Durham Miner - Message Board

The Durham Miner Message Board enabled our users to comment about the Durham Miner Project, relevant issues or about this website.

The Message Board is now closed, but you are invited to read comments which were previously posted.

A relitive worked in a pit at Urpeth & died in a miners home there.
Assistance from the 83thrd Irish Rangers ( jiond the forces at a tender age of 17 years, served in the Crimean/ and 21 years in India through out the Mutiny and beyond)
Returnd home 1877 after the loss of his family through Colera (4 sons and his wife)
Came to Urpeth and met Queen Mary, news papers state the passing of a great worrier aged 90 years
Other family miners were killed at Bear park(Waugh)trying to save a friend Wyte) and Nicklson who gave his life returning back to the pit because 2 youngsters hadnt cheked in on returning to the surface (Brandon)or (b)?

Now its of great importance finding the resting places of my relitives. can you help

Mr Alan Hall, [email protected], North-Shields, Tyne & Wear, England, 24/05/2004 19:12:08

I am researching family history, this there anyone who has any information about, Johnston, J. R., 18 Aug 1938, aged 64, Horse Keeper killed in wingate Grange Colliery.
David

I would like to inform you of our updated website on Fife Mining Heritage. www.fifeminingheritage.org.uk and I would like to have a stand at this year's gala, can you or anyone help.

I'm working on a programme for Radio 4 about the Bevin boys. We are interested in finding wives of miners who were sent to war and how they felt about the Bevin boys who took their places. If you were the wife of a miner during the war please get in touch with me at [email protected] or you can call me on 0117 974 2195. Thank you! Nichola

Hi All,
Browney Miners Lodge Banner is to attend the
National Commemorative event to celebrate the Miners Strike 84-85 on 1st May 2004. We look forward to a great day! As far as we know we will be the only Durham Area Banner attending the Yorkshire Gala and Demonstration which is held at Barnsley on
1st May 2004. Also your visitors may wish to know that a number of commemorative badges have been made to commemorate the strike these can be obtained by visiting the National Mining Memorabilia Association Web Site where details are available in the Members section. In ANY CASE
its a fantastic site to visit if your interested in all things Mining!

Best Wishes and Kind Regards
John Kitching
Founder Browney banner Group

Best Wishes and Kind Regards

John R Kitching, [email protected], Brandon, Durham, England, 26/04/2004 19:25:03

I am trying to trace my maternal grandfather, Richard William Christopher. He was born in 1879 at Hutton Henry but worked at Littleburn Colliery and Brandon Colliery, where he was firstly a Waggonway man at Littleburn and then a deputy overman at Brandon. The last known date is 1924 at Brandon (Princes Close). Can anyone help as I would like to know what happened to him.

Hi all,
What a great site, I have been looking for info for a long time, my Grandfather Gilbert Hardy was bornin Thornley 1939,his father Arthur was first a miner then ambulance driver in Wheatley Hill,He helped at the easington disaster and recieved a commendation, I think Mary Purvis must have known him and his family, if youd get in touch, id love to hear from you.
Kind Regards

Hi everyone,
My interest is in Seaham Harbour.Three generations of Pattison Brown's lived
there working as coal trimmers The first Pattison Brown was born at Tanfield
(1794) and came to Seaham via Penshaw,the second was born in Penshaw and
came to Seaham, the third in Boldon came to Seaham married at Dalton-le-dale
and died at Cold Heselton.
I have been through the B.M.D's and census returns but would like to find
out more about them and their lifestyle could you possibly point me in the
right direction.
Bob Dixon

Bob Dixon, [email protected], gateshead, tyne and wear, england, 14/04/2004 19:53:05

Any information on the SHELLHORN / SCHELLHORN family - living and working in Castletown, Ferryhill, Dean Bank, South Shields and Westoe from circa 1890 - very gratefully received.

Hello,
I have volunteered to help with an arrangement at Elvet Methodist Church 16th - 20th June when this church celebrates its centenary. As part of the flower festival, they are featuring local history displays and have asked me to depict in flowers something of the mining industry in the area. The proceeds for the Centenary Project is in aid of the Pavement Club of Calcutta in India run and funded by the Global Care charity.

Is there anyone tht reads the message board of this amazing site willing to discuss the loan of equipment to use alongside my flowers for that weekend at all? I am especially keen to use one of the Gala banners and any photographs of the Gala you may be able to lend for the display.

The Durham Valley Flower Club has suggested that I could contact you for help. I would really appreciate hearing from you.

Thank you
Brian Simpson

My grandmother, Georgina Green, nee Suggett, born 1889 appears to have be born in Leetonia, Ohio. Can anyone shed light on emigration/ immigration to/from America about this time. She exists on the 1901 census aged 12,married a Jackie Green, miner, and lived at Bargate, Lanchester. They had 7 children.

Mike Syer Bowburn colliery Manager William Harle was the 1st son of Richard Harle Manager of Browney coll. Richard in turn was the son of William Harle Manager Of Page Bank. William in turn was the son of William under viewer of Wylam coll.Peter was a younger son of William of Page Bank.Peter therefore succeeded his nephew.To complicate things John Ramsey was the son of George Ramsey who was probable related to William Ramsey Manager of Tursdale in the 1880's and was the brother in law of William Harle Of Page Bank.

good site with lots of history.I am researching the family name Varvill and would like any information on my grandfather John Varvill whose family lived in Kelloe.

I am researching my husbands family tree. His grandfather was Joseph Archbold and his great grandparents Henry and Sarah Archbold all miners from Durham.

Well done on an excellent site. I'm researching the Wrens and Rutherfords, my father's ancestors, who were mining families in Durham from the early 1800's through to recent times. My grandfather John George Wren (born South Moor 1899)moved down to the Yorkshire coalfields in the 1920's where two of my brothers and I were the end of the mining line having worked down Markham Main colliery (Armthorpe, Doncaster) in the 1980's. My father's mother's family, the Rutherfords, had terrible luck in the mines. My gggg-grandfather Matthew Rutherford (born ~1804)died falling down the shaft at Hetton Downs pit with his brother-in-law Philip Snook on 6 Jan 1836. They apparently fell from a 'loop' that hadn't been fastened properly. As I understand it a loop is a simple loop of wire into which the miner placed his foot and simply held onto the cable to descend the shaft. Does anyone know where I can find more information on the loop? Matthew's grandson (also called Matthew Rutherford, born 25/12/1861 Haswell) was killed in a bizzare roof-fall in Wallsend G pit on 16 July 1920. The fall only broke his nose but his face was held down and he drowned in two inches of water. His son (yet another Matthew, born 1884 Penshaw) was brought out of Markham Main colliery (Yorkshire)with a burst peptic ulcer and subsequnetly died from this. The average age at death of my mining ancestors is in the low 40's. If accidents didn't kill them then the dust and poor living conditions did.

If anyone has any interest in these families or can help me with my research then please don't hesitate to contact me.

Many thanks and well done on the website again.

Mick

Excellent site. I am researching my maternal grandparents, William and Elizabeth(nee Dorn)Holmes. William, born c1869,died at Sunniside Newbottle in August 1910. His father (William) and brothers Walton, Thomas and Isaac all worked in the pit. Elizabeth's family Dorn were known to have run the Fox and Hounds pub at Middle Rainton. Any information regarding miners' lives in period 1880 - 1910 would be appreciated as would knowledge of Holmes or Dorn families. this site has given me valuable information from the research projects of those involved in the local history project. a wonderful resource. Many thanks to all who contributed

I am looking for info about the Hustle Down Rescue station.I have just found your site and find it very interesting .I work at the Louisa Stanley as an electrician

i liked the site i have photoes of my brothers and me under the kimblesworth banner also has anybody got any pictures of the 100th big meeting and where can i get them from. my mining family are the dowdings hooks and the rowlands and i was the last dowding to work in the pits

i thought the site was very good. I came acrossit when i was trying to trace my family history. the houses of kimblesworth bought a few memories keep up the good work

I have been looking for my ancestors in Durham who were miners. I have them at Johnson Street Wingate in the 1881 Census. Thomas and Sophia Stacey and family which included my Grandad Robert aged 7. They were all born in Tavistock, Devon and came up some time before then, obviously. Does any one know the year they migrated here? They went to America after that,when? My Grandfather came back and married in Sunderland in 1994. The only thing I know was he worked in Pennsylvania in the mines as a boy. The only thing I have found was an article in the Sunderland Echo 1887, saying that 148 Families went from Ryhope to America under the auspices of The East End Migration Fund and were accompanied by the Hon Sec Rec Mackay. Has any one any info on the Migration Fund or the period, or where they all went to. Any help appreciated

Mr Raymond Stacey, [email protected], Wallsend, Tyne & Wear, UK, 09/01/2004 16:00:11

Are you between the ages of 28 and 35?
Was your Dad a miner who stayed out for the entire 1984-85 strike?

If so, would you be willing to be interviewed for an ?oral history? research project?

Contact Neil Griffin on 0191 5863522
or - [email protected]

Looking for any miners who joined the army and were posted to 172 Tunnelling Coy RE. They worked at Newhaven May -Sept'41. The site became known as HMS Forward and we are trying to restore it. see our website www.secret-tunnels.co.uk. There is a large amount of graffiti on the tins. One refers to Geordies and St Lockey (or Lackey) -does this mean anything to anyone.

MR. GEORGE ROWE OF HOUGHTON LE SPRING
REQUIRES A BRASS BAND AT THE UNFURLING OF LAMBTON D.MINERS LODGE BANNER NEXT JUNE APPROX. THE UNFURLING HONOUR BEING GIVEN TO THE DURHAM MINERS FAVORITE " MR. TONY BENN " ANY LOCAL BAND ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONTACT GEORGE ON 0191 584 2351
REGARDS
JOHN KITCHING

DEAR VISITORS TO THIS NOTICE BOARD !!
I would like to inform you all that MR. GEORGE ROWE OF Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear is trying to secure funds to replicate both LAMBTON D & HOUGHTON LE SPRING Miners Lodge banners.
George is looking for sponsors to kickstart the project and is optimistic that the banners can be done for next years Miners Gala,(thats where you all come in !) donations large or small are welcomed and I hope you can support George with this project.
Thank you and best wishes and kind regards
John Kitching - Memories of the Durham Coalfield Project - Founder of Browney Miners Lodge Banner Group.

john kitching / memories of the durham coalfield, [email protected], Brandon, Durham, 22/10/2003 19:08:03

The Durham Mining Museum has an excellent site which gives details of deaths and how they occured, they are listed under the individual collieries. The web address is
www.dmm.org.uk

My grandfather's uncle David McIntosh Gargett aged 29, died in 1919 as a result of an accident at Shotton Colliery. Any one know how this occurred? His name appears upon the memorial at Shotton.

Our family in Australia started with a John Wholah a Miner from Middleton in Teesdale. His sisters married into Hutchinson and Walton families that had miners in Durham. The history will be followed with great interest. John's father was a William Wholah who was a Clogger in Bridge lane in Middleton in Teesdale. John came to Australia to the Ballarat Goldfields as a Miner in 1856.

Richard Greene, [email protected], Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 22/09/2003 12:09:38

May I add information about a website i have created about Elemore Colliery and the lodge Banner restoration.

the information can be found on the web-site:

www.elemorecolliery.freeserve.co.uk

Harold Watson

Hi, im currently studying an english/history degree at leeds metropolitan university and as i am moving into my final year i am expected to begin my a 10,000 word dissertation. I am interested in focusing upon durham mines as the main line of my work however i am having difficulty in thinking of a specific angle to take and also how to start my research. So far i have 2 ideas

1- how the 84-85 miners strike affected durham miners and the anxiety that it caused

2- the effect the strike had on the closure of Sacriston pit in 1985

If anyone has any ideas for a potential topic or perhaps would be able to provide me with some information on one of the above topics i would be greatly appreciated. if you think you could help please send me an e-mail. thankyou.

Disclaimer

The Durham Miner Team received contributions to our Message Board about our services, related issues and our website.

Whilst we published all relevant contributions, please note that the Message Board was moderated and we reserved the right not to publish defamatory or abusive entries and to edit entries if necessary.

Durham Miner will not be held liable for any content submitted to this Message Board.