Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)

I am a member of Facebook to allow me access to the the local FB groups like Bygone Bedlington. That's where the majority of the school album photos within this site have come from. Are you telling me there is an email service from this group to the outside world. Or are you writing about the 'Mail' service within this site that members of this group can use to message other members of this group.

@HIGH PIT WILMA @HIGH PIT WILMA - you used to be able to have multiple FB accounts by usinng different email addresses and I expect that is still the case. I'm not sure how far FB goes in the validation of your details if you create another account. I dont know if the unique IP address of the device you use to connect to the outside world services is validated by the sevices we connect to. I have two email services. One with btinternet and one with gmail. I use the my btinternet address to connect into FB and the rest of the world via Google and my gmail to connect to the rest of the world via Microsoft Edge. Do you know if your FB ban is permanent or a temporay one? I have just been talking to one of the sons-in-law and he said the lads he works with have been banned for comments etc they have posted but he tells me they were only temporary bans and the lads got back into their FB accounts.

Morning @HIGH PIT WILMA - I haven't been banned but about 4 or 5 years ago I did get a warning off Facebook, and my post removed, on the Facebook group Past Times History Group when I posed a photo of the 1960's topless girl band the Ladybirds. I posted it because another member had asked if anyone could remember what the 1960s topless group was called. So I haven't combined my Googling with FB anymore If I see anything on the FB groups on Bedlington or Bates Pit I will copy them onto this site for you

@Canny lass That's the info I found when I was searching for muggers Corner a few years ago. I found it on the https://communities.northumberland.gov.uk/ site :-

I don't have census access and the only info, matching what @Canny lass has found, is an Extract from: History, Topography, and Directory of Northumberland...Whellan, William, & Co, 1855. :- https://co-curate.ncl.ac.uk/bedlingtonshire-1855/ = BEDLINGTONSHIRE BEDLINGTONSRIRE is situated at the north-east corner of Castle Ward, and is bounded on the north by the river Wansbeck, on the west by the parishes of Morpeth and Stannington, on the south by the river Blyth, and on the east by the German Ocean. It comprises the townships of Bedlington, Camboise, Choppington, Netherton, Sleekburn (East), and Sleekburn (West), whose united area is 9,011 acres. The population in 1801, was 1,422; in 1811, 1,488; in 1821, 1,862; in 1831, 2,120; in 1841, 3,155; and in 1851, 5,101 souls. The hundred of Bedlingtonshire and the parish of the same name are co-extensive. We possess no authentic information regarding the proprietorship of this parish, anterior to the commencement of the tenth century, when we find that it was purchased by Cutheard, the second Bishop of Chester-le-Street, who added it to the possessions of the see. Subsequent to the removal of the bishopric to Durham, it still continued to form an integral part of the palatinate, possessing its own courts and officers of justice who were appointed under the bishop's commission, until the reign of Henry VIII., when the Crown resumed this privilege, and ordained that in all matters of law and civil jurisdiction, Bedlingtonshire was to be considered a member of the county of Durham. This ordinance remained in force till October, 1844, when, in pursuance of the Acts 7 and 8 Vict., c. 61, it became a portion of the county of Northumberland. The ancient records inform us that lands in this parish were formerly held of the Bishops of Durham, by the families of Elliott and Hertford, by fealty, and the payment of a small rent, though the great majority of the inhabitants held theirs by servile tenures. During the civil wars, the possessions of the see of Durham having been sold by order of the Parliament, this manor was purchased by Robert Fenwick, Esq., who, on the restoration of the regal power, was obliged to restore it to its original proprietor. For parliamentary purposes Bedlingtonshire is included in the borough of Morpeth. BEDLINGTON is a township and considerable village in the parish of the same name, the property of W. W. Burdon, Esq., George Marshall, Esq., and others. The area of the township is returned with that of the parish, and its rateable value is £7,031 15s. The Bishop of Durham is lord of the manor. Here are several stone quarries, three collieries, and the Bedlington Iron Works, which rank among the oldest and most extensive in the north of England. They afford employment to a great number of persons, who are engaged in the manufacture of chain cables, bolts, bar and sheet iron, and other articles. The Glebe Colliery is worked by Longridge and Co., and the Bedlington Colliery by Davidson and Co. These two establishments employ respectively 200 and 400 persons. THE VILLAGE of Bedlington is pleasantly situated on the summit and slope of an eminence, about four and a half miles S.S.E. from Morpeth, and consists principally of one long and irregular street, forming a kind of sloping avenue from the river Blyth, which is navigable for small craft to the Bedlington Iron Works, about a mile east of the village. THE CHURCH, dedicated to St. Cuthbert, whose remains rested here for one night, in 1069, is a small Gothic structure, enlarged and repaired in 1818, at which time the workmen employed in these repairs and alterations discovered, on the north side of the Church, three grave stones, ornamented with crosses and swords in the style of the eleventh or twelfth centuries, and one of them had the request '' Ora pro nobis" upon it. In pulling down the north wall, there was also brought to light a fragment of a pillar, fourteen inches long, on which the remains of an inscription to the following effect were plainly discernible "CRVX, or LVX VNDIQUE FVLGET AMATA.'' In addition to the above, there were found the remains of a man, supposed to be those of Cuthbert Watson, a well known somnambulist, who was killed upon the spot where they were discovered. He had risen in his sleep, February 11th, 1669, and was in the act of climbing the north buttress of the tower, apparently with great ease and firmness, when a person, who was passing by at the time, dreading the danger of the poor man's situation, spoke to him, and he awoke, fell, and was instantly killed. This story is supported by the traditions of the place, by an entry said to be in the parish register, and by the above date, and the words "Watson's Wake," cut upon the buttress. The register of this parish comences in 1654. The living, a vicarage in the archdeaconry of Northumberland and deanery of Newcastle, is valued in the Liber Regis at £13 6s. 8d. ; gross income £455. The patronage is vested in the Dean and Chapter of Durham. Rev. Edward C. Ogle, vicar; Rev. Robert Taylor, Curate. The Baptists, Presbyterians, Primitive and Wesleyan Methodists, have commodious places of worship in the village. THE MECHANICS’ INSTITUTION, which comprises a news-room, and a good library, was established about five or six years ago by a few young men of the village, aided by the Earl of Carlisle, the Bishop of Durham, the Rev. E. C. Ogle, vicar, Captain Howard, and A. R. Fenwick, Esq, J.P.; James Gibson, and John B. Gibb, secretaries; Robert Young, librarian. THE COURT HOUSE, situated near the centre of the village, is a substantial and suitable building, containing a lockup, consisting of two apartments. Robert Drummond, superintendent constable for Bedlingtonshire district, is court keeper. Petty Sessions are held here once a month: the Rev. E. C. Ogle; M. J. F. Sidney, Esq., of Cowpen Hall; Sir M. W Ridley, Bart., Blagdon ; A. R. Fenwick, Esq.; and W. W. Burdon, Esq., are the presiding magistrates. The village stands much in need of a more copious supply of water, the limpid element being only obtainable from a few pumps and wells, which often become dry during the summer months. Sanitary improvements, and the introduction of gas are much to be desired. The ruins of an old hall are visible on the south side of the village. POST OFFICE, BEDLINGTON. John Urwin, postmaster, Letters arrive here, from Morpeth, at 10-1O a.m., and are despatched thereto at 2-35 p.m. Money Orders are issued and paid here.

@Nicola Riley welcome to the forum. Seeing your post made me check the album, Doctor Pit and Rows, we have in the gallery section and I see we don't have the old maps showing the rows so I have added a compilation from the old maps showing the siting of the rows. This 1896 map shows the location of the Dr Pit and rows within the town :-

@James never seen the Bedlingtonshire Revisited booklets. Were they by the Martin family? I have seen the text you posted from the ChatGTP (AI chatbot developed by open AI) and I am surprised it gives the Six Townships Community History Group, as a soure of info on the PO. I know the Sixtownships used to be a Facebook group run by @johndawsonjune1955 and it changed it's name to Past Times History group buy I can't remember the exact year it changes it's name. Pity John Dawson kicked me out of the group otherwise I would ask him where he got the place & year for the 1st PO opening

@Canny lass this dosen't prove anything but I see in John Dawson's Bedlington Timeline he has an entry :- '1858 Bedlington's first post office had a telegraph system installed. It was situated in the Baptist Yard' - but no reference to where the info came from. i don't know if John still runs the Facebook group - Past Times History group - as he kicked me out of the group a couple of years ago because he thought I was an admin, and I wasn't and never had been, on the Ashington group and had deleted his post about selling his books/CDs on the local area.

I'm with you and I doubt we will stumble on anything that proves it one way or the other. Can'tm remember ever having seen Baptists yard identified on the old maps I hva looked at

@Canny lass - I only have one booklet by S B Martin and I will have a look through it and see what's in it (it's years ago I got t of ebay). I have googled it but no copies avialble. This is the cover :- Don't know if that is the one @James is referring to. When I was Googling for Stephen B Martin books on Bedlington this one came up :-

Cheers @James - I hadn't remembered that one

@Canny lass - for the Google strett view shots I actually typed in Front Street West Bedlington for my initial search as I knew that's where the PO was. So me then typing Front Street East can only be put down to Mild Cognitive Impairment or Onset of Dementia. It's like been back at school and I can here the teacher saying - Edgar stop stairing out the window and concentrate

@Canny lass - it's just me not thinking straight - again - yes Front Street West.

On the Facebook group Bygone Bedlington a member, Ian Foster, posted this clip from the BBC archives when the BBC was looking for the 'Market Place' Post office and you will need the volume turned up to listen to this :- https://bbcrewind.co.uk/asset/611257809e2c440020e8f292?selectedLatLng=55.13239860534668%2C-1.5979957580566406&zoom=11 So I checked the journey of the Post Office When it was in the Market Place :- Then it moved to 40 front Street East and was still called the Market Place Post Office :- Where it is now - Google Street View 2024 - 20 Front Street

@Eddie Yarrow - have you ever visited the Northumberland and DurhamPits Facebook group to see if any member can identify anyone/ If you are not on Facebook group(s) then if it's Ok with you I could post one of your photos, with the space, numbers and names, on the group to see if there are any memmbers that recognise and old relative.

Thankyou @Canny lass. I had wondered why some of the maps you have posted had different street names etc. to the ones I look at - now I know. When I first found the NLS maps I spent an awfull lot of time looking tat all the different types/sizes of maps and eventually set myself up a direct link, within Google, to the OS 6inch maps as I thought they had more detail and info. Well I got that wrong for the last 5+ years. I noticed on your map extracts you had looked at the 25inch maps. None of the 6inch show the double row of houses. I have now set up a link to the 25inch :- https://maps.nls.uk/geo/find/#zoom=16.0&lat=55.14074&lon=-1.56793&layers=101&b=1&z=0&point=55.14131,-1.56716&i=132279023 and this is the link I have been using to the 6inch :- https://maps.nls.uk/geo/find/#zoom=13.0&lat=55.13580&lon=-1.64090&layers=102&b=1&z=0&point=55.1326,-1.5691 This is the 1896 6inch map and it does not show the double row of houses :- And the 1920 6inch map is exactly the same. I will now tell Jan Appleby that you have showed me the way and I will give her a direct link to this posting. Eggy