Owen Rooks thought this photograph of the group’s outing on a sunny day was taken near Guisborough, but wasn’t sure where. David Clements tells us: ”The picture looks like it was taken from Hanging Stone in Guisborough woods”. Sheila Drinkhall added: “I think the lady third from the left front row could by Elsie Johnson of New Skelton – she married my uncle – Edgar Chilvers.”
North Eastern Railway Terminus 1,000 feet above sea level and that is as much as I know about it and I read that off the caption. Now believed to be on the Rosedale end of the Rosedale to Ingleby Greenhow railway system. Thanks to Mark T for the update.
Rodney Begg tells us: ”Scarborough Archaeological Publication “Research Report No. 9″ on the Rosedale Mines and Railway: “West Rosedale Bank Top, circa 1911. Engine shed on left and railway cottages on right. Snow-ploughs on siding with traces of other sidings formerly extending to calcining kilns.” The cottages still exist and were inhabited last time I visited the area (some while back now). A good way to get to this area and enjoy a walk as well is to join the track bed across the road from The Lion Inn on Blakey Ridge and turn right. Follow the track bed and eventually you will end up at this; the terminus at West Rosedale. On the way you will visit the site of Sheriff’s Pit, the only shaft mine in this system.”
Image courtesy of Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum and thanks to Rodney Begg for the update.
A busy day at Rosedale works I am informed that the west works started in 1857 and the east side in 1859. Simon Chapman advises: ”This is a view of the Rosedale East Mines in the 1920s. Central in the picture is a chute for loading ironstone direct into railway wagons, while in the background, behind the white hut, a gantry spans the railway; this was the apparatus for recovering the calcine dust from below the iron-fronted or New Kilns. The wagons in the foreground are empty tubs from out of the pit. Right in the background, behind the ramshackle tipping huts, can be seen the cottages and workshops at High Baring. The Rosedale West Mines opened in the mid-1850s and the East Mines about 1865.” Image courtesy of Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum, grateful thanks to Simon Chapman for the dating information.
Port Mulgrave, when it actually was a port. Built around 1856-57, it was a very busy place serving the surrounding mines. Empty ironstone trucks are clearly visible on the gantry system; empty trucks to the lower left, awaiting return to the tunnel through to Dalehouse and Grinkle mine to be refilled.
Image courtesy of Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum.
This is an ‘after’ photograph of the previous image; the port has all but gone now, when did it all go wrong? Image courtesy of Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum.
We now have most of the names for this one: Back Row (L to R): Mr Wrightson, Tom Wheatman, Jim Hodge, Marsden Grey, Walter Fothergill, Tommy Pearson, Kit Smelt, Jonnty Smith (Trainer). Middle Row (L to R): Bert Davey, Dabber Adamson, ? Crispin, Pim Tyson, Jimmy Winter. Front Row (L to R): Jimmy Mott, Skinner Hodge, Sos Wilson.
Bert Davey went on to become a teacher and games master at Loftus School. Thanks to Col Hart who advised us: “Front row Jimmy Mott, Skinner Hodge, Sos Wilson. These names were taken from a scanned copy of a framed photo of the team at the Mining Museum”
”Haugh Bridge, Water Lane” was written on the back of this card, but we don’t think it is. Could it be the footbridge at the bottom of Slater’s Banks, taken from the field? The ’Private Wood’ was felled and cleared round about 1970 and has since regrown.
Georgina Thurlow, Mrs. Wilson’s grandmother, would only have been about two or three years old when this photograph was taken at Boulby Barns. Sally (Sarah Hannah), one of her sisters was eight years older. Ann Codling advises: “Georgina and Sarah are my great great aunts. My great grandmother is Ada. From tracing the family tree I have Georgina being born in 1891 and Sarah in 1882. Ada was born in 1886.”
Image and information courtesy of Mrs. J. Wilson, thanks to Ann Codling for the update.
Geoffrey found this picture that shows the radar gear as it was in the 1950s. The airmen who operated the Coast Radar were stationed on camp at East Barnby and marched down to the site each day to carry out their duties. Dave Jones tells us: ”I was stationed there from 1954 to 1956, we had the worst snow in 100 years, cut off for three weeks; ran out of food, they dropped food by helicopter; snow ploughs could not make Lythe Bank. Hey anybody remember – Dave Jones – me? (Now living in California, USA) or Nat Cole from London (now deceased); two guys from Sheffield in our six bed dormitory? What a waste of time National Service was but I met some great lads from all over UK. God Bless (Norman) “Nat” Cole from London.”. Whilst Dean Gibson tells us: ”The picture shows a Type 14 Chain Home Extra Low (CHEL) / Ground Controlled Intercept (GCI) radar. It had a frequency of 3 GHz, (10cms wavelength) giving it good definition and could pick up a bomber sized target at 90 miles flying at 6,000 feet over the sea. This provided adequate early warning against piston engine aircraft; however, for jet aircraft, due to their higher speed, greater pick-up range was required and the Type 14 gave way, in the early 50’s, to the magnificent Type 80. These were located at various sites around the UK and Germany and also on Mount Olympus, Cyprus, with four being sold to Sweden. One was installed at RAF Seaton Snook but never at RAF Goldsborough. The last Type 80 in service was at RAF Buchan, NE Scotland. I was fortunate to use that Type 80 radar in operations at RAF Buchan and was sorry to see it taken out of service in 1992 to be replaced by a modern planar phased array radar.” Geoffrey assisted with: “I took the photograph when we and the lads went down to Goldsborough pub, think it was the Fox. I was stationed at RAF Goldsborough the camp at East Barnby; it was at the time they were building the first early warning station at Fylingdales with golf ball type enclosed radar aerials. Talking about the weather I was up at Fylingdales marooned for days and yes we had food helicoptered into us. It was 1962/3, I was 19 years old on 5131 Bomb disposal and went out daily to clear the moorland for a safe build as it was used as an artillery range in the war and had to be made safe. We cleared 2 inch and 3 inch mortar bombs and 25 pound shells, very unstable with proximity fuses.” Sharon Warren commented: “My father, Peter Warren was an armourer stationed at RAF Goldsborough, about 1959/60 to about 1962 when he was posted to France. He was part of the team that had to clear the ground of any ammunition, ready for Fylingdales to be built. He was part of 5131 bomb disposal, I was born there, do you remember him?” Geoffrey responded to Sharon’s query: “I was at Goldsborough in October 1960 onwards but did not come across your father, I am so sorry I could not help. Then I was a 20 year old and now coming up 80: where have the years gone?”
Image and information courtesy of Geoffrey Powell, also thanks to Dave Jones, Dean Gibson and Sharon Warren for the updates.
Boulby Barns Farm is on the old road, near the top of the bank, between Skinningrove and Staithes. The Thurlow family gathered there for a special occasion in about 1907. Even the little girls are wearing wonderful hats. Can anyone tell us what the occasion was, or name any other members of the family?
Mrs. Wilson’s grandmother, Georgina Thurlow is third from the left on the back row. Two of her sisters, Lucy and Sarah are standing in the doorway. The other four sisters and their mother are sitting on the chairs, (from left), …2.Mary Ann with Marjorie, 3.Bessie with Lucy, ……5.Isabel Thurlow (their mother), 6.Barbara, and Ada with Billy at the end. As Owen says: “Amy (a grandchild) is the young girl standing between Barbara and Ada.”
Thanks to Owen Rooks for the following information: ”I believe that the girl (wearing the rather fetching large white hat) standing second from right on the front row is Amy Thurlow. Amy became a close friend of my mother in about 1920 when for a time they were neighbours at Boulby- my mother (before she married) may have worked at Boulby Barns. Many years later, Amy shared a home in Park Terrace, Loftus; with Florence (Flo) Fletcher and they both shared a life long friendship with my mother who died in 1973. In the late 1940’s, Amy and Flo ran a corner shop in Tees Street, East Loftus.”
Joan Johnson tells us: ”I think that Mary Ann must have been known as Polly. She married John Maine and had two children Marjory and John and they lived in Penrith after she married. I don’t really remember Georgina, but know that I did visit her as a child when she was known to me as Aunt Georgie. My grandmother was Ada and Billy was my uncle.” Diane Crosby-Browne tell us: ”Thomas was my Great, Great, Great, Great Uncle. Thank you for the information.” Paul Boden commented: “My Great Great Grandmother Mary Boden (nee Garbutt) was born in Boulby Barns in 1821 as was her sister Margaret, born in 1829. They were both baptised at Easington Parish church. Their father was John Garbutt. On both the Baptism records it states he was an Epsom Salts Maker. My question is was Boulby Barns a farm in 1821. If it was did the farmer have tenants?”
Peter Appleton added additional information with: “Some of the following information may not be new to those who are descended from the Thurlows but it all may be of interest to a wider audience. Members of the Thurlow family were involved in the manufacture of alum at Boulby Alum Works. In the 1851 census we can see Robert Thurlow, aged 45 and a widower who is “Employed in the manufacture of Alum”. So is Thomas, aged 36 and married, and George, aged 27 and married. Ten years later, Thomas has become the Alum Agent’s Clerk and George is now a “Labourer in the Alum Works”. George’s son, John, aged 14, is an “Alum miner”. In 1871 Thomas is now a widower and is the Alum manufacturer. George’s son, John, would have been employed in the quarry, using a pickaxe to break the alum shale away from the quarry face and a wheelbarrow to trundle it off along a trackway of metal plates to the clamp where it would be added to the existing pile of burning shale. Thomas’s job as Alum Agent’s Clerk indicates that he was both literate and numerate. His job could have involved such aspects as copying outgoing business letters into the letter copy book, and keeping the financial records up to date in the many different ledgers that the works used. By 1871 (just a few months before the works finally closed) he had become the Alum manufacturer. This was, arguably the most important role in an alum works. In today’s terminology he would be something like the chief chemical engineer or chief industrial scientist.”
Image courtesy of Mrs. J. Wilson, with thanks to Owen Rooks, Joan Johnson, Anne Hindmarsh, Gordon Main, Peter Appleton, Diane Crosby-Browne and Paul Boden for the updates.
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