"Robbie" Gill wrote his original book " Aldbrough, Stanwick and Carlton - The Story of our Village", some twenty odd years ago and much has happened, changed and been discovered since then. Since Robbie's death, his son John Gill kindly agreed that additions to the original work should be made and I have attempted to add to his work simply because, as Robbie himself said, his was never meant to be an authoritative work on the subject.   Like Robbie, my additions and revisions are as accurate as possible, but not meant to be definitive.

Grant Rowley. 2003

In writing these notes I have tried to be as accurate as possible. I have neither the facilities nor the time for serious research. It is written for the benefit of those who have come to live in the village in the post war era, and who are interested in its past. So few of the pre-war residents still remain, and fewer still are natives. I hope that at least some may find this book helps them to understand more and appreciate the environment in which they live.

I am indebted to many friends who have helped me by advice and encouragement. Without them, it would never have got off the ground.

      R. J. Gill

November 1987

The name Aldbrough, Aldburne in the Domesday Book, means simply an old or ancient settlement. So it must have been in existence for a very long time indeed. The pronunciation seems straight forward but is not always understood. OLD-BROUGH, the same as in ROUGH, is the correct way, never OLD-BORROW. The shortened spelling Aldbro' is a product of the 1930's, when Post Office reorganisation caused chaos to our postal deliveries, and the St John part was added onto the address. The native pronunciation eighty years since was 'ARD-BROUGH', used almost universally here and in the surrounding villages. 'ARD' was used instead of OLD as a descriptive noun, as 'ARD' man.

  In attempting to put together any record or local history of Aldbrough one realises that Stanwick and Carlton must be included. They have been linked together since time immemorial, and are in the same ecclesiastical parish. They have been for centuries, and have often been in the same ownership, though never completely. This came to an end when the Stanwick estate was sold in 1921.

  I feel we must first look at the position of the village on the map. It lies within the angle of two major Roman roads. The Scotch Corner ' Piercebridge road, Dere Street, [also referred to as Watling Street and Leeming Lane] and the Scotch Corner ' Brough road, and the road between them completing the triangle runs through Aldbrough. The village is one mile south of the former and three miles north of the latter. There is in fact, evidence that other Roman roads converged on Aldbrough, but sadly, the Roman name for Aldbrough appears to have been lost through time.  progress to discover this name is still continuing.  It seems likely that Roman forces, at the time of the siege of the Brigantian camp at Stanwick, came down from Lucy Cross, and there would be quite a lot of Romans about in 65 A.D. The camp perimeter is just half a mile to the west and the large Roman presence which would have laid siege to this camp, would have demanded an established encampment closeby.  After all, the Romans would not have knocked off at teatime to march home to Piercebridge or Catterick, only to march back the next morning to continue the barrage with onega and other military equipment.  Roman remains have been found in fields in this area.{mospagebreak}

  Until recently, little had been found about the period up to the Conquest, but it is without doubt that Aldbrough had been the headquarters of one of the indigenous tribes who lived in this part of the north east.

  The Conquest, 1066, and with it the Domesday Book of 1086, is presently the turning point in the quest for knowledge of our past history. It tells us that up to 1066 Torr held it. Torr was a Saxon who apparently ruled this area. King William gave it to Count Alan. He was a Breton, a senior lieutenant of the King, who distinguished himself at the Battle of Hastings, where he lead the Breton contingent. As a reward he was given vast tracts of land in East Anglia, as well as our area. As a result of this, he sub-let this part to Enisant, a junior officer. He too was a Breton. His full name was Enisant Musard, and he held the Constables fee of 81 knights in Richmond, though there is no evidence that he was Constable of Richmond. He died in 1130. His land passed to Roald the Constable and Richard de Rolles, who may have married his two daughters.

  But to go back to the Domesday Book, and what it says about our village. It states that in Aldbrough there were 'eight carucates taxable'. Taxable probably means land under cultivation, either under plough or pasture. A carucate was taken to be 120 acres in this part of the country, so at Aldbrough the area under cultivation was upwards of 1000 acres. There were four acres of meadow. There were eleven villagers and three small-holders with six ploughs. A 'plough' consisted of a team of eight oxen and a plough. In this area a team was supposed to be able to plough a carucate in a year. His lordship (Enisant) had one plough.

  Villagers or smallholders had small amounts of land for their own use, by tenurial custom. Each villager or villein had to do a specified number of days service at the time of year demanded for nothing, plus 'boon work' (additional work) at busy times, sowing, harvesting, etc. Villagers had about ten acres and smallholders quite a bit more. Number recorded, eleven villagers, plus three smallholders means there were fourteen families at that time.

  There was a mill and a church, but historians whilst agree that the church referred to was in fact Stanwick church, a local group of historians and interested researchers, are finding evidence that the church in Aldbrough did, in fact exist.  There is reference to a church at Aldbrough and a church at Stanwick.  It is beyond belief that those who were capable of producing such a complex work as the Domesday Book, were unable to distinguish between the two villages when it came to mention of such an important building as a church.  The discovery of a churchyard at School House, in the north west corner of the village, makes this almost a certainty.  This work, too, is continuing.   The place was one league long and one wide. The value before 1066 was 40/- and now, 1086, '4.{mospagebreak}

  This latter poses a question. Why was Aldbrough twice the value in 1086 that it was twenty years earlier in 1066, in view of what had happened during this period' Other places in the locality were less or at best the same. Some were even waste. In 1069 the King was faced with another uprising in the north. He had never really conquered Northumbria, which reached from the Borders to the Humber, but thought he had reached an amiable agreement with the different Earls and Barons. A sort of non-aggression pact. He bought wrong. Word reached him of real trouble, and he marched his Army north. He found York in a mess. He was furious. He gave orders that the countryside to the north was to be totally devastated, and everything destroyed. His mercenaries pursued this policy right from the coast to the Pennines and up to the Tyne. It was scorched earth with a vengeance. As many as could fled, taking what they could, and when they dared to return, found nothing, just waste. It took years to recover, so how was Aldbrough so well off sixteen years later' Had it got off lightly, or even been missed' Ian Wardle shows that all the lands and villages under the care of Enisant, had Aldbrough at their centre, so it is possible that Aldbrough was spared for this reason. 

That there were important buildings in Aldbrough is without doubt. 

In circa 1540, John Leland reports in his diary, "In a valley at Aldbrough appear great ruins of a house or small castle, it stands 2 miles south of Piercebridge on Tees. A beck runs nearby." [translated from the original Old English].  It was two hundred years later when the historian Cade reported "It has been,a large Roman city, but by what name distinguished has never been ascertained." The vestiges still remaining very plainly indicate its great antiquity. -He again adds, "Aldburgh may date its decline from the new military way or road, being directed ad Tisam vinovium, and the vallum; on which account we hear of no altars, inscriptions, or other memorials of any kind found there, to assist us in our inquiries."

There were other intriguing clues. The area where  the church now stands, was an orchard[2], which Ian Wardle tells me was known as "Palace Gardens".   The Duchess Eleanor had cleaned up the village when she came in 1865 and I suspect that that is when the remains of the mill would be removed along with several old cottages. Possibly the decrepit remains of the "castle" were removed for building materials at the same time [houses on the same site testify to 1876 construction], as it was within a few feet of cottages which Robbie tells us, were pulled down in the clear-up. 

Recently whilst investigating an unconnected matter, I unearthed a map of the area, dating back nearly 200 years and was amazed to find the outline of a substantial building within the village at a location now occupied by nothing more than sheep. The map showed other buildings now lost and many open spaces now occupied, but my attention was drawn to this one building. There were other interesting changes too. Opposite the lane leading to Allison Court there is a lane occupied on both sides, by much smaller buildings leading straight into the small field behind where the church now stands. It appears that these were the cottages removed by the Duchess Eleanor and replaced with the ones dated 1876. Read more on this...

Back to Domesday Book. Carlton (CARTON), inland of Aldbrough, had two carucates taxable. Nothing else.

In Stanwick (STENWEGE), Thorr had three carucates, three ploughs possible. Now Enisant has one plough in lordship. Three villagers with three ploughs. Value before 1066, 3/-, now 12/-. Half a league long and half wide.

  The Rollos returned to Normandy in the reign of King John, 1199 - 1216, and Roald, Constable of Richmond, took over. It was in 1281 that 'the Earl of Richmond and his heirs had a grant of a weekly market on Tuesdays at Aldbrough, and yearly fair there on the vigil, feast, and morrow of St Michael'. That is, of course, Michaelmas Day, the 29th of September. There is no further mention of market or fair.

  From this time onwards one is confused by several different stories. Names such as de Marville, John Marmion, Templers and the Abbot of Egglestone, and the Hospitallers, together with Harsculph de Cleasby and Scropes. Canon Lyttleton discovered another story, that of the DE STANWEGG family, there from about 1100 to 1366. The heiress to this lot is supposed to have married William de Cateryck of Aldbrough. None seemed to have it for very long. The church undoubtedly held sway at one time, but I feel would be more interested in Stanwick and the church than in Aldbrough.

  I prefer Bulmers Directory account, which states that the Earls of Richmond held it until the time of Edward IV, when it was given to Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, who sold Stanwick and Aldbrough to the Cattericks early in the fifteenth century. These were a family of considerable substance. They held lands at Newsham, Barningham, and Gayles. At Stanwick they became known throughout the north of England for their race horses. At this period Gatherley Moor was the great racecourse of the north, and Catterick's Stanwick Stud was well known and famous throughout the area. In 1540 Leland visited them and recorded in his diary 'Mr. Katerick dwelleth at Stanwick, having a pretty place'. In 1564 George Catterick purchased Carlton from Sir Christopher Metcalf of Napper.{mospagebreak}

  During the reign of Elizabeth I, Stanwick was a centre of Roman Catholicism, and it was persecution and continued fines that so impoverished the Catterick family that was to result in the sale of the estates in 1638.

Two events of importance took place in 1619. The Aldbrough part of their estate was sold to Humphrey Wharton of Skelton in Cleveland. The second was that Anthony Catterick made an indenture, partly covenant, partly will, which was to ensure that, in the event of his death, Joyce, his wife, should have Carlton for the rest of her life. Infact, it was to be dower house for her. To me these actions seem like Corning events casting their shadows. This Anthony must have died between 1619 and 1638, because a deed of sale was made by his son, Anthony, and grandson, John, his heir apparent, and Hugh Smithson, Haberdasher, of London. They sold the Manor of Stanwick, together with other lands, for '4,000. A John Wild, gentleman, of Aldbrough, was a party to the deed. Carlton ~vas retained for many years. The son, John Catterick, eventually sold it to George Witham of Cliffe, in 1667. The Cattericks owned much more land than Stanwick and Aldbrough. An Indenture mentions Forcett, Carkin, Newsham, Bamingham and Gayles. There was also land in Melsonby parish, although this was probably considered part of the Stanwick estate. After the sale of Stanwick, part of the family lived at Carlton, while others went to Brecken House Farm near Melsonby which they still owned. Successive generations lived here, and in 1850 the farm was being run by the executors of Pierson Catterick, who ~vere Wayne Pierson Catterick and the Misses Catterick. There was also Thomas Pierson Catterick, a grocer and druggist in Melsonby. Another member of the family farmed Black Hill, nearer Gilling. This farm, Brecken House, was sold later in the century to a Stockton businessman. The next we hear of them was Pierson Catterick who farmed Village Farm, Piercebridge, certainly from the start of this century. He had two sons, neither of them married. I knew them all, but not well. The elder, who was quite an expert in motorcycle competitions, died long since but the younger, Francis Pierson Catterick farmed until his death within the last twenty years. He was the last of the line.

  With the coming of the Smithsons, many things were to change. They purchased Aldbrough from Wnartons in 1689. It should be made clear that at no time did the whole of Aldbrough belong to the estate. There were quite a few independent house owners and two farm owners. Manor Farm (Lucy Cross Farm) was owned by Milbanks of Halnaby and Alison Farm by Alisons. These latter were purchased by the Duke of Northumberland's Stanwick estate in the 19th century, plus some houses. The Spenceley family had lived and owned property in Aldbrough. Indeed, we are told that Mr. Spenceley had a house on the north side of the green in 1219. Another date given was 1210. They had in excess of twenty cottages in early 1800's.{mospagebreak}

  Carlton had been entirely separate from the estate but was purchased from S. J. Moulton Barett in 1828 and used thereafter as a residence for the estate agent. The Hall was demolished in 1919. It was a good building.

  After buying Stanwick, Smithsons lived in the house opposite the church, the Hall. Later it became known as the Old Hall, and later still as 'Kirkbridge'. Stanwick Hall, as we knew it, was built in the 1660's, and the completion date put at 1668. Hugh Smithson, who built it, was in fact the son of Eleanor, daughter and heir to George Catterick. He was created a Baronet in 1660, and died in 1670. A later Sir Hugh was to marry the Percy heiress, Elizabeth.

  A story is that he was a very popular and handsome figure in court circles, who became very keen on a friend of Elizabeth's. In conversation Elizabeth said how she admired him. Her friend said 'You can have him if you want.' Elizabeth took her at her word, and got him. Much to the chagrin of her friend.

  Anyway, this Sir Hugh changed his name to Percy by deed poll, and succeeded his father-in. law as Earl of Northumberland. George III made him Duke of  Northumberland in 1766. Thus the whole of our area, with the exception of Canton, became part of the Northumberland empire. Considerable changes were made at Stanwick in the latter part of the 18th century. The 'New Road' was made about this time, adding privacy to the Hall. Previously the road to Forcett went right through Stanwick and up past the church. The Hall itself was partly rebuilt, altered and added to. Much landscaping was done. This was the era of Capability Brown. A native of Northumberland, he did considerable work for the Dukes at Alnwick, in the midlands, and at Syon House, their London seat. He could well have been involved at Stanwick, the placement of the woods, the Park, the Levelings, being very much his style. The following century saw further change when an east wing was added in 1842.

  In 1865 the Duchess Eleanor arrived. She was sole owner during her lifetime. She was 45 when she came and was to live at Stanwick for another 45 years.

  She made tremendous changes at Stanwick and in Aldbrough, building new houses and re-building old ones. She had no family and died in 1911. She is buried at Stanwick. She was a true aristocrat, and also a wonderful and generous person. I remember being presented to her as a toddler, by my grandmother Gill. My recollection is of a little old lady, clothed in black silk. I was probably three.

  A cousin had succeeded her husband as Duke, and Stanwick Hall became the home of Earl Percy, heir to the Dukedom. His eldest son, Lord Warkworth, was born at Stanwick and I remember him being wheeled round Aldbrough in a pram, by two nursemaids in uniform. He was killed in the war, 1940, aged 27. The present Duke is his brother, Hugh. He is the tenth Duke.{mospagebreak}

  The war started in August 1914, and Stanwick Hall became a convalescent hospital for the wounded. The patients were popular in the village and wore a lightish blue suit of blanket cloth, but retained their khaki great coat and hat.

  Earl Percy was a popular chap. He used to wait outside church after Sunday morning services and chat to his tenants, addressing them by their Christian names. It was usually Willie, George and Tom, and occasionally Ralph. He went into the forces immediately war was declared and succeeded his father who died in 1918. He rarely returned to Stanwick, though he did attend the yearly rent day dinners. He died in 1930, from, I believe, a simple operation that went wrong. After the war the Hall was tidied up, and let to Col. Guy Wilson, along with the shooting. He was there for three or four years. The estate was sold in October 1921. The Hall and the Park were bought by speculators. They demolished the Hall, felled the trees, and sold off the houses. They left a mess.

  The people of Aldbrough were stunned when the sale was announced. Almost everyone was effected in some way. Many seriously. And when it happened it turned the village upside down and inside out. It should be realised that at the outbreak of war in excess of fifty people were employed on the estate and in the Hall. Most lived in Aldbrough. Younger workers left for fresh jobs. Quite a few of the older ones retired. They received a small pension. Some stayed to become self employed or found work locally and of course newcomers filled the empty houses. Some farms changed hands, while others were .)ought by their tenants. Those changing hands were Park House, Low Langdale, Hawtluorn Farm, Lucy Cross, Kirkbridge, Ruffans Farm, Close House and Allison Farm. It mu~t be pointed out that Mr. T. F. Fenwick moved from Park House to Ruffans Farm. Mr. R Stephenson, the tenant of Ruffans, had publicly stated his intention to retire.

  The newcomers in the same order as the above mentioned farms were Messrs J. J. Balmain, Bigge, H. Frown, J. Hunter, H. Johnson,-T. F. Fenwick, Mrs. Evans and J. G. Trotter New [arms created at Carlton and Aldbrough House were occupied by Messrs MacPherson and Burton.

A new farm house had been completed at Micklow and Mr. Hall moved there from Aldbrough House. The only original estate tenants now remaining are Messrs Lax, Fenwick and Gill.

  Very little change took place in the village once we had settled down after the estate sale. The slump in the middle twenties hit everybody and farming was at rock bottom. In the period between the wars Canton, Park House and Micklow changed occupants, while Dilston House (Close House) had five different owners or tenants. Only one house was built in the village, the bungalow now known as "Linwood'. This was built of stone setts recovered from the stable yard at Stanwick Hall. Not very well put together, it became known as 'Cardboard Villa'. Fortunately successive owners have improved it out of all recognition.

  Robert Pocklington had taken over Johnnie Beaches' brake, but soon purchased a Ford 'Model T' tonner. By putting a canvas top on and seats down each side it was converted into a bus on Monday and Saturday for taking folks to Darlington. This did not last long. Our first bus service started, running between Melsonby and Darlington, one shilling return. A Dalesman called Reg Nellis ran it and it was very reliable and with a good timetable. Later he was to sell out to United. Timetables were much as they are now, only better in that the last bus left Darlington about 10.30 p.m. when the cinemas closed. Otherwise it was a two hourly service each way, with an 8.00 a.m. bus to town. Very many more people used the bus then. Monday was market day at Darlington and the pony traps took us to town, together with butter, eggs, and sometimes chickens. The earlier tarmac roads were very slippery for a pony trotting and they sometimes slipped. It could be dangerous, and shafts were sometimes broken. Most of the farmers got their first cars, and these were almost always 'Model T' Fords! I learnt to drive in one. Mr. Lax of Carlton Grange had had a car for sometime however. It was the first I remember in the district, and was, I think, made in Scotland, an 'Arrol Johnson'. I think he had a second one of this make later. All were open tourers and some became very dilapidated. I remember one local farmer whose Ford had lost its hood and his wife used to use an umbrella if it rained, and a large trap umbrella at that.

  The Woman's Institute started and was well supported. All social events had to be held in the school. This meant moving some desks out of the big room and putting them back afterwards. I believe the charge was 5/-, with 2/6 for the caretaker. Whist drives and dances were held to raise funds for various things. The usual charge was 1/- for each. The school was also used for concerts, parties and indeed for all village events that were held inside.

There were a few people unemployed, and always some who used to cycle to work in Darlington. Some did it for many years. We celebrated the Silver Jubilee of King George V, and later the coronation of his son, King George VI.

  The first cattle trucks came on the road, which was a God-send. We had had to drive our cattle to Darlington market. Two or three farmers arranged to send some at the same time and we would take about a dozen at a time. You could have some fun at times as you got into town, what with traffic and garden gates open. I once had a cow in a shop in Victoria Road. The shop keeper fled. Fortunately the cow turned round and walked out. Some farmers drove sheep, but we had a rolley with sheep rails to carry a dozen. Pigs were often taken in a coup cart with a pig net over.

  Mobile shops began to appear, grocers, butchers, greengrocers and fishmongers. Too many came, and if is must have had a detrimental effect on our local shops. When the last war started, the mobiles stopped, leaving all the coupons and rationing worries to Miss Hedley and Mr. Hutchinson.

  With the war came the blackout and masked headlights for our cars. Fortunately, we hadn't to go out at night much. Special constabulary had been founded in 1938 and, along with the Air Raid Wardens, had been trained before war came. The Home Guard came along later. Of course all younger men and women had to register and many joined the forces as time went on. [note: Robbie was himself a special constable at one time].

  We had evacuees from the start. Mostly from Gateshead, some from Sunderland. Miss Spenceley had died in 1941, and the Hall was taken over as a hostel for agricultural workers. Huts were put up in the garden. Some of these chaps were alright, but some were useless. Apart from a few Land Army girls, who were good, these were all we had until the P.O.W.s came along later.

  Farming had become mechanised quickly. More and more land had to be ploughed out. You were sent "cultivation orders"  telling you what to grow and how much. It was reasonably easy to sow and plant, but harvesting and threshing were a nightmare. We helped our neighbours and they helped us. Our men were sick of threshing. You just went on and on, and the end always came. Most of our livestock had to go, especially sheep. We managed to hang on to about twenty cows. And of course, everything was rationed on the farm. Machinery, tyres, fuel, fertilisers, feed, coal for threshing; even sheep netting. We had to put up with some very odd officials and be patient with fools. Plus double summer time. Sunday work became common practice. We had stacks in every field on the farm, as the stackyard was full and overflowing. Getting stuff moved was a problem, and in some cases led to waste. Spuds were a pain in the neck. But I always felt I was fortunate. I would have been in the forces but for my job, therefore it was up to me to do what I could from the comfort of home.

  The village suffered only one casualty during the war. Jack Hodgson was killed when it was almost over. We saw lots of troops out on training even in our buildings, and tanks were through the village day and night. One incident sticks in my mind. Cutting corn up Lucy Cross road, when a lot of chaps on a route march came up. They had a pipe band, and our horses went crackers. We had to take them out of the binders and hang onto them. As D day approached Americans appeared too. We saw over-loaded jeeps tearing up and down the Street with coloured soldiers literally hanging on by their fingers.

  With so many bomber aerodromes near us, as the war went on it was an amazing sight to see them going up in the evenings. They went up from their different bases, flying round and round until there were hundreds up; then suddenly they all went. We got used to this. We did not see them come back, as they went straight in. Being on what was an aerial highway north and south we saw aircraft of every description. Dakotas towing a couple of gliders, even an old Handley Page Hercules biplane flying into the wind and seeming to be standing still. A Walrus amphibian even. The local fighters were mostly Spitfires and just a few Hurricanes. Mosquitos were common for a time as were Mustangs, Lightnings, and Lysanders. Bristol Blenheims, Kipper Kites were stationed at Thornaby and often seen. The bombers were Whitleys, Halifax, and finally Lancasters, with a few Wellingtons and Stirlings. Plus a lot we did not recognise.

  The war had changed farming completely, horses had gone, and soon threshing was to be a thing of the past. For that I am truly thankful. It was a dirty, unpleasant job. The combine and baler are wonderful inventions.

  In the post war era we have seen many changes in the village. Council houses and private estates have been built, along with quite a bit of infilling.

Three buildings were put up which were a great asset to the village. The first was the Bus Shelter, the cost was met by subscriptions and events organised by the W.I. The low walls at the front were not for protection or decoration but to keep out livestock at that time. A seat was put in but was smashed. Another suffered the same fate quickly. That's why there isn't one now.

  The next was the Village Hall. Miss M. A. Walker, whose father and brothers had been doctors in the village for many years, died in 1931. In her Will she left money to help provide a hall. This had been invested and had grown to over '800. Under pressure the present building was put up, to be known as the 'Walker Memorial Hall'. It has served its purpose well since the 1960s but due to deterioration, is soon to be replaced by a new purpose built hall.

  Lastly, the cricket pavilion, was put up by the Cricket Club. This is an excellent building for the job, on an ideal site. These buildings are on the green, and are licenced by the Parish Council as temporary erections. Under Common Land Law nothing permanent can be built. This gets over the difficulty legally.

  Before the development of St John's Park, the Parish Council was approached by the County Council. They had received planning applications from Mr. Park, the owner, and Messrs Dougill, the potential developers. The County Council Planners suggested that a suitable estate might be built, as it was outside the village perimeter and would not be too large. A village plan was available, and this site was not in it. Nevertheless, the Planners felt that this development, carefully designed, would be acceptable. It certainly would not be allowed in the village. The Parish Council gave this a great deal of thought and finally agreed, stating that except for infilling, and the small field now known as Appleby Close, no further development should take place. We did not want Aldbrough to become a dormitory village for commuters. The District Council agreed with our decision.

  As a result of this the Planners suggested that the village should be designated a conservation area. An exhibition and meeting was held in the Village Hall so that everyone interested could be informed of what was intended. This was accepted unanimously by the village and a map with clearly marked boundaries produced and agreed. Mistakes have been made in the past. Let's hope there will be no more.

Begun in 2000, a building project in Fenwick's farmyard at the south western corner of the village, on the melsonby road, has produced a small estate of modern stone houses, disguised to blend with the rest of the village.

  And what of the future' A daft question, may be. Because change is inevitable. But one hopes that that change will be carefully considered by villagers through their Parish Council and by the experts, the planners. We are in a conservation area, and as I understand it, that means conserving that which we have, and not necessarily changing it to what some planners think it should be.

STANWICK AND THE DUCHESS ELENOR

  In 1638 Hugh Smithson, son and heir of Eleanor, daughter of George Catterick, purchased Stanwick estate from Anthony Catterick. Stanwick Hall was then what we now know as Kirkbridge. it has been called this for a long time, possibly since the new Stanwick Hall was built in 1668. This is the accepted date,. although it would be built over a number of years between 1660 and 1670. 1 believe it was built on a 'green field' site.

  Hugh Smithson was created a baronet in 1660, and died in 1670. He was succeeded by his son Jerome, who died in 1684. The third baronet was another Sir Hugh who died in 1733. Another Sir Hugh, the fourth baronet, married Lady Elizabeth Percy, the Percy heiress. He took the name of Percy by deed poll, and went to live at Alnwick. He became Earl of Northumberland in 1750. George III made him the first Duke of Northumberland in 1766. This gentleman had obviously inherited the Smithson business capacity, he reorganised the whole administration of the estates. In a few years, by his energy and enterprise, he had effected a vast transformation around Alnwick and further afield. Stanwick Hall was re-built, probably after 1750. Prior to this he had set about restoring Alnwick Castle. His architect was Robert Adam. A sketch of Stanwiek Hall by Samuel Buck, about 1720, shows a rather different design to the one I knew, although we know that an east wing was added in 1842. This period, 1760 to 1800, saw quite a lot of changes round Stanwick. When the many woodlands were felled off in the 1920s it was estimated that the trees were one hundred and twenty to one hundred and forty years old. It was known that the Dukes employed 'Capability' Brown, who was a Northumbrian, in the first place at Alnwick, and then at their other estates down the country. His vintage years were 1780 to 1800, and I suggest he could have been responsible for the Stanwick lay-out of parkland, woods and lake. The 'new road' did not exist on old Jefferies maps of about 1780-90, so it would probably date from about the end of the eighteenth century, and also the Levellings and those gates onto the green at the end of the Pack Horse bridge. This was a scheme that was scotched by the intervention of freeholders, according to folk-lore.{mospagebreak}

  Another Hugh succeeded his father in 1786. He was a soldier, who became a General. He fought in the American War of Independence. When Napoleon threatened invasion he raised a regiment of 1500 men from his tenantry. He died in 1817, and was succeeded by his son Hugh, the third Duke. He was born in 1785, became Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1829 and 1830. He died in 1847, leaving no family.

  His successor was his brother, Lord Prudhoe. He served in the navy during the French War, 1804 to 1815, rose to the rank of Commander and retired an Admiral. In 1815 he was raised to the peerage and became Lord Prudhoe. After retiring from the navy he lived at Stanwick Hall. I do not know when he was born but suggest it was before 1890, in view of his naval career. This would put him in his late twenties during the war. This I find a very interesting point. He died in 1865, so must have been in his late seventies when he died, and must have been in his middle fifties when he married Lady Elenor Grosvenor in 1842. She was the daughter of the first Duke of Westminster. She was 22 years old, having been born in 1820. Succeeding to the Dukedom in 1847, he died in 1865, aged about 78. The Duchess was 45. He had been a great public benefactor, especially in Northumberland, and was known as the good Duke Algernon.

  Immediately after his death his widow, who we knew as the Duchess Elenor, came to Stanwick, but I suggest she had already lived at Stanwick for five years as Lady Prudhoe.

Some reorganisation of the estate followed the death of the Duchess. Mr. Cobbett, the estate agent, retired, and Mr. F. W. Hall, agent at Aske took over. The estate office was moved to Ivy House (The Homestead) and the estate clerk, Mr. Honeywell moved in. The door pointing down the village was the entrance, Mr. Hall's office being on the left and Mr. Honeywell's on the right. Estate workers used to congregate here on Friday afternoon just after 4 p.m. and then went in individually to receive their wages. The tenant at Kirkbridge, Mr. J. W. Earle, a very good farmer, got his notice, and it became the home farm. This was considered a daft idea by other farmers. It was.{mospagebreak}

   Within a year Earl Percy had taken up residence at the Hall. He had just been married. I remember his arrival. A 'WELCOME' banner was stretched over the road just about where the bus shelter now is. The ear bringing the Earl and his Lady pulled up, and Mr. Thomas Fenwick, of Park House, who was the senior tenant, made a speech of welcome. My mother took me down to see the ceremony, carrying my sister, Mrs. Buxton in her arms. She was just a baby. We then lived at the top cottage on the hill. I can well remember this. I'd be about five. Some time later the Earl and Lady Percy gave a ball at Stanwick for the estate tenants. My parents went, and somewhere we still have my mother's dance card. I doubt if she could dance, but I understand they all had a wonderful time.

   Stanwick and the Hall went on much as before, although the cars took over from the coaches. Earl Percy attended church on Sunday morning, entering by the side door and taking his seat just inside in the chancel. After service he would wait and have a word with his tenants, my father, Mr. Fenwick and Mr. Lax. These latter gentlemen were churchwardens. As I remember him, he was a tall, rather gingery chap, fairly slim, with sharp features. He was very approachable and well liked. His first child, a son, was born about 1912/13. 1 remember him being wheeled down from Stanwick in a pram, by two uniformed nursemaids. They wore long blue uniforms.

   When the war came the Hall became a convalescent hospital for the wounded. They wore a royal blue uniform or suit. Most of the nurses were volunteers, but the domestic staff remained much the same as before.

  In 1918 the seventh Duke, Henry, died and so Earl Percy became the eighth Duke. He lived at Alnwick. The Hall was tidied up and was let to Cot. Guy Wilson, a wealthy gentleman keen on hunting and shooting. He had bought Scar House, Arkengarthdale, and had shooting on the moors. Quite suddenly, in 1921, all tenants were informed that, owing to penal death duties, the Stanwick estate was to be sold. The Duke himself was to come to the last rent dinner and express his sincere regret. Tenants were informed that it was hoped to sell the estate as a whole, but in the event of this not being possible, they would have the chance to purchase their farms privately at a reasonable price. And that is what happened, and those properties that had been agreed were withdrawn from the sale, while everything else went under the hammer. Cot. Wilson was not interested, and the Hall, parks, and vast areas of woodland, along with Carlton, Kirkbridge and Harthorn Farms were sold to a consortium who could best be described as asset strippers. They sold off the two farms, and added a few fields and felled-off woodland to Carlton, making it a small farm. Stanwick cottages, gardens, and buildings went piecemeal. And finally the Hall, which they could not sell, was demolished. Several sales of building materials and fittings were held, and the bits and pieces went alt over. The fountain can be seen on Cockerton Green, and an ornamental gate is still in the wall of a house in Cleveland Avenue, Darlington. One nice incident was that the trustees of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, U.S.A. purchased the fine paneling of one of the main rooms and had it carefully removed and re-built into a room there. The founder of this museum and research complex, of which Americans are intensely proud, was in fact one of the Stanwick Smithsons. More of that later.{mospagebreak}

  These events were to make a vast change in both Aldbrough and Stanwick. Old friends disappeared and new faces arrived, including our first commuter. That's another story. It must be remembered that in excess of thirty families earned their livings in different ways on the estate. A way of life that had existed for centuries suddenly ceased. Some politicians rejoice in what they term the end of feudalism. This is a load of rubbish. We knew, and there was universal regret and almost sorrow at this break-up. Only those who had been born, lived their lives, and died here can understand it. But life soon settled down. Stanwick was a bit of a dump, but has now recovered, and with its additions is a very pleasant place to live.

  I should have explained earlier that when Col. Guy Wilson arrived in 1919 Church Lodge was made from a bungalow into a house for his chauffeur.

  Another thing I have missed out is that from 1832 onwards three completely new farmsteads were built. Old ones were demolished entirely. The first to be built was Manor Farm in 1832, later to be followed by Carlton Green and Park House. (1846). And very substantial buildings they are. The true story is that the intention was to include Carlton Grange also, but money ran out and it was not done. Mr. Lax did it soon after buying his farm. New cottages were also built at Park House and Micklow. Carlton Hall, which had housed German prisoners during the war, was pulled down and the best stone used to build a farm house at Micklow. There had not been a house there previously.

  James Smithson, 1765-1829, was the illegitimate son of Sir Hugh, who became the first Duke in 1766. He was born in France. He was to become a noted scholar and travelled widely in Europe. Later he was to follow Boswell's walk through the Highlands accompanied by William Thornton, a noted American architect. He never visited America, but on his death bequeathed his fortune to found the Smithsonian Institution, which is world famous. He died in Genoa. A few years since, his body was exhumed and taken to Washington for re-interment.

  I would like to explain my family involvement with the Percy family and Alnwick. Robert Kyle was my grandmother Gill's eldest brother, and was born along the East End in 1830. He went into the offices at Alnwick and made very good progress. Indeed, he was to become Constable of the Castle, which I understand is head of administration there. Recently my sister visited the Castle and was shown his photograph. He died in 1899. His son, also Robert Kyle, a cousin of my father whom I called Uncle, followed his father into the Duke's service. He gained a B.A. degree. He was to become the Duke's agent in Isleworth and spent many years in London. Returning to Alnwick he too became Constable of the Castle. He retired in 1922. I have a presentation inkstand given him by the Luke.

CARLTON

   I have kept Carlton separate from Aldbrough and Stanwick so as not to mix things up too much, and also because for most of the time it was separate in ownership. Domesday calls it inland in Aldbrough, and so it is. Now well sign posted, at one time it was not, and very difficult to find for a stranger, and do not forget that before the estate sale it was completely hidden by large woods.

   After the Conquest Canton came under the same ownership as Aldbrough and Stanwick. That was Count Alan, who sub-let to Enisant, and after that to the Constables of Richmond. A Geoffrey Scales had some interest in 1212, and Roald in 1286. Later Geoffrey Pigot had two carucates and John de Layton, one. The Pigots held Carlton till 1503. It was inherited by the Metcalfe family of Nappa, and in 1564 Sir Christopher Metcalfe sold it to George Catterick. His grandson, John, sold it to George Witham of Cliffe, 1667. The Cliffe estate had been held by the Witham family for several centuries, until 1825, when it was sold to Wilsons. Sir Thomas Pulleine, Master of the Stud to William III bought Canton from Withams. He was Sheriff of Yorkshire 1696-1703.

   Another family that lived at Canton were the Pudsey's. Whether they owned or rented it is not clear. They had a large family and came from West Yorkshire. They were there up to about 1780. At one time a brass to Emma, wife of Sir Ralph Pudsey was in Stanwick Church. In 1688 Ralph, son of Thomas Pudsey of Carlton was buried at Stanwick. Another name I have come across several times is Manfield. In 1657 a John Manfield, Yeoman, of Aldbrough, was buried. While in 1669 another John Manfield of Carlton was buried. These names come from Church records at Northallerton.

   By 1800 Samuel J. Moulton Barrett M.P. had purchased and was living at Carlton. He was M.P. for Richmondshire. I feel that at this time there was more to Carlton than just the Hall, and a possibility that Carlton Green Farm went with it. In 1820 Hutchinson Ingledew was steward for Moulton Barrett, and a George Ingledew a farmer, farm unknown. This family of some substance remained in Aldbrough until the end of the last century. Their graves and ledger stones are close to the path at the east end of the Church.{mospagebreak}

   In 1828 Canton was purchased by the Duke of Northumberland and became part of the estate. It became the residence of the estate agent, the first one being Archibald Moore. In 1889 Mr. Christopher Seymour Bell resigned after being agent for 24 years. Who, if anybody, came between these two gentlemen, I do not know. Mr. William Morgan Cobbett was the next agent and he retired after the death of the Duchess Elenor in 1911. The Hall remained empty until the War, when it, along with stable buildings, was used to accommodate German P.O.W.'s. Immediately after the War it was pulled down and much of the stone used to build Micklow Farm House. The estate wood yard was just behind Carlton, where farmers could collect gates and gateposts. The gardens, now built on, were reputed to be better than Stanwick. The estate carter, at one time Fred Pocklington, later Bert Hart, lived in a cottage there. The two houses just over the bridge were where the gamekeepers lived, Messrs Massingham and Bartram. With Oakwood Lodge these were all the houses. History states that the house was re-built on the site of a previous Hall, but does not say when. Certainly the house I knew was a substantial building certainly not very old, and to me, of comparable size to Aldbrough Hall. History also says that there was a mill at Canton!

After the estate sale Canton was made into a small farm. It had always had two small fields, and an orchard, to the north, and a field behind the Hall running down to the beck. To this was added quite a bit of felled off woodland. A large field, on the left of the road to Aldbrough from North Lodge, was taken from Kirkbridge and a piece at the west end of the Cow Pasture.

The first owner was MacPherson, who had been Manager at Kirkbridge. He was followed by Mr. Robson, and after him came Mr. Rickaby. Mr. Beadle, who is now there, has cleaned all the felled off woodland and thereby added a substantial acreage.

Finally, I would add that there is an ice house at Carlton. These were the original fridges. The road from Carlton Lodge to Oakwood Lodge was private, but used as a footpath to Stanwick, except for one day a year, when gates at each Lodge were chained and locked. Due notice was given, so we walked a different way to Church. The gate at Carlton Lodge is the original one and the place on it where a 'Private Road' notice was fixed easily discernable. The field down to what was Carlton Wood was called 'Coach Road' field, and still is.

ST JOHN'S CHURCH, STANWICK

I know little about our Parish Church, except that a Church has been there for a very long time. I will leave that to those who do.

I accompanied my father to the Sunday morning services for about eight or ten years. During world wan one he helped with bell ringing as the regular ringers were in the Forces. I sat on the side seat in the belfry. Service was at 10.30 a.m. There are three bells, and about one minute before time two stopped and we made our way into Church. The last ceased on time and the vicar appeared out of the vestry.

Each farm was allocated a pew, along with several other regular attenders. I think ours was Number 13 where the war memorial plaque is on the wall. The Canton Grange pew, Mr. Lax, was immediately in front. Further forward the estate Clerk, Mr. Honeywell and family. Then the Schoolmaster, and right up to the pulpit, the vicars. One or two seats behind us sat Mr. Hopper Crusher of Sough Hill, Caldwell, and behind him, Mr. Todd of East Layton. These two used to come with pony and trap, tying their horses to the fence opposite the Church gates. On the other side of the main aisle, Mr. Mayhew and family had the pew up to the reading desk. The opposite side to Mr. Lax was Park House pew, Mn Fenwick. Just behind that, Namens Leases, with Miss Fenwick. Immediately behind that was Canton Green, Mr. Brown. That is what I remember, as they generally occupied by me on other members of these families. Many other pews were occupied of course. Thu organ was set close up to the wall and the choir of about eight or ten were seated facing the pulpit, in front of the organ, and a partition across in front of them, about the same height as the pews. I well remember John Ridley, a chorister for very many years. He sat at the front top corner. Mr. Evans was organist, and Ralph Gent was organ blower, sitting round the corner. Later Norman (Mick) Stenson had this job. A vicar from another Patch told my sister that he took services here on several occasions. When preaching, if he happened to glance across at Mick, he always grinned at him. He found this rather off. Jutting. If you'd known Mick you would understand why.{mospagebreak}

I vaguely remember Mn. Pollexfen as vicar, but have a vivid memory of the Rev. Swayne, the curate, who lived at Layton. He was blind, and read the lessons in Braille, looking towards the congregation. I was fascinated as his fingers moved oven the page. He later became a vicar and it is not that long since I read of this death.

Earl Percy used to come in by the side door into the chancel, sitting in the seat just on the left inside the door. There were usually a good congregation when the Hall was a hospital during the war.

The Rev. A. C. Starling took over on the death of Mr. Pollexfen. His wife was killed in a tragic accident in 1916, and his two step-sons were killed in the wan. His son, Jeffrey, was very popular, and was one of the founders of the Tennis Club and played Cricket. He often played the piano for dances and concerts. Later he became an opera singer of some standing, with, I think, the D'Oyle Carte Co. He was a principal tenor, and took the stage name of Godfrey Sterling. Mrs. Starling's grave, now unmarked, is directly at the foot of the Duchess Elenor's grave at Stanwick.

ROLL OF HONOUR, MEMORIAL IN STANWICK CHURCH

      John Bartram

      Frank Bastow                               Norman Bastow

      John Moses Beach                       Frederick Blackburn

      Ralph Fenwick                             George Hutchinson

      James William Stenson                William M. Swainston

The Bastow brothers were both stepsons of the vicar. All were single men except John Bartram, who was married, with no family. He was Under Keeper and lived at Canton. Willie Swainston died of wounds in London and is buried at Stanwick, his grave marked by a cross, ten yards down from east window.

 {mospagebreak}

A HISTORY OF STANWICK PARISH CHURCH

c.850 The Celtic crosses which can be seen in the churchyard and under the tower, no doubt marked this site as a 'field church' and burial ground. They were probably carved at Ripon. A small stone or timbered church could well have stood on this site.

c.1100      Small Norman church erected. The three corbel stones in the porch testify to this ' they are the ones with the crude faces carved on them.

c.1200      Present church built. Though much altered in the 19th century, the porch pillars, tower and part of the chancel remain virtually the same. The Parish extended from the Tees at Cleasby to Melsonby and from Leyton to Brettanby. Gravestones of wool merchants and soldiers (rebuilt into the nave and porch walls) and sandstone effigies (two situated on the south wall windowsills) appeared between 1250 and 1400.

12 !0 'William was parson of Stanwick'.

1225  Dispute over the revenues of the church leads to Easby men attacking Lawrence the Vicar barricaded in his church. The attackers killed a crossbowman posted on the church tower. A contemporary document refers to 'murder, fire and sacrilege within the church of Steinweg'.

1227  Church becomes prebend of Ripon Minster until 1534.

1500  Tudor windows inserted into choir ' probably by the Catterick family. This family lived in Stanwick Old Hall (the building close to the church) and a brass to one of its members can be seen in the choir.

1692  Tomb of Sir Hugh Smithson and his wife erected. Sir Hugh who probably fought at Manston Moor for Charles I, lived at Old Stanwick Hall.

1763  The royal arms above the chancel painted at a cost of five pounds.

1766  Sin Hugh Smithson (relative of above) created 1st Duke of Northumberland.

1770  Church whitewashed and floor flagged.

1807  Pews built and choir gallery under tower rebuilt.

1867-8      Church virtually rebuilt. The east window was erected as a memorial to the 4th Duke of Northumberland. Eleanor, his wife, lived as Dowager at New Stanwick Hall (now demolished). She was responsible for the rebuilding of the church and other improvements oven a period of forty years and more. She had a church built at Aldbrough to save Aldbunians walking to Stanwick each Sunday.

1911  Eleanor, Dowager Duchess of Northumberland and daughter of the 1st Duke of Westminster is buried in the churchyard ' about ten yards north of the tower.

1911-18      Stanwick Hall becomes a Red Cross hospital. Sunday mornings saw the church frequently filled with soldiers and nurses.

1973  The living becomes a plurality with Forcett.

Derrick Herdman

  I am grateful to Mn. Herdman for allowing me to use his notes on this subject.

THE BELLS

      Founder     Date

      1.    Samuel Smith of York    1677

      2.    Samuel Smith of York    1677

      3.    Samuel Smith of York    1685

The frames and fittings were supplied by the Yorkshire bell hanger Mallaby in 1899 and are of the traditional variety with canon straps, plain bearings, etc.

PARISH REGISTERS

It is understood that the old registers were destroyed by Cromwell's men. Registers of Baptisms from 1667, marriages from 1652, and burials from 1654 are deposited in the County Record Office at Northallerton

together with a banns book, churchwardens accounts from 1765 and various tithe awards of 1845-8.

VICARS AND CURATES 1680 to 2004

16-             Cowper

1681           John Nicholson

1722           Charles Thoebald

1746           Leyton Etherington

1769           Matthew Raine

1807           William Wharton

1823           William Wharton

1823           R. M. Atkinson, curate

1838           John Todd

                   Heslop, vicar at Forcett

                  George Wharton, curate

1843          George Wharton, vicar

1845          Bernard Gilpin, died 1863

1864          Henry Borton

1866          P. Parker Smith

1869          Thomas Kemp, curate

1871          R. Drake Palmer

1877          J. C. Pearson, curate

1883          Thomas Heslop, curate Vicar died 1884

1887          Henry Pollexfen

1893          R. G. Gales, curate M. C. Swayne, curate (Blind)

1916         A. C. Starling

1925         John Gregory

1933         J. S. Jameson

1936         W. Parkin

1943         Eric Raynor

1950         Gester Wilkinson

1956         M. J. Ellinson

1961         J. Brown

1971         Peter Lund

1973         Mr. Young

1985         K. P. Atherley

199-          Mel Gray

2000         Stan Haworth

  A Rev. E. Henville appears in records 1875 to 1886. I am unsure about him. In addition, the Rev. Masters and the Rev. Case have lived at Leyton and shared parish work.

  Throughout most of this period the patrons of the living were the Whartons of Skelton Castle in Cleveland. They owned Aldbrough for about 70 years in the 17th century, 16 19-1689.

  This list is reasonably accurate but there may be odd omissions.

CHURCH AND CHAPELS AT ALDBROUGH

  The Domesday Book, 1086, tells us that there was a church at Aldbrough, but no ruins or sign of it has ever been found or recorded. Historians have decided that one never existed and that the church referred to was Stanwick church. All are agreed on this.  **Again this information is likely to be lacking. Even our Norman ancestors knew the difference between Aldbrough and Stanwick.  They are hardly likely to record that Stanwick has a church and Aldbrough has a church if they are referring to the same one.  There is now evidence emerging that there was indeed a church at Aldbrough in 1086, and no less than two burial sites have been located within the village.  More of this later.

The earliest place of worship was, I believe, the United Methodist Chapel now converted into a house.  It closed as a chapel about the middle or late 1920's. It was converted first into a bungalow. As a chapel it was a neat little building with rather high pews, centre aisle, and pulpit at the north end. Against the pulpit a door into a small vestry. It would seat possibly fifty. The date was above the door and was plastered over on conversion. I forget and can only guess about 1860. Its main supporters were the Beech family and also the Hedleys. Services were on Sunday afternoons, with preachers coming from Darlington. Once a year, in summer, an outside service was held on the green in front. Chairs and forms were set out and there was usually a good attendance. It was called a 'Camp Meeting'.

  The Wesleyan Methodist Church had been active in Aldbrough from the early days of the nineteenth century. At that time services would probably be held in private houses. Later they were held in an upstairs room of a building behind Bank House. This appears on a plan with the present Chapel deeds. The entrance was where the garage has been built on to Bank House. Outside, stone steps led to what seemed to be a loft. This building was certainly in use up to the time the present chapel was built in 1877. The first christening was in 1826. This was recorded in the Register as Phoebe, daughter of Henry and Mary Bennison, blacksmith. The main families involved in the early days were Barkers and their many relations which included the Feathers, Grahams, Smiths and Hartas, also the Kyles and a George Robinson who was a staunch supporter.

  This place of worship came under the Richmond circuit, and a plan of services appears in Richmond's Queen's Road Chapel. From the middle of the century onwards, efforts were being made to provide a proper chapel and these came to fruition in 1877 when the present building was opened. The cost was met by local efforts and a grant from the Methodist headquarters. It cost something over '500. The site was given jointly by George Robinson, who lived in the house on the corner, and the Duke of Northumberland, who owned the old buildings which were demolished. From the plan it appears that the bottom half was given by Mr. Robinson and the top half by the Duke. A small length along the back was bought from Allisons who owned the large garden now owned by Mr. Ogden. The Chapel seats one hundred people. There is an entrance porch and a good vestry. The original heating was a coke stove (Tortoise) and a fire in the vestry and, of course, oil lamps. This chapel too, was converted to a house around 2000.{mospagebreak}

  Another family who gave good support were the Wardells who farmed at Canton Green for the second half of last century, father and son. The Barkers were prominent, al :;o the Beeches and Hedleys. Services were held on Sunday evening at 6pm, and monthly week night service at 7 pm. A Sunday School met every Sunday morning and continued up to the last war. Electric lighting was installed in 1935 and central heating some years earlier. It was entirely refurnished in oak in 1957.

  About the time the Chapel was built, or perhaps earlier, it was transferred from the Richmond circuit to the Darlington, Bondgate circuit. Now that the different facets of Methodism have been amalgamated it is just called the Darlington circuit. My father, George Gill, a capable organist, was 'borrowed' by the Wesleyans from the Church of

England, of which he was a member, and played the organ there for over fifty years, but still helped out at the Church on occasion.

  St Paul's Church at Aldbrough was built by the Duchess Eleanor, and opened in 1890. It was then called a Chapel of Ease. It seats about one hundred and is a neat attractive building. It was built on a clear site and had central heating and oil lamps at first but has since been converted to electricity. Gates along the East End where coke was led in have now been built up. There is an entrance porch and a vestry on the north side. Services were held on Sunday evening at 6.30 pm. There were also weekday services on Saint's Days, Ash Wednesday, and so on. No funerals or weddings were held there until recent years, but some christenings took place there during World War One when the Rev. A. C. Starling was vicar. I have been told that it was built because people did not like having to walk to an evening service at Stanwick, especially in winter or in bad weather. I don't know if they had an evening service at Stanwick. It is a possibility.{mospagebreak}

  The stone for building was led up from Harthorn quarry voluntarily by local farmers. Mr. John Swainston lived in the bungalow next to the Church, Rose Cottage, and he and his family acted as caretakers for very many years. Miss Ethel Metcalf played the organ for a very long time. A Church of England Sunday School was held in the school on Sunday afternoon. Mr. Evans taught the older children, other teachers when I attended were Miss Hutchinson, Miss Daly and Miss Manning. Many others followed on and I think it would be in operation up to the last war.

  I have made no mention of Catholics, chiefly because there were few about with no Church. However, Dr Robinson 1912-1918 was one. His family had been farming at Hutton Magna for generations and he was buried there. For very many years up to and during the last war many itinerant Irish farm workers worked on our farms. They came across in late spring and returned home for Christmas. Most of these were Catholics and, for several years during the 1920's, an 8 am Mass was arranged in Barton Village Hall. Quite a few from the surrounding district would be seen walking down the green early on Sunday morning. I believe that these services were organised by the Scorton brothers.

  From: The Wesleyan Methodist Church Darlington (Bondgate) Circuit record. January, 1906.

METHODISM AT ALDBROUGH

Our cause at Aldbrough had an early beginning. The tradition is that Methodism was introduced by one Robert Petty, a gardener at Canton Hall. The preachers came from Richmond (presumably), for some years, and preached in the open air. There is some obscurity as to the history of these early years, but an old member who died in 1888, at tile age of 84 (the grandfather of the wife of our present society steward, Mr. Gill), used to relate that the early Methodists of Aldbrough, Melsonby, and Barton were accustomed to meet in an old barn, which still stands, between Melsonby and Aldbrough. Later, we should suppose, the Aldbrough Methodists began to meet at the house of Mrs. Robinson, a thatched cottage near the present chapel. The son of this good woman, George Robinson, was afterward for many years, one of our leading members. There is a tablet to his memory in the Chapel. He died in 1883, aged 90. He had been a member of society for 60 years, and a Local Preacher for 50 years.

  The services were held in this cottage for some time, but the cause prospered, and a preaching room was built in the early years of the last century, apparently. This was a sort of loft, to which the worshippers ascended by an outside stair. The rooms beneath were occupied as a dwelling house. So for some time the Methodists of Aldbrough, like the Apostolic Church, assembled in an upper room. After a while this had to be enlarged.

  All this time Aldbrough was in the Richmond and Reeth Circuit, as it was then called. The famous revivalist, Hodgson Casson, was appointed to this Circuit in 1824. At Aldbrough his work was greatly owned of God. The prayer meetings frequently lasted into the small hours of the morning, and there are vivid records of Casson going about in his shirt sleeves among a crowd of penitents. In his 'Life' it is related that he once preached at Aldbrough at the time of the annual 'feast'. The meeting was held on the green, and the preacher, who was accompanied by his brave wife, was assailed by the rowdies of the fair with rotten eggs and other missiles. An old member, Mrs. Feather, who, in her 93rd year is still happily with us, remembers hearing Casson preach. There is still preserved in the Chapel a table which the energetic evangelist cracked during a service.{mospagebreak}

  The population of the village was larger in those days than it is now, and the society was very lively and prosperous. The Aldbrough members used to walk in to the lovefeast at Bondgate ' mark this, 0 degenerate Methodists! ' and on one occasion they so monopolised the testimonies that the Superintendent exclaimed, 'I think this is an Aldbrough lovefeast!'. So far there had been no other place of worship in the village, but the Warrenite agatation of 1835 caused dissention in the society, and there was a succession which resulted in the establishment of another meeting house.

In 1869, Aldbrough was transferred from the Richmond to the Darlington Circuit with a membership of seventeen. The present Chapel, an admirable village sanctuary, was built in 1877.

THE GREENS AND COMMON LAND, ALDBROUGH, 1987

  The Commons Registration Act of 1965 required that all common land in the country should be mapped and registered, with particulars of ownership and rights enjoyed. Such a map was prepared, agreed by Parish Meeting, and accepted as correct by the County Council. Some months later they said it must be re-done on two maps. One was to show village greens, to be registered as such. The other to show the beck, to be registered as common land. This was done. An Inspector visited the village to look at boundaries, etc. and was satisfied. The only difficulty that arose was the question of ownership. This had been gone into by the Parish Council soon after the estate sale. The Council had, from its inception, paid the Duchess of Northumberland 5/- per annum rent and looked after the green. Bye Laws were drawn up and became Law in about 1898. The Duchess was Lord of the Manor and owner of the green, because she was the owner of Stanwick Hall. It was stated in the sale catalogue that the manorial rights went with the Hall, but the Hall was demolished. After consulting the Duke's Solicitors, the first purchaser, now sold out, the Council asked the Clerk to the County Council, whom they relied upon for legal advice. He said that as Stanwick ownership was now fragmentized, the Hall gone, and no claim had been made, they should take it that the Lordship of the Manor was now extinguished and assume ownership of the greens. This they did. After registration, an enquiry was held at Richmond by a Commons Commissioner to determine ownership, both of the beck and the greens. Mr. Fenwick and myself gave evidence in both cases. Later his ruling was that the green belonged to the Parish Council but the beck ownership had not been established, and therefore it must be put under the protection of the Local Authority, who in this case are the Richmondshire District Council.

  The Bye Laws and the very strict Laws of the 1965 Common Land Act are for the protection of the green but should be interpreted with commonsense. The rights registered were grazing for livestock and right of piscary (fishing) in the beck. You do need a licence.

  The area of the greens is some 14 acres in total and this includes small pieces up the village and along the East End.

  Folklore tells of much more common land at one time. Several old people have told me that in the past the 'Cow Pasture' was common. This was very much of a story handed down. They had just been told it when young. One said that the first cricket in the village was played in the Cow Pasture, and (you'll never believe this) the massive sandstone cylinder standing in the middle of the top green, the tap, was the original cricket roller there. The Cow Pasture is a very large field of some 98 acres. It is now divided up. The boundaries are on the north, beckside woodland almost up to Canton, where the beck turns south west, and is still the boundary for some way. On the east side 'Mary Wild' beck, and the south the new road. I have a feeling this lot could be true, but must have been a long time since, possibly 18th Century.

  The other folklore tale I am sure was true was told to me by Robert Barker, my grandfather, born in 1843, a native of the village. He said the land between Lucy Cross and Kennel Road, now surrounded by a wall, was common land. It was much frequented by gypsies and hawkers, who were a nuisance. The estate offered to wall it in and make it into allotments. This offer was accepted and it was all allotments, large and small, up to the estate sale. It was allotments as far back as the 1852 ordnance map.

  I would like to add my own theory about the Lord of the Manor. A couple of years since, when re-reading the estate sale catalogue, a penny suddenly dropped. When enquiring into this, in the 1920's everyone had either been accidentally mislead, or mislead themselves. There is a historical Lord of the Manor still, although by not claiming it, the legal rights are surrendered, but this person has known all along. It is not a theory, it is a fact. Everybody went on the wrong track from the start, including the Lawyers.{mospagebreak}

  The freeholders at the time of the estate sale were the Duke, Lord of the Manor, Miss Spenceley owning eight houses, Mr. Mayhew owning 'Greencroft' Cottage, Robert Barker owning Roslyn House, Robert Kyle owning a large garden, Miss Laws owning five Cottages and Miss Edden owning two. The fathers of the last two, Bob Laws and Bill Edden, were a very militant couple who cared little for the estate, as I have described elsewhere. It was as well they did, otherwise there may have been little common land left.

DOCTORS IN ALDBROUGH, 1790-1987

 For almost 200 years at least Aldbrough has been in the fortunate position of having a resident Doctor/Doctors in the Village. I believe that they have lived in the present Doctor's house for most of this time. The Practice also served the surrounding Villages, although Melsonby had a Doctor from the early 1800's to 1918, when Dr Wilshaw took over at Aldbrough. He had practiced in Melsonby from 1900. From then on the Practices were amalgamated.

  In the 1880's the 'Doctor's Road' was made up out of a bridle track to facilitate the journey to the Barton area by horse and trap. It cut the distance by one mile. Up to 1918 they had to rely on horse and trap. A groom was employed and lived next door. The last one was Mr. Edward Manning. There were stable, loft and coach house. The Doctor also had a field, up Lucy Cross road, of some four acres. The grass was made into hay and lead to the loft. My father used to cut the grass and lots of Villagers helped with haymaking. We still have the remains of the Doctor's cart, bought at the sale by my grandfather. The house has a distinctive design of front windows. Similar windows can be seen in 'Cliffe Bank' farm house. They are called Venetian, and are unusual in this area, but quite common in some parts. The grounds extended right round the back up to Lucy Cross road and were an oak wood, at least up to 1930.

  The first Doctor I find is Thomas Irving. He was here in the 1790's and died in March 1804, aged 44. A headstone in his memory stands on the right, about half way up to the Church from the lych-gate, at Stanwick.

  He was succeeded by Michael Glover. He died in May 1821, aged 69. His son, another Michael Glover, followed him, and he died in March 1839, aged 48. This death seemed to have precipitated something of a crisis because Henry Marsh came straight away, and Thomas Hopkins soon after. There was also Johnson Glover, a son of Michael, who was only 19 when his father died. He was to qualify as a Surgeon, but died in 1846, aged 26.

Anyhow Henry Marsh took over and was still here as Doctor in 1851 census. About this time a Dr. D. H. Can comes in. Whether he was a locum or an assistant I do not know, but he was here from 1852 to 1853. Dr. W. H. Walker is supposed to have come in 1850, but Marsh was certainly still here in 1851. However, Dr. Walker came about this time. He had quite a family. He died in February 1889, aged 59, and his two sons, George and Fred, took over. Dr. George was to die in March 1903, aged 48. His death was registered by another son, also a Doctor. Dr. Fred carried on until his death in 1912. At the time of his death and for many years before, he was Medical Officer for Barton district, Darlington union, and for Aldbrough district, Richmond union, Registrar of births and deaths for Aldbrough sub district, and Surgeon for Forcett quarries. Dr. Walker had purchased Rose Villa about the turn of the century and it was tenanted for some time. After his death, his sister, Miss M. A. Walker, lived there for a considerable time, until her death in 1931. She had a well known dog, 'Jacko'. She left money to build our Village Hall. For eighty years the family had served the Village and the Church with great devotion.

  Here I must bring in William Mayhew. He had come to the Village sometime previous to 1890 to be assistant to Dr. Walker. He did all the dispensing as well as visiting as required. Indeed, he brought me into the world, but I don't hold that against him. Of medium build, he always wore a frock coat and top hat. He had a white beard. He was a very dedicated Churchman. and he and his two daughters attended Stanwick every Sunday morning, sitting about two rows back from the reading desk. During hymn singing he stood with his left hand inside his coat tail pocket. This fascinated me. He lived in the house on the green, now called 'Greencroft'. He was Secretary and Treasurer for the Village Library for many years. All births, deaths, etc. were registered at his house by Miss Emily Mayhew. There was a door, now blocked up, on the north side of the house for this job. He died in 1921, and his grave is near the vestry door at Stanwick. He served the Village and Church with great devotion and was very much missed.{mospagebreak}

  After the death of Dr. Walker, the Practice was taken over by Dr. Robinson. His family had farmed at Hutton Magna for over two centuries. He was unmarried when he came but married while he was here. Well liked, he died in 1918. The School children lined the playground rails as the cortege drew away for a funeral at Hutton Magna. He was a Catholic.

  Dr. Wilshaw came down from Melsonby, where he had been since 1900. After coming to Melsonby, Dr. Wilshaw went round on a bike, but was the first Doctor to use a car. This was one of the early 'Jowetts', a twin cylinder job that was to continue in production until after the last War. He did not employ a groom, but his odd job 'man' was Miss Lena Wardell. She was a very popular character who would tackle anything from gardening to chauffeuring new assistants on their rounds.

  Dr. Wilshaw was a very good billiards player and a most important member of our institute team in the local league, usually knocking up breaks in excess of fifty. He always won his match. After the death of Mr. Mayhew, he had a succession of assistants, mostly young men (sometimes ladies) who would stay a couple of years and then often go into Practice on their own. One such was Dr O'Kain, very Irish, but also a very good footballer who had been an amateur international for his Country. He played for our local team and helped a lot with coaching and advice. He later practiced in County Durham.

  Dr. Wi1shaw, along with his sister-in-law, Miss Mottram, took up the breeding and showing of Golden Retriever dogs, very successfully, but eased off with the coming of the War He saw me Through my accident prone period in which I finished up in Hospital on four occasions. On the last time he was rung up for help he exclaimed 'Not again, what the hell has he done now'' He retired in 1945 and left the Village. He lived quite a time afterwards.

  Dr. Ord then took over the Practice. He had previously been in Wensleydale. For some time the District Nurse lived in the Village, but left later.

  Dr. Robert Hansell came in 1950, and became a partner in the Practice a year later, 1951. Dr. Ord was to retire in 1964, and left the Village. Dr. Hansell continued on his own until 1983 when he retired but still lives in the Village. He had therefore been with us for some thirty four years, surely a record.

  Doctors Martin and Margaret Mowbray have now taken over the Practice, and we all hope we'll have another thirty years without change. We now have a splendid Surgery and Dispensary detached from the Doctor's house. This has always been a Dispensing Practice, which in itself is a tremendous help to patients.

  As I said at the beginning, we live in a very fortunate Village, which I am sure everyone appreciates.

Omission

  The Glover family graves are near the road, just opposite Kirkbridge farm house. The Walker graves, marked with a large cross, are diagonally across the churchyard and some ten yards from the western wall. A Walker memorial window is in the church.

THE SPENCELEYS

History tells us that Mr. Spenceley, of Aldbrough, had a house on the north side of the Green in 1210. Another version says 1223. The few years difference matters little in over seven hundred years. The last Spenceley, Miss M. J. Spenceley, died in January, 1943, aged 86. She left grand daughters, but the Spenceleys had gone from Aldbrough for ever. Unfortunately, family records were destroyed carelessly after her death, so only a very limited record can be put together. The earliest mention in the Stanwick records is the death of Mary, wife of Thomas Spenceley, in April, 1752. In December, 1757, Christopher, the son of Leonard Spenceley died. Then in March, 1765 George Spenceley of Micklow Hi I was buried. Elsewhere I discovered that a Leonard Raper Spenceley was farming Micklow round about 1800. He died on 18th May, 1820, aged 69, and the farm was continued by his wife, Mary. She died in 1831, aged 70. This couple were probably the patients of George Raper Spenceley who was born in 1805. Their grave is marked by a ledger stone on the south side of the path up to the Church from the first gate. From the ;e scant particulars I would suggest that Spenceleys were farming Micklow Farm from at least 1740 until about 1830. Where the Raper part of the Christian name comes from I do not know, possibly a surname of an earlier Spenceley's wife, I would point out that no farm house existed at Micklow during the last century.

George Raper Spenceley was born in 1805, and died on 30th May, 1878, aged 73. Throughout his adult life he seems to be rather eccentric. He was probably fifty two or three when he married his wife Mary. She was then aged about twenty three. Their daughter, Miss Mary Jane Spenceley, was born in 1857. Four years later her mother, Mary, died on 18th November, 1861. Her grave, with a large coped stone is down from the north-western corner of the Church. In the first half of the century G. R. Spence icy would own at least twenty two houses, and lived in the Old Hall, then one house. He probably started to build the New Hall soon after 1840. It is marked on the 1852 ordnance map, but was not completed until 1892, though partly occupied. He seems to have run into problems, and was at one time imprisoned in York debtor's prison. When he died in 1878 Miss Spenceley, his daughter, was twenty one, and was a nurse in a Newcastle Hospital. She was to return to Aldbrough some fourteen years later, about 1892. Her story, as told to me by older people several times, is as follows. As a nurse, she became friendly with and later engaged to a prominent Newcastle surgeon. He was taken ill and died, and he left her a considerable legacy. She had a baby boy either just before or soon after his death. He was given the legal surname of Heathcote. His father was Dr. Heath. That is the story I was told and I feel it is true. This son became a doctor and was to practice in Darlington for many years, but unfortunately died at a comparatively early age. This was a great shock to Miss Spenceley, as he and his family were frequent visitors to Aldbrough Hall. He had three daughters and a son, the youngest. This young man also became a doctor, but was to die while still in his twenties. He was a houseman in a hospital and was unmarried.

  On her return to Aldbrough Miss Spenceley finished the Hall and was to live there until her death on 30th January, 1943, at the age of 86. Prior to her arrival a butcher's manager for the Hutchinson family, who were orphaned, called Finley occupied the part finished house.

  Miss Spenceley was a tall slim person, pleasant-looking and dignified. She was very reserved, and few people would know her well. Some of her older tenants and also my grandparents Gill did. She was generous in her support of all village organisations, and a regular attender at Stanwick Church when younger, extremely kind to her friends and employees. Her Christmas party for the children was always a special treat. The Hall was almost covered on two sides with ivy and full of birds, especially sparrows, and these were always fed.

  Two other examples of Miss Spenceley's generosity were yearly occasions. She used to entertain a large number of the permanent patients from St. John of God Hospital to lunch and tea, along with their nursing Brothers. This was, of course, a summer occasion.{mospagebreak}

  The second was to pay for a visit to the coast of a dozen or more ladies from the village, loosely termed 'tired mothers'. Here again everything was taken care of ' bus to station, train to Redcar or Saltburn, lunch and tea, and even a group photograph. She never did anything by half. Miss Chapman, her housekeeper, used to accompany them, to ensure that everything went as arranged.

  Miss Spenceley was never accepted by the Duchess Elenor. Her coachman and gardener, Fred Whitehouse, worked for her from her return until his death in the early thirties. After the death of her horse or horses prior to the first war, they were not replaced. She then employed Johnnie Beach to take her to Church or to Darlington station. She made ~ monthly visit to Newcastle, but otherwise did not go away much. Her coach was good, but her sleigh was very posh. I do not remember it being used, but both these con 'eyanc s were in beautiful condition and kept up to her death. The harness was brown, and again splendid. When her horses died they were buried in the field at the back of the Hall. ~or years she had a dog or two that I remember. Both the same breed and look-alike. They were like a rather long leggy smooth fox terrier, but brown and black. I've seen :~one like them for many years, but feel they were a pure breed. Both were called 'Tim'.

  She presented the clock to the village at the time of Queen Victoria's Jubilee celebrations. The drive in front of the Hall was gravel and kept perfect, as were her gardens, and the whole of her property in good repair by Mr. Boyd, of Manfield. Her housekeeper, Miss Emily Chapman, was with her up to her death, and was very devoted. She was left the house, now 'The Hawthorns' for life and lived there until she died some years later.

  Having said all this about Miss Spenceley, eulogizing her generosity and kindness, I would point out that she was no pushover. If anything of importance or dispute was taking place in the village she used to ask my grandfather, James Gill to call and explain to he~ what it was all about. She did not mince matters in expressing her opinion on village affairs.{mospagebreak}

  The Spenceley property consisted mainly of houses and one four acre field at the back. An exchange of land took place with the Estate, in which she gave up a piece of her field in exchange for a piece of theirs. This allowed for more garden space for the Hall and what later became Hedley's shop and post office. The part attached to the Hall became known as 'The Duke's Garden'.

  Up to about the end of last century the house property consisted of:- four blocks of four houses; in the eighteenth century the Spenceleys kept a pack of fox hounds, and these were housed in kennels behind the two houses near the cricket field, the hunt staff living in these houses; The Old Hall, now made into three houses; two unused semidetached bungalows at the back, used as stores; the coachman's house, 'Hawthorns', and the Hall itself. The post office was one of these blocks of four made into one about the time Mrs. Hedley came to Aldbrough. Two blocks standing where the bottom council houses are were demolished and a similar block at the west end of the shop disappeared. I understand that this may have stood at right angles to the road.

  These blocks looked like a pair of semi-detached. But each pair had a common entrance, and once inside a small lobby, doors on the left and right lead into each house. These consisted of two rooms downstairs and two upstairs. The rear rooms were small, and the open stairs were in the back room. The main entrance doors were of the stable door type, in two halves.

  The Old Hall is very much dug into the bank side, the back door being half way upstairs. It is three storeys high at the front, but just two at the back.

  I am not sure when the coachman's house was built but think it was probably put up by the old man shortly before his death. It would follow the new Hall. I'm fairly sure that the old property was demolished to provide the site for the Hall.

  I discovered from my deeds that Roslyn House belonged to G. R. Spenceley until about 1840, when he sold it to a retired butler from Stanwick. After this man died his widow left the village, and it was let to an auctioneer from Richmond called Wetherell. His son, now described as a London merchant, sold it to William Barker, my mother's uncle.{mospagebreak}

  I do not think the village has ever in recent years appreciated the significance of the Spenceley family. They were here just 150 years after the conquest, 1066. They saw out the Cattericks, the Smithsons and the Northumberlands. This covered the reigns of thirty five monarchs plus the two Cromwells, well over seven hundred years. I feel privileged to ha' e known the last, Miss Mary Jane Spenceley.

THE BRIDGES

  The ordnance map of 1850 shows only two bridges at Aldbrough over the Clow Beck. The stone pack horse bridge and the wooden foot bridge downstream. The former was not known as a pack horse bridge until after the last war. It was just called the little bridge.

  Indeed, up to about thirty years since a horse could not have got over it. My earliest memories of it were of two stout stone 'bollards' at each side entrance. These were to prevent livestock on the green crossing and they worked. The County Council decided to concrete the earthen footway and removed these posts. There were immediate demands that they be replaced, and concrete ones were put in. Some time later complaints were received that prams could not use the bridge, so the County Council took them out. Cows soon found their way over and left a mess behind them and demands were made that they be reinstated. The County Council replied and said that if the Village could not make up its mind they could 'If you want posts back you can do it yourselves', so the Parish Council put in wooden posts. Once again complaints, so these were finally removed for good. Cows have now gone, and the only complaint now received is about boys on bicycles!

  At one time there was a narrow stile at the end of the house at the north end with steps leading down into the front garden. This is now built up. A stone slate in the wall of this house is/was a fire back, and some seventy years ago we school kids warmed our hands in the winter.{mospagebreak}

  The bridge has been listed as of historical importance for many years and comes under the care of the Ministry of Works. They repaired the cutwaters some years since.

  The bridge is a very substantial erection, although somewhat crudely built. The arches do not entirely match up and the northerly arch is the deepest, yet it carries the least amount of water. At times in summer it is virtually dry.

  This bridge must have been sketched, painted and photographed hundreds of times, yet always from the east side. I wonder why'

  Some fifty yards downstream is the main road bridge, or the big bridge as we called it eighty years ago. It was built by the Stanwick Estate in 1881 at their expense. As the Duchess Elenor was the sole owner of the Estate during her residence there she paid for it. The date and Northumberland crest are carved on both sides, though the lower side one is now very eroded, the other side is quite plain. It had only been up twenty six years when I was born!

  Previously there was a wide ford here, with substantial 'stepping stones' clearly marked on the 1851 ordnance map. A ford still remained and was often used by heavy traffic (traction TYPEs) until the Village was sewered about 1954, when the beck sides were banked up with excavated soil.

  Some farmers (me included) used to lead water in 'water carts' for livestock and thrashing TYPEs, also sheep dipping. I have photographs of this.

  During the last war a concrete dam of about two feet deep was put across the beck under the bridge to ensure a supply of water if fire broke out in the Village due to enemy action. It was removed afterwards.

  On hot days in summer it was a delightful sight to see some fifteen to twenty cows under the bridge sheltering from the hot sun and flies. We used to wash our carts here, and when ploughing in muddy weather in winter, we brought our horses down and paddled at out in the water to get their legs clean. We (the ploughmen) were on their backs of course.{mospagebreak}

  The new railings recently put up replaced the original ones, or what was left of them. On either side was a street lamp. These dated back to the late 1890's, when quite a number were about the Village. They were oil and a lamp lighter was employed ' Johnnie Beach. These came back into use after the first war. I still have a lamp post in good condition.

  I was told the soil for the embankments on either side of the bridge was brought from what is now Mr Brown's field, just over the stone stile again the pinfold. This can still be clearly seen.  A story told me long ago was that on the day the bridge was to be officially opened by the Duchess being driven over on her carriage, a pig jobber (dealer) came trotting down from Melsonby with a load of pigs and went over the bridge, much to the embarrassment of the officials waiting. This could have been Bill Eddon, a very militant freeholder. who lived next to the School.

  Half way down the low green we come to the narrow wooden foot bridge. This has been here a very long tine, with a walled path leading down from the East End. This was once a macadam path, as can be seen near the bridge. It is and was much used by people living down the green to get to the main Village Shop and Post Office. It must be remembered that long before the Council houses were built, the Spenceley family owned at least ten houses on this site. These were demolished about 1880. The main Village Shop was the opposite side of the road to the Church.

  This bridge has been replaced and often repaired in the past. Here again we see the concrete posts on the green side to keep livestock from using it. (One post is broken off and is in the grass alongside). These replaced wood posts some forty years since. The rails on the green are very necessary as people have been known to walk into the beck in the dark, or returning from the Stanwick Arms!

  Further down the beck, opposite the top end of the cricket field, there was another ford. A lane leads down from the East End and this was for the use of several 'Cow keepers' and others to get their stock and horses onto the green. Here again the gradual slope out onto the green has been built up.

  Then, at the east end of the green we come to the iron bridge. This replaced a wooden bridge and was built by the Estate about 1913. The wood bridge was known to all as the 'Tay' bridge possibly it was put up at the time of the Tay Bridge disaster in 1879. Both bridges had a dual purpose. First to get over the beck and secondly to wash sheep. Large numbers of sheep from the surrounding area were washed each year before clipping to get soil out of their fleece. This made the wool lighter (it is sold by weight per stone) and was a higher price.  I often helped with this job. It worked like this. Two large wooden hurdles were used as gates, one at the top end and one so far down the narrow sunk road leading down from the East End. This made a pen to hold a lot of sheep. They could be brought in from either end. A 'race' was made from the top end of the bridge up to the wall side. This was 10-15 yards long and about 4 feet wide. It was made of iron hurdles. The sheep were driven down this race and the top wooden hurdle moved down the lane to lessen the ~m as more sheep went out. At the bridge end is a gap between the ironwork and the field corner wall. Here two men grasped the sheep under the jaw and round its backside and chucked it into the water. The beck was dammed up four feet high by eight planks each one foot wide. The bottom planks rested on wood sleepers let into the bottom of the beck. They are still there. Slots in the stonework held the planks at each side and the pressure of the water held the other end against the concrete post in the middle of the stream. It took about twenty minutes from putting the planks in place to the water reaching the required depth. Very little water escaped as the heavy planks were

well cut. When finished the planks were lifted in the middle and rested that end on the concrete post, the other end in its slot. Top ones might be taken out. The bottom plank was left in place. It was strictly enforced that this procedure be followed.

  In the 1880's two toddlers, children of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Fenwick at the Shop and Harthorn Farm, were drowned about 60 yards up the beck while sheep washing was in progress. Their grave is just down from the vestry door at Stanwick.

  The charge for use of the sheep wash was 6d per score. Mr. Ralph Fenwick arranged times and collected the cash, and my grandfather put up, took down and stored the hurdles, etc. For this they were allowed to wash free.{mospagebreak}

  The sheep, once in, usually swam alongside the planks and then along the wall side. Here was a chap with a 'ducker'. This was a long shafted tool which fitted over the sheep's neck and pushed it under. It could also be used to hook under the chin and pull a sheep towards you. We still use it now when sheep dipping. They then swam along the wall side and out at the ramp at the end. This ramp is partly filled in but still there. Sheep washing ceased in the early 1930's when the price of wool fell so low that it was not worth doing. Some of the older ewes who knew the drill swam diagonally across to the exit ramp and escaped ducking. Every year one or two chaps throwing the sheep in went in with the sheep. This was considered a huge joke and nobody took any harm. No bridge or sheep wash was there in 1850, just another ford and that is still there.

THE BECK

  The Beck, the Clow Beck, rises on the moors above Barningham, flows northwards, going under the A66 at Smallways, and then turns east. Twisting and turning, it follows an easterly course until it joins the Tees just upstream of Croft Bridge. As the crow flies, it measures just fifteen miles from start to finish. It takes the name of the several villages it flows near or through ' Hutton Magna, Caldwell, Eppleby and Aldbrough. It flows under the old Al at Willow Bridge, north of Barton. At one time, some seven corn mills were driven from it, and at Aldbrough the mill ceased to function soon after 1850. Ones at Caldwell and Jolby however were in use in much later years. I remember both.

  When it is low, it is like Tennyson's 'Babbling Brook', but in flood it can become a raging torrent. Rarely does it overflow its banks, but when it does it can cover the bottom half of the green. I only remember this happening three times. On the last occasion it came out above the School house, flowing down Mr. Brown's field and through the iron gates onto Chapel green, across the footpath and back in. Lower, down it came out just above the wood bridge, then back in, and out again above the cricket ground. Here it spread most of the way across, flowing over the road and into a large expanse below. This last part drains away slowly, and remains boggy for some time. Due to "Global Warming" this has happened at least 3 times in the period since Robbie wrote this passage, and twice in one year!

  Folklore tells us that the Beck at one time went down the opposite side of the green and I am sure this is true. What course did it then follow' I agree with Jack Hollywell's theory that it turned across just about where the main bridge now is, past the southern corner of 'Greencroft', then down in front of the Hall, and continuing some ten yards or so from the road to the mill race. There are reasons for this. It had to come under the Pack Horse Bridge. That certainly goes back a very long time, and those beckside houses facing the green are very old too. This original course and jack Holywell's theory has been checked as a matter of interest by Grant Rowley in 2003 and shows the beck as indeed following the course suggested. Approaching the cricket pitch, it appears to turn at almost 90 degrees toward the present course and then again half way between the road and the present beck, cutting straight across the cricket pitch and finally running parallel and alongside the mill race, where they came together just where the new Water Board road has been laid.

The mill race was taken off at the first 90 degree bend near the new Doctors' Lane Surgery and ran diagonally  across the top end of the cricket pitch into a mill pond to one end of the cricket pavilion.  the mill wheel stood about where the diagonal footpath now is behind the pavilion.

  But the main reason can be seen some eighty yards below the big bridge, alongside the high wall. Here it flows over rocks, and the south bank is rock. In fact, when it was straightened, a ridge of rock, going north and south, was cut through here. This rock would have caused the Beck to follow its original course. When the main sewer was put in down the green and parallel with the Beck, this same ridge of rock was encountered and had to be cut through. How far it runs out under the green, I don't know, but it is not far below the surface. After leaving the mill, which was situated where the small wood now is, it went down Mr. Fenwick's field about as far as where the sewage works now are.  Its track can easily be seen some fifteen yards from the road at certain times of the year. It then would turn south east, probably along the bottom of Smailes Bank field to join its present course somewhere below the little stone bridge.

  Alter the Beck was straightened, a mill race was put in to drive the mill. This was thought to have left the Beck just about where the School house now stands, yet a very old map showing buildings where School House now stands, and exactly in the shape of the present School House, was drawn long before the beck was straightened so this cannot be so. However, it was reported to have cut across the green and road, past Greencroft Cottage, and then followed the old course of the Beck. Older residents, R. Barker and J. Robinson Senior thought they remembered this. When I was responsible for installing water in Greencroft Cottage, a sandy bed thought to be of this race was discovered about two feet down on the green and was seen by several people.  The  records show that the mill discontinued and fell into ruin in the mid 1700s, whereas the beck was not straightened until the late 1700s. A 1790 estate map shows the beck in its original position.

Several villagers have discovered the original course of the beck by dowsing and all agree on it's original course. However, none have found any trace of a mill race across the green and road by this same method. Another strong argument against this is that to follow the course suggested by Robbie, after leaving the beck at School House, the race would have re-joined the beck yet again on low green only to leave it once more at the cricket pitch. {mospagebreak}

  When I attended Aldbrough School some seventy years since, the Beck was 'walled in . That's the best way I can describe it. A drystone wall reinforced by wood piles every foot, and about three feet high. This stretched from the School house to the iron bridge. Of course there were gaps at the two fords, one by the road bridge and the other for cattle again the cricket pitch. Also the watering places, one at each end of 'Sunningdale' cottage and the other by the road bridge on Chapel green. Also none were necessary below this bridge where the rock extended alongside the high wall. In front of the two Beck cottages was a proper path. You had to go under the bridge arch at the west end, whilst at the other end were some stone steps. These latter are probably still there but time and tide have taken their toll, yet if you look carefully this wall, with piles, is still to be seen a few yards immediately below the wood bridge on the south side.

  The Beck, for the whole of it's length through the village, is registered common land, with rights of piscary for all villagers. Of course you still need a licence to fish.

  Some years since, the Wear and Tees River Authority agreed to 'main' it. This means that hey take the responsibility for maintenance, a great help to the village. It is however, under the care of the R.D.C. Rather odd.

  Up to about five years since, our Beck was a veritable bird sanctuary. Lots of Water Hew; nested over the full length, their nests often being easily visible. Dippers had nest( d under or near the iron bridge all my life. Mallard had a brood upstream of the woo: bridge. Wrens and Wagtail were numerous. An odd Snipe stayed a while, and Herons were daily visitors. With a bit of luck you might see a Kingfisher on a branch, but usually it we s just a flash of iridescent blue as it flashed past. Then one quiet sunny day, I was leaning, over the iron bridge rails, looking upstream, when out of a hole in the bank below me popped a creature I did not recognise. About a foot long, shortish tail, blunt nose. and a mole grey colour. It popped back. I asked several people about it, but the only conclusion we came to was that it might be a young otter. Within a very short time all our birds had gone, and I mean all. And then more of these animals were seen up and down the Beck. They were mink. Apparently the disappearance of Water Hens is a sure sign of their presence. We contacted the pests Officer and he had never come across them before. He had to obtain traps, but I think they had moved on. He did, I believe, catch an odd one.

  The trouble is that the birds have not come back. A couple of Dippers were seen briefly this Spring and last year an odd Water Hen produced a brood and disappeared. But Wagtails seem to have weathered the storm and quite a few are about. Otherwise, only our garden birds are seen in the trees. Truly a 'Silent Spring'. It is fairly well known that mink were 'liberated' from a fur farm in Cumbria by animal activists and are now on our rivers and streams. The sooner they can be exterminated the better for our indigenous wild life.

In 1992, the otter hounds were brought up from Leeds to attempt to rid us of the mink.  In a full day of hunting the beck, not a single mink was caught or even seen.  Grant Rowley from School House, decided enough was enough, and in 1993 and with farmers' permission set out with a 22 rifle.  Within a week over a dozen mink had been removed and to this day, none have been seen since.  Jack Holywell, who was Parish Council chairman, called for a vote of thanks, and . Grant says that in one morning in 2003, in the 15 yards' walk to and from his garden, he encountered heron, moorhen, duck, pigeon, crow, starling, sparrow, wren, and kingfisher.  We once again have a population of about 30 - 40 Mallard and possibly 15 - 20 Moorhen on the beck.

  A couple of years since, spray pollution killed off all our fish. Trout have again been introduced and are flourishing but I have not seen a shoal of minnows for years. One would expect the eels have returned from Saragossa Sea. One dry summer a few years back the Beck was completely covered in places with watercress. This, I was told is a sure sign of pollution. It was coming from overloaded sewage works at Eppleby. It did not seem to do much damage and has disappeared, I think for good.

  The plant life on the banks is abundant. I'm no botanist and cannot do it justice. Reeds, various grasses, nettles, willow herb, meadowsweet, cress, kingcups, docks, thistles, kelk, ground elder, daffodils, a few snowdrops in Spring, ivy, cranesbill, yellow iris, buttercups, dead nettle, white and red clover, ragwort, and others I cannot name. The trees are there to see. Ash, willow, hawthorn, alder and elder. The elms have unfortunately died.

ALDBROUGH PARISH COUNCIL, 1894 to 1987

  The Local Government Act, 1894, brought in the first form of democratic local government. So far as Parish Councils are concerned, it is basically the same today as when it started. Certain rules have changed, and now we can have lady members. Remember they did not get votes for many years.

  The first Parish meeting to elect the first Council was held in the School on Tuesday, December 4th, 1894 at 7.00 p.m. Mr. James Charlton was appointed Chairman. The members elected were Messrs Robert Barker, William Cobbett, James Gill, George Hodgson, and Marmaduke Wardell.

  At the first meeting of the Parish Council, held in the School on Thursday, December 13th, 894, it was decided to ask the vicar, the Rev. Henry Pollexfen to become Chairman of the Council. The Vicar not being present, Mr. Hodgson took the Chair. Mr. James Gill was asked to undertake the duties of Clerk and agreed.

  Mr. Pollexfen agreed to be Chairman, and continued in this office until retiring in 1901. At this first meeting Messrs James Gill and Ralph Fenwick were asked to continue as overseers. One of their jobs was Co collect the rates. They were also appointed to be Assessors and Collectors of Income Tax. All this of course, was entirely unpaid, and could be a rather thankless job.

  There was another election of Councillors the following year, but in spite of ten nominations, the same people were elected. By 1899 the Council was composed of Messrs R. Barker, W. M. Cobbett, James Gill, Martin Swainton, and Ralph Fenwick. The next election was two years later, when the only change was that Thomas Fenwick, Aldbrough, took over from Ralph Fenwick. In 1904 these were re-elected. It then went or to a three year period between elections and in 1907 the members were Messrs Barker, Cobbett, Thomas Fenwick (Aldbrough), R. Fenwick, and W. Newcombe. Mr. Gill had withdrawn his name. By 1913 the members were Messrs R. Barker, J. Gill, R. Fenwick, T. B. Earle, and S. Honeywell. No election took place during the war and the next was in 1922. Those then elected were Messrs R. Barker, R. Fenwick, G. Gill, J. W. Brown, and H. Hall. Mr. James Gill had retired after a period of 27 years, although still serving as a District Councillor. In 1925 Mr. R. Barker retired after 31 years, and Messrs G. Gill, R. Charlton, T. F. Fenwick, J. W. Brown, and H. Hall were elected. By 1934 it was R. Fenwick, G. Gill, T. F. Fenwick, J. W. Brown, and J. Robinson. I should explain that these elections were by show of hands at a Parish meeting, and now every three years. This was to continue at least until 1950.

  In the early years and in fact until 1937, the Council regularly discussed water supplies. Various ideas were put forward but all lacked one essential. Water could be easily supplied to the lower part of the village but not to the higher part, and those in the lower area had supplies of sorts.{mospagebreak}

  Eventually in 1937 the District Council put in a good local supply, and even then the reservoir was rather low, and, unless kept full, the higher farms had low pressure or none at all, but it was a good improvement. Our present supply came in 1956, and it is very good. We have suffered from very high pressure at times, but that's better than low.

  Other matters the Council frequently dealt with were the green, repairs to bridge, allotment gardens, and all sorts of odds and ends.   Electricity came to the village in 1935. We also had the Silver Jubilee that year and the Parish meeting appointed a committee of four, Miss Mayhew, Mrs. Ogden, Mr. R. Gent, an I Mr. R. Gill to make arrangements. By 1938 A.R.P. volunteers were being asked for and with the coming of the war, little happened for the next six years, except that two houses for agricultural workers were built down the green. About the time of the outbreak of war Messrs Brown, R. Gill, and Robinson collected gas masks from Gilling and had two sessions in the School, fitting and giving them out. After the war a new Council was elected. This was T. F. Fenwick, D. Hedley, J. Robinson, J. Gent, and R. J. Gill. The Rev. Eric Raynor had been asked to be Chairman and agreed. There were constant grumbles about cars on the green and demands for a car park. Over the years this got as far as being marked out, and then dropped, as the R.D.C. were told it would be completely illegal to put one on common land. Permission was given for a Village Hall in 1956. The bus shelter was built in 1954. In 1953 an attempt was made to have Street lighting but when estimates were received the cost was more than we dare take on, a 6d rate. Nevertheless, the R.D.C. was to introduce district lighting a year or two later. We got what we wanted for ld on rates.

  From 1958 onwards the tree in front of the 'Stanwick Arms' gave cause to worry. Mr. James Holywell had asked that it be lopped, as he thought it dangerous. The Council agreed, but finding someone to do it proved impossible. They were all scared, including the Post Office as wires were under the branches. Several people knew someone who would do it but they never arrived. I was very worried indeed and finally told the Council that I would not be a partner to carrying the main responsibility any longer. I was authorised to have it taken down immediately. This was done and it was shown to have been in a very dangerous condition. A big tree in front of the Doctors had been taken down some years earlier.

  In 1962 Mrs. Haycock gave a seat to the village in memory of her father, Mr. Tom Waites. We won the R.D.C. Tidy Village Award in 1964, and received another seat. Mrs. Sewell and family gave a seat in memory of Mr. Scott Sewell, 'Scott's Seat', in 1977. And then in 1978 the village won the Yorkshire Rural Community Council Best Kept Village and received another seat presented by 'The Dalesman'. The new pavilion was erected in 1964, and the Village Hall about the same time. In 1965 plans for houses in the grounds of Aldbrough House were brought before the Council. We did not like them and felt there was something else in the background. After interviewing the developments we were sure of this and turned them down flat. A subsequent inquiry supported the Council and they were congratulated on the way they had presented their case. Up to 1950 planning matters were not referred to the Parish Council. It was dealt with by a County Council committee made up of members of many R.D.C.'s It just happened that I was on this committee and was therefore able to inform the Parish Council and villagers on what was happening.

  In 1966 we had a worrying time about vandalism at the bus shelter and telephone kiosk. The phone was often out of order, was being misused at night, and glass broken. The Post Office actually threatened to take it away if this trouble continued. People asked that the kiosk be moved, but the Post Office demanded '300 for this. The Police were very unhelpful. This culminated in a very upsetting row with a Policeman. After this, Senior Police Officers took the matter up, frank apologies, and much better surveillance, and trouble died. But one person did leave the village over the matter, blaming the Council.

  Complaints continued about cars on the green, but this seemed an insolvable problem, unless the Council were to be very heavy handed, which they were not. They asked people to use more commonsense.

  We had long requested a bus shelter in Melsonbv road, and eventually the R.D. built one. More and more plans were being referred to the Council for their comments. and after the reorganisation of local Government in 1974 it became obligatory for Parish Councils to be consulted by the new R.D.C., who were now the planning authority and this is done. Whether they eventually do what the Council wants is a different matter, but they do listen.

  Some years since, the village became a conservation area, after much consultation with the Planning Officers. An exhibition was held for a day in the Village Hall to explain what was intended and why. At a subsequent village meeting this was accepted without dissent. Social planning is now being considered. There are still a few sites left for infilling about six or eight, but the number and type of house will be carefully controlled. This is a lovely open village and the Parish Councils must be given some credit for this. Odd mistakes have been made, both by Planners and the Council, but not many. The green really makes the village. It is a great asset, but has to be kept tidy. The cows did it in the past, now it's up to the Council. They can only do what they can afford, and need as much help as they can get from the public keeping the place tidy. It's reasonable but could be better.

  Being a Parish Councillor is not just a matter of getting dressed up and going to meetings. No Councillor has an individual power, except the Chairman in urgent matters. The Council has, and must use its powers without fear or favour when the occasion arises for the good of the village, both individually and collectively. It's really a matter of common sense.

PARISH COUNCIL STATISTICS

  About 40 people have served on the Parish Council since 1894. The first two elected were Robert Barker and James Gill, my grandfathers. Robert Barker served continuously until 1925, 31 years. James Gill withdrew twice in the early years, and retired in 1922, after 26 years. Mr. Thomas Fenwick of Park House, 17 years. George Gill, 23 years. J. Robinson, 17. R. Fenwick, Namens Leases, 32. Mr. T. F. Fenwick, 32 years. Mr. H. Brown 28 years. Mr. D. Hedley, 24 years. R. J. Gill, 43 years. Mr. Tim Fenwick, 12 years. Mr. J. Holywell, 16 years.

PARISH COUNCIL STATISTICS

SCHOOL MANAGERS

      James Gill, 1896 to 1935      39 years

      George Gill, 1935 to 1946     11 years

      D. Hedley, 1946 to 1966       19 years

      R. J. Gill, 1966 to 1985         19 years

DISTRICT COUNCILLORS

      James Gill, 1898 to 1928        30 years

      T. F. Fenwick, 1928 to 1954   26 years

      R. J. Gill, 1954 to 1975          21 years

      J. R. Gill, 1983 [son of R J Gill]

  Postal address from Aldbrough, Darlington, to Aldbrough, Yorkshire, and then to Aldbro' St John, Richmond, Yorkshire, in 1930 to avoid confusion with other Aldbroughs in Yorkshire.

  Robert Barker and James Gill were my grandfathers, and George Gill, my father. With myself, in total we served 123 years.

Please note

  I have tried to make this an accurate record of Parish Council over the years. Facts are right, dates not guaranteed.

PARISH COUNCIL STATISTICS

CHAIRMAN

Rev. Henry Pollexfen                                        9 years

Thomas Fenwick, Park House                         16 years

Ralph Fenwick, Namens Leases                      20 years

Rev. Eric Raynor                                             4 years

James Gill                                                      5 or 6 years

George Gill                                                     6 years

T.    F. Fenwick                                               2 years

H.    Brown                                                     8 years

J.    Robinson                                                 18 years

Tim Fenwick                                                  14 years

CLERKS

1894 to 1910                 James Gill                16 years

1910 to 1922                 Robert Barker           12 years

1922 to 1928                 George Gill               6 years

1928 to 1936                 T. F. Fenwick           8 years

1936 to 1970                 R. J. Gill                  36 years

1970 to 1979                 Mrs. Browitt             9 years*

1979 to 1987                 Mrs. Hall                  8 years*

                                                                         *paid salary

  One interesting point is that in the 1920's people in the village started to complain that too many Councillors lived outside the village. At that time they were Messrs R. Fenwick (Namens Leases), J. W. Brown (Canton Green), and H. Hall (Micklow). The answer was that they had elected the Council at often poorly attended meetings, but in later years this problem has not arisen.{mospagebreak}

  I have often wondered how local government was carried out before the 1894 Act. It seems it was a matter for the vestry meeting. This was a meeting of freeholders who had a Clerk, and made various appointments, such as overseers, at one time a village Constable, and dealt with other village business. It may have been an annual event. Whether the vicar had any part in it I don't know, but it did not concern itself with Church affairs.

In the Churchyard I have found two headstones in memory of Clerks to this Parish during the last Century. The Rev. J. R. Young, our last vicar, expressed the opinion that these two persons would be Clerks to the vestry also, and would be responsible for the above vestry meetings. The headstones read: John Gregory, Parish Clerk at this Church for 38 years. who died on December

28th. 1834, aged 78 years. His wife Elenor died in June 1830, aged 72 years. A daughter and son died in March and May 1801, aged 16 and 19.

Charles Siddell, Clerk to this Parish for 47 years, who died on December 11th. 1887. aged 73 years. The stone was erected by subscriptions of parishioners as testimony to his faithful discharge of duty during this period.

  What did the overseers do' Their full title was overseers of the poor, and as such their main responsibility was to pay a small allowance to anyone in the village who had no income. There was no O.A.P. in those days. This, and any other village expenditure had to be recovered by a small rate, probably payable by the freeholders. Some Parishes wire more generous than others who were utterly callous and mean. This lead to some trouble between villages, as some paupers, as they were called, tended to be pushed around. They were mostly old people with no family. 'Ard Bill were born in Barton, has nobbut lived here for twenty years, so he mun go back to Barton, we're givin him nout.' Things like that did happen, I hope not in Aldbrough.

Policing in Aldbrough

  Overseers would appoint the village Constable, a part time job. A great uncle of my mother, one of the Barkers, had this job at one time. He used to round up any strange cattle or horses that appeared on the green, lock them in the pinfold, and the owners had to pay a fine to recover them. I was told he always wore a top hat when on duty! He would doubtless have other jobs as well.

One good story concerns the Feast. In about 1926 the Feast was going well in nice weather. On Monday night sports were over and a large crowd was having fun among the shows. At 10.00 p.m. a new Police Superintendent plus a couple of Constables appeared in a car. This chap had just come to Richmond and word had spread that he was a so-and-so. He ordered the shows to close down at once as it was 10.00 p.m. No reason was given. Of course there was a row, but close down they did. He left, saying they must do the same the next night, Tuesday. He would be there to see his orders were obeyed, and he was. But the Parish Council, none of whom were there on Monday night, were organised, and they could be a pretty tough lot. He was told to clear off and mind his own business in no uncertain manner, and amid applause from the crowd, he had to. His name was Supt. Flyn. Some time later one of his men took a shot at him with a 12 bore gun, but did not kill him. It finished his Police career. The Policeman got a prison sentence of course. Lots thought, and said, he should have had a medal. I well remember it.

After a spell of no police, we had a period of having a 'village policeman' who lived in an adjoining village and kept an eye on seven villages and hamlets in the area. Police were not seen very often in the villages. Then in 1995 the home secretary advertised for community aware villagers throughout the country, to take up the role of Parish Constable in their own villages.  Grant Rowley applied to be our parish constable, but things did not go well from the start.  Grant had for a year, been the neighbourhood watch co-ordinator for our village, and had put out a magazine 'The Aldbrough Watch' to every house in the village, monthly, at his own expense. Later the parish council was to take a hand in financing, but this lasted only for two years. That was when Grant started the Aldbrough St John website, to go with the magazine.

First he had to be trained as a special constable, but although the Home Office had asked for volunteers to do the job, North Yorkshire Police refused to tell him whether at the end of a years training as a special, he would be allowed to do it.  Grant insisted that he had only taken the job to look after his own village and that he had no interest in doing the job as a 'normal' special, and eventually they agreed that he would be able to take up the job.  It seems that NYP had not wanted a parish constable, but had to agree as it was a Home Office directive.  On one of his first jobs in the village, he stopped some traders who were acting illegally and called for assistance.  A regular officer came out from Richmond and took over.  Grant was in the back of this regular officer's car when a member of the public did something quite innocently concerning the car in which several other of these traders were sitting.  A couple of days later, Grant was suspended from duty for allowing a 'search' to take place by a member of the public.  When Grant pointed out that as a regular officer was present, seniority dictated that the regular officer was in charge so it was he who had allowed the 'search' and not Grant.  Grant was immediately returned to duty, but nothing was said to the regular officer, who was due for promotion.

Over a couple of years, grant's duties grew from policing Aldbrough, to policing the seven villages and Hamlets in the area, as had the regular officer, several years before.  Local people went out of their way to shake his hand and the old folks said how much safer they felt just knowing he was there. He was given permission to use his own car and paid by the police to do so.  When a new superintendent came to Richmond, Grant was visited by the inspector and rural sergeant and told that the new superintendent had asked that Grant should find a sponsor for a car that he could use officially, with police signs on the doors.  He found the sponsorship of a Darlington dealer who would supply a Mitsubishi, and he reported this to the inspector at Richmond.  Nothing more was heard of this until one day when he saw a car driven by a regular, with police signs, and bearing the name of the sponsor he had found.  When he challenged the superintendent on this, he was told to stop producing the free Aldbrough Watch magazine, which had been promoted by the police as a 'best practice' venture at the Police and Public Liaison Meeting in Richmond only a year earlier.  The police told the local newspaper that Grant had no right to find a sponsor for a car ' even though they had requested it ' and denied he had any right to patrol other villages in the area.  They had dug a big hole for themselves and just kept digging.  They had forgotten they were paying Grant to patrol using his own car, so this was already on the record.  They also forgot that they had given him permission to patrol the other villages in writing.  These payment records and permissions still exist and are in our archives. Quite rightly, Grant told north Yorkshire Police what they could do with their warrant card.

SCHOOLS IN ALDBROUGH

  Before any Schools existed in Aldbrough how did some people become reasonably well educated' Some were self taught, but others got their knowledge from itinerant teachers who moved round the area staying odd days here and there, giving tuition and leaving homework before moving on. They called back perhaps a month later and were paid a small fee. I've seen work turned out by some of their pupils and was amazed at their knowledge.

What was probably the original school in Aldbrough is now School House, in the corner of the village, but it may have been some other building before that - it's certainly of 1700s construction and as a single storey building, predates the Old School by many years.

  The Old School we still have, and part of it was built in 1815. It was at the expense of Mr. S. J. Moulton Barrett M.P. for Richmond, who lived at and owned Carlton Hall. It consisted of what is now the larger room with a door at each end. Three windows down each side and one at each end. If you look carefully you can see where a door has been built up at the east end. The outline of the original windows on the north side are easily visible inside.

  It is described in 1820 as a handsome free School, supported by voluntary contributions and conducted on the Lancastarian System. The Schoolmaster was Thomas Dobbinson. It was later to become known as the National School.

  By the time 1850 arrived education had advanced dramatically in the Village. We now had three Schools. The National School, a girl's School and a Preparatory School for infants.

  Thomas Gibson was master of the National School. It had an endowment of '40 per annum from the Duke of Northumberland. At this time and certainly for long afterwards the pupils paid a small fee, although this was only coppers per week, payable weekly.

The Girls' School was called the Parochial School and was for 25 girls. It was supported by the Duchess of Northumberland. Girls of course also went to the National School. My Aunt, Miss Harriet Barker, born in 1876, told me and Mr. Henry Brown that this School was held in what is now Cordilleras Farm House, formerly Harthorn Farm. The Schoolmistress was Miss Marian Allen, whom I believe was Scottish.  The Preparatory Schoolmistress was Mrs. Ann Harker. Who paid her I don't know, though I read somewhere Lady Prudhoe helped. She was the Duke's sister-in-law. Where it was is again doubtful. One vague suggestion was that a large room in what we now know as Arnham House was used. Mrs. Isobel Ogden found some very old text books here, but they were certainly not for a Prep School, more like '0' level maths.

  The Duchess Elenor had come to Stanwick in 1865 and it was she who paid for enlarging the National School. The date was sometime in the 1870's. The infant room was built on and a doorway made in place of a window into the main room. Another door and porch was built where the middle north facing window was. Both yards were made, railed in and surfaced. A flagpole was erected between the School and Schoolhouse. There was a large fireplace in the infant room and a coke stove (Tortoise) opposite the door in the senior room. Probably the coalhouse and toilets (earth closets) were put up at the same time. The small room had a three step gallery at the north end with an infant desk, (five places) on either side, six in all. The way up the centre lead to the bell chain. A tall kid could just see out of the window. The Headmaster used to open his door and ask an infant to ring the bell after senior playtime. We vied with each other for this job and had to take turns. The chain was in a tube and once when I had to ring it the chain broke and came down. It gave me a shock and Mrs. Evans, the Mistress, took me over to the Schoolhouse and gave me a glass of milk and a sweet biscuit. This would be about 1913.{mospagebreak}

Now we have a problem.  Robbie tells us that [1] the school was built in 1815 by Mr Barrat MP [verified] [2] that the school was enlarged C1870 [verified] [3] that school house was built around the same time.

This could not have been so' Why' Because the lower part of School House is much older than the school. From the accompanying  photograph, it can be seen that the house was once a single storey building as evidenced by the mortar and different style of stonework used in the upper part of the building.  The house has not been changed in the 20th century, so this is the work done when Robbie surmised the School House was built in the late 1800s.  Now if the present school was built in the early 1800s, then what was this building'  It's layout [two large rooms and an entrance hall with cloakroom, suggests that this too was a school, and almost certainly predated the one built by Mr Barrat.  Old maps show a building here of the same configuration as the oldest part of the house ie. a long building with a porch. Could this have been the original village school and Mr barrat built a new one next door'  The old school was probably lived in by the master until the extensions to the school in the late 1800s when the old school was also enlarged into a proper house by adding an upper storey.  The hefty "A" frames which support the roof have been moved up to the new height as shown by the finish of the woodwork which was exposed at some time in its past. There are also pencil inscriptions stating where the individual frames fit to the building - unnecessary when the building was first built as they would have been built in situ.

   Who succeeded Mr. Gibson as Master I do not know, but by 1880 a Mr. Frederick Bransgrove had come. He became an almost legendary figure with both pupils and parents. Indeed, with the whole Village. Unfortunately, he died at an early age. His grave at Stanwick is marked by a stone paid for by pupils and friends. It is just down from the Belfry door.

  Mr. Bransgrove was succeeded by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Evans. It was usual at this time for the Master's wife to teach the infants, and this continued up to the last War, but ended with the death of Mr. Brown. The teachers lived in the Schoolhouse, which I think would be built by the Duchess about the time of the School alterations. It was sold by the Diocesan Authorities later and when the Reverend Lund and I, as Managers, had to go to Northallerton to appoint another teacher, the Committee were very critical of this. It was not our fault.{mospagebreak}

  Mr. and Mrs. Evans were excellent teachers. He was very strict and she was very kind. They had one daughter, Ella, who was a teacher in London. He died in 1920, and is buried in an unmarked grave as near as you can get to the vestry door.

  I attended the School from 1912 to 1918 and, only of average ability, had no difficulty passing the entrance exam for Barnard Castle School. I was told after that if I had had knowledge of French I might have got a scholarship. This was entirely due to Mr. Evans. I was followed by two Honeywell boys the next year.

  A story told me about the School alterations was as follows. William Robinson, a Village Blacksmith, had to make and put up the Playground railings. When the work was almost finished he was approached by two militant Village freeholders, Bob Laws and Bill Edden, asked was asked when he would finish. He told them, and asked why. They said they had complained that the railings were too far out and were encroaching on common land, Village Green. No notice had been taken of them by the agent, and therefore they intended to pull them down when finished. They did not wish for Robinson to suffer, so would let him finish and be paid. Later they harnessed horses to the rails and pulled them down, and as a result they had to be erected a yard or so further back. This was told by Joe Robinson Senior who was helping his father with the work.

  Mr. Evans was succeeded as Headmaster by Mr. Ferrier who stayed a few years, and then came Mr. Charlton. It was in the early thirties that Mr. and Mrs. Brown arrived from Darlington. Their interest and devotion to the School and the Village was exceptional. As a young man Mr. Brown had excelled at sport, and the boys under him were not only taught in School but also at play, and were taught how to play correctly. His cricket coaching especially brought out a generation of players who were a great credit to our Village Club. One thinks of the Evans and Ogdens and Jack Corps in particular. The War put a stop to this and Mr. Brown had then to cope with waves of evacuees. The School was crowded out and local infants had to stay at home. Teachers came with the children but some were not as co-operative as they should have been, which did not help. Mr. Brown was, of course, Headmaster. He was badly overworked and was suddenly taken ill and died. Mrs. Brown was appointed Head, and helped by the fact that quite a lot of the evacuees had drifted back to Gateshead, was able to manage very well. Quite a few children stayed for the duration of the War or until they were fourteen, and both enjoyed and appreciated their country environment.

  During my time at School and for some time afterwards the traditional country games were played. With the girls it was skipping, hop-scotch and rounders (we had another name for it) and then those lovely singing dancing games, 'Nuts in May', 'Poor Mary sat a-weeping', 'Farmer in his den', 'Riding down to London', 'Spiders web', and others I've forgotten. With the boys it was tops in the Spring, followed by marbles in the Summer. We all had our iron bowlers made by the Blacksmith for sixpence, plus its steering tool. We played cricket with homemade bats and wickets. Our main other game, other than getting into mischief, was 'Fox Off'. This was a bit like a paper chase. One aced as fox and after being given a start, went where he liked in an effort to evade his pursuers and if they lost him they shouted 'Give a hallo or dogs won't follow.' It was good exercise, and good fun and a very pleasant sound to hear the girls singing and to see them dancing on the Green. One generation taught the next.

  In School, as infants, we used slates and slate pencils. They sometimes squeaked and set your teeth on edge. Indeed, we used slates when first we went into the big room under Mt. Evans, and were then weaned to pen and ink. A senior boy had the job of filling the inkwells as required. We had morning prayers and learnt popular hymns and had good religious instruction by Mr. Evans. We never saw the vicar. Holidays were one month in Summer, a fortnight at Christmas, and a week plus Good Friday at Easter. The only other rest was Ash Wednesday when we went to School as usual but then marched to the Church for a short service and had the rest of the day off.

  We caught bullheads in the beck and odd minnows and put them in jars. They soon died and we got into trouble at home for wet feet. Miss Annie Edden who lived next to the School patrolled in front of her house with a trap whip to keep cows away. We used to ;ease her and she used to march into School to complain. Mr. Evans handled her very well and ticked us off. He knew her.

  During he Great War we were all taught to knit and begged wool to knit six inch squares. Somebody sewed them together to make blankets for the War effort! We also

had a yearly collection of eggs for the hospital and were given a Certificate for so doing. I've still got mine. Ours would go to Stanwick Hall which was a convalescent home for troops.

  Another traditional event was singing for your New Year's gift. We all went round in twos and threes singing 'I wish you good health and a happy New Year, please will you give me a New Year's gift.' We collected mostly coppers and the odd sixpence. It we got two shillings or more we'd done well. You got a lot of sweets for a penny then. At eleven o clock we all assembled at Miss Spenceleys and sung together and were each presented with a bag containing an apple, an orange, sweets and a sixpence. Later we had all received an invitation and went to a party at the Hall. We had a very good tea, some entertainment and a book. I've got mine yet.

  A monthly visitor was the School Attendance Officer, or as we called him, the 'Kiddie Catcher'. An ex-policeman, he was a very big chap from Richmond called Blades. He rode a big two barred bike. He never had any trouble at Aldbrough.

  I don't remember how many went to School at this time. Certainly a lot more than now. But there were quite a few large families of eight or more that kept up a steady supply. Fenwicks at Namens Leases and at the Shop, Browns from Carlton, Stensons, Bartrams, Towlers, Aldersons, Gents and about the last, Honeywells. There were six of these going at the time I left. Many walked quite a distance to School and brought their dinners with them. They came from Park House, Stanwick, Carlton, Namens Leases and Micklow. Don't forget, there were no 'wellies' then. A kettle used to be put on the stove and Mrs. Evans made some sort of beverage for them in Winter. They always ate inside but had to clean up and leave no crumbs. Mrs. Alderson was caretaker for many years.

  One last thing I must record is Lachlen MacPherson. His father was estate forester and lived at Cloud Cottage. He was my special friend, along with Bob Honeywell. He got appendicitis. Although operated upon at home, he died. Bob and I were sent round with a wreath from School. We were taken to see him in his coffin. I often look at his headstone and remember.

  When the estate was sold in 1921 the School was bought by the Diocesan Authority who rent it to the County Education Committee. They have plans for building a large School at Melsonby and taking children from Aldbrough, Manfield and Eppleby there, but this has been postponed indefinitely. The School is registered for 105 places. Since Mrs. Brown left in 1944 the Head Teachers have been Miss Pybus, Mrs. Davison, Mrs. MacMillan, Mrs. Caffery and Mrs. Lee. However, probably the teacher who served the Village best was the infant teacher, Mrs. Ridley, who left a couple of years since on her retirement after more than twenty years. She was splendid and very much appreciated.

  Following Thomas Dobbinson as Schoolmaster was a Mr. William Allan. He died in November 1838, aged 41. Thomas Gibson would follow him.

INCIDENTS INVOLVING AIRCRAFT

Towards the end of world war one a biplane landed on the green, coming to rest at the back of M:. Mayhew's house, now called 'Greencroft'. He was lost. Mr. Evans, our Headmaster, took the children out to see it. The pilot wore breeches and field boots and a lc ng leather greatcoat. Mr. Mayhew showed him where he was on his map, and he took off, wobbling down the valley towards Micklow.

KIRKBRIDGE FARM, 362 acres at estate sale

  The acreage figure should be ignored, as certain land was taken from it. I do not know its present size. The Cattericks certainly farmed it from the early 14th Century. They bred racehorses and had other stock. Likewise the Smithsons, living there from about 1638 to 1668 would probably have the land in hand. In 1720 Samuel Buck sketched the house and spoke of Mn. Wilkinson as the occupant. In 1820 it could have been Thomas Pearson or John Wilkin.

  Other occupants, M. Johnson, J. Johnson, H. Johnson, MacPherson, J. W. Earle, T. Earle, W. Fodgson, Edmundson (Farm Bailiff), E. Other, W. Wetherall, Wilkin. Possibly a Listen.

PARK HOUSE, 464 acres

  This acreage also includes High Langdale Farm. The two had been farmed as one up to the estate sale, but later split up.

  Occupants, J. W. Hall, Ayre, J. J. Balmain, T. F. Fenwick, T. Fenwick, John Wilkin, Robert Wilkin, John Wilkin, John Wood, Thomas Todd, John Todd.

LOW LANGDALE, 247 acres

  This house has been re-built and enlarged by Messrs H. & W. Bigge, who bought in at the sale.

  Occupants, P. Bigge, S. Bigge, H. & W. Bigge, W. K. Trotter, H. Trotter, J. Swainston, M. Swainston, R. Appleby.

MICKLOW, 237 acres

  It had no farmhouse and was farmed from Aldbrough House for many years. New house built 1921. Buildings and wheel shed with stackyard at Aldbrough. Building and cottages at Micklow. Cottages built last Century. Acreage now much reduced.

  Occupants, F. Taylor, W. Taylor, H. Hall, T. B. Earle, G. Hodgson, M. Stevenson, 1. Butterfield (Farm Bailiff).

  For some time Lionel Raper Spenceley farmed Micklow, and also Mary Spenceley, his wife, followed him. Probably from about 1800 to 1830.

HANG BANK, 74 acres

  Probably farmed in conjunction with Micklow at some time.

  Occupants, Walton, Barker, Walls, J. E. Raine, R. Johnson, R. H. Souter, Pocklington, John Robinson, W. Emmerson, R. Bradley.

LONG LEASES, 214 acres

  Not on the estate nor the parish, but has always had links with Aldbrough. The Stephenson family of three brothers and a sister had farmed there for many years, and also had the adjoining farm, Grunton. After retirement in the early 1920's they went to Stain drop, but later returned to Aldbrough and lived as Ivy House. All buried at Stanwick.

  Occupants, M. Raw, R. Raw, Raw, W. Gates, Stephenson Bros, other Stephenson.

ALLISON FARM, 20 acres, now none existent, land sold off.

  This farm included the malt kiln and brewery until 1883, when it was sold by Mrs. Allison of Darlington to the estate.

0ccupants, K. Hedley, W. Clark, J. G. Trotter, J. Gregory, Tallentyre, Allison family for man 'years.

ALDBROUGH HOUSE, ' acres

  Became a farm in its own right in 1922, after being part of Micklow Farm for many years.

  Occupants, G. Park, Thomas Burton Junior, Thomas Burton.   Land sold off and no longer a farm.

HARTHORN FARM, 122 acres

  Also a shop until 1923. Much more land now.

  Occupants, D. Brown, H. Brown, H. Brown, R. Fenwick, T. Fenwick, J. Graham Junior, J. Graham.

KILTON GRANGE, Ruffans Farm, 265 acres

  More land has been added. House altered 1912. In 1852 William Clark had 430 acres, so must have had two farms.

  Occupants, Tim Fenwick, T. F. Fenwick, R. Stephenson, J. Mitchell, M. Swainston, Thomas Stephenson, John Clark, W. Clark, possibly Todd.

CLOSE HOUSE, Dilston House, about 50 acres

Once much less size. It has had six different owners since the estate sale. House and buildings much altered.

  Occupants, C. MacAndrew, Lord MacAndrew, J. P. Alderson, Mrs. Hutton Wilson, R. Walker, T. H. Jackson, W. Wilkinson, F. Shields, Mrs. Evans, R. Pocklington, W. Ridley, W. Mann, C. Basham, James Featham.

LUCY CROSS FARM, Manor Farm, 245 acres

  Lost 34 acres at time of sale. Belonged to Milbanks Halnaby estate, and sold by Lady Byron to Duke in 1828. Recent examination of deeds show all occupants since 1760.

  Occupants, J. & C. Gill, R. J. Gill, G. Gill, James Gill, W. Crow, C. Alcock, W. Milburn (1821), Nathanial Dobbin (1815), John Wetherall (1776), Joseph Watson (1761).

WHARTONS FARM, Melsonby, 254 acres

  In Melsonby, but part of Stanwick estate. Once a Pub as well, called 'End of All Things', locally called 'World's End'.

  Occupants, J. W. Hall, F. Kenleyside, Joseph Kenleyside, Matthew Swainston, Joseph Swainston.

Estate Agents during the period 1820 to 1921 were as follows: 

Thomas Lax,                  1820 - 1828

Archibald Moore,            1828 - 1839

C. S. Bell,                     1839 - 1889

William Cobbett,            1889 - 1912

F. W. Hall,                    1912 - 1921

  My grandfather, James Gill was estate foreman from about 1885 to 1911. This job was to act as a sort of intermediary between the farmers and the Agent. Only a part time job.

  F. W. Hall became Agent at Alnwick after the estate sale and would be there for some time He was not popular. On one occasion when he had a fall while hunting and suffered a broken leg a tenant of a large farm up there told us, 'He should have broken his neck".

RECREATIONAL FACILITIES, INSIDE AND OUT

  Aldbrough is indeed fortunate in having its village greens. Apart from the fact that these greens make the village layout superb, they also provide us with excellent scope for recreation. At the top end we have a safe playing field for the school and the quoit pitches. It is also the site for the annual Feast. Further down, we have our football field and, for nearly twenty years, tennis courts, and then the cricket ground. These are all kept in very good order by the respective Clubs and the Parish Council.

  Cricket has been played in Aldbrough for a very long time. It was certainly here in my parents recollections which went back to 1880, then played where it is now. But folklore says it was first played in the Cow Pasture when this was still common land. I always took that with a pinch of salt. I first remember the pitch being a comparatively small area on the )resent wicket protected by a temporary fence which was removed for games. There was a little hut, where the present pavilion now stands, for storage and the scorers sat there. The door was fastened back and then acted as a very good scoreboard. Just as good as we have now.

  About 1912 major improvements took place. A much larger wicket area was levelled and around this a fifty yard square was protected by a double chain fence with posts in sockets. The chains unhooked at each corner, posts pulled out of their sockets, and then five or six folk pulled each side back to the boundary. A good new pavilion was erected in the field overlooking the pitch by the roadside. Doors at both ends, with the west end for visitors. The east end was much larger, with storage for tackle. The length of the front opened up with a table for scorers. This was to serve us well for some fifty years or more. Then, in 1960 the present pavilion was built, with all mod cons and tea room. Thee is also storage for mowers in the back. It is perfectly sited for viewing and a great asset. And now they have a motor roller. The field was enlarged and the present fixed fence put up. This gives much more space and the only real snag is the beck boundary. But we cannot have it all ways and many Clubs are envious of the facilities at Aldbrough. The whole set up is kept in excellent order and a credit to the village. The Club are to be congratulated on their performance in winning Cups on many occasions, topped by Darlington and District League in 1986. One can only wish that more of our local lads would take an interest. They used to at one time and I just do not know the answer. Over the years we have had many good players, with one or two outstanding.

  In my opinion two stood out, Albert Stenson and Norman Evans. Norman was an excellent all rounder, who as a batsman could well have played in a much higher grade of cricket. Albert Stenson, a small chap and left hand round the wicket bowler, was also a good batsman. In an era when centuries were very few and far between, I saw him hit cue at East Cowton, when they had a very good team. But as a bowler, under conditions that suited him, he was almost unplayable by anybody. He had an almost square arm delivery and a natural in swing. He was about medium pace, with not much run up. The ball always kept low, came off the wicket quick, and often 'squat'. His only fault was that if he got a bit to leg side and the batsman did not connect, it was a long way across by the time it got to the wicket keeper. Even his good balls that came through were low and difficult to stop. Only an ordinary village lad, with proper coaching he would have beer brilliant. I attended his funeral a couple of years since. I have mentioned names, never a good idea, but I feel I must pay tribute to two fine local players.

  As for opposition, the best team we used to meet in the pre war years was Darlington St Cuthbert's. This was really most of Darlington 1st team on a night out. One whose name escapes me, a Durham County player, spent his time hitting huge sixes at both ends. While an older man, Todd, past his best, bowled slow leg breaks with great skill. The results were at times hilarious. I well remember one of our batsmen tripping himself up with his bat between his legs and sitting on the stumps. But my favourite memory is of the legendary Ted Hall, of Middlecaves Farm, and an ex-Lancashire player. A powerful man, he stood at the wicket with his bat above his head. And then he hit the ball with tremendous power. He still has the record hit out of Feethams ground.

  I must not finish my remarks on the Cricket Club without mentioning one man who did so much for the Club over very many years as player, as captain and as chairman. I refer to Mr. W. F. Lax of Carlton Grange. He was always there, helping and advising. It is no exaggeration to say that in his lifetime he did more than everyone else put together. And some of us may remember his one handed leg stroke. Very unconventional, but it worked.

  The Tennis Club came into existence in 1920, when Mr. Geoffrey Starling asked permission to make a tennis court adjacent to the cricket field, and, along with Mr. Joe Robinson and supporters, the Club soon got going. Support came from surrounding villages also, and they soon asked for a second court. It was very successful in the 1920's but started to fade in the 1930's. School girls kept one court going up to the wan, but thereafter interest finished. A recent attempt to re-kindle interest came to naught.

  All my life there have been football teams, but rather on a stop-go basis. This is really due to members of a team getting older or moving away and no replacements coming forward. We have a useful team now. Long may it last.

  Quoits have always been played in the village on a rather casual basis. The ring of the quoits could be heard on summer evenings all my life, but since the formation of a League it has received good support and much more interest. At one time a local knockout competition used to be held at the Feast for a copper kettle.

  The Men's Institute was on the second floor of the old Malt Kiln. As I describe elsewhere, this was the last gift of the Duchess Elenor, opened just before her death. The premises and fittings were excellent. The first secretary was Mr. J. Gregory. It went like a house on fire. Members only were allowed and they, I think, paid a subscription of 5/- per annum. The charge for billiards was two pence per person for half an hour. The adjacent Reading Room went with the membership. My father took over the secretaryship for five or six years, and then a Mr. Potter, who had retired to the village from Melsonby, came in. A small man, he had been schoolmaster there for over forty years, and was a perfect secretary. He could manage the younger element who could be a bit rowdy at times. He eventually persuaded me to take it on. I was too young and although I managed for about three years, was taken advantage of. Subs were not paid and billiards games were not paid for. I felt I did not receive enough support. I gave it up and do not remember who followed me. It could have been Mn. D. Hedley. Soon after this, 1930, finance became difficult, but it was kept going until after the war. Mr. J. Gent was the last secretary and he told me that by then finance was ample. The caretaker, heating, lighting and rent had to be paid for of course. The then owner was pressing for the place to be closed so that he could gain possession. The eventual closure came from lack of support by users. Mary evenings saw no-one there, and after advertising the facts, very reluctantly, these excellent facilities ceased. With the growing popularity of snooker I feel it would be crowded out now. Again, I must pay tribute to Mr. Lax, who backed the project throughout its ii 'e. I believe he was the chairman most of the time.

Stanwick Hall being the home of her husband until he became Duke in 1847. It also seems likely that the Duke Algernon, whilst officially residing at Alnwick Castle spent time at Stanwick. No other residents are mentioned over the 1847 to 1865 period.

  Going back to the earlier days of Lord Prudhoe's residence, several interesting incidents emerge. In 1820 the agent for the estate was a Mr. Thomas Lax, who I believe to be the ancestor of Mr. and Miss Lax of Canton Grange, although I do not think he was farming then. In 1828 the estate purchased Carlton from Mr. S. J. Moulton Barrett. It also purchased what is now Manor Farm, the blacksmith's shop, just built some ten years or so, and a messuage of Joseph Watson from the Right Honourable Lady Noel Byron of Halnaby. She was the Isabella Milbank who married Lord Byron. The blacksmith was Robert Robinson. The smithy, sometimes called 'Waterloo House" was indeed built in the year of that battle, as the late Joe Robinson told us. The two houses in the East End, now called 'Cloud Cottage' and 'Lawnswood' were built early 1850s. In the first half of this century (the nineteenth) Stanwick Hall is described as being set in finely wooded parks, well stocked with deer.

  The Duke and Duchess had no family, and on his death in 1865 he was succeeded by his cousin George, second Earl of Beverley, who died in 1867.

  From coming to the Hall in 1865 to her death in 1911, the Duchess Elenor was the sole owner of the estate. She personally signed all farm tenancy agreements. I have two of these from my grandfather, James Gill. She was a lady from the top echelon of society and reputed to be one of the Court beauties. She had been a bridesmaid for Queen Victoria. Photographs of both her and her late husband hang in the vestry at Stanwick Church. Farming tenants were also presented with a large picture of Duke Algernon. We still have one.

  One of the first things the Duchess did on her return to Stanwick was the restoration of the Church in 1868. The vicarage was built soon afterwards, probably late 1870s or early 1880s. The main entrance lodge may have been built by her, or not long before she came. She would build the three lodges, Church Lodge, Oakwood Lodge and Carlton Lodge (Aldbrough). North Lodge was not built until 1892, and from then on was the residence of the estate forester. The three smaller lodges were generally the homes of estate pensioners. The last occupant of the main entrance lodge was Mr. Daly, the estate plumber. He was transferred from 'Cloud Cottage' so that he could look after the TYPE when electric lighting was introduced about 1910. The two semi-detached houses just above the road were the residences of Mr. Bacon, the house steward or butler, and Mr. Higgie, head gardener. The cowman's yard, near the main entrance, was looked after by John Alderson, who lived in Aldbrough. It was said that he could be heard to close the gate near the lodge at 6.00 a.m. prompt every morning. He would have the milk up to the Hall for breakfast. The carter's yard has not been altered this century, though the building slates came off many years ago. The pig sties were still there in 1970. The whole was then in a dilapidated condition, but original. The carter, Pocklington lived at Carlton, but his successor, Bert Hart later lived at Aldbrough. The bothies were the living quarters of single gardeners and any single estate workers. They were up the north side of the high garden wall. A large brick built dutch barn with a slate roof stood almost where Mr. Smith's house now is. Hay made in the parks was stored here for the cows and horses. It was burned down during the first world war. The cowman's yard is now two houses, as is also the coach house, and the laundry is a house. The clock is still on the coach house and could be heard in Aldbrough under favourable conditions. I believe it is still in going order. Up to the sale a straight path went from the gate near the bothies to the Outer Lodge gate. It was of tar-mac, and about three feet wide. Now part of a field, it has got lost. Alter the retirement or death of Mr. Higgie, his successor was a Mr. Connison.

  The Duchess made vast changes in Aldbrough over the years. A row of old houses between 'Clow Cottage' and Mr. Fenwick's barn in the East End was demolished and not replaced. Another clutter of cottages in the 'Roslyn House' field and in Mrs. Moses' garden disappeared along with the remains of the "castle" referred to by John Leland in C1540, and the three pairs of cottages were built east of the main road below the church on the land previously known as "Palace Gardens" [something to do with the "castle"']. The bottom house was the Post Office, transferred from the East End, and remained as such for many years.

In 1883 the 'Allison Farm', pub, and malt kiln was bought from a Mrs. Allison, then living in Darlington, I believe. The pub, the 'Shoulder of Mutton' was closed down and partly demolished. The 'Fox and Goose' pub the other side of the village met a similar fate. A cottage and old buildings were removed and the land given for part of the Chapel site, built in 1877. The infant classroom was added on to the school and school yards made. In 1890 St. Paul's church was opened. In 1881 the bridge came into use. The old mill site was cleaned up, trees planted, and the 'Doctor's Road' was opened up. In 1900 old houses were knocked down and two new ones built next to the 'Smithy'. The School House was built, but I do not know the date.

This last supposition by Robbie is now known to be incorrect.  An examination of the exterior of School House shows that it preceded the present school by very many years and appears to have been a school rather than a house, suggesting that it was "rebuilt" rather than "built" in the late 1800s. By noting changes in the stonework and mortar, it can be clearly seen that School House was once a single storey building consisting of two rooms, an entrance porch and a central cloakroom.  It may well have been the building referred to by earlier historians in 1820.  "Here is a handsome free school, erected at the expense of S. M. Barrett, Esq. M. P. for Richmond, and now conducted on the Lancastrian system, and supported by voluntary contributions".  The accompanying photograph clearly shows the original single storey eves.

Cottages, one of which was a shop, between the 'Stanwick Arms' and the doctor's garage disappeared. And the water supply came onto the green, at the tap. Just before her death in 1911 the Duchess had altered the top floor of the old malt kiln to make a very nice men's institute, with billiard room fully equipped with a full-size table, and a reading room and library. It had central heating and acetylene gas lighting. She did lots more, and supported almost every cause in the village. There was an annual party for the children at Stanwick. The Vicar, Mn. Pollexpen, acted as a social adviser, and reported any case of hardship in the village, and they got immediate help, mostly in kind. She frowned on the Feast and its drunken brawls, and that is why the pubs were sorted out. An excellent landlord to the farmers, she was strict, and tenants were chosen with care. She leaned towards the older farming families, the Laxes, Kyles, Fenwicks and Earles. She was a very devout churchwoman and looked after the churches. As a very little boy I was presented to her, and remember her as a little old lady in black silk or satin, with a bonnet. This was in the garden at the farm when she had called on my grandmother. I would only be three. My grandfather was estate foreman, and acted as a sort of go-between the estate agent, Mr. Cobbett and the farmers. This chap was said to hunt five days a week! She abhored the motor car and none was allowed through the main gate. The cars had to be left outside in the field and occupants walked the rest of the way, whoever they were. And in her will, of which I have a copy, she directed that she be buried in a chosen place in Stanwick churchyard, and not in the family vault in Westminster Abbey, where her dear husband rests. She asked that her coffin be carried from Stanwick House to the churchyard 'by my own people'. That her funeral should be without carriages and as simple as possible. She left money to all her household servants according to their length of service and up to '500 to other staff. This amount to William Higgie, head gardener. There was '400 to her maid Miss Mary Gibbs whom I knew as she used to visit my grandmother.

  And so ended an era that had started almost seventy years before when she came to Stanwick as a bride, Lady Prudhoe. She had no family. She was literally worshipped by her staff and many of those who knew her. Always an aristocrat, but a genuine lady. It can be truly said of her that she made Aldbrough what it is today. I remember the funeral day only because a number of our relatives whom I did not know came down from Alnwick and were entertained at the farm.