1844 Bedlington History

[Hazelmeerkat]

Information about Bedlington

Bedlington was the capital of a shire attached to the Palatine of Durham until 1844.

The church's dedication to St. Cuthbert refers to the night in 1069 when the Durham monks, carrying the saint's coffin and in flight from the Normans, stopped on their way to Lindisfarne.

A plaque on the King's Arms Hotel marks the birthplace of Sir Daniel Gooch, born in 1816, who laid the Atlantic cables in 1865 and 1866.

The extinct Bedlington Iron Works produced the first rolled iron rails, used by George Stephenson's locomotives.

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Bedlington terriers were bred here for badger baiting

[Andy Millne]

Thanks Hazelmere. Maybe it's about time we got a history wiki up on the main pages for this kind of thing.

Evan martin was telling me about the origin of the name but it's totally slipped my mind. Town of badle ring any bells with anybody?

[SuperMan]

Evan martin was telling me about the origin of the name but it's totally slipped my mind. Town of badle ring any bells with anybody?

Saw this on the internet if its anyhelp... proberly not.

Bedlington Northum. Bedlingtun c.1050. Probably 'estate associated with a man called *Bēdla or *Bētla'. OE pers. name + -ing- + tūn.

Of this Website.

Edited December 6, 2009 by SuperMan

[threegee]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I do believe that there's a history book kicking around which says the Bedlas were a Celtic tribe. Many years since I saw it, but doubtless we'll happen on a copy sooner or later.

Would really help the community effort if some of the local historians would upload some of their source material. Plenty of help available from lots of directions if the technicals are beyond them. They need only ask, and will of course get full credit, as well as a considerably firmer place in history for themselves.

A Wiki would be a great help Fourgee. I'm particularly thinking about stuff in living memory where the mass recollection will be far clearer and more accurate than any individual's.

There are bits I can contribute here and there going back to the 1950's and I've a few snippets that I can recall fairly clearly from what I was told as a child by people now long gone. Not enough to write a history, but enough to make a useful contribution to a common effort.

We don't need to get all up-tight about this like Wikipedia - just say it's everyone's best effort to pass on what we can to current and future generations.

[SuperMan]

Looks like a visit to the Library is needed

Just dont end up doing what that guy did

[Monsta®]

Bedlington terriers were bred here for badger baiting

no they were not! yes it could be used for badgers and foxes but it was and still is a first rate water dog.

[Cympil]

Information about Bedlington

Bedlington was the capital of a shire attached to the Palatine of Durham until 1844.

The church's dedication to St. Cuthbert refers to the night in 1069 when the Durham monks, carrying the saint's coffin and in flight from the Normans, stopped on their way to Lindisfarne.

A plaque on the King's Arms Hotel marks the birthplace of Sir Daniel Gooch, born in 1816, who laid the Atlantic cables in 1865 and 1866.

The extinct Bedlington Iron Works produced the first rolled iron rails, used by George Stephenson's locomotives.

.

Bedlington terriers were bred here for badger baiting

You mentioning St Cuthberts Church got me looking up some history. Firstly, i noticed on a map in a previous thread, that there was an oval shape attatched to the church

so i set about looking to see what this was and the reasons for it..I came across these photos which were taken in 1873

The reasons given...

`St Cuthbert's church is shown with the extraordinary plan that was created out of

the old church in 1818. The old north wall was pulled down and replaced with a

large semi-circular extension, complete with galleries. This had the effect of re-

orientating the worship space to north-south, completely contrary to the time-

honoured east-west of most Christian churches throughout the world. The reason

given for this strange expansion was the growth in working population at the

booming Bedlington iron and engine works but the real growth of the town did not

come until the second quarter of the nineteenth century (in 1801, there were 789

people in the town, but by 1821 it had more than doubled to 1,862). This unusual

arrangement at the church lasted nearly 100 years as it was not until 1912 that the

extension was demolished and the original orientation restored`

This is the way it looks now..

So, what i`m wondering is.. it seems a lot of work and expense on this building, solely for `growth of population in Bedlington`? Did everyone in those days go to church religiously every week, then once the work died down and people up and left, the building was pulled down?

Curious??

[threegee]

...

So, what i`m wondering is.. it seems a lot of work and expense on this building, solely for `growth of population in Bedlington`? Did everyone in those days go to church religiously every week, then once the work died down and people up and left, the building was pulled down?

Curious??

Yes, an the entire street would go to church all dressed up in their finest. There were no excuses, and anyone who didn't was looked on as far from normal, and probably destined for hellfire! But St C's wasn't the only church after their immortal souls, and soon we had the Presbyterians, Methodists, and Church of Christ (Baptists) on the Front Street to compete with the C of E - besides, of course, Roman Catholics at the top end. Likely a few more besides - I can't remember which sect the Coffin Chapel originally belonged to. No different really to any other mining, or indeed agricultural community, anywhere else in the Country.

No, it had little to do with the run-down of industry and then the mines. For the most part it was simply changing social attitudes, particularly in later generations. I'm sure the abnormally high number of pubs got some of the blame. "Middle class" people would continue to go to church in fair numbers for another generation or two.

I remember a vicar or someone connected with the church telling me the gallery was demolished because of maintenance costs. It seems it leaked like a sieve, and may have been quite drafty! I'd imagine that exposed way up on that rise, and on the North side of the building too, heating costs would be particularly high, and with falling congregations there was no need to suffer all these extra costs.