A different view of the Alum House at Hummersea, obviously this building as it became more derelict attracted the Victorian and post Victorian photographers. ”Gothic” buildings attracted considerable interest in the early part of the twentieth century, hence the frequency of images of some buildings or scenes. Mary Bielby who kindly supplied this postcard tells us: ”Our family received this card from Mrs Lincoln (a family friend) whilst in North Ormesby Hospital (another building also sadly disappeared) whilst she recovered, but she could not spell our name correctly”.
This photograph is of recent history; in North Road on the right, the long building with the tiled roof was demolished and houses were built on the site. Believed to have been a blacksmiths shop, then a warehouse, finally it was owned by Espiners. John Aitken advises: “My Grandmother, Cony Wilkin (nee Gott), used to take me to Espiner’s “Pop” factory where soft drinks were made. It was run by a lady, looking quite French to a 6 year old boy who wore a scarf and seemed to get along very well with my Grandmother. I got a bottle of pop off the bottling line sometimes if I was lucky. It was a dark and noisy place, but so many bottles of pop. Something I was not typically allowed to have; that would have been 1970/71.”
Image courtesy Eric Johnson, thanks to John Aitken for the update.
Joe Ward brought us this set of snaps that were taken in the winter of 1962/3. He was working for the Council as a painter and decorator but the weather was so bad there was nothing else to do and they were set on snow-clearing. In this picture Joe and casual labourers are digging out the lane to North Terrace. We have a comment from Dorothy Marsay: ”The gentleman at the back right of the photograph could be Frank Dale and it could be Doreen Cooke at the front.”
Image and information courtesy of Joe Ward; thanks to Dorothy Marsay (via Ray Tough) for that update.
This is gives an idea of the depth of the snow; Charlie Bibby standing on the snow drifts beside Hummersea Lane.The top of the hedge being visible in the background.
Percy Simpson driving the tractor, clearing the snow on the lane above Spring House Farm. I think that it’s Micklow Cottages and Street Houses that can be seen in the background. When were Micklow Cottages demolished?
On the reverse of this postcard it says ’Photo. by T. C. Booth, Loftus, Yorks.’ Rev. T. Colledge Booth was the Pastor of Loftus Congregational Church. He came to his first pastorate at Loftus in June, 1897, when the church was in the building on North Road.
Image courtesy of the Pem Holliday Collection, the David Linton Collection and others.
A lovely photograph of the bay from a T. B. Booth postcard, but look at the smoke from the works no clean air in those days. Chris Twigg advised: “I t looks like the Alum House is still intact by the seashore, I think that puts it before 1910”.
Image courtesy of Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum, thanks to Chris Twigg for the update.
A lovely view of the cliffs and the sea, there is Hummersea bay, Skinningrove and Cattersty, the jetty can be clearly seen and the smoke tells us where the ironstone works are. Hummersea Farm can also be seen, as can the shine of a pond in the centre of the image. Following a comment from S. Welford; Eric Johnson advised: “‘Snilah’ ponds were originally two ponds, I was told they were the settling ponds for Hummersea Alum Works. I remember them as home to a colony of great crested newts, dragonflies, and other aquatic wildlife; surrounded by purple spotted orchids. The site was used for filling in with industrial waste. Many years later walking past the site I observed a black oily substance oozing from the area. A sad end (and I don’t belong to the green party!). Heather Bann added: “I also have a postcard picture taken approx. same time though the tide is out; position almost exact. My grandmother Annie Hammond (nee Burns) of Fylingdales, had sent it to my grandad just prior to their wedding in 1914. She has marked the house which can just be seen cut off a bit at the left edge as her half sister’s house, Lucy (nee Burns) and George Wren. She has also marked the farm further up and just below the ‘smoke’ from the works as “Where my uncle lives” I do not know is this an uncle on the Burns side or her mother’s side the Wedgwood’s? Would love to know.
Thanks to Eric Johnson, S Welford and Heather Bann for the updates.
I bet this was quite a classy photograph when it was new, before age faded the image somewhat. Hummersea Farm was originally built for the Manager of the Alum quarries and works, the farm house being built to the right in an ’L’ shape layout. Elsie Hart was brought up on this farm. Neil Dunbar advises: “This view was taken from the garden at Hummersea. Anyone walking past the farmhouse would not even be aware this garden was there. I’m presuming the Elsie Hart that is mentioned is the mother of Ada and Tommy Hart who owned the farm when I lived at Seaview in the 1970′s. Seaview was the bottom part of the ‘L’ which looks out over the farmyard and out toward the sea over Hummersea Cliffs. The upright part of the ‘l’ runs back from Seaview into the hillside and as such is very sheltered from the elements – this is the part I knew as Hummersea Farm and where Ada & Tommy lived. The only views from this building were from the upstairs windows you can see in the photographs – these look toward The Warren and the old alum workings which are further on. At the time I lived there Ada & Tommy owned the two cottages known as The Warren. They were ultimately sold to a local doctor (Guy Etches) who has made a fine home from the two cottages. Tommy Hart sold them cheaply to Guy in exchange for Guy arranging for Tommy’s hip replacement operation. At the time I lived at Seaview, Guy rented one of the Warren cottages and relatives of the people I was living with rented the other one. The views north from the Warren north past Skinningrove Pier and on toward Redcar are stunning.” Vince Brown adds: “Re Elsie Hart. Elsie Hart was Tommy Harts sister her mother was Mary Jackson (born 1876 Brotton) her father Thomas Hart (born 1872 Ugthorpe); married (1902). Other children were Mary, Annie and Hilda. My grandmother was a Hart from Ugthorpe.” Whilst Karen Lyons concludes with: “My father and grandparents used to camp on the farm when it was owned by a Mr Tom Hart – must have been in the 1930s. I have a photo of Mr Hart.”
Image courtesy of Jean Dean, thanks to Ray Harrison (son of Elsie Hart), Neil Dunbar, Vince Brown and Karen Lyons for the updates.
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