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Northumberland / Re: Quinnin Grave
« on: Tuesday 25 May 21 06:49 BST (UK) »Hello - I'm shocked to see so many replies to this old post!
JenN and AllanUK - Thanks so much for your responses. Back in 2014 I discovered that Martin and Margery Quinnin were buried in the churchyard of St Mary the Virgin, Stamfordham, as were a few of their children, and even a great-grandchild. They don't have a headstone, sadly, but using the parish records I was able to guess the general area where they are. We went and laid flowers for them and our other relatives soon after. Stamfordham is such a beautiful village.
Leopardprintcat - Thanks so much for reaching out! I've been to Wallridge a couple of times, just passing through. On one occasion we spoke to a man who had known my Great Uncle Barty, who died in 1985. He told us a few stories of how harsh the winters in Wallridge were, and about a German man named Otto who my Uncle Barty was good friends with, who lived a couple of doors down from him. Wallridge is thought of so fondly in my family. Many of my older relatives remember the days of getting the bus there and staying with relatives - at one point most of the occupants of Wallridge appear to have been Quinnin relatives of some description!
Thanks and kind regards,
pckl
Hello,
Not sure if this will be of interest to you. But our neighbours tell us that originally Wallridge Cottages were miner's cottages (you can see the entrance to the mine shaft in the field behind the cottages - there's an old building with no roof there). The story goes that the mine owners were warned the mine would flood, but they went ahead with its creation anyway, as foretold the mine flooded, but by then the mine workers had already been moved into the newly built cottages. The miners who'd moved into their nice new cottages were then told they would have to leave, but they refused.
So they stayed and were basically squatters in the houses. For years the place held a bad reputation locally because of this, its said even the school bus wouldn't drive through.
I can kind of see why they wouldn't want to leave, now I live here.
I'm not sure how much of this story is true, but I thought it was interesting
