Walker's Buildings, Westoe

[paulr_1]

Hi - I have traced some ancestors (Fairless) to Walker's Buildings, Westoe in the 1861 census. Does anyone know the whereabouts of this (these?) building(s)? Were they some sort of tenement block? There seems to be several families living there. Many thanks for any information.

[ScouseBoy]

A street in Westoe village was the setting for one of catherine Cooksons books,  according to wikipedia.

[paulr_1]

Thanks for the feedback. I've found Westoe on maps and the odd picture, but am interested in Walker's Buildings specifically?

[stanmapstone]

In the 1881 Census Walkers Buildings is in Westoe District 13. The description of the district mentions Thames Street. If you go to http://gis.durham.gov.uk/website/interMAP/viewer.htm and put the coordinates 436130, 567330 in to Search it will centre the map on Thames Street, which you can see on the 1894-1899 map. I assume Walkers Buildings is in the area to the south of Thames Street, and will be too small to be named on a map.


Stan

[d.smith107]

Walkers Buildings and Walker Court, although not named on any of the old maps was in the vicinity
of the Market Place South Shields which was a heavily populated part of the town in late 1800s.
The main area of South Shields was called Westoe about 100 years ago, as opposed to Westoe Village
which was on the outskirts of the town in the 1800s, and where the very wealthy lived. Thames Street
no longer exists, Walker Buildings would be somewhere between Queen Street and King Street which
you can see on a modern map.