Isle of Man miners in North West Durham

[AlanBoyd]

The alternative is an example of what I term "distant land names".  I think they is usually a product of enclosure, but may be earlier in places.  That is, farmers were allotted parcels of common which they were expected to plough up and fence, and these places were at some distance from the existing setlement.  Having no old field names they acquired humerous references to their distance, e.g.
Botany Bay, California, Greenland, Isle of Skye, Isle of Wight, New York, North America, Rhodesia, World's End.

These are all real places, some names found more than once, some with later settlements, so I could add Isle of Man to the list.

Yes, there was an Isle of Wight farm then pub at the bottom of my street in the early 19th century.

[Elliven]

MollyC,

Thank you for that.  It does make sense even though new world places were usually given old world names rather than the other way round!  At the time the houses were built, the land was owned by the Joicey family who lived at Kip Hill (about 2 miles away) when they built the houses that replaced the hamlet.  But it they bought it after the first references to the Isle of Man were made.  They probably named the streets whimsically or to keep the history behind the name although the history is now forgotten but the name is still remembered.

Another one for your collection is Quebec in County Durham which was named after General Wolfe stormed the Heights of Abraham to take that City from the French.

Neville

[fiddlerslass]

Perhaps it was originally a bit of whimsy as the Stanley family (Earls of Derby) used to be lords of the Isle of Man

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_of_Mann

[Elliven]

hanes teulu,

This 1872 announcement actually names the beerhouse:

Neville

[MollyC]

Looking at the landscape on the 1857/61 map - this is near parish and township boundaries, which are complicated.  It is a landscape of 18th/19th cent. enclosure: large, fairly geometric field boundaries and a few farmsteads.  Superimposed on that are scattered features of coal mining: collieries, small settlements in terraces including Stanley, tramroads and railways.  There are no old villages anywhere nearby.

AlanBoyd - My reference to Isle of Wight IS at the east side of Birkdale.  And on a parish boundary.
1st ed 6-inch Lancashire sheet 83, north edge.

Elliven - Thank you for Quebec.

[Elliven]

fiddlerslass,

That is a lovely thought but at the time of those events, Stanley town did not exist and the area has no connection with the Earls of Derby
Neville

[Elliven]

MollyC,

It is about 4 or 5 miles from Lanchester which dates back to Roman Times and about 6 to 8 miles from Shotley Bridge and Ebchester both being ancient villages the latter of which is built over a Roman Camp.  Stanley itself housed a Roman cattle camp although it does not have the history of the other villages.
Neville

[AlanBoyd]

AlanBoyd - My reference to Isle of Wight IS at the east side of Birkdale.  And on a parish boundary.  1st ed 6-inch Lancashire sheet 83, north edge.

Yes, that’s the one!

[hanes teulu]

hanes teulu,

This 1872 announcement actually names the beerhouse:

Neville

What announcement?