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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Durham => Topic started by: tab11 on Monday 15 August 16 21:25 BST (UK)
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Evening Rootschatters,
I've just found out that I have ancestor that died at 21 months at Seldom Seen, Newfield. My question is, does this place still exist?
Is there a church there where there may have been a burial?
Tab11
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Evening Rootschatters,
I've just found out that I have ancestor that died at 21 months at Seldom Seen, Newfield. My question is, does this place still exist?
Is there a church there where there may have been a burial?
Tab11
I have just googled & there is a place described with the name Seldom Seen near Glencoyne.Apparently there is a nice view of it on the walk from Ullswater.
Ullswater is in the Lake District.
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Thanks but this one is definitely in Bishop Auckland...
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Not Durham, more likely to be Westmorland.
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Hi the 1861 census has Seldom Seen as a Street in the parish of Newfield, Ecclesiastical District Byers Green, Registration District Aukland
Census Ref RG09/3711/59/37
Keyboard86
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Not Durham,
PLEASE do check your facts first!
There was a place called Seldom Seen in County Durham, as the original posted correctly stated!
http://maps.nls.uk/view/102341644#zoom=5&lat=5964&lon=6303&layers=BT
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Newfield was in the parish of Auckland St Andrew until 1845
In Byers Green St Peter 1845 - 1900
A parish in its own right 1900 onwards.
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There were two places called Seldom Seen in County Durham which are listed in "Durham Places in the 19th Century" published by Durhah County Record Office. One in the township of Forest & Frith, and the other in Newfield.
Stan
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Thanks for all the interesting replies. I think the person who included the map has it spot on as there is a colliery there and my ancestor was a miner... :D
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Tab11, what year did the child die?
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There were two places called Seldom Seen in County Durham which are listed in "Durham Places in the 19th Century" published by Durhah County Record Office. One in the township of Forest & Frith, and the other in Newfield.
Stan
Just out of interest this is the Seldom Seen in the township of Forest & Frith http://maps.nls.uk/view/102341620#zoom=5&lat=7204&lon=5709&layers=BT
Stan
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Hi
It may be worth checking out Findagrave as it contains gravestone photos from St Peter's, Byers Green (on Ancy. it is indexed as part of Spennymoor Unitary Authority).
William
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My family owned the home (small farms) Seldom Seen as well as another Never Seen. Both were in the Township surrounds of Newfield. The homes were sold off around 1835 as a part of my ancestors estate and now lie in Ruin. There are old maps that show the locations.
I have been made aware of a skipping rhyme used by children in the area.
Seldom Seen and never seen, Todd hills Park and Byers Green. This apparently relates to the area's that my family lived.
There is a cemetery at Newfield another at Whitfield, Byers Green, and of Course Auckland St Andrews.
I am in Australia.
Neil ;)
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Hi Neil,
Really interesting post... thanks very much :D They could have gone to any of the mentioned cemetries...
Whereabouts in Australia are you?
Tab 11
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Here is Seldom Seen on a 'side by side' map
http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/sidebyside.cfm#zoom=16&lat=54.7019&lon=-1.6889&layers=171&right=BingHyb
Tab, when did your ancestor die and what was their name?
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I live just north of the Hunter Valley in NSW coincidentally in County Durham. if you want PM me your email address and I will send the map of the area showing the Farms and the Row houses at Seldom Seen, near the River. What years did your family live at seldom Seen?
Neil
Modified.. Save that JenB has kindly provided them. :D
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Neil, I posted a map in reply #5 :D
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Hi Jen B,
The ancestor who died was born in 1852 and sadly died at 21 months in 1854. His name was Hunter Miller and his father was William Miller, who was a miner.
Thanks also for the maps...
Tab 11
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Thanks Millmoor :)
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There most definitely was a place called Seldom Seen, in Newfield. It was down the bank, near the river. I was born in Newfield near Byers Green, although a bit too young to remember that street. It had become just barren wasteland with a river, as I was growing up.
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Also for the record, there used to a church in Newfield, but it was pulled down some years ago.
There is however, a graveyard still in Newfield, in the same road as Primrose Hill. The chances are, your ancestor is buried in there. My great grandad is buried there and he worked at Newfield Coillery. Infact he was killed in it.
Hope that helps.
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Yes thanks Donna... it does help... Life in the colliery sounded dreadful!
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There most definitely was a place called Seldom Seen, in Newfield. It was down the bank, near the river. I was born in Newfield near Byers Green, although a bit too young to remember that street. It had become just barren wasteland with a river, as I was growing up.
If correct the road past all the family properties was called HAGG LANE. Just a track now.
Neil
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There most definitely was a place called Seldom Seen, in Newfield. It was down the bank, near the river. I was born in Newfield near Byers Green, although a bit too young to remember that street. It had become just barren wasteland with a river, as I was growing up.
If correct the road past all the family properties was called HAGG LANE. Just a track now.
Neil
We just used to call it, down the lane. But my mum might remember it as Hagg Lane, she was born in Newfield too. Played many a time down there as a child, building camps in the trees and playing in the orchard, climbing trees and eating sour apples. I remember an old house down there made of stone, right in the middle of the orchard.
The back road to Bishop, we'd call along 'along the bats'.
And the road between Binchester and Newfield, was the 'high lonning'
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Hunter Miller, age 1 yr 6 mo. Seldom Seen was buried 21 Apr 1854 in Byers Green St. Peter. Not baptised there though.
There is a Seldom Seen near Patton, Pennsylvania, USA. Now the mine part is a tourist mine not quite as big as going to Beamish but an interesting trip.
Janis
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Wow.... thank you very much Janis...
Where did you find the info? That is definitely him although he was more like 1 yr and 9 mths I wonder if there is a gravestone, I'm not sure how you would go about finding one.
Thanks again,
Liz
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I have some transcripts on fiche. I have family that lived in Byers Green for many years.
I do not know about the cemetery. I gave up looking through cemeteries when I go to England. My family was never wealthy enough for a stone. No stone for Hunter Miller at least according to Find-a-Grave. Only 2 Millers recorded as having stones--Henry and Jane both buried 1912. Pretty much all the stones are on that website that are readable and listed.
Janis
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Thanks for checking it out Janis.... I don't think they were a wealthy family x
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I'm fascinated by the information on Newfield and particularly the information about the Todd family. My main Todd line has been very frustrating as it has been very difficult to get each generation back since my great grandfather Thomas Todd who was born in Seghill, Northumberland. Eventually, after 30 years (!!) I have my 3x grt grandfather, Thomas Hawdon Todd, being baptised at All Saints, Newcastle upon Tyne in 1796. More information is given in his younger brothers' baptisms where it states that he is the son of Thomas Todd, yeoman of Cockfield and Jane Bickerton, daughter of George Bickerton. Thomas Hawdon Todd died 9th December 1863 in Newfield, having previously lived in Longbenton, Northumberland(1841) and Coxhoe, County Durham (1851). It is proving very difficult to establish which Thomas Todd from Cockfield was his father.
I wondered if anyone out there knows more about him?
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I'm fascinated by the information on Newfield and particularly the information about the Todd family. My main Todd line has been very frustrating as it has been very difficult to get each generation back since my great grandfather Thomas Todd who was born in Seghill, Northumberland. Eventually, after 30 years (!!) I have my 3x grt grandfather, Thomas Hawdon Todd, being baptised at All Saints, Newcastle upon Tyne in 1796. More information is given in his younger brothers' baptisms where it states that he is the son of Thomas Todd, yeoman of Cockfield and Jane Bickerton, daughter of George Bickerton. Thomas Hawdon Todd died 9th December 1863 in Newfield, having previously lived in Longbenton, Northumberland(1841) and Coxhoe, County Durham (1851). It is proving very difficult to establish which Thomas Todd from Cockfield was his father.
I wondered if anyone out there knows more about him?
I think where you have a situation like this, it's best just to send for the birth certificate, or the marriage certificate. Todd is a very common surname. Almost as bad as Wilson, which is what I was researching.
I knew some Todds when I lived in Newfield by the way, from 1965 to 1983. Most families in Newfield, have a long family history there......or at least it used to be that way. There were also Todds in Willington and Byers Green.......they were all related.
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My advice to anyone in the TODD group is to get onto the Bishops Transcripts to check each family member, keeping a log of where you are up to in each generation. There are SO many generations that used the same names for cousins that it is extremely hard to decipher individual families.
Luckily for me some knowing clergy gave their residence when filling out the B,M & F information. This distinguished the Todd's from Seldom Seen from the Todd's at Nutty Hagg from the Todd's at Byers Green all the one family of cousins, brothers Etc.
Please make another post cjuTodd1 and we can use the Personal Message system.
Neil
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to cjuTodd1
Thomas & Jane were married by licence see
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DRM7-F6N?i=122&wc=M6KL-XMS%3A129236501%2C129236502%3Fcc%3D1675690&cc=1675690
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DRM7-XB4?i=123&wc=M6KL-XMS%3A129236501%2C129236502%3Fcc%3D1675690&cc=1675690
So in February 1788 Thomas was living in Whitburn and was age 22 or more and Jane was 24 or more.
http://joinermarriageindex.co.uk/pjoiner/genuki/DUR/Whitburn/
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My Dad's Best friend and best man was Alan Todd from Byers Green,I believe he has passed away,remember going to visit him when I was small,must have been around 1960.
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Hi, Just stumbled across this thread as I'm just re-starting my searches on this side of my family.
The side by side map is spot on.
My G. Grandmother was born at Seldom Seen, Newfield in 1877. I gather it was just a row of small cottages virtually on the banks of the wear as the old map shows - nothing much more. There was a colliery / coking plant across the River which could be accessed via 'ford' type crossing at low water. Very poor conditions. I saw a map from around 1950 and it showed just remnants of the cottages after that date the maps show nothing.
My G Grandmother's birth name was Isabel Simpson by the way and her father was Joseph Simpson.
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If you want to get a feel of life in Newfield and the surrounding area, it would be worth trying to get hold of the journalistic pieces of Sid Chaplin, who came from there originally, although later moved to Ferryhill. I came across them in a book called "The smell of Sunday dinner" which I picked up in a second-hand bookshop earlier this year. There are some wonderful descriptions of going to swim in the Wear after doing a shift down the pit. That book is out of print, but his son Michael Chaplin has just brought out a large collection of his writing. Not sure whether all the stuff from the old book is included in there.
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I don't know how but I missed all the replies until today! Little progress has been made since my last post except that through a DNA test it is confirmed along with the other evidence that this Thomas Todd from Cockfield who married Jane Bickerton is definitely the right person. I have been looking at the Bishops Transcripts but am unsure which to look at as Cockfield, Auckland and Whitworth all seem to have members of this Todd family. It would be lovely to have a less common name- although it could be Smith!!
Catherine
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Hi is this search facility at County Durham Records office of any help?
https://gro.durham.gov.uk/pgPublicSearch.aspx
Regards - Michael
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in pursuit of my own branch of the Todds (Redworth, Heighington and Archdeacon Newton) I did spend some time going through wills on the North east Inheritance database, trying to work out links between various families of Todds. The only Cockfield Todd in the database, sadly, was John Todd, tallow chandler, who left a will in 1817, so is roughly the same date as your Todds. What was interesting was that he was obviously one of the West Auckland Todds, leaving a bequest to his nephew Fryer Todd, son of his brother Ralph in West Auckland and his other nephew, Fryer Todd again, son of his brother William in London. It may have been sheer coincidence hat he ended up living in Cockfield, but he obviously owned a lot of property there, which suggests that the family was well established. No mention of a Thomas Todd, sadly.
if you felt like working from an earlier date for a change, the 1666 Hearth Tax records give a Christopher Todd
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Hello I along with my sister do history days on Byers Green as we were both born in the village, and my sister still lives there. Along Hagg Lane. I would be grateful for any copies of photos of people and especially the map that Neil Fox has. You can send them by email to me if you can contact me. We have just received some photos of Seldom Seen terraced house, which we are trying to sort. The houses are now all gone but the road to them is still there. Hagg Lane is at the top of Byers Green near the Church. Thanks for any help.
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Don't know about a Neil Fox unless you are using the literal translation of TODD. I am still around but don't go online much anymore. If I can help I will with any requests.
Cheers Neil
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Thank you do you have an email address and I can send you a picture of Seldom seen and I would like copies of any information you have on your past relatives, to include in our history details. I was born in Byers Green and my mother was born in the village and my Dad at New field. Whilst I was growing up their were 3different families of Todd none live in the village now but I am in contact with some of them. Which family are you looking for?
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I have a photo of Seldom Seen its very old in black and white but it definitely existed. Todhills is between Byers Green and Newfield hope this is useful if you have any queries I will try and help.
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Thank you so much Byers Green for your input. We are completely astounded with the photo of the "The Old Farmhouse" Seldom Seen. It is truly rewarding after now almost 20 years of research to come up with this find of a house of our Ancestors which dates back to the 1600's.
I will attach a copy on this file for the original poster as it was them who got this started.
Regards
Neil
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I have been trawling the Todd family of Nutty Hagg and other places in Byers Green being a direct descendant. I see that "Byers Green" a brother and sister local history group form the village do research and produced pictures of Seldom Seen another place with Todd connections. There is an old post.
I wonder if they or anyone else have information on Nutty Hagg, the old family now pile of stones. According to maps it would seem to have been a house/cottage with a barn or stables. It was on a small acreage so would not have been substantial. I have visited and it would seem to have been one of those properties too remote for modern services or it was too expensive.
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Hello I and my sister do the history weekend at Byers Green. My sister's both live in Byers Green and I was born in the village. I copied the picture of the farmhouse it was situated at Todd Hills which is a hamlet between Newfield and Byers Green.
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Dear "BG"
Thank you for the rapid response.
Do you have any information on Nutty Hagg close to Seldom Seen and a Todd occupation till the early 19C. I think it was a copyhold tenancy from the Bishops of Durham or from a Charity which was given up.
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Hello have you seen the photo I posted last year of the house? From what I can gather the Todd family owned a house at Seldom Seen (now called Todd Hills) on the map. They were farm owners, something unknown happened to them and they just left leaving the buildings. A bungalow is now situated on the land where the house stood and the brickyard now stands on the land.( Brickyard makes building bricks for houses)
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Dear "BG"
Thank you for the picture of Seldom Seen.
I was after any info on Nutty Hagg which is midway between Seldom Seen and Byers Green. Do you have any history photos or similar. Many thanks
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No relation to any of the questions/answers above (thank goodness) but we must not forget Newfield,
Chester-le-Street.
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Hello sorry I can't get access to any details at present due to the virus. All our files are in the Parish Hall in Byers Green. The Todd family definitely lives in Todd Hills. I am not aware of Nutty Hagg??
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Dear BG
There is a post from JenB headed Seldom Seen Newfield dated 15 August which has an 1857 map attachement. This plan shows Seldom Seen at the top another farm south of it called Never Seen and then South again Nutty Hagg, all off a track leading North from Newfield over the old railway line. The first part of this track still exists as I found it when I found the remains of Nutty Hagg, I think the track now joins with the old railwway. All these properties have Todd connections .
Many thanks.
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Hello can you please send me a copy of the map, as if I see it I may be able to help or find someone in the village who can. Thanks
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Dear BG
I cannot attach my version of the plan as it is too big.
If you just google Seldom Seen Roots it comes up as a post by JenB with the link to the plan.
I am afraid I am not very computer literate, and od not know how to save and send on.
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I think your original post was "I've just found out that I have an ancestor that died at 21 months at Seldom Seen, Newfield. My question is, does this place still exist?
Is there a church there where there may have been a burial?"
If you have not already paid it a visit you might like to go to https://www.durhamrecordsonline.com. It has burial records for some churches in the Bishop Auckland area of County Durham.
https://durhamdiocese.org/ may also help you to find a church where the burial could have taken place. Churches that were near Newfield included Whitworth Parish Church and Binchester Church - relatives including my Mum are buried in Binchester's graveyard.
In the 1940s my father was the Colliery Manager of Leasingthorne Colliery and had oversight of the Coal Mine at Newfield.
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I do not hink Seldom Seen still exists, I am not a local.
My interest was in farm called Nutty Hagg again now a pile of stones. It would be wonderful to find some sort of picture. It is probably half a mile south of Seldom Seen on the same old track.
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Hello yes the Churchyard still exists at Newfield, although the Church is no longer there. Unfortunately due to the lockdown I wouldn't be able to go and look for you. I would certainly look for you if you give me all the details when we are allowed out again and I will see if I can find it as my Grandparents and Uncles and Aunts are buried there.
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Hello Welbat. May I enquire as to your interest in "Nutty Hagg" The property along with many of the others was in my family for generations until the last uprooted and moved away in 1854.
Neil
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Dear Neil
I think we have corrsponded before, you are in Australia, I hope you are well.
I am descended from the Nutty Hagg Todds from I think George born 1796 son of Christopher.
My lot all went to London.
I was just interested in what Nutty Hagg looked like out of interest as it formed such an important part in our history. I suspect it was not a substantial house that did not stand the test of time nor the cost of services and modernisation. Quite often photos were taken for local interest and I wondered if any still existed, particularly as there is a picture of Seldom Seen.