Hartlepool mystery.

[kabeja]

I am wondering if anyone can shine any light on the following pair.

John Gradon,  born about 1720.  Of the Raw, Hartlepool.
Died/buried,  St Hilda愀   23rd August 1747.

Anne Rippon,  born about 1720.  @ ?
Died/buried,  St Hilda愀  23rd August 1747.

I do not know if they ever married and as far as i know they had only one son.
Thomas Gradon,  born about 1743.
Sometimes the spelling is Graydon.

My questions are.....  a)  Where or what is/was "of the raw" ?
                                  b) Does anyone know of any event (accidental or medical) which happened in Hartlepool at this time which may explain what led to the deaths of these two people at the same time ? Are there any newspapers or journals of the time for reference ?

Many thanks in advance.

[Greensleeves]

I can't find any details of specific epidemics for the year in question, but it is quite likely that the people living in crowded and unsanitary conditions were under constant threat from sickness such as scarlet fever, cholera (this was later though, in the 1830s) and earlier, plague.  Alternatively we could be looking at an accident, or foul play....  I am currently looking at the events surrounding my Shadforth line which involve St Hilda's, Hartlepool so it seems our paths are crossing here!

I can't help you with info regarding 'the raw' but certainly there seem to have been some interesting names for streets/alleys/areas of Hartlepool.  If I find anything of use to you, I will post again.

Regards,
GS

[john franks]

The raw means "The Row" (of houses/cottages). There is a Tyneside song "Up The Raw, Down The Raw" when raw refers to a row of miners' houses.

I have an interest in West Hartlepool by the way but my folk moved there after the period you are interested in.

John

[kabeja]

Many thanks Greensleeves and John for you replies. John that had occurred to me about a street but i was wondering if anyone had any local knowledge of Hartlepool in the 18th century and as to where it was in Hartlepool.
I feel that this mystery may take a long time to work out ( if ever ), but the forums are a fountain of knowledge and experience so who knows....maybe some one will have an answer or a clue for the right direction.
Good luck to both of you with your own research.
Kindest regards,
K.

[kabeja]

Small world is Durham and Suffolk !   I just found a Pearl thread.

[Monkeyhanger]

The Raw was a strip of land beside the sea between Seaton Carew and what is now Hartlepool marina. It is shown on a Durham County map of 1610 and Robert Wood in his book 'West Hartlepool' (ISBN 0950130699) includes a 1768 map of the Tees and Hartlepool and 'Raw' can just be made out in this location with a few buildings represented.
In the mid 19th century housing was erected in this area very quickly to satisfy the requirements of the sudden population increase which was due to the creation and operation of the new West Dock.
The area then became known as New Stranton (the village of Stranton was a little way inland from here). My gg grandfather built three houses in New Stranton in 1847. It soon became part on the new town of West Hartlepool that grew up around the dock.
Eventually New Stranton became known to the people of West Hartlepool as 'Old Town' and was demolished in 1937 having become too unpleasant and insanitary. Council housing was then built there which in turn was demolished in recent times. There is now new housing associated with the marina on part of what was 'The Raw' - Too much information?

[kabeja]

Thank you very much for your reply MonkeyHanger.
There is a lot of information in your reply for me to follow up. Now i know where The Raw was maybe i can find some more specific information regarding the deaths of these two people.
Cheers.

[Vickie1982]

I know it's been a while since this thread was used but I was just looking for info on "of the raw".

John Graydon is my 7 x Great grandfather! I do t have any further information, but would love to know what happened to him & Anne in 1747.

[kabeja]

Hello Vickie,
I'm afraid i never got any further in finding out what happened to John and Anne and haven't looked at them for a while so i have no further info to share on them.
My connection with the Graydon's is my great grandmother who was Anne Graydon born 1866 at Perkinsville, County Durham. It seems to be a fairly strong connection as one of my brothers had Graydon as his middle name as did one of my aunty's.