Contributor Leaderboard

Hi everyone I have been looking into the history of the Hall but things seem to get even murkier the deeper I look. There is a big difference on the basic facts of the house between the newspaper article reposted by Alan Edgar on May 3rd and Evan Martin's book "Bedlingtonshire Remembered". When was the house built? The newspaper article says 1844, Evan Martin says 1824. (As it appears on the 1842 Tithe Map I am awarding this one to Evan Martin). Who built the house? The newspaper article says John Birkenshaw who later sold it to Michael Longridge. Evan Martin says Michael Longridge. When was it demolished? The newspaper article says c.1958. Evan Martin says 1949. As Ovalteeny remembers living there in the 1950's I am awarding this one to the newspaper article. Anyone with further information who can correct any of this for the record?

It may not help with Hollymount Hall however when Michael Longridge died in 1858 I suspect he was in Bedlington as he was buried at St. Cuthberts. I think in the 1951 census he may be in Westgate Street Newcastle with his family. I believe the original Assembly House was in Westgate Street. Hollymount Hall could be a 19th Century holiday home. ☺️

Answers to last week's quiz: 1. October 31st 2. Greenock 3. 1609,344 4. Hard Times 5. In a military base in Kansas USA 6. 2007 7. Mohamed Al Fayed 8. Mick Fitzgerald 9. Teflon 10. Kon-Tiki 11. Iraq 12. Lichfield New quiz tomorrow!

I thought you wouldn't ...

Interesting questions! When was the house built? I've come across several instances of "ca.1844" in my research but I haven't found 1824 mentioned anywhere. I'm not sure if we are using the same tythe map but mine is dated 1843, which would equate quite well with ca.1844. Neither is the adress entered in the 1841 census. One possibility is that Evans has written 1824 instead of 1842. Who built the house? If the house was built in 1824 for Longridge why was he registered as resident at Bedlington Iron Works in the census of 1841 but is later known to have lived in the house prior to his death? When was it demolished? Evans has definitely got this date wrong and I'm speaking from personal experience. I can't remember the year but late fifties. Definitely not 1949. This is not the only date which Evans is wrong about. He says: "built in 1824 by Michael Longridge of the Ironworks, he occupied it until 1861." We know that Michael Longridge died in 1858. having previously believed it to be built in 1844 I am now swayed,by the evidence of the tythe map and the 1841 census to believe it was built in 1842 and that Evans is wrong.

Richard, I'll attach my Dad's ID Card from the war years to 1951, when we moved from the Huts at Hartford Camp into Hollymount Hall. There is no documentation regards when we left and moved into our Council House at The Oval, but I'm pretty sure it was 1957 (ish). So, I am fairly sure that the demolition took place circa 1958.