vol 2 issue 2 - Houghton-le-Spring

THE HOUGHTONIAN | JUNE 2012 | VOL 2 ISSUE 2 | ISSN 1757-3890WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?Can you help solve these Genealogical& Heritage Quests?THE CHARLTONSHi, I am from Tiffin, Ohio, USA. I amlooking for information on myhusband’s family. We know his 4thgreat grandfather came from DurhamEngland. His name was MathewCharlton and his wife was Mary JaneKirtley. So I am looking for info onthem plus George and ElizabethJohnson Charlton, then William andMary Roper Kirtley. If you have anypictures of the stone and/or datesthat would be great! Any informationat this point would be so helpful!Thanks.Elizabeth CharltonOhio, USAJOHN MICHAEL WALKERPaul, My name is Lynne Westlake andI found your site by looking forHougton Le Spring on Wikipedia.Recently I discovered that my greatgreat grandfather, John MichaelWalker, was not an Irish Sea Captain(as my aunt had insisted) but a grocerfrom the Trimdon/Wingate area. I seethat he was born in Wingate in 1836.He married Charlotte Bainbridge(born Nov 12, 1842) in Apr of 1860.Charlotte's father, James Bainbridge,was born in Houghton on March 12,1814. I am looking for anyinformation on the Walkers,Bainbridges and the Sedgwicks asthey are all my great great plusancestors. When I was looking at thegrave site information, I noticed thatMargaret and William Wigham werelisted. My grandfather was JohnFrederick Wigham born Nov 22,1892 in Wakefield. Would he by anychance be related to the Wighams inHoughton? In looking at a ratherlarge scale map of your area, I seethat many of the places I have listedas birth and death places are quiteclose together and therefore stand abetter chance of being the source ofmy ancestors. I realize that this is alarge undertaking that you haveshouldered and that you probably getall sorts of these requests. But if youwere able to point me in the correctdirection on this, I would appreciateit. I live in a little town in SW OntarioA RESPONSETo Whom it May Concern, I amcurrently researching family historyand searched a member of thefamily, Margaret Mawson intoGoogle. It came up with theHoughtonian Vol 1 Issue 4 (Sept2011) featuring information onthose trying to find answers aboutgenealogical issues surroundingHoughton-Le-Spring. A lady calledFlora Borgese has written that sheis looking for information on hergreat grandmother called MargaretMawson. I believe that she is acommon ancestor of us as she ismy 4th great grandmother. I wouldbe able to give her informationabout the family of the man whichshe married, William EdwardHusband. Kind regards.Jane OvertonPAUL LANAGAN REPLIED:Thank you, Jane. Your messagehas been passed on to Flora.JOSEPH BLAND PEARSONHello Paul, Regarding Joseph'ssecond name [article about JosephBland Pearson’s tragic death andsubsequent burial at HillsideCemetery], his Mother Anne Blandmarried Robert Pearson hence thename Bland. I am his Great GreatGranddaughter through his eldestson John Charles Pearson, whoalso became a jeweller-pawnbroker,then to Thomas Pickering Pearson,who went to South Africa with hisbrother also named Joseph BlandPearson continuing the familybusiness of pawnbroking. I have aphoto of a covered wagonadvertising Pearson Bros Jewellers& Pawnbrokers on its side. MyFather was William Henry PricePearson. I found your article sohelpful with my family research aswell as being very interesting so forthat I thank you. I forgot to mentionthat my grandparents settled inAustralia in Toronto New SouthWales.Australia. Regards.Clella (Pearson) Jenningscalled Palmerston. I thank you inPAUL LANAGAN REPLIED:advance for any help that you couldThank you, Clella. Joseph’s middlegive me.name had always puzzled me and itLynne Westlake was the reason I remembered hisPalmerston name which I discovered how heSW Ontario had had his head severed in thattragic railway accident in 1897.OLD HAUNTSHi Paul, Many thanks for puttingthe Grammar School photosonline. The picture on the left Irecognise no problem , but theone on the right is puzzling; I can’tthink which part of the school itwas? If you come across anymore I would love to see them.When I enquired about BurnsideSchool I was hoping you mayhave had some pictures of how itwas rather than what it is today. Ihave seen it but it’s changed a lotsince I was there (1971-75). I amfifth generation of my family wholived in Houghton (I now live inTrimdon). My father, grandfather,great-grandfather lived inProspect Row – I don’t supposeyou have any pictures of ProspectRow, which I understand waslocated near Kerr’s Garagebordering Grasswell? I'mannoyed with myself for nottaking pictures of the schools Iwas at or the places I used tofrequent when I was older i.e. theworld famous Birds Nest!! Youdon’t realise how poignant theseplaces would become in later life.Your web site on Houghton isreally interesting and extremelywell put together. Well done ontaking the time to do it!Wishes.BestIan CoulsonTrimdonCo DurhamDOWN HETTON WAY?Hi there - I have come acrossyour lovely website, whilstresearching my family tree. My 4x great grandparents (John andAnn Thorrington) lived at FourLane Ends, Houghton-le-Springin the 1841 Census, and althoughI haven't found a death record formy 4xg grandfather his wife wasinterred at St Nicholas 12 January1853. I have street Googled andobviously that area does not existas it did in those days, but arethere any old photographs orsketches available before FourLane Ends was developed? I lookforward to your reply. Kindregards.Shelagh AshfordTHE BURDIS QUESTHello, A quest in theHoughtonian Vol 1 Issue 2 (March2011) drew my attention. Mrs K.Gillinder of Cambridge hasrequested information about the"Burdass, Burdess, Burdisfamilies. I have quite a bit of info.on a branch of this family startingwith Edmund Burdasse (Hexham1600s) aka Edward Burdis andending with Frank C. Burdis inNewcastle (1966). The familylived at various times inBellingham, Hexham andCorbridge districts includingBelsay, Bolam, St. John Lee,subsequently moving toNewcastle and Gateshead. Couldyou kindly forward this email toMrs. Gillinder? Many thanks inadvance. Regards.Jane BurdisPAUL LANAGAN REPLIED:Thank you, Jane. Your email hasbeen forwarded.GILPIN'S RELATIVESIn going through the old books atthe Kepier School, Houghton-le-Spring, lately, I found a Cicerowith the name "Arthurus Laton"on the fly-leaf, together with anautograph inscription in Latin,stating that the book belonged toBernard Gilpin by the gift ofArthur Laton. One of the Gilpinbooks in Queen's College, Oxford,bears the autograph of WilliamLayton, an uncle of Gilpin's, aswell as that of Gilpin himself. Canany of your readers give me therelationship between Gilpin andArthur Laton?R.W.R.Northern notes and queriesdevoted to the antiquities ofNorthumberland,Cumberland, Westmorland,and Durham : v.1, no.1-8,Jan. 1906-Oct. 1907* * * * * * * * * * *More FamilyTree Quests in the nextissue of theHOUGHTONIAN!