed.

Until a few years ago it [the sanatorium] was used entirely for children with tuberculosis, but recently as the number of children suffering from clinical tuberculosis has decreased so remarkably and social conditions have improved, we have been able to use the hospital for non – tuberculosis chronic respiratory disease and now the children with tuberculosis are in the minority.

From this point onwards the range of conditions which patients admitted to the hospital suffered from continued to grow. The table below summarises the range of conditions patients admitted to the hospital were diagnosed with in 1966, the last year of admissions for which we have case files, and is also illustrative of the preceding years in the decade.

Diagnosis	Cases admitted in 1966	% of total
Asthma	36	23
Tuberculosis (all types)	21	14
Behaviour Problem	15	10
Bronchitis	13	8
Chronic Respiratory infection	9	6
School Phobia	7	5
Bronchiectasis	4	3
Rheumatism	4	3
Diabetes	4	3
Muscular Dystrophy	3	2
Enuresis	3	2
Epilepsy	3	2
Malnutrition	2	1
Chorea	2	1
Eczema	2	1
Bronchopneumonia	2	1
Meningocele, glomerulonephritis, leg injuries, abdominal pain for investigation, endocarditis, headaches, osteitis of pubic ramus, Coeliac disease, Marfan’s syndrome, post pneumonia, neuroblastoma, Perthe’s disease, streptococcal infection, paralysis, obesity, for observation, habit spasms, post burns, fractured leg, scoliosis, mesenteric adenitis, post road accident, fibrocystic disease, pschomatic vomiting and amystonia congenita all accounted for 1 diagnosis on admission each.		16

The largest proportion of patients admitted to the hospital suffered from respiratory conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, and respiratory infections. Orthopaedic cases, conditions and injuries affecting bones and joints are also present. Patients diagnosed with psychological complaints make up a large group of patients admitted to the hospital. In addition to these there a number of other conditions are represented in the patient files; these include diabetes, obesity, chorea and admittance for a period of recovery after suffering from burns.

Patients suffering from asthma or other bronchial conditions were often admitted for several months or years at a time with the aim of improving their condition. For these patients treatment often included antibiotics such as penicillin, breathing exercises and postural drainage. If judged well enough, patients were often allowed home for holidays with permission from doctors. This allowed the patients to visit their families and also appears to have been used to trial patients in their home environment to see if they could sustain improvements in their health outside the hospital environment.

Treatment summary card — The treatment summary card of a patient admitted to Stannington Children’s Hospital in 1959 suffering from Asthma (HOSP-STAN-07-01-01-3710-03)

In the latter years of the time for which we have files patients were admitted with a range of psychological complaints. These were varied and include depression, psychosis, anxiety and school phobia. School Phobia, or the refusal to go to school, often had an underlying cause of depression or anxiety. These patients often came from difficult home backgrounds and were often admitted in part to give them respite from the home environment and the conditions which were causing their conditions. During the 1950s the care of these patients was overseen by Dr Connell, a consultant who had originally started visiting the hospital to see patients who had been admitted with conditions which it was felt may have in part had psychosomatic causes.

Case file cover for a child suffering from School Phobia (ref: HOSP-STAN-07-01-01-4501-01)

Children with orthopaedic conditions made up another group admitted to Stannington. Some of these were congenital, for example Perthe’s disease and talipes equinovarus (club foot), and some had other causes such as accidents. These patients were often admitted for recovery in a medically supervised environment following procedures and operations carried out at the general hospitals. The Royal Victoria Infirmary and Fleming Memorial Hospital in Newcastle feature regularly as places from which cases are referred.

In a large number of cases other factors played a role in a child’s admission alongside their medical condition. The continued provision of education meant that children were able to continue learning whilst their health improved. This appears to have been a particularly important factor in the cases of children with bronchial complaints such as asthma who outside Stannington could be missing large chunks of education. Schooling played such a large role in hospital life that admissions, discharges and holidays were commonly scheduled to coincide with school terms.

Home and social condition also played a role in the decision to admit children to Stannington. Examples include poor or overcrowded housing, a disrupted family environment, or where it was considered care or treatment administered by parents may be unreliable.

The case files for patients not suffering from T.B. largely follow the same format as that for T.B. patients. The case files for non-tuberculosis patients often include numerous letters regarding the progress of the patient’s recovery and arrangements for check-ups and procedures at other hospitals. These could often involve Stannington, the visiting consultant overseeing the patients care, specialists at other hospitals who were involved in a patient’s treatment, the family of the patient and the family doctor. In addition there can be other documents included in the files such as weight and height charts. One example is the page below, which is a dietary guide found in the file of a patient who was admitted to Stannington after being diagnosed with diabetes.

Recommended diet for a patient with diabetes. (ref: HOSP-STAN-07-01-01-3310_19)

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