Bedlington, Northumberland: People and Places of 1879

The Post Office Directory of Durham and Northumberland

by Kelly and Company

Published in 1879

BEDLINGTON is a parish and considerable village, 1 mile from the station on the Blyth and Tyne section of the North Eastern railway and 5 south-east from Morpeth, in the Northern division of the county, Morpeth union and county court district, rural deanery of Newcastle East and archdeaconry of Northumberland and Durham diocese. The village is situated on some of the highest land in the parish, commanding a fine view of the German Ocean and on the river Blyth: it consists of one wide street about 1 mile in length and very irregularly built. The parish of Bedlington, although locally situated in the county of Northumberland, was formerly totally distinct and unconnected with it in civil and ecclesiastical matters: for civil purposes it was in Chester ward, in the county of Durham, and for ecclesiastical affairs was a peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Durham; for all lay purposes it has, by the Acts of 2 & 3 Wm. IV. cap. 64 and 7 & 8 Vic. cap. 61, been constituted a part of the county of Northumberland: it is called Bedlingtonshire. The parish comprises the townships of BEDLINGTON, NETHERTON, CHOPPINGTON with SHEEPWASH, and CAMBOIS with EAST SLEEKBURN and WEST SLEEKBURN, the hamlets of HIGH PANNS and NORTH BLYTH; parts of this parish now form two separate districts for ecclesiastical purposes, named respectively Choppington and Cambois. The church of St. Cuthbert is a Gothic stone building, consisting of chancel, semicircular nave, with tower, clock and 2 bells. The register dates from the year 1654. The living is a vicarage, yearly value £600, with residence, in the gift of the Dean and Chapter of Durham, and held by the Rev. Charles Thomas Whitley, M.A. of St. John's College, Cambridge, who is also Hon. Canon of Durham and rural dean. There are schools for boys and girls, and there is a Sunday school held at each of the above school-rooms. There are chapels for Catholics, Baptists, Presbyterians, Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists. There are several extensive collieries in the parish; chain and nail making is carried on. The county magistrates meet in the Court house here on the first and third Friday in each month. There is a lock-up connected with the Court-house. The Board of Health hold their meetings at Bedlington the second Thursday in each month, in the Courthouse. Here is a Mechanics' institute with library and reading-rooms. Hartford House the residence of A. E. Burdon, esq. J.P. is a fine stone mansion, pleasantly situated on the bank of the river Blyth. Augustus E. Burdon, esq. George Marshall, esq. and the Bedlington Coal Company are the principal landowners. The soil is of a clayey nature; the subsoil is clay. The area of the entire parish is 8,402 acres of land and 332 of water; rateable value, £49,883; the population of the parish in 1861 was 8,388, and in 1871, 13,490, including Choppington and Cambois; the population of the township in 1871 was 6,551.

Parish Clerk, George Hayes.

POST & MONEY ORDER & TELEGRAPH OFFICE (RAILWAY SUB-OFFICE) & Post Office Savings Bank & Government Annuity & Insurance Office.—Mrs. Elizabeth Henderson, postmistress. Letters are received by rail; arrive at 7.10 a.m. & are dispatched at 5.25 p.m

POST OFFICE, Bedlington station.—John Taylor, receiver. Letters arrive at 8.40 a.m.; dispatched at 3.55 p.m

COUNTY MAGISTRATES, Sir M. W. Ridley, bart. M.P.; Rev. C. T. Whitley, Joseph Young, esq. A. E. Burdon, esq. & G. B. Forster, esq

Petty Sessions are held at the Court house every first & third Friday in the month. The following places are included in the Petty Sessional division:—Bedlington, Bebside, Cowpen, East & West Hartford, Horton, South Blyth & Newsham

LOCAL BOARD OF HEALTH.

Clerk, Charles Forster

Treasurer, Robert Swann

Surveyor, William Hogarth

Surveyor of Highways & Inspector of Nuisances, George Fenwick

Collector, Richard Short

INSURANCE AGENTS:—

Queen, G. Wilson, Smalle's cottages

Railway Passengers' & Royal, Gibson Brothers

United Kingdom Temperance, Gibson Brothers

PUBLIC ESTABLISHMENT.—Lock-up, at the Court-house, Robert Spence, sergeant of police

PUBLIC OFFICERS:—

Relieving Officer for the District & Registrar of Births, Deaths & Marriages for the Bedlington District, George Smyth Waterson

Assistant Overseer, John Watson

Collector of Board of Health Rates, Richard Short

Clerk to Justices of Morpeth Board & Bedlingtonshire, Charles Alderson, Morpeth

SCHOOLS:—

National, Robert Ramshaw, master; Miss Grey, sewing mistress

Bedlington Colliery, Bedlington station, William Fisher, master; Miss Margaret Fisher, infants' mistress

Catholic, Miss Ellen Staunton, mistress

Railway Station, Joseph Walker, station master

CARRIERS TO:—

BLYTH—Stephen Stoker, friday; William Pringle, monday, wednesday & friday

MORPETH—Stephen Stoker, wednesday & saturday

NEWCASTLE—Wm. Pringle, tues. thurs. & sat. returns same days; John Swinhoe, tues. & sat. returns same days

SHIELDS—John Swinhoe, thursday, returns same day

Netherton township is 2 miles west from Bedlington, 3 1/2 south-by-east of Morpeth, and 1 1/2 east from the station on the North Eastern railway. It is occupied principally by colliers. The Netherton school for boys and girls was built in the year 1846, and is partly endowed by the Earl of Carlisle: a Sunday school is held in the above room. There are chapels for Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists. Here are extensive collieries. The Earl of Carlisle is lord of the manor and owner of the land. The soil is chiefly clay; the subsoil is freestone. The chief crops are wheat, oats, turnips, potatoes and grass. Area 1,506 acres; population in 1871, 1,478.

POST OFFICE.—John Short, postmaster. Letters are received from Newcastle at 6.50 a.m. & are dispatched at 5.30 p.m. Bedlington is the nearest money order office

School, Wm. Turnbull, master

Railway Station, William Lamb, station master

Bedlington.

Beggs Wm. Henry, Hartford cottage

Burdon Augustus Edward, J.P. Hartford house

Carmichael Daniel, F.R.C.S

Dall Rev. Ebenezer Geo. [Presbyterian]

Johnson Charles Neville, Hartford Bridge house

Langlands Mrs

Maclaren Benjamin, F.R.C.P.S

Trotter James, F.R.C.S

Weekes John George

Whitley Rev. Charles Thomas, M.A., J.P. [hon. canon & rural dean], Vicarage

COMMERCIAL.

Anderson William, Red Lion commercial inn

Armstrong Charles, Puddlers' Arms

Barker Thomas Walker, boot & shoe ma

Barnard John, grocer

Bearrass William, Percy Arms, Bedlington station

Bedlington Coal Co. John George Weekes, agent

Bedlington Brick Co. Bedlington sta

Bedlington Co-operative Society, (Robert Metcalf, general manager); branch, Bedlington station

Bedlington Gas Co. (William James Gibson, sec)

Bell John, draper, Bedlington station

Bell Joseph, farmer, Broadway house

Best John, farmer & butcher

Best Joseph, King's Arms commercial hotel

Biggs William Henry, land steward to A. E. Burdon, esq. Hartford cottage

Bird Thomas, beer retailer

Bowman Mark, Howard Arms

Brown Jane (Mrs.), baker & confectioner

Brown John, butcher

Brown John, market gardener

Brown Matthew, shopkeeper, Choppington station

Bryson George, blacksmith

Buckham John, grocer, Bedlington station

Burn John, brick & tile manufacturer, Choppington station

Carmichael Daniel, surgeon

Carr Charles, ironmonger & bookseller

Carr James, potato dealer

Charlton Thomas, joiner & builder

Cole Thomas, butcher

Coates James, confectioner

Coulson Encas, Black Bull

Cowens Joseph, Tankerville Arms

Craigs Joseph, Railway inn, Bedlington station

Craigs Wm. shopkpr. Bedlington station

Cramlington Co-operative Society (Sleekburn branch), Bedlington sta

Curry John, farmer, Ridge farm

Davidson Thomas Robson, chemist & druggist

Ditchburn Jane Alice(Mrs.),shopkeeper

Dixon John, shopkeeper, Choppington station

Dixon Mary (Mrs.), shopkeeper

Dixon Thos.& James,boot&shoe makers

Dodds Ralph, newsagent, Bedlington sta

Dover Edward, shopkeeper

Dunn Lewis, draper, tailor & clothier

Dunn Thomas, grocer

Elliott James, shopkeeper

Errington Edward Kyle, grocer

Fairbairn Andrew, grocer

Finlayson Elizabeth (Mrs.), farmer

Foggan Dorothy (Mrs.) & Robert, boot & shoe maker

Foggan John, butcher & farmer

Ford Robert, farmer

Foreman John, auctioneer

Foster Peter, draper

Gascoigne & Co. marine store dealers

Gibson Brothers, chain & nail manufacturers & ironmongers

Gray Thomas, tailor

Hall John, tailor, Bedlington station

Harker James, grocer

Harrison James, stationer

Hay Robert, grocer & tea dealer

Heldon William, Clayton's Arms, Bedlington station

Hedley John, linen draper

Hemsted Thomas, fruiterer

Henderson Ann (Mrs.), toy dealer

Henderson John, horse dealer

Henderson William, grocer & draper

Hobbs Thomas, hair dresser

Hogg George Scott, tailor

Holmes George, blacksmith, Bedlington station

Hood John, farmer

Howey Henry, Odd Fellows' Arms

Hudson George, tailor

Hudson William, grocer & provision merchant & draper

Hudspeth John, Turk's Head commercial hotel

Jennings Benjamin, marine store dealer, Bank Top

Joicey William, tailor

Keightley Hutton Glover, beer retailer & quarry owner

Kidd Henry, beer retailer

Kidd Robert, draper

Kidd Thomas, saddler & boot & shoe ma

Lamonby Joseph, picture frame maker

Lacey Joseph, Lord Clyde hotel, Choppington station

Landless Wm.butcher, Bedlington statn

Law Robert, Northumberland Arms

Leslie Robert, Bridge inn

Liddle William, shopkeeper, Bank top

Lillico Peter,draper, Choppington statn

Luckley William, beer retailer

Lyall John, tailor

Macgregor Daniel, veterinary surgeon, Bedlington station

Maclaren Benjamin, surgeon

Mallaburn John, shopkeeper

Massey James, grocer

Meacher Frederick, Railway inn, Choppington station

Mechanics' Institution (P. H. Gibson, sec.; E. K. Herrington, librarian)

Merryman John, fruiterer

Metcalf Robert & Sons, printers, publishers & stationers

Mitchison John Archibald, draper, hosier & milliner

Moldern Joseph, boot & shoe maker

Morgan & Co. clothiers

Morpeth Jane (Mrs.), saddler

Nelson Stephen, Masons' Arms commercial hotel

Newcastle & North of England Trading Co. grocers, Bedlington station

Nicholson William, butcher

North Eastern Banking Co. Limited (W. J. & P. H. Gibson, joint mans.); draw on Glyn & Co. London

Nugent Peter, shoe maker

Oliver John A. Blue Bell

Oliver John & Launcelot, joiners

Oliver Ralph & John, joiners

Orange Joseph, butcher & farmer

Peacock Henry John, butcher, Bedlington station

Percy William, tailor & draper

Phillips John, beer retailer

Pringle Jacob, farmer, Lane house

Pringle William, carrier

Renwick William, grocer & linendraper

Rewcastle John Watson, chemist & druggist

Richardson David, farmer

Richardson George, printer & stationer

Ridley Thomas, painter

Robinson & Davidson,farmers, Windmill

Robson George, farm bailiff to A. E. Burdon, esq

Rutherford Thomas, greengrocer

Sample James, watch & clock maker

Scott George, baker & confectioner

Scurfield James, beer retailer

Singleton Thompson, painter & paper hanger

Snail Isabella (Mrs.), grocer

Soulsby Thomas, wine & spirit mercht

Stoker Elizabeth (Miss), confectioner

Stoker Hannah (Miss), milliner

Stoker Stephen, carrier

Swain Alexander, shopkeeper, Choppington station

Swann Robert & John, butchers

Swann Bros. farmers, Hirst head, Choppington & West Sleekburn

Tait James, Sun inn

Tait John, brick & tile maker, Choppington station

Tate Thomas, picture frame maker

Taylor John, grocer & draper

Taylor John, tailor, & post office, Bedlington station

Thompson Brothers, farmers, Red ho

Thompson Nicholas, boot & shoe maker, Bedlington station

Thompson William, blacksmith

Trotter James, physician & surgeon

Thompson Wm.grocer, Bedlington statn

Wailes Richard, market gardener

Waldie Bros. watch & clock makers

Walker Brothers, drapers

Walker John, Dun Cow

Waterson Geo. Smyth, relieving officer & registrar of births, deaths & marriages for the Bedlington district

Watson Christopher, draper

Webb William, solicitor

Whittle George, day school

Wight John, tailor

Wilson Hugh, shoe maker

Wilson William, blacksmith

Wonders & Son, wine & spirit merchants, & agents for Kinloch & Co.'s Catalan wines; also Richie & Son, brewers

Wood Joseph, greengrocer, Bedlington station

Netherton.

Young Joseph, J.P. Netherton house

Feil George William, butcher

Feil Thomas, farm bailiff to Howards' West Hartley Colliery Co

Graham James, farmer

Kidd John, shopkeeper

Liddell John Robinson, mining engineer

Robson James, farm bailiff to William Younger, esq

Short John, blacksmith, & post office

Thompson John, farmer, Burnt house

Todd John, farmer, South farm