Tudhoe & Spennymoor Local History Society
On 1st Jan 1875 the Northern Echo editorial, looking ahead to the new year, mentions Spennymoor:-
As for Spennymoor- unlucky Spennymoor- we have not sufficient courage even to hope that the New Year will bring much improvement to her fever-haunted, filth-laden streets.
They then discuss sanitary matters in the area of County Durham and Cleveland -
In sanitary matters much remains to be done, both in the disposal of sewage and the securing of a plentiful supply of pure water.
Their conclusion was -
If 1875 is not a great and momentous year, we may at least hope that it will be a Happy New Year. (1st Jan 1875 Northern Echo)
One of the bills in a list of Private Members Bills going before Parliament.
Weardale and Shildon Waterworks The limits within which the Weardale Company supply water is proposed to be extended to the districts not already supplied by the Consett Waterworks or Durham Water Company in Weardale, and for this purpose several reservoirs are to be made. They also take power to purchase the waterworks at Spennymoor. They further seek to raise £600,000 in additional share capital, and to borrow £150,000 on mortgage of that additional capital. Durnford and Company are the Parliamentary agents. (2nd Jan 1875 Darlington Richmond Herald)
On 28th January 1875 a letter from a resident of George Street was printed in the Northern Echo.
Spennymoor and its Streets - To the Editor of the Northern Echo Sir,- In reply to your kindly notice of our disgraceful streets, I ask leave for a small space to explain the real cause of the state of things which now exists. That cause is to be found in the fact that all our heavy rates, after paying salaries, are illegally expended over the Durham and Bishop Auckland turnpike. At this present moment, the whole of the streets about the residences of our ratepayers are in a filthy state, impossible to describe; yet, a whole army of men and horses, with stone-breakers and road-scrapers, too numerous to mention, are continually working on the before-named highway.
The North-Eastern railway bridge has more of our ratepayers’ money expended over it in one month than the rates received from it amount to in ten years. As this illegal expenditure of Spennymoor ratepayers’ money has cost us thousands of pounds, surely your readers may now judge the true cause of the notoriety of Spennymoor, which is also so liberal as to drain whole farms at our cost. -I am, yours, A SPENNYMOOR RATEPAYER. George Street, Spennymoor Jan 26 1875. (28th January 1875 Northern Echo)
Spennymoor The Spennymoor Mission continues to make encouraging progress. At the recent quarterly meeting, 35 members were reported, being an increase of 16, and 10 on trial. A plan was suggested by the Rev. W. Embleton, and adopted with a view to raising, in a short time, the whole of the minister’s salary without connexional help. The trustees of the new chapel expect soon to pay off £100 of the debt, and the friends are also furnishing the preacher’s house. (1st Jan 1875 The Christian World)
Spennymoor A numerously attended meeting of tradesmen and others interested in the commercial prosperity of the town of Spennymoor, was held on Tuesday evening last, for the purpose of deciding as to the best means of obtaining increased railway facilities on market days. The Rev J Gaskell presided. The speakers were most unanimous in their expressions of opinion. A deputation was appointed to meet the railway authorities on the subject, and a liberal subscription was made to defray the necessary expenses. (8th Jan 1875 Durham County Advertiser)
Interesting advertisement for a dentist who attended 54 High Street, Spennymoor every Monday from Nine until One a.m. (15th Jan 1875 Durham County Advertiser)
George Graham Forster, (b1845 New Elvet, Durham, d1918), was the youngest child of Joseph Forster (b1803, Durham) and Jane (b1805, Durham). In 1841 the family lived in Elvet where Joseph is a brewer, they have three daughters and two sons. By 1845 they have another daughter and son, George Graham, sadly Joseph dies in 1846 and is buried at St Oswald’s Church, Durham, leaving Jane with five children under 11 years of age.
Sacred to the memory of Joseph FORSTER brewer and spirit merchant New Elvet Durham who departed this life on the 12th November 1846 aged 44 years Also his daughter Isabella who died an infant.
In 1851/61 Jane continues in New Elvet as a brewer and wine spirit merchant. In 1871 she is living at 46 Old Elvet. George receives his Diploma in Dental Surgery from the Royal College of Surgeons in August 1870. (Medical Press & Circular June-Dec 1870). He returns to 46 Old Elvet and is advertising as a dentist in Durham by 1873 and added Spennymoor in 1875.
George marries Louisa Purkis (b1854, Portsmouth, d1945) in 1877, he has removed Spennymoor from his adverts and is now treating patients in Sunderland as well as Durham. In 1879 he is appointed Dental Surgeon to the Children’s Hospital, Sunderland. In 1881 the family are still living at 46 Old Elvet with their two sons. In 1887 they have relocated to Islington, London and George's Durham business was bankrupt (16th Feb 1887 Northern Echo). They remain in Islington and George worked as a surgeon dentist.
The first Dental Hospital of London opened on 1st December 1858 at No. 32 Soho Square, with a Dental School opening in 1859. The Medical Registration Act permitted the Royal College of Surgeons to grant licences in dental surgery with the first ones awarded in 1860. In 1866 chloroform anaesthesia was introduced. Two years later, the Hospital began to use nitrous oxide as an anaesthetic.
Extensive Robbery by a Domestic Servant at Spennymoor - At the Bishop Auckland Police Court, on Monday, a young woman named Emily Pickles was charged with robbing John Reed, butcher, of Spennymoor, of a large sum of money (between £30 ad £40).
Prisoner had been in the service of prosecutor from the 4th of December until the 5th of January last. On 21st December he missed a considerable sum of money- as near as he could tell about £40- from his desk, in his bedroom. As prisoner had access to every room in the house , and usually made his bed, and from what he had learnt, he suspected her, and on 12th instant he gave information to Sergt. Scott, and went with him to a house in Jackson Street, where they found the prisoner. The sergeant apprehended her , and told her she was wanted for larceny.
On their way to the police station the sergeant noticed her feeling in her pocket, and asked her what she was rattling in her pocket for. When they got her to the station, she said that she had dropped her purse. The sergeant and prosecutor went back to the place with lighted candles, and found a purse, which, on taking into a public house, they found to contain £18 2s 81/2d On going back to the police station, and charging the prisoner, she said if they would not hurt her she would tell them all about it. She then said that she got a key out of the press, with which she opened the desk and took a handful of gold out. She had been there twice before. The first time she had taken 3s and the second 18s 6d. She had bought a quantity of wearing apparel for herself and other people, and had spent a considerable sum in whisky and other goods. Prisoner now pleaded guilty.
The Chairman said that it was a very serious charge, and he was glad that she had pleaded guilty, and elected to be tried here, because he could take into consideration that she was a young person, and the sentence upon her was that she be committed to the House of Correction for six calendar months. (23rd Jan 1875 Darlington Richmond Herald)
Fatal Result of an Accident at Whitworth Colliery. A man, named William Thompson, of Cradock-street, Spennymoor, died on Tuesday from the effects of injuries received whilst at work at Whitworth Colliery, on the 30th December last. Deceased was an onsetter at the colliery, and was breaking the shellboard of the engine drum when a portion of the board fell and broke his leg. He was taken home and attended by Dr Hefferman, but afterwards was taken in hands by a man named Thompson, medical botanist, and subsequently by Mr Curry, bonesetter, who attended him up to his death on 20th January. (23rd Jan 1875 Darlington Richmond Herald)
An inquest at the Railway Hotel, Spennymoor on 29th January ascertained that the accident happened when the deceased and John Malcomb, another onsetter, were breaking up the shellboard for old metal. Dr. Hefferman had attended after the accident and set the leg, then his assistant, John Greensil, visited two or three times on the first day. He called in Dr Wagstaff of Byers Green when he noticed a problem but the family wouldn’t let him see the leg. They wanted someone else to view it, it had bled for awhile before Robert Curry arrived and he noticed it was in a “bad state with mortification setting in”. He advised them to get a doctor and William Thompson came, he was told the leg was set by Mr Curry and he was just to treat the body, although he noticed the tibial bone was projecting and mentioned this to Mr Curry.
The inquest questioned the education and experience of Dr Thompson whose degree of Doctor of Medicine was from the Eclectic Medical College, Pennsylvania and he wasn’t on the English medical Register. Mr Thompson thought William had died due to a rupture in his tibial artery and the verdict was “Deceased had his leg broken by the falling of the shellboard of a drum and that death resulted from the haemorrhage.” (30th Jan 1875 Newcastle Daily Chronicle)