| Date | Subject of Talk - Speaker |
|---|---|
| Wed 15th October 2025 | ONE SOUTH SHIELDS LASS By CAROL DEAN |
| Wed 19th November 2025 | THE SEA IS IN MY BLOOD By DAVID HASTINGS |
| Wed 10th December 2025 | INFORMAL ‘GET TOGETHER’ |
The meeting held on the 17th September was attended by 7 members and we had 4 apologies. We commenced with the Branch AGM when the existing Officers were unanimously re-elected.
Following the formalities of the AGM, the Branch Chairman John Stobbs gave a talk entitled ‘Disease and Medicine Part 2’. This encompassed the major causes of death throughout the ages such as tuberculosis, plague, famine and fever and how living conditions impacted on the population. By the 1800s one in five children in Newcastle did not survive infancy, with the average expectancy of life being about 35, increasing to 42 in 1900.
Various remedies were used over the centuries such as the Benedictine Monasteries were known for their herbal medicines and barber surgeons were often attached to monasteries where they would use basic surgery. Wine would be used as an antiseptic as well as herbs and leeches being used for various ailments.
An interesting thought provoking talk which gave a very good insight into how our ancestors must have lived.
The speaker at the meeting held on the 17th June was Susan Lynn whose talk was entitled “Impressed – You Will be”. There were 8 members present plus we had 3 apologies.
Susan gave a detailed account of how historically the country was continually at war and due to the structure of the Royal Navy, it was often difficult to recruit men. The Press Gangs originated in the 1690s. Outside of London, Newcastle was one of the busiest ports and it was common practice for the Press Gangs to ply likely lads with drink before handing out the ‘Kings Shilling’. The numerous public houses which lined the banks of the River Tyne meant this was a prime location for targeting likely recruits.
Seamen were poorly paid, and desertion was a capital offence, punishable often by flogging. Bounties paid were quite substantial and in 1779 a payment of 5 guineas for an able seaman and 3 guineas for an ordinary seaman could be sought. It was estimated that by the time of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 it was estimated half of the force were press ganged. Impressment ended during the Napoleonic Wars.
This was a very enjoyable talk which led to much discussion between our Members.
The meeting held on the 21st May was attended by 12 members/visitors, when the speaker was the Branch Secretary. The talk ‘The History of a Victorian House’ related to Ann’s former office located in The Esplanade, Sunderland.
Unfortunately, due to technical issues within the meeting room, it was not possible to show the full power point presentation, but Ann explained Sunderland Marine Mutual Insurance has been established in 1882 by a group of Sunderland Shipowners and how it had evolved into a leading insurer of fishing vessels whose head office was based in The Esplanade.
The Esplanade consists of 9 terraced houses with private gardens to the front and when it was built in the late 1850s there were coach houses and stables to the rear. It is located in Ashbrooke, which became the first suburb of Sunderland, to provide housing for the middle class who wished to escape the overcrowded conditions in the town of Sunderland.
The first occupants of No. 7 The Esplanade were William Thomas Bell and his wife Mary Herring. William was born in Shotley Bridge in 1810 and influenced by his uncle William, he became involved in the coal industry. Mary was the daughter of William Herring, a wealthy Sunderland Ship owner; William and Mary married in Southwick on 18th August 1852.
William Thomas Bell became a Director of Wearmouth Colliery and on his retirement in 1880 he purchased a property known as ‘High Green’ in the Parish of Bellingham. It was here where William passed away in 1891. The Esplanade property was sold in 1892 and Mary moved to Eastbourne, where she died in 1910. Both William and Mary are buried in Bishopwearmouth cemetery.
The talk continued giving brief details of all the owners/residents of No.7 up until 1986 when Sunderland Marine took occupancy. In 2005 The Esplanade was sold for re-development into high-end apartments.
The meeting held on the 16th April 2025 was attended by 9 members and with 2 apologies. The speaker was Tony Stephenson who gave a presentation entitled ‘Tyneside on Film’.
There have been over 200 films made which include Tyneside locations, albeit some are glimpses or superimposed shots of local landscapes. Tony’s presentation was made up by showing a selection of excerpts from films, starting with the ‘Night of the Fire’ filmed in 1939 through to ‘The Duke’ filmed in 2020 which starred Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren. Whilst the latter was not actually made on Tyneside, it did include a shot of the Tyne Bridge.
We saw clips from iconic films made in the 1960s and early 1970s such as ‘Get Carter’, ‘Women in Love’, and ‘The Likely Lads’, as well as a documentary on Bob Dylan where he can be seen in Pudding Chare and The City Hall, Newcastle.
Many more films were made over the preceding years, some have been made by local companies, others have internationally known characters from the acting world in the casts. This was a presentation with a difference which the members present at the meeting thoroughly enjoyed.
The meeting held on the 19th March was a Members Forum, the purpose of which was to discuss ideas for the Branch display at the forthcoming NDFHS Conference. 10 Members were in attendance at the meeting plus 1 apology.
Consideration was given to a number of suggestions which were put forward, the outcome of which is that several Members volunteered to research collieries and pit disasters, which have occurred in mines located in the wider area of South Tyneside.
The meeting held on the 19th February was attended by 15 members who enjoyed a talk by Hilton Dawson on the subject of the Newbiggin by the Sea genealogy project. On the premise that ‘everybody in Newbiggin is related to everybody else’, the aim is to research and record those who have ever lived in the town and it is believed this is the largest project of this kind in the world.
The east coast ‘herring boom’ in the 19th century resulted in the relatively small population of Newbiggin being reliant on fishing for a living, with families such as Robinson, Dawson, Armstrong and Stanton being names among the fisherfolk. There was also a colliery in Newbiggin; two perils industries which came with several losses of life, which had a profound effect on such a small community. It is believed the majority of the population descend from Robert Robinson who married Catherine Milburn in 1627.
The project is run entirely by community volunteers, members pay a small subscription each year and meetings are held each month either in person or on-line. As well as a Website, there is a Facebook page advertising the meetings. In building up the Newbiggin Family Tree, which can be viewed via their website, the volunteers have received help from ‘My Heritage’ as well as receiving a Lottery Heritage grant.
Hilton concluded his talk by mentioning that during the 1950s and 1960s there was an artistic vibe in the town. Some well-known folk who descend from Newbiggin were Harold Lloyd, silent film actor, and Sir Phillip Watts, the chief designer for Armstrongs and who was responsible for designing the dreadnaught battleships.
Our invited Speaker at the meeting held on Wednesday 15th January 2025 was Chris Killen who gave a very enjoyable talk on local author Catherine Cookson. We had 9 Members present at the meeting and 3 apologies.
Born 1906 in Leam Lane, and registered as Catherine Ann Davies, Catherine was brought up by her McMullen grandparents, with the belief her mother was her elder sister. School was St Peter & Paul’s in Tyne Dock. At the age of 14, Catherine went into service but told people she worked in a chemist. Catherine then worked in the laundry at Harton Workhouse before moving to the Essex Workhouse at the age of 29.
Catherine was a good saver and with the help of a mortgage, bought her first house in Hastings where she took in lodgers. One such boarder was Thomas Cookson, a teacher at the local high school. They married on the 1st June 1940, but although desperate to have a family, Catherine suffered several miscarriages which had a detrimental effect on her mental health over the years.
Inspired by the 4th Earl of Chesterfield, Catherine had started writing at an early age, but initially without success. Her first novel ‘Kate Hannigan’ was published in 1950 and this was followed by many other novels such as ‘The Mallen Streak’ and ‘The 15 Streets’. Always thrifty she amassed a fortune through her works and she became a patriot of many charities, including large donations to Newcastle University Medical School. She was awarded an Honorary Degree at Newcastle University as well as becoming a Dame in 1993.
In later years, Catherine and Tom returned to her native North East, finally settling in Jesmond as due to her declining health, she needed to be nearer medical facilities. Catherine died on the 11 June 1998 followed 17 days later by the death of her husband Tom. A personal touch to this talk is one of our Branch members told how she had nursed Catherine in hospital during the latter days of her life.
The meeting held on the 16th October was attended by 11 members plus one apology. The Speaker was Ann Clouston who spoke on the Tyne Pilots. Ann is both Chair of the ‘Friends of Westoe Cemetery’ and a Newcastle City Guide and her talk was based around a walk she had devised on behalf of the City Guides.
Dating back to Roman times, a Pilot is a master mariner, an occupation which historically was handed down from father to son. The Tyne Pilotage was originally under the control of Trinity House in Newcastle but in 1856 this was transferred to the Tyne Pilotage, the old Pilot Office being located in Greens Place, overlooking the River Tyne.
Starting at the South Shields transport hub the walk continues up Mile End Road to St Stephen’s church, built in the 1840s and which has always been known as the ‘Pilots church’. Inside the church is a brass plaque which commemorates two lifeboat disasters; the first in memory of 20 pilots from a crew of 24 who were lost on the 4th December 1849 when the pilot cutter ‘Providence’ upturned going to the aid of the brig “Betsey”. Also, the loss of the pilot crew aboard the “Protector” which hit a mine in the mouth of the Tyne on the 31st December 1916. Only one body was ever found being that of 71 year old Robert Phillips. Many of the South Shields pilots were buried in the grounds of St Stephens but sadly a number of graves were destroyed in bombing raids during WW2.
The Lawe in South Shields is synonymous with mariners and many of the Pilots lived in this area, which commands views over the mouth of the Tyne. As well as the Pilot office, there were beacons to aid navigation, Lawe House which was a meeting place for the Pilots as well as Trinity Towers, a watch house for the Pilots and which later became a training station for the Marine College. All of these buildings have now been demolished.
Continuing the walk down the steps to the riverside, there once was the pilot jetty and the foy boat office. In the past the Pilots manned the Tyne lifeboats and the second oldest preserved lifeboat (the oldest being in Redcar) and the Woodhave memorial can be found opposite the entrance to Marine Park. An interesting talk which encompasses the essence of South Shields history.
The first Branch Meeting after the summer break was held in the Charles Dickens Room at The Word on the 16th September 2024. 9 members were in attendance plus 4 apologies.
The meeting commenced with the Branch AGM when the current Chairman expressed a wish to standdown and one of the NDFHS longstanding members volunteered to take over the role. The Secretary and Treasurer agreed to stand for another year.
Following the formalities a Members Forum was held, the main purpose of which was to put forward ideas and discuss options the Branch could contribute to the 50th Anniversary Conference to be held in June 2025; the theme of which is ‘Mining’. South Tyneside was once home to several coalmines and notable disasters, as well as housing a Cokeworks in Hebburn and of course South Shields, being a seaport, saw many a ship transporting coal, not only to ports in the UK but also Europe and further afield. Therefore, a number of options for further research.
The meeting concluded with a general discussion and help with ‘brickwalls’.
