Heddon in 1901

Last Monday saw our first meeting of 2013. We had an informal session looking at the parish in 1901 using the population records from the Census.

Although just over 100 years ago, the world was a different place. As our timeline shows: the internal combustion engine had been invented only 15 years earlier (1886), radio had just been invented (1901) and there would be no airplanes for at least another few years. Britain was fighting the Second Boer War (1899-1902) but this probably had little impact on the lives of the people of Heddon.

Locally, Heddon on the Wall Station on the Scotswood to Wylam branch of the North Eastern Railway, about 1 mile south of the village, had been opened in 1881, avoiding the necessity of road transport and the dangerous crossing of the River Tyne at Ryton Ferry.  The Men's Institute (Reading Room) in the village was built in 1898. The old Swan Inn cottage was demolished and the present pub was built in 1899, opened by Mr George Reay for Newcastle Breweries on Christmas Eve 1899.

In 1884, the vicar of Heddon had reported on village housing. 26 out of 64 houses only had one room. A family in one such house (16 feet by 16 feet 7 inches)  had nine children. Average attendance at the village school was 133 in 1888, rising to 152 in 1891 with adoption of free education. In 1901 it was forced to close for a time due to an outbreak of diptheria.

Occupational Orders in Heddon on the Wall in 1881. From Vision of Britain.

A breakdown of occupations in the Parish in 1881 published by Vision of Britain is shown above. Little seemed to have changed by 1901. Most women are listed as Unknown Occupation presumably as they were 'only employed' in managing the households and looking after the children. Heddon Margaret Coal Mine, situated at the foot of Heddon Bank, was a major employer. It was bought by the Throckley Coal Co. in 1902 and was worked until the early 1930's. The Brick Works on the same site and Heddon's quarries accounted for many other men not employed by the farms.

Example page from 1901 Census (RG13 piece:4820 folio:82 page:9)

An example page from the Census is shown above. Many properties are unnamed as the concept of address was probably still a little vague and terraced houses may not have been numbered. The postman would presumably know who lived where. However, the list was mainly compiled in a logical fashion and the pages show the course taken by the enumerator around the village.

Of the first eight properties in the village that were visited by the 1901 enumerator, only the last two are identified as Mushroom Row. It is likely that all of the eight make up the two terraces that were located in the area now occupied by the modern library building. The 1897 OS map shows the north terrace (Mushroom Row) was made up of five houses and the southern terrace (Blackberry Row) of three. Six of the eight houses were recorded as having three rooms, the other two had only two. We think Blackberry Terrace was built in 1832, and Mushroom Row in 1854. It is said that Mushroom Row was so named as the terrace appeared to have been built overnight, so rapidly was it built. Both terraces were demolished in 1955.

Of the 45 people in these two terraces, 8 of the older males worked in the Colliery and 4 in the Brick Works. 22 were children, under 15.

Mushroom Row (circa early 1950's). Photo courtesy Mr K. Smith.

Blackberry Row.

Garden House, to the east, was divided into two properties: one of four rooms, and one of two. The larger house was occupied by Bartholomew Watson (67) described as Market Gardener, born in High Callerton. Two elderly sisters lived next door: Isabella Curley (88) and Dorothy ?Watkin (85).

William & Sarah Stephenson and family, Town Farm, Heddon on the Wall. Postcard franked 1907.

Next recorded in the village was Town Farm. The farmer was William Stephenson (66, Rudchester), his wife Sarah (56) and their children: Charles (27), Thomas Wardle (18), Florence (16, School Teacher), Hannah (14), W Emmerson (11) and Haswell (9). The eldest sons both worked on the farm. There is more information about the postcard here.

Next to the farm (perhaps in what is now called 'Keeper's Cottage') lived George Charlton (50, Gamekeeper) and his sister, Lydia Moore (62), both born in Heddon. George Charlton was born February 19th 1850 and died November 10th 1931. His gravestone in St Andrew's Churchyard [63] was erected by Brigadier General Sir (Charles) Loftus Bates (1863 - 1951)  'in memory of an old friend.' The latter was the son of Thomas Bates, of Aydon, Northumberland. He was commissioned in the 1st (King’s) Dragoon Guards, and was severely wounded in the South African War. The Bates family owned Heddon Colliery and lived in Heddon Hall which is probably where George Charlton worked as Gamekeeper.

East House (opposite the farm buildings of Town Farm) was occupied by one of the few professionals in the village at that time. Angus Wilkinson (29, Tukesbury, Gloucester) described as 'Cashier in Shipping Firm'. He was accompanied by three servants.

Blue Row (circa 1912). Photo provided by Mrs J. Armstrong. The two single storey cottages that were part of Blue Row were demolished for road access to the Vallum housing estate in the early 1960s.

Blue Row, the terrace of houses at the head of Station Road,was built in 1832 and so named because of their Welsh slate roofs. Originally owned by the Claytons, they later became Colliery houses. Four one-roomed cottages at the north end were later converted into two cottages but demolished in 1959 to make way for the new access road into the Vallum Estate. In 1901 there were 10 properties, home to 45 people.

Along with a crop of coal miners and workers in the brickworks, two properties in Blue Row were occupied by Hunters, stone masons and quarrymen.

The continuation of the terrace south of Blue Row is known as Clayton Terrace. There are 6 houses, all but one recorded as having 4 rooms. The one property with 3 rooms was occupied in 1901 by Robert Oliver (49), a Police Constable born in Wooler.

After Clayton Terrace there are a number of properties shown as 'The Square'. The map shows 16 houses making up the bulk of the 'Square Yard'. They are arranged in two terraces, one of 6 houses parallel to the road, the north side of 'the square', and a second at right angles to the first terrace making up the west side of 'the square'. There is a gap between the the two terraces which provides an entrance to a shared yard. Small buildings within the yard are probably the netties (toilets). Between the Swan and 'The Square' and joined to the western terrace south of the Men's Institute (Old Library) are two more buildings, each divided into two properties.

Nearly all the working men in Heddon Square were colliery workers, described as hewers, putters, banksman and drivers.

Bonfire on Heddon Common (Coronation of Edward VII - June 26th 1902). Photo courtesy Mrs Spoor.

In one property in Heddon Square was John Snowdon (56, born Keswick, Cumberland) who is described as a Stationery Engine Driver,  his wife Margaret (54, born Ovingham, née Curley), daughters: Esther (29, Dressmaker), Jane Ann (22), Ellen (19, Clerk in CoOp Store), Annie Lydia (15), Evelyn (8) and Joyce (6), and two sons: Samuel (14) and Thomas (12). It seems likely that John Snowdon is the man ('Snowden'), described in the  Heddon Methodist Church Centenary Magazine as having been converted in the Heddon Methodist Revival Meetings around 1860. He was one of the people instrumental in establishing the Methodist Chapel in 1877. It says he was employed as Brakesman (Stationary Winding Engine) in the Pit and lived in The Square where most of his 16 children were born.

John Snowdon (33), living in Moor Court with his wife, Mary Isabella (33, born Corbridge) and  daughter, Margaret J. (4)  is shown in the 1888 Census to be John senior's son. He was also employed as a Stationary Engineman.

A School Teacher, Mabel Hoyle (19, born Rye, Sussex) was boarding in The Square with a mining family headed by John Thomas Scott (35).

An unnamed property, listed with those of The Square, was the home of Joseph Thompson (50, born Houghton) described as Coachman or Groom.

George Mason Reay (36 from Scotswood) was innkepper at the Swan pub, which was occupied by his wife Margaret  (32 ) and children Bertha Tone (8) and Percival (7), born in Heddon. Bertha Reay would eventually become landlady and died in Heddon in 1970.

The School House (opposite The Swan) was occupied by the School Master, John Pestle (41, born London), his wife Harriett (45) and their three children.

Visited next by the enumerator, but unnamed, was a property of 4 rooms occupied by the Malthouse family. It was probably Church House, later bought by the same family from Sir James Knott in the 1924 village auction. Joseph Malthouse (63) is described as Quarryman born Yorkshire.

Towne Gate (circa 1900) showing the Hearse House (left), Jubilee House, the Methodist Church and the young tree planted for the Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee surrounded by iron-railings. Blue Row is behind and the edge of Square Yard to the right.

Two semi-detatched properties were located at the time between Church House and the Chapel, known as Jubilee House. In 1901, the eastern property was the Post Office, occupied by the Postmaster, John Wright (57, born Heddon), his wife Mary Ann (48), 10 of their children, and one grandchild. A mounting block stood outside.

Although not identified as such in the Census record, the western part of Jubilee House was probably home to John Jordan (58, Joiner), wife Jane (54) and three children, one of whom, Joseph (22) was recorded as a Baker.

After the Post Office there are 5 unnamed houses before the Census records the Vicarage. They are probably the three 'Carter's Cottages' on Heddon Banks and 'The Cottage' on the corner with Towne Gate. Perhaps one of the cottages was a shop at the time as Mary Ann Purvis (50) and her son Thomas are described as Shop Keepers (Grocers).

A house with 4 rooms, recorded just before the Vicarage, may be Ivy Cottage as its southern neighbour, Rose Cottage, was yet to be built. It was home to Ellenor Hunter (63, born Humshaugh) and her three children: William (41), Thomas (30), Richard (29), and Annie (27). Thomas is described as a Joiner, William and Richard as Stone Masons.

The Church of England Vicar at the time was Ernest Walters (39, born Cheltenham). His wife Edith Annie (36) had three children. They employed a cook (Dora Wanless, 20) and a maid, Sarah Jane Charlton (16), both from village families.

The nine following properties are unnamed. They are presumably the cottages along the Hexham Road and those just west of the Three Tuns (Haddocks Hole).

The family of Hugh Stephenson (22) identified as a Butcher, were providing a room for an employee, Robert Buck (22), Butchery Assistant. This makes it likely that the property recorded was the western of the houses on Hexham Road (now 'The Post House') which for a time operated as a butchery/slaughter-house from a front shop which juts onto the road.

The Three Tuns pub was in the hands of John Armatage (35 from Heddon), his wife Mary (30 from Walbottle) and two children, Alex (8) and Annie (0). Two servants were employed

Three Tuns and village pond (Circa 1915).

At the time of the Census, parked up somewhere near the Three Tuns, was a Caravan containing 5 members of the Montgomery family. Andrew Montgomery (45) described as a 'Variety Showman' born in Norham on Tweed, his wife Marion (48), 'Singer & Instumentalist' from Sunderland, daughter Rose Emelia (22), 'singer & dancer', two sons William (19) and Fred (14), 'horizontal bar performers', Minnie Florence (10) and Collett Osmond (7). The children's places of birth reflecting their itinerant lifestyle in the north of England. As the 'hoppings'  was traditionally held around the pond opposite the Three Tuns, perhaps they were associated with the fair.

Cottages on Heddon Common (circa 1900). The road in the foreground is Hexham Road, looking east. Quarry House stands just above the track to Hill Head with the quarry behind. Two other cottages can be seen in the distance just above the road. These buildings disappear from large scale maps in the 1960s. Photo courtesy Mrs E. Cockburn.

After the Three Tuns, two properties of just two rooms each, described as Heddon Common, may be those seen in the distance in the photo above. 10 people were recorded from one and nine from the other. Livings were made by two General Labourers and a dressmaker in one, and a Hewer and Putter in the coal mine in the other.

Bays Leap Farm before open-cast mining c1900. Newcastle Central Library.

Bays Leap Farm is shown above. The old buildings were eventually destroyed by open-cast mining. In 1901, the farmer was an F W Freeman (40, born Brunton).

John Heslop (73, born Frankham, Northumberland) was farming Heddon Banks.

Heddon Hall (west wing demolished). Photo from Newcastle Libraries.

Heddon House.

Heddon Hall, south of the village on Station Road, was home to William Robert Wilson (43) a Solicitor from Bolton, Lancashire. His wife, Mary Fenwick Wilson (31, born Newcastle) and three children, Dorothy Foster (9), Phylis Fenwick (6) and William Maxon Collingwood (3) were looked after by 7 servants. The kitchen maid, Sarah Frances Storey, was only 9.

William, aged 3 in 1901, became Lieutenant Colonel William Wilson, and now occupies a Commonwealth War Grave at  El Alamein, where he died on 25 July 1942.

Heddon House, north of the village, was only occupied on Census day by two servants and their young visitor. The Census records show that the owner, Richard Burdon, was at Alnwick. He died at Heddon House in 1919 aged 89 years.

Heddon Mill, which was demolished when the A69 bypass was built, was the home of John Smith (84) born in Heddon and described as Retired Miller.

Heddon Pit & Brick Works.

Fenwick Charlton (50, born Lumley, Durham) was Colliery Engineer at Heddon Margaret. The 1901 Census shows the family were now living at the Colliery, probably in the large house next to the road, called Flocktons. His three sons were also employed there, Harry (25) and Frederick (20)  as Clerks, and Willie (23) as a Stationary Engineman. Also recorded are two daughters, Jennie (25) and Zillah (11), a visitor Hannah Taylor (54, born Ovingham), and servant Kate Barrass (17, born Moorsley, Durham). The latter presumably another daughter of Andrew (58, Colliery Engineman) and Mary Barrass (57, Dressmaker) recorded in Blue Row.

A gravestone in St Andrew's Churchyard [269] informs us that Fenwick Charlton's wife Elizabeth had died in1898 (aged 47). Another daughter, Lillie died 1888 (just a few months old), and son Natt died 1886 (1month old). Fenwick himself died in 1913 (age 63) and another son Timothy in 1915 (age 44). Fenwick Charlton is thanked for his engineering experience in superintending the excavations of the Vallum in 1893. He seemed to be well respected in the village despite a story about him getting drunk and breaking into the Chapel. A year following the Census (26th June 1902), he was chosen to plant a tree to mark the Coronation of King Edward VII.

William Harle was Railway Station Master from 1898 – 1906. It has been said that he planted 13 trees at the station, one for each of his children. Indeed, a photo from 1910 shows a regular line of trees behind the boundary fence east of the Station buildings on the Newcastle platform (east of the road crossing). The 1901 Census records him (aged 46),  wife Margaret (44), and 8 children: Ethel May (17), Isabella (15), Margaret (13), Lillian (10), William (8), Mabel (5), Sidney (2) and Ernest Edward (0). The Census fails to record the number of rooms in the Station Masters House (now the farm-house for Heddon Haughs, south of the waggonway, still called 'Station House'), but lodging with them at the time was a William W Watson (23), Railway Signalman (born in Newcastle).

William Harle's first wife Margaret died and he was remarried to Mary Henderson, a 29 year old spinster, in 1903, with whom he had three more children (Stanley, Muriel and Ridley). In the 1911 Census he is recorded as Station Master at Appleby in Westmorland. He is known to have died in Newcastle in 1913.

In 2014 we plan to look at Heddon through the eyes of the 1911 Census, 10 years on, just before the momentous events of the First World War.