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Believed to be Harry Wrightson blacksmith at Loftus Forge in 1900, with John Ward Hopper (who was apprenticed to Harry Wrightson) on the left. John Ward Hopper was the Grandfather of Maurice Toulson of the Loftus Town Crier. Loftus Forge was built by Lord Zetland at the turn of the century, in what was then his timber yard, with his estate office nearby. The forge was rented to Mr John Wrightson for £15 per year. John Smith advised us: “I’d question this as Harry wasn’t born until 1901 in Guisborough (unless there is another Harry). It might be his Father, John or the date may be incorrect? Harry was my Grandmother’s cousin and I remember going to stay at the forge in the 1960’s.”
The gentleman holding the horse is unknown. Can you help?
Image courtesy of Olive Bennett and thanks to John Smith and Mary Thewlis for the updates.
This photograph was loaned to us by Geoff Hore and the title was written on the back has anyone any information on why it was called or who were the Skinningrove Hospital Fathers? But as Tony Nicholson has pointed out to us:”Two of the men seem to be patients (the man on the front right with crutches, and the man on the back left with an injured arm). It’s possible that the three individuals sat on the bench were patients too? The lad looks young, but could easily have been working in the mine.” As Tony says the young man is not old enough to be a ”father”. The mystery deepens. Tony also tells us: ”I think the nurse on the left is the Matron of the Hospital, Emily Elgey. She came to the hospital in 1902 and died in 1924. The nurse on the right looks like her probationer nurse, Liebe Mary Bowen, who was there around 1910/11. I have photos of Liebe from much later in life (c. 1930s and 1940s) which seem to show a similar face, although all of us change as we age.” Rebecca Saywell tells us: ”The man sat at the front on the left, is my great great grandfather, James Abbott. He was born in 1855 and died in 1914. Geoff (who supplied the photo) is the son of my nan’s cousin.”
Please note this revised image, the original had been distorted in scanning – many thanks to Tony Nicholson – whom following his request to contact Geoff whilst following researches into the Miner’s Hospital at Skinningrove obtained an improved image.
Image courtesy of Geoff Hore and thanks to Tony Nicholson for the advice; also Rebecca Saywell for the update.
The cottages constructed in 1868, were part of the re-development of Loftus by Lord Dundas (Zetland); they remain today facing onto the main street, although the rambling rose (?) is no longer present. The cottages were only a small part of the development of Loftus as a town undertaken by Lord Zetland, many of which are still very obvious today.
Image courtesy of a Loftus Town Crier calendar, dating information courtesy of Eric Johnson.
1903 and the bridge is washed away in the flood, to replaced by a new bridge which was opened by Lord Zetland.
Image courtesy of Olive Bennett.
The caption says Loftus Woods so that is where it must be, but where in the woods? It looks more like an atomic landscape to me, but the reflections in the water are lovely. Alan Gill believes: ”The photograph has been taken just down from the waterfall, and facing away from it.”
Thanks to Alan Gill for the update.
The old bridge in the foreground following the floods of 1903 was no longer safe; so a new bridge was built. This photograph (originally from an article in the Northern Echo) shows the opening of the new bridge. The inset shows the cutting of the ribbon by Lord Zetland.
Thanks to Eric Johnson for supporting evidence.
This image of the butchery department of Loftus Co-operative Store with all the staff members standing proudly in their clean overalls; it must have been for a special occasion. Although the building is still there we don’t see it looking like this any more.
Image courtesy of Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum.
Loftus Co-operative Store in the days of long white aprons, no check-out and no pre-packaged produce! I don’t suppose anybody knows any of these immaculately turned out shop assistants? Lorraine Williams tells us: “From at least 1890 the Fenby family ran a fruiterers business in Loftus probably until the 1920s. Skelton Fenby, one of the son’s, was the Loftus co-op manager in 1911 when he was 41 but I don’t know how long he remained there. He later moved to Darlington and opened a drapery store and eventually became Mayor of Darlington in 1947.”
Image courtesy of the Pem Holliday Collection, Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum and others; also than ks to Lorraine Williams for that update..
Taken from Duncan Place this only shows part of the Co-operative Stores in Loftus, going to the left was the shoe department followed by the entrance and stairs to the offices, where on dividend day the queues extended out into the street. After these came a quite large drapery, and at the end of the block the butcher’s shop. There was also an electrical store and a large furniture store farther down to the west of Loftus. However the Archive is now aware that the original Co-operative building was further down Zetland Road towards West Road and will locate and display the shop frontage.
Image courtesy of Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum, the Pem Holliday Collection and others.
The beck in the foreground with Marine Terrace behind it, the pigeon cotes stand out rather well, Skinningrove always was a place noted for it’s pigeon racing. Once more the works stand guard over the village.
Image courtesy of Ted Morgan, via Eric Johnson.
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