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Town Farm, Heddon on the Wall

15/12/2011

10 Comments

 
The photographer, Caroline Briggs, got in touch recently with a link to her blog, entitled, Picturing the Past which refers to an old postcard she had acquired. She asks if the house could be Town Farm in Heddon.
Picture
Postcard courtesy of Caroline Briggs.
_The postcard was franked 19 April 1907, posted in Heddon-on-the-Wall and addressed to Mr J W Stephenson of Ravensworth Road, Dunston.
Picture
We don't have an old photo of the Town Farm farmhouse on this site, although there is one taken close to its former farmyard off Towne Gate here. The farmhouse itself was located north of the old A69 road (now disused),  and the house in that location was recently called 'Four Winds', but is now, 'Glanville House'. It has been much changed and modernised over the years.

The map here from 1897 clearly shows the shape of the porch on the south side of the building. The house is not easily seen from the road but the porch and upper central window in my photo taken from the public road (below) appear to be a good match. If it is the house, the other windows must have been widened.
Picture
_Caroline tells us that one of the signs on the wall of the house reads ‘New Milk & Soda’. This fits with one of our Memories.

Alec and Winnie Watson gave the following description:

The house (now called Four Winds), opposite Towne Gate, was Town Farm. That farm owned the buildings now in Tulip's Yard which were the farm buildings. Alec would go along to Town Farm with a milk can to collect the milk.

Caroline found out that Mr J W Stephenson, the recipient of the postcard, was born in 1869 in Newburn, and had 11 siblings. The youngest of these were still living with his parents, Sarah and William Stephenson, at Town Farm, Heddon-on-the-Wall, in 1901. She speculates that it his parents and younger siblings that are posed for the photograph outside Town Farm farmhouse, and she could well be right in that too. Caroline told me that she pieced this all together from  the 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901 and 1911 census.

The brief message (given in full on Caroline's post) is signed 'Cissie'. Although this was often applied as a nickname to several different girl's names, it is often applied to Sarah and that would fit too, inviting her son to visit on Sunday. Caroline found out that John also had a sister called Sarah, who would have been about 27 when the postcard was sent. Perhaps she was Cissie...? The only thing we don't know is what they had for Sunday dinner.

A great feat of detective work and a very interesting find. Many thanks for getting in touch, Caroline.
Picture
Postcard of farmhouse at Town Farm, Heddon (c1912). Courtesy of Caroline Briggs.
10 Comments
Valda Templer
7/1/2012 10:16:14 am

My grandfather William Emmerson Stephenson was born at Town Farm Heddon in the 1880s,son of William.The only brother ever talked about was younger,Haswell.Perhaps they are the ones on the postcard?

Reply
Bernard Clark
22/9/2018 03:14:02 pm

My great-grandfather was Hugh Stephenson, one of the siblings. He ended up a butcher in Heddon, living in the Post Office. He died in a cart accident at the start of the 20th century leaving his wife Lucy and her 4 children, one of which was my grandmother.William on the photograph would therefore be my great-great grandfather. Haswell Johnson is on the census of 1911 as working as a journeyman butcher on Gosforth High Street.

Reply
Andy Curtis
11/1/2012 11:52:59 am

Thanks for the information Valda.

Caroline contacted me again recently and has confirmed that it is a photograph of the existing property, the farmhouse of Town Farm in Heddon. She agrees that it might indeed be Haswell in the photo as that would fit date-wise.

Amazingly, she has also found a second postcard with a better photograph of the property and outbuildings. It was posted on 29th December 1912 to Haswell Stephenson at an address in Newbiggin with a brief message:

'Dear Haswell, Shall expect you on Wednesday. Wishing you many Happy New Years. Lizzie'.

I'll put the photo on the site later.

Reply
susan johnson
6/11/2016 11:17:28 pm

William Stephenson was my Gt Gt Grandfather. The women in the picture are two of Williams three daughters Florence & Hannah, his wife Sarah (Moore) died in 1904 and is only other daughter Sarah (my Gt Grandmother) married in 1906 and lived in Cramlington. I'm not sure who the children are, Sarah had a daughter Linda in 1903 perhaps that's the little girl. The card was sent to JW Stephenson this was Williams eldest son John William who lived in Dunston and was a grocer.
William was the son of John Stephenson who was the brother of Wiilliam Stephenson of the Throckley Brick Works, father of Sir William Haswell Stephenson Major of Newcastle.
I recently visited Heddon on the Wall church cemetery but couldn't find a headstone for William so I'm not sure where he is buried.
Thank you for sharing the postcard I don't have any photos of the Stephenson so it was nice to see it.

Reply
VHT
12/1/2017 05:47:07 pm

Wondering if you are a connection of Dora Stephenson, nee Johnson, who was married to my mother's father William Emmerson Stephenson

Reply
susan johnson
22/1/2017 12:03:36 am

William Emmerson would have been my 2nd Great Uncle, he was brother to my Gt. Grandmother Sarah. The name Johnson is my married name just a coincidence.

Reply
Leanne
24/9/2018 08:27:22 am

My Grandma, Mary Stephenson was born on the farm in 1914, literally on the wall she would say. The farm burned down and she and her family were the last to leave.
My Mum had a great aunt cissie and all the names above are familiar.

We have researched the Stephenson line and it's fascinating. We have got back to the early 1500's and may well have found a connection to Anne Boleyn herself!

Ps, that's everyone on this thread too btw. It's seems we are all related to each other:o)

Reply
Jen stephenson
30/9/2019 06:04:55 pm

I am wondering if anyone knows anything about William and Joy Stephenson? William ...full name William Haswell Stephenson was known as Peter and I remember he often called at this farm to see someone in the 1960s/70s but don't know if there is a family connection...would love to find out if anyone knows anything thanks

Reply
SUSAN JOHNSON
24/8/2021 09:52:44 pm

I have recently been talking to my uncle who was Sarah Stephenson's grandson, he told me Sarah came to live with them in Helpringham, Lincolnshire after her husband had died. and that she was called Cissie so I assume she was the one sending the postcard to her brother John as her mother had died in 1904 three years before the postcard was sent.
Sarah died in Lincolnshire and is buried in the cemetery in helpringham were I now live.

Reply
Jen stephenson
25/8/2021 04:56:23 pm

Still looking to see if anyone can shed light on my Dad William Haswell Stephenson born in 1920 …..he called his house Ravensworth and never knew why but may be connected to memories of this farm that we always called in at ….

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