1851 Northumberland census - Pattison, Greenhead parish

[JenB]

It's interesting but on Google Earth it shows High Onsett, a desolate farm, to be well north of Hadrian's Wall and nothing to do with Blenkinsopp!

As you'll see from the maps - the High Onsett in Blenkinsopp Township and near Greenhead no longer exists.
The one you found on Google Earth is a completely different one.

[Claremcg]

Many thanks for the link - my husband has had a look at Old Maps to see if he could find it (your link only came up with a small map on Internet Explorer) and we can see where they were - Low and High Onsett - on Google Earth.

Clare

[Michael Dixon]

 Clare,

 As well as the High and Low Onset pointed out by Jennifer, located in the "township" of Blenkinsopp, within the Parish of Haltwhistle, there was/is a High Onset north west of Haltwhistle, lying in Cumberland/Cumbria., in the region of Bewcastle.
( today- postcode CA6 6PQ- co-rdinates NY 5578)
In fact there were a few places called Onset(t) in Cumberland

In earlier years there was not a fuss made about spelling surnames
" correctly". Even Shakespeare used half a dozen variations of his surname !

Michael

[Claremcg]

Dear Michael

Thank you for your comment about High Onset/t but if you read one of my earlier mails you will see that I have found that one but it was too far north - just shows that we are all thinking on the same lines. 

The reason for High Onsett in the Blenkinsopp area being the right one is that the finder of the Roman Arm purse (found in a possible Roman quarry in the 1830's) was from the Greenhead area in Northumberland. The writer of the report of the find wrote it some 30 years later and probably got his name wrong too - we have Pattison and there are members of both Pattison and PattiNson in that area. Bit like 'Smith' seemingly..... never mind, get variations on my own name which is not the one used here!

Thanks for your help

Clare

[Michael Dixon]

Clare,

 I have just read an article from the 2 March 1867 edition of the Preston Guardian, headed " A Roman Purse".

It mentions a  purse and it's contents, found at Barcombe in 1837
( unearthed by diggings for construction of the Newcastle><Carlisle railway line). And a similar one found 1820.

The article gives the reference of " Dr Bruce's ROMAN WALL "

 Michael

[Claremcg]

Dear Michael

Many thanks. We have all the primary source references by Bruce and others, though hadn't spotted that a bit of Bruce's writing had been copied in the Preston Guardian!

What we're looking for here is any genealogical information about some of the "players" in the story - Thomas, William and Edward Pattison. Knowing as much as possible about them and their relationships helps in understanding which parts of the story that's been handed down can be relied on and which parts might be suspect. A problem not uncommon in genealogy studies!

Regards

Clare

[Claremcg]

We have info from the Death Certificate we sent for, on Thomas Pattison who died at High Onsett, parish of Blenkinsopp, on 14 June 1845, age 57. He was an agricultural labourer.

His age would make him the same generation as the older William and therefore he was probably the uncle of William, Elizabeth and Edward Pattison.

The report talks about 'his brother' and the elder William is who we suppose him to be.

Thank all of you for your help

Best wishes

Clare