Ushaw Moor Memories (Backup)

Memories of Ushaw Moor and Deerness Valley

Thursday 30 October 2008

Yet Another 'Coach Tour'

'Coach Tour' sounds a bit more interesting that a timeline don't you think? I hope that some of the names dropped are of interest to both family history enthusiasts and residents in general.

Here we go:

1905 George Bertram Joslin of Ushaw Moor died on 13/01/1905. He had served as a porter at Durham Railway Station for many years.

1921 Ushaw Moor Colliery employed about 870 workers at this time.

1932 Several local men attended the funeral of Mr William Browell Charlton, a distinguished chairman of the Durham Mining Board. The local men were:

W Shellett,  A Tindale and F Pattison [all three from New Brancepeth and representing the Colliery Enginemen’s Association], G Hume from New Brancepeth [representing the Durham Winding Enginemen’s Association], Mr J Shield [Ushaw Moor] and Mr J H Paul of Bearpark. I wonder whether Mr Shield was a member of the family that was living at 26 Front Street, Browney in 1901.

1950 Ushaw Moor Colliery employed about 340 workers at any given time during this year whereas at New Brancepeth Colliery the figure was about 470 [under the managership of Mr G Watson].

1952 Wilf Bell did not win the New Brancepeth Primary School 50 yard dash. He was winning but stopped at what he thought was the finishing line [it wasn’t]. Who won it then?

1955 A local MP brought to Parliament’s attention the need for a post box to be sited on the new housing estate at Bearpark.

1957 Many elderly residents of Ushaw Moor are already familiar with the name Jack Joyce – one gentleman of that name had his portrait on the Ushaw Moor banner and another was a local historian living in Whitehouse Lane, albeit I believe with the surname Joice. Now we have another Joyce: Mr Anthony Joyce, of Wardley. He moved from Ushaw Moor in 1911 and went on to give excellent service as secretary and treasurer of the Follonsby Miners’ Lodge.   Like Jack Joyce of Ushaw Moor he had the privilege of having his portrait painted on a colliery banner.

1958 A local MP informed Parliament that the parents of pupils taking the Northern Counties School Certificate had to pay exam administration fees whereas the parents of pupils taking GCE did not.

1973 An Ushaw Moor lad, John George March, scored 64 for Durham County against Northumberland.

1974 Cllr. L Dodds was appointed chairman of Brandon and Byshottles Council – the following year Cllr. J H Turner held the same position. Both were local to Ushaw Moor.

1991 Colin Albone [born in Ushaw Moor in 1954] shared in a partnership of 291 with Dennison Thomas to assist South Moor to compile 357 for 4 wickets against Seaton Burn in the Tyneside Senior League. It can be said that Colin was very much the one that got away as far as Ushaw Moor are concerned.

2006 Shaun Ellis of New Brancepeth Primary School won a prize in a schools’ painting competition.

2008 Capitalism is tottering but you can still buy a pint and fish and chips in Ushaw Moor.

5 comments:

  1. The original article - posted on to the old site - was fine. For some reason since being transferred across it sort of duplicates itself!

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  2. Thanks Paul for adjusting the posting.

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  3. The Mr G Watson you refer to as the manager of New Brancepeth colliery was one of my relatives. The family lived in the house they called 'The Villa' down the valley next to the river between Ushaw moor & New Brancepeth. Geoffrey Watson was involved in the aftermath of the Easington Colliery disaster. Geoff managed to help my Dad get a job at the colliery after he was demobbed at the end of WW2. Mum and Dad lived with them for a while until they got a colliery house at Church Street, New Brancepeth.

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  4. Mr G Watson was manager at New Brancepeth Colliery for a number of years and as Katie R states he lived at The Villa. He was known as Pop Watson and was known as a fair man to deal with. In those days the Colliery Manager ran the Pit and his word was Law having the power to start men or equally to fire them on the spot. To the children of the area whose father worked at New Brancepeth Colliery The Villa was strictly out of bounds and I remember passing the house and thinking Pop Watson lives there and looking on him as a superior being because of his influence on the working lives of so many local men. Respect for the man because of his position was a better way of phrasing my last sentence. My eldest brother Jim served his time as a joiner at New Brancepeth Colliery and one of his pals was a lad named Johnny Morallee who also worked at the Colliery and was a nephew of Mr Watson and also lived at The Villa. Thanks Katie R for refreshing some memories.

    Brian Mc.

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  5. Johnny Moralee stayed with his Aunt & Uncle in the villa and died in 1996.
    Other Moralee's who came to New Brancepeth post WW2 were Tommy & Crystal Moralee and Billy & Jennie Moralee. All have now passed away.
    At the villa, there were samples of Barytes which were mined at New Brancepeth. My Dad said it was such a heavy mineral that the tubs could only be filled one third full. New Brancepeth is very special in that Barytes is quite rare - or so I heard.
    Thanks for the kind words you said about Uncle Geoff - he was a lovely man and as you said - a Gentleman.

    Katie R.

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