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.
The Hart children were Mary, Tommy, Ada, Annie, Elsie and Hilda. My Uncle Tommy owned the farm and he and Auntie Ada were brother and sister. Neither ever married. My mother Annie grew up there until she left to become a nurse in the early thirties. My childhood was many a weekend spent at the farm, just a short Pickering’s bus ride from Saltburn and long walk down the lane to Hummersea. Summers with my parents, we practically lived there. Auntie Elsie lived in the row of houses about halfway down the lane.
My mother was Elsie Hart, married Charles Cummings Harrison in 1939. I was born at 2 Chapel Row 15-01-1943. Used to spend a lot of time at the farm and on the beach at Hummersea, also loved the double cliffs at the alum quarry.