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Wheatley Hill History Club

Durham

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Main Content

Latest News

Remembrance 2020

2020 will be a year none of us will forget.  The year that caused major disruption to every aspect of our lives and the year in which all major celebrations were cancelled,  including the Remembrance. Wheatley Hill has had one of the most successful Remembrance Day parades and attendances in the … Continue Reading about Remembrance 2020

ENGEL’S ENGLAND

By Matthew Engel, 2014 The following is an (edited) extract from the above book from the author’s three-year travel through England.  He travelled through thirty-nine counties and included Wheatley Hill in his final write-up in the County Durham section.  The book was loaned to us by History Club … Continue Reading about ENGEL’S ENGLAND

History in action

St Bartholomews Church Windows

These four windows were installed in St Bartholomew’s Church, Thornley in 1866 and 1868 respectively in memory of local landowners H J Spearman and George Wilkinson. When Thornley church was demolished several years ago, they came under the ownership of the demolition contractor responsible for pulling the church down. A member of Wheatley Hill Heritage Society felt strongly that the windows should be kept in this area, and with financial assistance provided by Thornley Parish Council, was able … Continue Reading about St Bartholomews Church Windows

WHAT’S IN A NAME? Wolmerhausen Street, Wheatley Hill

When Wheatley Hill pit was sunk in 1867 it was the third colliery in the small empire of the Thornley Coal Company who were also responsible for the collieries at Thornley and Ludworth.It is not clear who the sinkers of Wheatley Hill colliery were but Thornley was sunk by the eminent engineer from Durham City, William Coulson, and it may be that the same team carried out the sinking at the new Wheatley Hill Colliery. We do know however that the first sods of earth to mark the new colliery, were … Continue Reading about WHAT’S IN A NAME? Wolmerhausen Street, Wheatley Hill

The Martyrdom of the Mine – Part One

Edward (Neddy) Rymer was a coal miner who worked at pits in Durham, Yorkshire, North Wales, Nottingham and Lancashire. He was a union activist and blacklisted from many coal mines and coalfields as a result of this. The following extract is from the above publication and it should be remembered that it is the account of someone who was there at the time these things were happening. It is not a story, not made up, but an eye-witness account of life in the1860’s in Thornley: “The clouds of the … Continue Reading about The Martyrdom of the Mine – Part One

The Martyrdom of the Mine – Part Two

Edward (Neddy) Rymer was a coal miner who worked at pits in Durham, Yorkshire, North Wales, Nottingham and Lancashire. He was a union activist and blacklisted from many coal mines and coalfields as a result of this. The following extract is from the above publication and it should be remembered that it is the account of someone who was there at the time these things were happening. It is not a story, not made up, but an eye-witness account of life in the 1860’sWilliam Crawford called a … Continue Reading about The Martyrdom of the Mine – Part Two

THE MEMOIRS OF Thomas Russell 1847-1928 (during the short time he lived in Wheatley Hill)

10 May 1879 Wheatley Hill Colliery Cheap emigration to Australia and America Fair from Durham to Pennsylvania £ 6. 6s.6d Fair from Durham to Ohio £ 7.12s.0d Fair from Durham to Illinois £ 8.11s.6d Fair from Durham to Texas £11. 8s.6d Assisted passage to Canada £ 4.15s.0d Stem Ship Lorents to Australia £15. 5s.0d Apply to Wm Gray, 5 North Road, Durham for the Albon and Orient Mail Steamers 14 May 1879 Wheatley Hill Colliery Bof Saterday taking splent up 15 May 1879 Wheatley Hill Colliery … Continue Reading about THE MEMOIRS OF Thomas Russell 1847-1928 (during the short time he lived in Wheatley Hill)

Moses and the Children of Israel By a Geordie Lay Preacher

Noo aa’ve just cum ower the neet from Kingdom Haal I Gatesheed t tell ye aal aboot Moses an the Children ov Israel. Noo ye all knaa hoo Moses wus fund I’ the bullrushes be Phareh’s dowter (leastways that wus er story). Weel yors later Moses an ees lads wor workin I the clarts b the Nile makin bricks f Phareh. Noo one of the gards cums up an sez “Howay Moses Phareh wants t see yer”. So up lowps Moses from the clarts an’ gans wi’ the gard. He gets t Phareh’s tent an knocks on the door ‘feared … Continue Reading about Moses and the Children of Israel By a Geordie Lay Preacher

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Next Meeting

As you’re aware, our meetings have been cancelled until March 2021, but we thought it would be a good idea to try and make contact remotely, using the Zoom video conferencing system.  It’s not as difficult as it sounds!!

The good news is the meetings only last 40 minutes online and the software is free to download.  The History Club committee have met a couple of times using Zoom, and both were very successful.

We are planning to hold a local history quiz for our meeting at the end of November to give you time to download the software onto any of your devices.  Once its downloaded, let me know if you’re interested in taking part and I’ll set up a test meeting so that we can all become familiar with it before the big day!!

You will need to let us know in advance if you intend to join the meeting, as I need to send you an  email invitation with a password in order for you  to enter the meeting.  This is a great opportunity for our members who live out of the area and can’t travel to our meetings, to become involved.

We’ll keep it amongst our members for this first time, but Zoom has the potential to include all interested parties.

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Latest Newsletter

  • October

Recent Articles

  • Remembrance 2020
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  • ENGEL’S ENGLAND
  • Next Meeting – Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb
  • PEACE, PERFECT PEACE

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