Just found these plans from 1873. Will keep looking try and build a picture on this topic together.

Queen Annes Bounty Mortgage for Bedlington Vicarage is the title. 1873

judging by this this is the outbuildings I was referring to across from the Main Vicarage.

Shame none of the original structures remain.

Shame none of the original structures remain.

You're obviously not looking close enough

Trying to get my bearings here, are the plans a building where the Nothumberland Arms is now, and is the archway where they keep the bins part of the original building in the plans. Thank you John you always come up trumps, very interesting.

Sorry I can't put a date on this picture but it shows Canon Whitley (seated) who was linked to St Cuthbert's Church. The Whitley Memorial School was named after him.

The gates were originally done by my Grandpa (as in post to save the smithy/stable). It was nice to see the design reflected

in the replacements about 25 yr ago, but the tops have been covered with ply hiding the uprights, but the curved design is still recognisable.

As you say those are not the original gates. The originals succumbed to high winds and were eventually way beyond repair. The "new" ones weren't made of the same stuff and the uprights rotted; that's why they were boxed. Your Grandpa should have been around to service them!

I remember going to the Vicarage Garden Party when I was a pupil at St Cuthberts junior school we used to do dancing and I remember one year all the boys were dressed as elves, we used to have such a great time.

St Cuthberts church was originally built in the year 611 AD by the Monks who carried his body to that resting place.It would have been a wooden structure then.

The Saxons came and built the stone church,which was later destroyed and rebuilt by the Normans.

The original Saxon Chancel arch still stands as strong as the day it was built!

A stone plaque inset on the north wall reads "Watson's wake".

The story goes that the caretaker ,Mr Watson, was a known sleep-walker,and one night he was awakened by a passer-by,as he was climbing the face of the building,

and ultimately fell to his death.

I was told this story when I was about seven years old,by my class teacher,who was taking the whole class around the church,she told us about the origins of the church,the Saxons,Normans,and the gothic east wing,etc.

The vicar was Mr Osgathorpe,and he always terrified the lives out of us kids,as I remember....he wasn't a particularly nice-natured person towards kids,and the fat cigar he always chewed when he was outside his duties,plus his massive Humber hawk car,didn't endear him to many of the old-time hard-up low-paid miner's

that I knew,as I went through the growing-up stages in life.[none of whom could barely afford a push-bike..let alone a massive car like a Humber Hawk![in 1950's]

The only other person that I knew,in those horse-and -cart-days,who ran a Humber Hawk car,was the local business man called Cyril Nealan,and he used to come

around Hollymount Square,once a week,to sell his clothing wares,and collect his "ticky-money".

The point is,it was often the talking point,whenever the Vicar was visiting anyone,why did he have to have such a big expensive car,when no-one except business folk had cars at all,and why not run a smaller car anyway.....

In a mining community,where lots of families didn't have an inside toilet,or hot running water,it must have been seen as an un-necessary luxury,nay,a lavish breach of

the use of church funds,in the eyes of the hard-working miner!

...and they named the gates after him...!

I remember Osgathorpe well. He married me to my first hubby. I've never forgiven him!

I liked Osgathorpe.

I know that will be controversial but he was a interesting character with a wealth of stories.

rev a lees curate circa 1885

I found this in the loft. Bedlington Church Review from 1962. Unfortunately the front cover and inside page are very tattered and there are pages missing by the looks of it.

 

 

Bedlington Church Review - Sept 1962 .pdf

Mr Osgathorp married us September 5th 1962, thank you 4G for reminding me! (wor lass says it was the best day of my life!) 

I've been told its even better if you watch the video in reverse, she walks up the aisle, out of the church door, gets in the car and Buggers Off !!!!! !

Edited January 7, 201412 yr by foxy

Video! I got it on 9.5mm cine..... now let see, if I thread it on backwards.....

Canon Osgathorpe was a laugh a minute, he was a regular visitor to our house (usually when there was a meal on the go ) when we lived at the Market Place. He married my mam and dad and christened me and my three brothers.  My mother knew him from his days at Ulgham, my great Grandparents owned Ugham Manor Farm which is immediately behind the church, (the old house and buildings were converted to houses in the early 80's)

I found this in the loft. Bedlington Church Review from 1962. Unfortunately the front cover and inside page are very tattered and there are pages missing by the looks of it.

Notice  Fred Hostler , headmaster at the Whitley Memorial school was on the Parochial Church Council

Heh heh!   Vic,i was sat in church behind you on your big day,Doreen was lovely,tell her from me!!

Mind, a cud nivvor remember what year it was,me being a glaaky aad sod!!

Happy new year to you all over there!

Hope your weather gets a bit better soon.

Oh,and yor lass was reet!

Maggie,it's a gud job we aal see things wor way,it wud be a queer world if we aal thought the same!!

Thank you threegee. Indeed Mrs Eileen Brown (nee Purvis) was my paternal grandmother. Her father the Reverend John Bremner Purvis (my paternal Great Grandfather) held the post of Rural Dean of Bedlington for several years. I have attached a family portrait of him, it is in the possession of my father Colonel Roger Victor Charles Brown, son of Eileen Brown (nee Purvis) and Dr John Brown. 
 

Best Wishes,

Ian