Sacriston, County Durham

WITTON GILBERT, THE WAR MEMORIAL

I remember this photo well as I was born and brought up in Witton Gilbert. I was born in 1949 in Cheviot House at the bottom of Greens Opening, a very short walk from the Dene. I went to the "Tin School" which was the Infants school and now forms part of the by-pass which desecrated the village. I was told... [more]

Police Constable Curran

My great great grandfather Joseph Curran was a police officer and it appears as though he was the local police officer for Witton Gilbert. He certainly lived in Witton Gilbert in the 1881 and 1891 census but I have an article from the Police Chronicle July 1894 where PC Curran moved from Witton Gilber to Bearpark and was presented a watch... [more]

Not a very nice story

My great-great-grandfather, John Mingins, was a tailor living in Witton Gilbert with his family. Unfortunately, in December 1853 an Irish navvy, Michael O'Brien, picked a fight with John outside the butcher's shop and consequently John was injured and died one week later. Michael O'Brien was found guilty of manslaughter at Durham Assizes and I assume he served the appropriate sentence. I... [more]

Witton Gilbert, the War Memorial from the Woods c1955

The War Memorial stood at the bottom of what was called the "Camels Hump" in "The Dean" - a wild adventure playground for all us kids. The Hump was used for sledging down in winter and rolling down in summer. At the top of the picture behind the trees was the vicarage paddock, this was where as members of the... [more]

The Odfellows Arms in Front Street

I have just discovered from resaerching the census results that my Great Grandparents ran the Odfellows Arms in Witton Gilbert round about the turn of the last century. His name was John McCormick and he was also a coal miner or coal hewer, running the pub in his own time. He and his wife had 5 daughters named Mary, Ellen, Alice,... [more]

War memorial

My family originates from Witton Gilbert and Langley Park. we left Witton about 1935 to live in Surrey. Langley Park war memorial has the name of my uncle John Robert Swinbank who died on the Somme in the first world war and my cousin William Heppell who was lost on H.M.S Barham in the second world war.
The Swinbank family... [more]

Childhood

I lived in Grange Villa until the pit closed at Craghead and we moved to Nottinghamshire. I was 10. I had a great childhood in Grange Villa, we lived in West Street facing Nobels Caravans. I loved to play down the hilly. My friends included Jackie Blueitt and Jacqueline Lund to name just two. I loved the school and hated it... [more]

the old villa

i lived in the villa in the 60s i still remember mr burlinson and his cart emptying the loos in the back lanes we used to play at the hilly or the depo, we had the bonfire next to nobles and the school we were called the squarees and used to fight the wessies (west pelton)people i remember are lewy logan,... [more]