This is a similar shot to the other image of the Loftus Drift, but taken from farther back. Why the two police officers were present we didn’t know. Sheila Harris suggested: “My guess is that this is a strike. It is unlikely that so many men would be free to pose in any other circumstances. The police would be there to protect the owner’s interests.” However, David Richardson advises: “Outside what was the original main drift into Loftus mine which later became a traveling way when the North drift was opened further up the valley. There are 34 Mine Workers and 2 policemen visible in the photograph and while it is unusual that the police men are with them (maybe because of a strike as has been already mentioned) I have seen at least six different group photographs taken outside this drift so it wasn’t to uncommon an occurrence. In one of these other photographs the group totalled 41.” Perhaps their comments, are the definitive reason for the police being present.
Image courtesy of the David Linton and Pem Holliday Collections, thanks also to Sheila Harris and David Richardson for their updates.
There’s an almost surreal look to this image – I’m having a job deciding whether it’s the real thing or an elaborate photographic studio set piece!
This must be the travelling drift, because there’s no sign of any rails for tubs to run on. It looks like a full shift, right down to the trapper lads. It can’t be too early on because there are Davey Safety Lamps in view, although no safety helmets. Shot Cannisters are in evidence, but no picks.
Can anyone name any of these men?
Image courtesy of Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum.
Did you ever gather wood? I always remember dad telling us it warmed you twice, once when you sawed or chopped it up and again when you burned it. This image from a newspaper cutting advised: “Gathering wood during the General Strike of 1926. It was a common sight to see all ages of people out gathering wood. There was a need for an endless stream of fuel to generate sufficient warmth from the cast-iron kitchen ranges to warm the room, heat the water in the side boiler of the range, and cook and bake in the oven. On wash days a fire was lit beneath a cast iron ‘set pot’ in the scullery, in order that laundry could be boiled, and water for bath-time was heated the same way. Normally only fallen wood was gathered, so it was quite unusual for men to take saws and axes to chop trees down as seen in this photograph of Kilton Woods. Perhaps wood was their only fuel during this desperate time. Where it was available ling (heather) was also collected, for kindling.’
The original title for this image has been amended; this following advice from Tony Nicholson. Tony has commented: “I’m pretty sure it’s Fred Nicholson rather than Les Nicholson on the left in women’s clothes. Fred was Les’s father and my grandfather. I’m afraid I don’t know what drama was being enacted, or by the look of it overacted, but there are several people I recognise, or half recognise: I think the lady in white at the back is Eva Hall who married Robert Stonehouse; Charles Hall, her brother, is next to Fred Nicholson and trying to restrain ??? Goodwill? It’s a wonderful tableau”.
Image courtesy of Carlin How Community Centre and many thanks to Tony Nicholson for the update.
Do you remember the butchers, or the bank (now believed to have been Lloyds, then followed by Martins) that was at that corner before they extended the Maynard Arms, now a car park occupies their space. From the left the properties were Riggs (butchers shop), Mrs Collins (lodging house) and the four panelled window of the Maynard Arms (landlord was Thomas William Wood). This view of the Maynard Arms shows the landlord Thomas William Wood, his wife and eldest daughter Alethia (Lethie) standing at the door. Roger Barwick tells the Archive: ” My grandad Harold Bowling became landlord at the Maynard Arms around 1929 I think. He had been steward at the club from 1911 when it opened. Quite a number of people will remember his son Harold or Tim as he was known he became a policeman and was awarded the British Empire Medal for saving people during a storm in Staithes.”
Information kindly supplied by Derick Pearson and Jean Wiggins, also thanks to Alwyn Wood and Dan Holme for updates.
This photograph arrived to the Archive already titled, however the whole story was revealed following three contacts from George Tremain. He told the Archive:”The older Charles Hall was my great, great grandfather and Margaret Elizabeth my great, great grandmother”. George then assisted with: “This photograph shows the wedding between Charles Hall of Front Street, Carlin How to Olive Appleby; also of Carlin How. They were my great grand parents. The wedding took place in 1920, Charles was 30 years of age and Olive was also 30 years. Also on the left of the photograph is his father Charles Hall who had been an Overman in the Loftus Ironstone Mine who was aged 76 years at the time of the photograph and his wife Margaret Elizabeth Ann (nee Ord). The parents of the bride were William and Mary Appleby.” George added even more information about the Hall family with: “An ancestor of mine called Charles Hall married Margaret Elizabeth Ord on 18th June 1870 at Brotton Parish Church. He was an ironstone miner who later became an Overman at the Loftus Ironstone mine. He lived in 2 Carlin How lodge and later at 6 Overman’s Cottages. He had a son also called Charles Hall born in 1887 so it could possibly be his marriage if not his father’s”. Tony Nicholson also advises: “If I’m not mistaken, the chap standing at the back with the impressive moustache is Tom Petty. He and my grandfather, Fred Nicholson. set up in business together (Nicholson & Petty), first in Carlin How and then Brotton. By the look of it, Tom may well have been best man at Charles’s wedding. It certainly fits, because my grandfather was brother-in-law to Charles. They were all chapel people and this shows them standing outside Zion Chapel, Carlin How”.
Image courtesy of Carlin How Community Centre, thanks to George Tremain for confirmatory information on Charles Hall and the family; also thanks to Tony Nicholson fro the update.
The Archive had assistance in resolving: who, where and why with this image. Andrew Downs told the Archive: ”This is at the west door of St Helen’s church, Carlin How; I would guess it’s a Mother’s Union ‘do ‘ as they are parading the banner of our lady, which is still in the church to this day. My mum – Marie Downs (nee Lancaster) has been organist here since 1960”. Derick Pearson tells us: ” The lady on the front row far right is Mrs Thornton; next to her is Mrs Nattress. The lady between the Vicars head and his crook is Mrs Webster and Mrs Hoggarth to his left. The only other person I can recognise is Mrs Hoggarth from Carlin How who used to play the melodeon”.
Image courtesy of Carlin How Community Centre, thanks to Derick Pearson and Andrew Downs for the additional information.
Carlin How Club gentlemen on one of the regular outings; most of the names are known (left to right: ? Husband, William Henry Davis, Jim Nicholson, Harry Chapman, Edgar Scott (Senior, father of Edgar) and Edgar Scott. Colin Verrill advised: “A Club trip to the Lake District, my guess around 1960/61”. Rosemary Brooks added: “The gentleman, second from left is my grandfather William Henry Davis. A wonderful photographs which aids family historians”. Following work with Carlin How Community Centre this image is now known to date from 1962.
Image courtesy of Carlin How Community Centre (Mr McConnel), also thanks to Colin Verrill, Brian Young and Rosemary Brooks for the updates.
Doesn’t look real does it? The train going over Loftus viaduct is dumping shale from the mines to convert the viaduct into an embankment. The viaduct was seriously weakened by undermining from the ironstone mines, so these drastic measures were taken to fix the problem. Simon Chapman tells us: ”Messrs Bell Brothers wanted to mine ironstone from beneath the viaduct from their Carlin How Mine so arrangements were made to fill in the viaduct to support it from 1907. In January 1911 it was found that one of the piers had begun to crack because of unequal infilling so rail services were suspended for a fortnight to enable extra tipping to take place. Shale was tipped from Liverton and Loftus Mines and was completed by 1914.”
Image courtesy of the Pem Holliday Collection and thanks to Simon Chapman for that update.
But not by this train – a local commuter makes its way across the skyline towards Loftus as the biggest shale heap in the area takes shape! This image provoked several comments: Graham Suggett asked: “Is the Kilton Viaduct the same as the Carlin How to Loftus Viaduct? Did the infilling start because of a cracked pier in 1911 to 1914; due to the mining of ironstone from underneath? My memories go back to the 1930′s. I was born in Carlin How and my grandparents lived at Liverton Mines. We moved to Darlington at the outbreak of WWII to escape the expected raids by the Bosch on the steelworks and Skinningrove Harbour. However, I was a regular visitor to Liverton Mines both during and after the War (I was there and saw the Lockheed Lightning crash). I knew the viaduct and Kilton Woods well, but never ventured beyond the railway station on the hill between Liverton Mines and Loftus.” Andrew Pryce commented: “As far as I know the Kilton Viaduct is indeed the Carlin How to Loftus viaduct, I used to cycle from Carlin How to Loftus along the railway track (before they were re-laid) it was a lot easier than going along the road used to get onto the old trackway from Kilton Lane by the footbridge, then it was an easy cycle to Loftus and my mate (Dave Bullock) lived in the old station house, that would have been about 1966.”Derick Pearson supplied the following: “The reason for the burying of Kilton Viaduct was the subsidence that resulted from Ironstone mining underneath the pillars. This became so bad that the line was closed in January 1911 and rail passengers carried between Loftus and Skinningrove in Motor char-a bancs. Approximately three-quarters of a million tons of spoil from the nearby mines were used to earth up the viaduct. Another railway bridge in the neighbourhood had also suffered considerably from the effects of subsidence. The railway line between Boosbeck and Brotton crosses the road from Lingdale to New Skelton by a single arch bridge. When this subsided a second bridge was built on top of it in order to maintain the railway at its correct level. The lower of the two brick arches has also had to be heavily reinforced with old rails. P W B Semmens, 52 Belle Vue Grove, Middlesbrough.“
Simon Chapman tells us: ”Messrs Bell Brothers wanted to mine ironstone from beneath the viaduct from their Carlin How Mine so arrangements were made to fill in the viaduct to support it from 1907. In January 1911 it was found that one of the piers had begun to crack because of unequal infilling so rail services were suspended for a fortnight to enable extra tipping to take place. Shale was tipped from Liverton and Loftus Mines and was completed by 1914.”
Image courtesy of the Pem Holliday Collection, thanks to Graham Suggett, Andrew Pryce and Derick Pearson for their updates. Many thanks to Simon for that definitive comment.
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