The Houghtonian Magazine Vol 1 Issue 3 - Houghton-le-Spring

THE HOUGHTONIAN | JULY 2011 | VOL 1 ISSUE 3 | ISSN 1757-3890WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE 2?Can you help solve these Genealogical Quests?More quests are on the usual back cover!HAILING FROMDURHAMMy father's family hail fromCo Durham. I had a greataunt whose address was 21Outram Street inHoughton-Le-Spring andher name was Mrs JennyWilliams nee Stewart. I wasin touch with her allthrough the fifties, when Iwas a little girl, until herdeath. She and herhusband did not have anychildren. I am not actuallyvery sure where it wasexactly that my father'sfamily originated from but itwas the Sunderland-Durham area. My father'sfather was a John Smith,which is not really veryhelpful but mygrandmother's name wasMargaret Purvis (Purves?)and she had a youngersister, Mildred, who marriedGeorge Richardson, fromSunderland. There waspossibly a brother as well(Tom?). Margaret trained asa tailor at Binns in eitherSunderland or Newcastleand John was a draper, Ithink, with the Coop. I amjust wondering if anyonemight have any memory ofthese people or know ofany descendants.Gilliam McKimTODNER OF H-L-SHi Paul,I have just seenyour web site. I am lookingfor any reference to thesurname Todner. Regards,Trisha BellGermanyMR SHENTON,CHURCH ORGANISTGood evening Paul, I havejust discovered youramazing website! I wasparticularly interested in thephotograph of the churchchoir singing from thetower top’. My greatgrandfather (WilliamShenton) was the longestservingorganist/choirmaster at StMichael’s from 1919 to hisretirement in Feb 1972,after 53 years service. I waswondering if thechoirmaster/conductorinthe photograph was him. Iremember him well and,although the face is turnedaway from the camera, theman in photograph doesseem to resemble him. Areyou able to confirm this?Many thanks.Hilary ThurlbeckNorth YorkshireCOTTAGE HOMESI am looking for anyrelation to Joseph GaribaldiThwaites, who was marriedto Susan Octavia Dazley.They had one daughter,Annie, who was brought upin the Cottage Homes,around 1911. She wasthere until she was oldenough to work. Doesanyone have any info at all?Susan was a long termresident of Cherry Knowles.I need any info at all thatanyone may have. I am agreat-grandaughter and amtrying to complete myfamily tree.Sue MillerGRAHAM’S STORES 1Good evening Paul fromNew Zealand! I visitedHoughton-le-Spring for thefirst time in May, hoping tofind long lost relatives ofmy father – GeorgeGraham (b Jan 1896) -(grandson of the GeorgeGraham Ltd stores inFencehouses).My grand-father wasJoseph Graham who ranthe business in the 1900swith his brothers andfamily. My father emigratedto N.Z in the late 1920sand I lost touch with thefamily after his sister (myAuntie Milly) died. I know Ihad a cousin Joseph whowas a year younger thanme, (I was 79 lastNovember) and I washoping I might find him orany other family membersbutno luck!! I was able tofind the family home-Morton Grange, ChiltonMoor, and also graves inthe Burnmoor churchyard,but would really have likedto meet some living familyif possible!I wish I had known of yoursite before I made mypilgrimage from the otherside of the world - I mayhave been able to find outmore information beforesetting out!It would be wonderful if youor any of your readerscould put me in contactwith any existing familymembers!Thank you - I do enjoy yourweb site.Helen Cater nee GrahamNew ZealandGRAHAM’S STORES 2Hi Paul I have news aboutHelen's family which I amcurrently researching formy cousin. As Helen wasunhappy about not findingany relations last year in theHoughton area I think shewill want to hear from me.Any chance you couldrelease her email addressor forward mine, please? Isee, like me, she iselderly(ish). So hurry! Bestwishes.Mike RobertsShildon, Co DurhamGRAHAM’S STORES 3Hi Paul I am so excited tohear from you! I will lookforward to hearing fromMike and I thank you bothfor contacting me. Kindestregards.Helen CaterNew ZealandHIGH HAINING FARMI wonder if anyone knowsanything on the Rutterfamily from High HainingFarm.George Rutter was bornc1832 and a farmer in1911 and his wife Elizaborn Seaham Harbour,Durham. Any info helpful.AlisonGILPIN ALEWhere can I purchaseGilpin Ales? Would love totry it...anyone help me....?John Reayvia Facebook