Ratten Row, Dearham, Cumberland

[StephenU]

Not sure if it helps, but I have a relative who lived in Rotten Row Dearham in the 1841 and 1851 censuses - in the 1861 census after she was married her birth place was given as Greengill - which if you look on Google Maps is between Dearham and Gilcrux.  On the subject of Dearham does anyone know if there any records of churchyard inscriptions anywhere on line?

[hiyamarra]

Hi
Thanks for your input, but Greengill is a separate hamlet. I guess your ancestors like mine, moved on as they prospered.
Interesting you had family there in 1841, mine were there in 51/61/71 I have been looking for evidence of Ratten Row existing in 41 & 81 so thanks
I don't know of any churchyard inscriptions, but the bishops transcripts can be found here
http://www.cumberlandroots.co.uk/Dearham.htm

[Connie from OZ]

It's great to be finding out about old Dearham. I have only been there for a few hours in 2006. Loved the old Anglican Church but didn't see much else to love. Would have been beautiful pre Industrial Rev when the earlier generations were farmers. [as opposed to Crosby Villa where some relatives were living for the 1881 Census; an ugly and bleak "new town" built in the 1870's].  I must look up my info on all the Censuses to trace residences a bit more closely. Various Proud relatives were living at Ratten Row in the 1851 Census. The Muckleroys whose daughter Nancy married Faulder Proud also lived there at some stage. I've forgatten which census it was Richard Proud' Family who were in Ratten Row in 1851 were living in Ellen Villa, Dearham in 1841. Does anyone know where that is/was? Most of the Ratten Row residents seem to have been  colliers even then, as well as being part time agric. labourers. I think RR was probably hastily built accommodation to cater for the influx of miners in the 1840's. The Muckleroys were Irish,  presumably refugees from the famine though I can find out very little about them. The Prouds probably lived there for many generations .
 That line of the family was of Scottish appearance, whereas Nancy[ nee Muckleroy] was small and dark haired [the "black celtic"] I have a somewhat spanish appearance which I believe I inherited from that side of the family. My grandma said she was descended from old-time Spanish sailors but who knows?
I find it hard to research the English part of the family history from here in Sydney, Australia, so any clues and links which contemporary Dearham contacts can provide is most welcome.
Thanks especially, hiyamurra, for your separate input. How does one go about looking up more details about the censuses. For instance, I believe that most of the females in London were domestic servants whereas our ancestors took pride in maintaining their females to keep the families running smoothly. There seem to have been high rates of literacy and fairly low rates of infant mortality. Am I right in making theses suppositions? This seems to have been true of the mining communities in C19 Australia, strong Protestant work ethic, strong community feeling.
Connie Peters, Sydney, Australia.

[hiyamarra]

Connie
Have you joined any sites such as Genes `reunited or Ancestry.com

[Connie from OZ]

Hi, am on Ancestry.com [Morgan Family history is mine] Was not impressed with Genes Reunited. Genealogy.com looks promising, as does Legacy Family Tree but the latter is not Mac Friendly.  Must get back to some of the local FH clubs here. I prefer to work at home rather than going to the public  venues but need to improve  my computer skills.

I am finding interesting info in some unexpected places eg by googling the Primitive Methodist Church which was a powerful influence apparently in the mining communities. Ancestry on its own can be a bit dry unless one fills in the social and environmental background. I find it relatively easy to fill out the social background here by researching at local libraries but Cumberland and Northumberland are a different matter. Would love to spend a month in Cumberland to get a better idea of the place

I would love to know more about how they got around, found out about assisted migration opportunities, educated themselves,  working conditions, etc .
I am intrigued by the dry-stone walls which my great grandfather built around his property in Helensburgh, NSW. Similar walls and fields rang a bell with me when I first visited Windemere in 1976. As a hard working miner such a property must have been his dream. It was on the edge of what is now a National Park so he clearly loved wild places. The rest of his family settled in suburban Newcastle NSW where living and working conditions were easier but not nearly so beautiful. A sense of place is so important in history. Lovely conversing with You.
My Email is *cheers, Connie

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[clearly]

On May 6 Hiyamarra wrote
I spent 1/2a day in Dearham recently mainly in the church yard, I called into a couple of village shops to ask but no-one knew anything. I had hoped to find 2 old men sitting on a bench with their pipes and terriers but no luck

I was in Dearham on Saturday and there sitting on a wall, smoking his pipe, with a greyhound not a terrier was a really old chap. And you have guessed already... he didn't know where Ratten Row was either.  However he put me on to a lady who said Ratten Row was on both sides of the main street (Central Road) between the crossroads with the Maryport-Cockermouth Road and Lonsdale View.

Apparently all the terraces of houses in Dearham had nicknames like 18 Row, 20 Row, Baggat but these names bore no relation to the actual name.
She thought 20 row referred to a row of 20 cottages and Baggat to houses where you had to open a five barred gate to get to them.

Hope this helps but I'm not convinced.

[StephenU]

If you look at the various censuses on Ancestry they usually at the start of each section have a description of the area covered which often can give a pretty good idea of the adjacent properties to a particular address.

For example the 1851 census described the district concerned as “all that part of the Township of Dearham which lies on the west of the Turnpike Road leading from Dearham to Cockermouth (including Townhead, Rattan Row, Boustead Buildings, Harker, Blooming Heathers(?) Hayborough House and Kirkborough.

[hiyamarra]

Thanks for that, greatly appreciate, i'll check the 1865 OS map for those areas

[bejaysunny]

Not sure if it helps, but I have a relative who lived in Rotten Row Dearham in the 1841 and 1851 censuses - in the 1861 census after she was married her birth place was given as Greengill - which if you look on Google Maps is between Dearham and Gilcrux.  On the subject of Dearham does anyone know if there any records of churchyard inscriptions anywhere on line?

This is my first time on this (or any other) chat site, so please bear with me!
I dont think Dearham gravestone inscriptions are on line, but I have access to a hard copy. Not sure I should be saying this publicly as I may be inundated with requests and am rather busy at the moment! However, I am grateful to find information from those who have been researching Dearham longer than I have, so fair exchange!