Early 1900’s when this photograph was taken; John and Alf Nicholson with their parents outside no. 6 ’Bells Huts’, Mill Lane, Carlin How; possibly c.1905, as in the 1911 Census John and Alfred were nine years and seven years of age. These were dwellings erected after the mine was opened by Bell Brothers in 1873 to house miners (brought in to ease the scarcity of ironstone miners) near the allotment gardens; the Peel & Jones foundry stood on the site of these huts. When first built one main tap outside in the middle of each row provided the water for the residents. Others were erected in the field below Carlin How (Duck Hole) Mine and some were being used in the early 1950s.The image has attracted considerable comments; Derick Pearson who lived there from 1945 to 1950 has memories of: “Collecting water from a spring near ‘Speddings house’ (Sykes farm House)”. Alan Pearson tells us: ” The 1881 census for Kilton lists 1 to 18 Wood Houses along with 1 to 9 Carlin How, Steavenson Street, Dixon Street and Sykes Farm. This is repeated in the 1891 census before appearing as 1 to 18 Bells Huts in 1901″. Bill Kitching tells us: “Bells huts families I remember: Winspeare, Welham, Agar, Gell, Leng, Crossman, Lancaster and Wylie”. We are told by Lynn O’Neill: “My great-uncle and Aunt lived at No 1 Bells Huts. They were Dave and Sarah Wylie”. Trevor Metcalfe told us: “My grandparents (Joseph and Clara Metcalfe) lived at number 13 Bells Huts”. Dave Fell told us: “I moved from there in 1950 but used to go back up there for some years after that to visit people. Sarah Wylie was last house to be demolished and that was c.1960”. Keith Hudson told us: “My nana was a Welburn and my grandad was a Hudson. I guess that’s where they met”. And Margaret Martin tells us: ”My dad (Eric Agar) lived in Bell’s Huts from about 1933 to 1941. There were 3 rows and he lived in Row 1 and had the water pump immediately outside his house. He lived there with his mother (Margaret Agar), father( Owen Agar) and sister (Iris Agar). Owen (my grandad) worked in Duck Hole Pit.
Image from a collection compiled by Derick Pearson; thanks to Derick Pearson, Alan Pearson, Bill Kitching, Lynn O’Neill, Trevor Metcalfe, Dave Fell, Keith Hudson, Margaret Martin and Jan Dunning for the comments and updates.
My 2x great grandfather, Michael Hutchinson lived at 15 Bells Huts and is recorded in the 1901 and the 1911. He was a haulage engine driver.Previously he had lived at Wood cottages,Kilton. His granddaughter, Ellen Hutchinson married a local lad, Joseph Reed, who according to 1911 lived at 3 Primrose Hill Skinningrove. They lived in Carlin How all their married lives at 13,15 and 21 Brotton Road. I have a newspaper cutting of their Golden wedding describing their life in Brotton. It would be great if anyone reading this knows anything about them or their descendants as I am trying to build up as much information as I can to share with our American cousins who are planning to visit next year.
1939 census Joseph W Reed DOB 6/1/1890 and Ellen Reed DOB 1/7/1892 living 15 Brotton Road,
Occupation. Attending to feeding of shale. Loftus Mines, Pease & Partners.
Shale was the waste from the mine, after being sorted from the ironstone it was loaded into buckets and transferred by an aerial rope way to be tipped on the shale heap.
My maternal grandfather, Thomas (Tommy) Richardson, was born at 12 Bells Huts in 1897. The 1901 census shows him living there as a 3-year-old boy with his father John Richardson (41), an ironstone miner, his mother Maria (37) and his siblings Jessie (17), George (15), James (13), Arthur (10), John (8), Dinah (6) and Florence (1). By 1911 they were living in Whitby where John Richardson, now 51, was working as a farmer.
Jan Dunning – that bears out my comment that Bells Huts were previously named as “Wood Houses”. So your Great Grandfather was there before 1901. Also I’ve seen that 1-18 Wood Houses were originally 1-18 Lumpsey. I must dig out that reference
Alan Pearson. You are correct they were called Wood Houses originally. I too lived there. I have never heard them called Lumpsey or seen no reference to it. I Have 1881 census and will check to see if there was a reference to it. For Jan Dunning, I personally knew Jpoe and Ellen Reed when they lived at Brotton Road. They had the shop there. Therer is a photo of Ellen I believe at Bells Huts.
I remember visiting Joe and Nellie ( she was my dad’s Aunt Nellie and her maiden name was Hutchinson) and her having the shop; did it sell sweets? I was about 6 or 7 at the time. The same age as one of her grandson’s Chris, who was also there. We came up to Carlin How this year to see if the house was still there and it is.
Hi my dad was born in no 9 bells huts in 1931, by the name of Keith Gell..