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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Northumberland => Topic started by: MaryThorn on Saturday 09 May 15 11:02 BST (UK)
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Hi everyone. New to the site so apologies in advance for any inadvertent faux paus. I'm trying to find a little bit more about the Woods pop factory business that was situated at Furnace Bank in Bedlington in the late 1800's. I'm related to the family via my great grandmother who was daughter of Joseph Wood who set up the business. I think that Joseph Wood came to the area from the Manchester area (from census details), no idea why, and eventually set up the business. A lot of that family history has been lost now and wondered if anyone on here knows anything more about the family and the business.
Thanks in advance.
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Welcome to RootsChat, Mary, and you have come to the correct page - Northumberland. Also in the Northumberland section there is " History of Blyth" or " Blyth History". There is mention of Woods 'pop' factory in the Blyth section, as up until the 1960's or thereabouts, Woods pop factory, presumably the same family firm was located at Bebside, over the road from the Bebside Inn. Two brothers, Lance and Harry Wood. I believe that Lance also had something to do with ownership of the Bebside Inn. Both brothers are now deceased.
Hope this helps in your research.
Seeing as you have just joined - after posting 5 threads or so, you can then send Private Messages to other members.
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From the Morpeth Herald - Friday 10 November 1939
By Order of the High Court of Justice (Chancery Division)
Re Wood's, Bedlington Furnace, Bedlington.
Tuesday, November 21st. 1939
Important Sale of Mineral Water Factory Equipment and Stock, 4 Motor Lorries, &c.
Messrs. Thomas Waters & Son will sell by public auction......The Whole of the Equipment and Stock..........
Stan
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Thanks for the info Stan and Pityackafromblyth. Thanks for the extra info Pityakafromblyth. Interestingly my mum, Irene Daley (sadly died in 1988) must have gone to school with her half cousins. She was also at Blyth Grammar in the 50's, she was born in 42. She never, ever mentioned them. I do know from newspaper cuttings that some family members had taken the brothers to court in 1939 in relation to the business, I presume for what they thought was mismanagement. I wonder if this caused a rift in the family.
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Some Wood entries in Trade and Telephone Directories of the era....
Kelly's 1938.
Lance Wood. Dene House, Bedlington Station.
Wood, Son & Co (Edward Robinson Wood, manager.)
Mineral Water Manufacturers, Bedlington Furnace. TN 3234
B.Muter. Min Wat Man. Bedlington Station.
Waters & Robson. Min Wat Man, Abbey Wells, Morpeth.
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GPO Telephone Directory 1951.
Wood L, junr, Min Wat Man, 2 Percy St, Blyth.
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GPO TD 1952
Wood L junr MWM, 2 Percy St, Blyth
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GPO TD 1959.
Wood, L, junior, MWM, Bridge St, Blyth.
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GPO TD 1964
L Wood, Haulage Contractor, Northumberland St, Blyth
L Wood MWM, Northumberland St, Blyth
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GPO TD 1966
Wood's Sand and Gravel, Hortpn Grange*, Bebside, Blyth.
Number Bedlington 3009, 3513.
Wood's MWM, Front St, Bebside, 3513
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GPO TD 1967
Wood MWM Front St Bebside, 3513
Wood's, Horton Grange*, Bebside, Blyth 3009
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GPO TD 1968.. ditto to 1967
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* Lance had premises in the old pityard of Bebside Pit ( termed Horton Grange)
Michael, ex of Bebside
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I have vague memories of the "Pop Man" coming round the streets of Blyth, early 50s. Not sure if he had a horse and cart, or an old-fashioned van. You could give him your empties and he would give you a penny. That would tie in with Michael's L. Wood Jnr of Percy St.
Or am I imagining it?
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Joe Rooney, a member of the bedlington.co.uk site, used to live at the top of the Furnace Bank in Bedlington. Joe emigrated to Australia in 1956 and sadly he is no longer with us. Joe Joined the bedlington.co.uk group in 2005 and often added comments about the area he lived. On one occasion he posted some photos he had been given to be shared with everyone. There was no dates for when the photos were taken. :(
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This old postcard (no date given) of the Furnace Bridge area shows where the Wood's factory was situated.
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Hi - I live in Mansel terrace Bebside, which is opposite the Bebside Inn pub. I have found out that this was once called "Office Row", and the row of 5 terraces houses were at one time the pit managers / duputy's houses for Bebside pit, which was sited immediately behind the houses. Does anyone have any information about this area / Mansel Terrace / Bebside pit?
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Anton1, Welcome to RootsChat. I remember this post and I contributed once re Lance and Harry Wood. I cannot help re your query, but searching here on Roots for 'Blyth History' you will possibly find more information as to what you are looking for. AND again in this Northumberland section there is also a separate section/chapter entitled,... 'Bebside v. Cowpen' . That too may be useful for you.
Good hunting.
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Anton1 - can't give you any specific info on the area but as you say you believe Office Row was for built for the manager/ office workers at the pit. Almost all of the local pits, Bedlington, Barrington, Cambois etc had an office Row very close to the colliery.
I checked out the are on the old maps on the National library of Scotland site and the 1920 map has the name Office Row and the 1937 map has the same row names as Mansel terrace.
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/find/#zoom=15.1&lat=55.12717&lon=-1.54914&layers=102&b=1&z=0&point=55.12403,-1.54940
I don't know if you have ever looked at the Durham Mining Museum site but it has details on every colliery in the Northumberland and Durham area. It doesn't give information on the area but does attempt to list all the facts on each colliery.
http://www.dmm.org.uk/colliery/index_b.htm
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First, a very warm welcome to Rootschat.
Blyth News, 15 Oct 1923
BLYTH TOWN COUNCIL
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Letters were read from Seaton Delaval Coal Co Ltd and the Cowpen Coal Co Ltd stating that they could not agree to any alterations in street names. The Bebside Coal Co Ltd suggested the following changes:-
Office Road, Bebside to Mansel Terrace; Station Row, Bebside to to Lonsdale Terrace; West Row, Bebside to Errington Street; Brick Road, Bebside to Purvis Street.
It was recommended that the names proposed by the Bebside Coal Co Ltd be approved and adopted, and that the borough Engineer be instructed to have the names altered accordingly forthwith and the Registration Officer notified.
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Hi all - I'm new to the site so thank you for bearing with me! I have been reading with great interest your various posts concerning the Woods Pop Factory.
I am another Wood descendant (hi extended fam!) living in the UK and J.W.Wood who founded the factory was my Great Great Grandfather, through his son William Henry Wood, then his son H. Sydney Wood, then his son W.H.L.Wood ('Harry') who is my father.
My father is alive and was the last managing director of Wood & Watson Ltd which was the 'other' soft drinks factory set-up by William Henry Wood in the 1890s. We lived in Gilesgate, Durham close to the factory.
I'd be keen to find out more about my extended family ancestry, and particularly from anyone who has had a go at collating an extended family tree? I was surprised to read that J.W.Wood had 9 children and started to realise the scale of the task! Thanks for your feedback.
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I read the topic with interest. I am the younger son of Harry Wood (Lance was my uncle).
The history of Wood's Mineral Waters after Furnace Bank, Bedlington. Moved to an old church on Percy Street, Blyth then to an Atcost shed at junction of Ridley Avenue/Bath Terrace/Wellington Street East and then to Horton Grange, Bebside.
Regarding Mansel Terrace, it was for the Wood clan.
From left to right (as far as I can remember) was
Lance Wood (4),
Alan and Mary Hudson (nee Wood) (2),
Nora Wood,
Bill and Evelyn Bennet (nee Wood)(1).
Had a great time as a kid - free pop!!! Lot's of happy memories.
Regards
Bill Wood (William Henry Wood)
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Bedlington - Woods Pop Factory. This is where my Grandmother and Grandfather met. They married in 1910. They lived in what my Mother said was called the Bedlington Bridge House. It is my understanding the house is now a Pharmacy.