Sawmill Row, Bedlington

[Dorothy Glover]

Does anyone have any information on Sawmill Row, Bedlington?  My Great Grandmother and Grandfather lived there in 1901

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

@Dorothy Glover :- I have never heard of Sawmill Road and Sawmill Road. I have searched this group, via the search facility at the top right of the page, but no entries for sawmill Road.

If you want to search for a phrase (two or more words) then put " around the words eg "Sawmill Road" otherwise  the system returns entries for every occurrence of every word in the phrase  .

Any other info that might help locate the area of Bedlington?

@Canny lass - have you heard of Sawmill Road?

[Dorothy Glover]

1 hour ago, Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) said:

@Dorothy Glover :- I have never heard of Sawmill Road and Sawmill Road. I have searched this group, via the search facility at the top right of the page, but no entries for sawmill Road.

If you want to search for a phrase (two or more words) then put " around the words eg "Sawmill Road" otherwise  the system returns entries for every occurrence of every word in the phrase  .

Any other info that might help locate the area of Bedlington?

@Canny lass - have you heard of Sawmill Road?

Sawmill Row is what is listed on the spreadsheet of the 1901 Census.   They lived in No. 194 

[Canny lass]

4 hours ago, Dorothy Glover said:

Does anyone have any information on Sawmill Row, Bedlington?  My Great Grandmother and Grandfather lived there in 1901

I might be able to help you here, Dorothy. I don't know if you are familiar with the area but Sawmill Row wasn't in Bedlington town but in the greater area of Bedlingtonshire. It was situated by the sawmill that once stood in Guidepost, roughly to the east of the junction between Sheepwash bank and Stakeford lane. The sawmill, but not Sawmill Row,  appears on this OS map from 1866. Note that there are no houses in front of it facing Stakeford Lane and only one row of houses running north to south directly to the west of it:

Census enumerators had strict routes to follow so in the 1901 census we can see that Sawmill Row is situated between the community of Guidepost (no street names given) and Ford Terrace - which is followed by Freehold Terrace. Freehold Terrace appears to be the elder of the two as it appears on early maps but is not named. However, the 1922 OS maps show both Terraces with name so they must have been built between 1866 and 1901. (Ford terrace to the south of Stakeford lane, then called simply 'High Street'):

and Freehold Terrace to the North of High Street:

Note on the first of those two maps that a new street has also appeared running at right angles to High Street and parallel to Blyth Terrace. I believe this is Sawmill Row but it is also possible that the street named Blyth Terrace was previously Sawmill Row as it stood on its own next to the sawmill. Unfortunately I can't find the name on any maps. 

Eggy, your a genius with maps. Can you do some sort of collage with arrows and pretty bits that show this as a then and now  kind of picture?

 

 

 

Edited June 18, 2019 by Canny lass

[Dorothy Glover]

That is great, my grandfather lived in Scotland Gate, Choppington and when I was young we used to go and see him and he used to take us to a play area at the bottom of Sheepwash Bank as I was born and brought up in Blaydon but I am a member of Ancestry so trying to get as much information as I can.  Thank you very much for the information you have given me very much appreciated.

[Canny lass]

Hello again Dorothy!

There was something odd about the house number you gave so I went back to the census and had another look. Sawmill Row was a very short row of houses with only 24 dwellings listed in the census so I thought that 194 couldn't be right. There were no house numbers recorded in the census for that street and 194 appears as the enumerators schedule number (always the first column as there isn't any special column for house numbers). Many streets didn't get numbers - or even names - until the postal service was fully developed. Hope this helps your future research.

[Dorothy Glover]

Oops you are right should have looked at the title, I think I need to go to Spec Savers.   Thank you for your e-mail.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

@Dorothy Glover & @Canny lass :- attempted to show Then and Now. One  2019 map showing all the areas that have been mentioned and the other zoomed in to show the current streets where Sawmill used to be.

Hope that helps

Edited June 18, 2019 by Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)

[Dorothy Glover]

Thanks Alan that is a much clearer image.  A few years ago on my way to the library at Morpeth I made a detour to see if my Grandfather's bungalow was still there (which it is) and also drove down Sheepwash Bank to see the playground but never knew that my family lived just up the road.    

I find it very interesting doing my family tree.   The problem is when my Mother was born her Mother died when she was 7 months old and my Mother was brought to Winlaton to live so she knew nothing of her family.   I would think that her Grandmother looked after her until her death and then this woman took her but my Mother knew nothing of the circumstances.   Such a pity but I am hoping that I can solve the puzzle.

Once again thank you.

 

[Canny lass]

That's fantastic  Eggy! I haven't been in that area for over thirty years but, while I'm sure I wouldn't recognise anything today, the street layout hasn't changed a great deal. Freehold Terrace (now Freehold Avenue) and Ford Terrace are still there and it looks as if the road I believe to be Sawmill Row is still there. 

This is a wonderful opportunity for you Dorothy to tread in your ancestors footsteps. I love doing that myself, The street becomes a kind of interface between the past and the present. Have a walk there next time your in the area

[Canny lass]

Hi Dorothy, I’ve been trying to pin down the exact row of houses known as Sawmill Row by looking at earlier census records and maps. I’m sorry to say that I’m none the wiser. The choice is still between the two streets I mentioned earlier. However, I found Sawmill Road in the 1891, 1881 and the 1871 census.

While the name isn’t mentioned in the 1891 census (it’s simply given as Guidepost) there can be no doubt that it is the same street named Sawmill Row in the 1901 census. You can see this by comparing the residents. There are several residents who appear on both, including your family, and even some of their neighbours living in the same position on the street as previously.

 

The Hall family seems to have been around the Guidepost area for many years. They appear on the street, same house, same birthplace, in 1891 and again in 1881. There is also a Hall on the street in 1871 but you’d need to look more closely at that as there’s not much to go on for an outsider.

[Dorothy Glover]

Thank you, I will look into that, the problem is that Hall is a common name and it is easy to get off track.  

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Hi Dorothy,welcome to the forum!

My elderly  friend's Husband ran a sawmill , with her help,down at Guidepost,in the old days....she is now 92 years old,and still goes to the Christian Fellowship at the Coffin Chapel,in Bedlington town centre.

She also helps to run the coffee morning and "drop-in",at the Coffin Chapel,every Thursday morning,and  the craft class in the same afternoon,where she is also actively involved in putting up shoe boxes for the needy third world children,which just runs throughout the year..non-stop voluntery work!

She is my Wife's friend really,but all of my Wife's friends are my friends also,and "Old Edna",is always telling us stories about the old days at the sawmill...how it was hard work.

I will ring her as soon as I can,and ask her if she can enlighten me about your family history..she might just help ..she is extremely fit and active,with a memory like a hen!

She can be found in the Coffin Chapel,every Thursday,and if you dropped in for a coffee and chat,in the morning,you will be pleasantly surprised at what a friendly,helpful bunch of people,they are,who volunteer to run the service for the people,and visitors,to our lovely town!

From what Edna has told me,over the years,I always thought that her Family's sawmill was at the bottom of Sheepwash bank,adjacent to the Anglers Arms pub..somewhere in that vicinity.

When you look at the size of the plantation on the old maps,it appears to me that a few people would have set up business in the timber trade,seeing as all the "new" collieries were being developed,most prominentally in that area being the Choppington "A"..[low pit],and Choppington "B" ..[the "High Pit"],where I worked as a young lad...and the pits depended on the timber for coalface and roadway supports underground.

 Million was the name of my old friend's family,and one of that family is on the visitor's information notice board,which stands at the former entrance to what was Choppington "B" colliery,now known as "Choppington Woods".[up Morpeth road past Alex Scott's garage,aboot a quarter of a mile on the left side of the road.]

There are old historical pictures of Choppington collieries,and John Million is pictured along with his "Marra's"..[mates],underground,at the coalface,taken somewhere around the late 950's,I guess,cos I was a young heavy transport lad,aged 16 yrs,in 1960,and I clearly remember all the fellas in the pic,as looking exactly like they are,on the pic,when I worked there..at that time...

John Million was the Brother of Tom Million,whe ran the sawmill ,so if the mill had been started by their Parents,and possibly THEIR parents..then we would be looking back to the mid-1800's.

Can't promise owt,but aal dae wat a can ,Dorothy,and a hope ye can find oot  a lot aboot your Family's roots!!

Cheers,Bill.

[Dorothy Glover]

Quote

 

Thank you Bill,  I will pay a visit on Thursday and have a chat with her she sounds a very interesting lady

Regards

Dorothy

 

[Dorothy Glover]

Hi Bill

What time does it open and close

Thanks

Dorothy

 

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

36 minutes ago, Dorothy Glover said:

Hi Bill

What time does it open and close

Thanks

Dorothy

 

@Dorothy Glover :-info on the www about the Bedlington Christian fellowship (Coffin Chapel ) is :-

Wednesday 9.00-10.30 am  BEST BUDDIES TODDLER GROUP (term time)
Thursday    10.00-12noon        COFFEE MORNING 
      “             1.00-3.30PM         CRAFT GROUP
Leadership: Chris Ruddick   504336  Mike Clark 829060
Maureen Chilton  853014

The Coffin Chapel :-

Address: 21 Beech Grove, Bedlington NE22 5DA

 

[Dorothy Glover]

Thanks Alan

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Thanks a lot for saving me Alan!,apologies to you Dorothy for not getting back to you sooner,it's very difficult here just now,has been for a for the last 12 months  or more..health issues with us both ,but I am heavily committed to looking after my Wife,so I have to grab a minute or two when I can to check out the forum.

I hope if you went to the Chapel,that you found them a nice group of People,Maureen Chilton,Chris Ruddick,and wor aad gud friend Edna Million,who lived on Sheepwash Bank many many years ago.

Let us know if you got any helpful information about your family,please,Dorothy,as any historical info is fascinating to us Bedlingtonians!

Kind regards, Bill.

[Dorothy Glover]

Hi Bill

Sorry to hear that you and your wife have health issues I know what this is like as my husband had major surgery last year and he has other issues.  It does not seem fair when you have worked all your life and when you should be enjoying life health issues rear their head, it is a true saying "it is no fun getting old".   Fortunately I am in excellent health.  I take after my Mother who lived until she was 90 and she used to say "I would be champion if it is was not for my knees" but they did not keep her in she used to be out and about every day.  

I have not replied until today as I have been volunteering at the World Cup Cricket at the Fanzone in Durham for 2 days and I volunteer every Sunday at Tanfield Railway so have just picked up my laptop.

I did go to the coffee morning at Bedlington unfortunately, the lady was unable to help me but I had a good couple of hours they were all lovely people, myself and my sister in law are going to go back as she has some blankets that her mother made and she is going to donate them to their collection.

We then went to Woodhorn Museum and that was very interesting, I got the coroner's report on the death of my grandmother who was found dead in the River Wansbeck in Morpeth in 1916.   My ticket lasts for one year so I am going to go on a regular  basis to go through the records.  Unfortunately I did not have anything on me with my photo or address so I could not look at original documents but I will make sure that I have my driving licence with me when we go again.

Best Wishes to you and your wife on hopefully a speedy recovery.

Regards

Dorothy

 

 

 

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Hi Dorothy! My Wife and I spoke to Edna on the phone on Wednesday evening ( co-incidentally.. she phoned us as she hasn't seen us for a few weeks). She said you had been in to the coffee morning, and remarked that.. "... She was a lovely Woman..".. heh heh!.. old Edna is a lovely woman as well, very old fashioned but an Angel on Earth, for all the work she does for the children of War torn countries, and poverty in third world countries in general.. it's all the year round.. non-stop with Edna and the rest of the church family. I'm pleased you met her! Hope you get more success as time goes on. Cheers. Bill x

[Dorothy Glover]

Hi Bill, I have not been back to the Museum as my husband had a hospital appointment on Thursday and that is the day that my Sister in Law is available to come with me.   I will let you know if I uncover anything.  Regards Dorothy