John Newton, Lanchester

[AlanBoyd]

1842 likely death registration for wife Margaret
Q4 1842 Durham & Lanchester 24 32, age 64

Boo

30 Oct 1842 Margaret Newton, of Lizards, age: 64

added: this is a burial record

[Radcliff]

possible burial of Margaret Newton
Lanchester ,abode Lizards, 30 th October 1842

[AlanBoyd]

Lizards Farm then and now, just WNW of Lanchester.

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=17.2&lat=54.82788&lon=-1.76062&layers=6&right=osm

In the 1843 tithe record John Newton is the occupier there of 57 acres; owner William Wray.

[AlanBoyd]

This is, I believe, John Newton's death notice in the Durham Chronicle 12 July 1850

At Hyperion Syke, near Lanchester, 8th inst, aged 78, Mr John Newton, upwards of 40 years, tenant of the Lizards Farm near that village.

It is Hyperson Syke, but the only references to this place that I can see at BNA are reports of this death so I am no nearer to finding it.

[Tickettyboo]

This is, I believe, John Newton's death notice in the Durham Chronicle 12 July 1850

At Hyperion Syke, near Lanchester, 8th inst, aged 78, Mr John Newton, upwards of 40 years, tenant of the Lizards Farm near that village.

It is Hyperson Syke, but the only references to this place that I can see at BNA are reports of this death so I am no nearer to finding it.

I couldn't find it either so got  the death register entry for clarification -  which says he died at 32 Burnhope Colliery Cottages, Holmside (home of his son John who is still at that address in the 1851 census)

Boo

[Tickettyboo]

Durham County Advertiser  11 Jan 1817, page 3
I may be mis-interpreting the use of 'tenant' but it seems to suggest he didn't own either the pub or the 45 acres?

Boo

[Elliven]

Boo

That's put the cat among the pigeons!  I have press reports showing him as occupying both the Blue Bell and the Kings Head simultaneously.  The only way that could happen is if he owned them.  He could not be the tenant of both of them and run the farm at the Lizards which is not far away but definitely not attached to either of the pubs.  I suppose he could have sub-let the pubs but, if he did, the press would not refer to them as "the house of John Newton"

[MollyC]

It was not unusual for a rural publican to do some farming as well, the other pub may have been operated by a subtenant, maybe a member of the family, provided the rent was paid and landlord was satisfied it was being well kept.  Tenant farmers could be quite substantial people and well respected.  Who was Mr. Ormsby?  Probably an agent of the landlord.  The tithe record is probably the clue.

[AlanBoyd]

It seems unlikely that this will cast any light on John Newton's situation, but by the time of the 1843 tithe records the Blubell Inn was owned by George Walton and occupied by George Walton Junior (with GW senior occupying a house at the south end of Front Street).

The Lodge (Lodge Farm) is to immediately to the east of the Bluebell Inn, owner John Fawcett.

Interestingly however, there is also a relatively important landowner in the area called Margaret Ornsby with two tenants holding 85 and 64 acres plus some tenants with smaller holdings, including George Walton with 5 acres across two plots.

Evidence that the Ornsby family were at Lanchester Lodge around the time of the newspaper item:

baptism
26 Apr 1820 Robert Ornsby, of Lanchester Lodge, son of George (esquire) & Margaret Ornsby

burial
13 Aug 1823 George Ornsby, of Lanchester Lodge, age: 52

Durham County Advertiser 23rd August 1823

At Lanchester Lodge on the 8th inst. suddenly, aged 52, George Ornsby Esq. one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace for this county.