Isle of Man miners in North West Durham

[Elliven]

AlanBoyd,

I don't think Joseph Ramshaw jnr was a serious farmer publican.  His father put up the farm and pub for sale in 1865 and the only known pub licensee after that was Margaret Ann Swinburne - the exact dates are unknown but she (or the latest owner) sold it on to John Charlton in 1872.  He ran it until his death in 1877.

After this the only known licensee was Joseph Ramshaw jnr who may have been there from 1877 but can be definitely shown to have run the pub 1880-1883 after which he moved on to a succession of other pubs.  I think it reverted to the Charlton family (he was only the manager?) as the next landlord was William Charlton - brother/son/nephew? of John Charlton.

I have not been able to establish whether the farm changed hands with the pub.  However, progress is being made!

Neville

[JenB]

JenB

That's a great idea, but is it possible?

Yes, a moderator has moved it to the Durham Board 

[BushInn1746]

I wonder if it was Townley of Stanley Hall (and not Stanley), with the Isle of Man connection?


Northumberland Record Office
NRO 438/A/10
1868
Lease from Charles Towneley to D. and J. H. Burn of West Stanley Hall Farm

Stanley, Durham, was part of the former Manor of Stanley, it would seem.

Townley of Stanley Hall, Co. Durham
(Which was situated a little West of Stanley Township, Durham)

Townley, surname is of Anglo-saxon origin.

The following known as Townleys Journal of 1791 and Richard Townley Esq., looks to have had a connection with the Isle of Man according to a Book there?

 ---------------

A JOURNAL KEPT in the ISLE of MAN

ANTIQUITIES OF VARIOUS KINDS, NOW EXTANT THERE:

A Trait of the Manners and Customs, both general and peculiar, of the Inhabitants

An Account of their Harbours; great Usefulness of Douglas Harbour; Neglect, and Want of Repairs.

Description of their Noble Herring Fishery, &c.

TOGETHER WITH A LARGE

APPENDIX:

TOGETHER WITH

EXPLANATORY NOTES and OBSERVATIONS.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

By RICHARD TOWNLEY, ESQ.

VOLUME THE SECOND.

WHITEHAVEN

Douglas January 1st 1790

" BUT my learned and Right Reverend author, Bishop Rutter, in his manuscript now by me, agrees with Mr. Camden, in the situation as before, and observes farther, that the original of the Stanleys was of Saxon extraction; as indeed, I find by the best and approved antiquaries, were all the families in England. whole surnames end in ley, ton, (b) and comb ; as Bolton, Dalton, Walton, Sefton, Singleton, &c. &c. also Stanley, Tyldsley, Townley, Mawdsley, Walmfley, &c. &c. and also Duncomb, Tidcomb, Jacomb, and Edgecomb ; and that the family now before us was seated at Stoneley as aforefaid, and is of opinion that the Stanleys might assume their surname; from that lordship ; which is very probable, with respect to the name, the soil being, as above, of a rough, stony nature; and that nothing was more common and usual, in those early times, than for families to give surnames to their seats; or to take them from that of the fact; of which we have many instances in our own memories; as well as in history.


Comment

I am wondering if the Richard Townley Esq., who appeared to have had a connection or interest with the Isle of Man, was related to the Townley family Landowners of Stanley, Durham?


They want the old Ferry Service to be reinstated
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn4z1dvdnjdo


Mark

[BushInn1746]

Newcastle Courant, 15th March 1828

Some of the Members

Tanfield Association
Prosecution of Felons

Owners of Pontop Pike Colliery Lord Ravensworth and Partners Marquis of Bute.

Messrs Moore & Oxley, Shield Row.

Mr George Jackson, Stanley.

P. J. Townley, Esq. of Stanley Wood Lands.

Mr Michael Hopper, Stanley.


Consett Guardian, 8th February 1884

Turnbull v. Bates

This was an action brought by Thomas Turnbull, farmer, against William Bates, another farmer, of West Stanley ...

 ... when the plaintiff was the outgoing tenant of a farm belonging to Col. Townley, at Stanley, in the early part of last year, the defendant being the incoming tenant.


Added:
Land at Stanley might be linked to P. E. Townley?

Newcastle Journal, 12th Feb 1842

At Stella, on the 8th inst. aged 75, Robert Edington, Esq. deservedly regretted: he was the oldest tenant upon the estates of Peregrine Edward Townley, Esq. in the County of Durham.


Mark

[Elliven]

I have not really had time to take all of this in properly but, with the reservation that spellings were not standardised in 1791, all the Towneleys in this area are spelled slightly differently.

That aside, in very close proximity to the Isle of Man area of Stanley, there was a Towneley Street, a Towneley School, a Towneley mineral water works and A Towneley Arms public house.  The latter is the only one still in existence.  The 1868 Towneley lease you refer to was either for the Burns farm or for the Burns Pit which exploded in 1909 with the loss of 168 lives.

Stanley Hall as the home of the Towneley family and all their connections gives a lot of food for thought but the IOM connection is interesting and especially so if we could find a connection with the IOM area of Stanley as land granted as part of the Enclosures Act.

Thank you for your contribution.
Neville

[BushInn1746]

Shields Daily News 29th September 1885

THE TOWNLEY CLAIMANTS
 ...

 ... The estates cover 40 000 acres of land in England. They are known as the Townley estates, in the counties of York and Lancashire, and the Vane Tempest Estates, comprising extensive mining properties at Stella, Blaydon, Ryton, Winlaton, and Stanley in the County of York, Lancashire, and Durham. They are now in the hands of the Imperial Government and managed by the Marquis of Londonderry. Elizabeth Townley, of Lancashire, England, married Sir Robert Lawrence in 1504, and she was willed 30,000,000 dols., which was never paid over. Mary Townley married John Lawrence in 1693. The Vane Tempest estate came to the Townley family through the marriage of Sir Richard Townley to the heiress of Lord William Widdrington in 1665. ...

According to the newspaper, apparently an Act of Parliament was passed on August 4th, to deal with the claims.

1883 Book
In 1883 James Usher published a book
History of the Lawrence - Townley, And Chase - Townley Estates in England.

There is a copy on Open Library which directs you to archive.org but seems to deal with the Lancashire Townley Pedigree and their links.

Seems to be nothing for Whitehaven or Stanley on the quick search. But a reference to Cumberland and Durham.

Page 23
But they have

 ... estates known as Townley Hall, Howard Estate, and Widdrington Estate, and found over thirty thousand acres of improved lands, and city and village property, therefore yielding all a large revenue. That the three estates above named are lying in the Counties of Cumberland, Durham and Lancashire.

The 107 page book is far too brief to deal with the acreages mentioned.

If the Act of Parliament has a full Survey of the all lands, you should get a lot more detail and usually names of individuals occupying the properties, farms, lands and places (the Tenantry, when Surveyed).

ADDED:
There are quite a few references to "Townley Hall" on Rootschat?

But whether you can discover the Manx naming connection and why, I leave that up to you.

Mark

[Elliven]

BushInn1746,

Just as a matter of interest, Charles Towneley, was High Sheriff of Lancaster in 1857 and his favourite Horse won the Epsom Derby at around that time.  The horse was named Kettledrum and had a pub named after it in Merclough, Lancashire.

In 1859 the Burns brothers, mentioned in our previous posts, sunk a new shaft in West Stanley Colliery and named it The Kettledrum Pit.  Co-incidence?

Neville

[AlanBoyd]

In the tithe records there are two areas in County Durham owned by Towneleys.

One area is in Ryton Parish, held by Peregrine Edward Towneley.

The other is held by Charles Townley and consists of a large area encompassing the farms listed below. Part of the (north) western boundary of these Towneley holdings is Front Street, so Isle of Man was 'across the road' from Towneley land. There was a Towneley Street (already mentioned by Elliven)  running parallel to, and just south east of, Front Street at one time.

Stanley Hill Top Farm
Glower-o'er-em Farm
Burnopfield Farm
Bleach Green Farm

[AlanBoyd]

In 1859 the Burns brothers, mentioned in our previous posts, sunk a new shaft in West Stanley Colliery and named it The Kettledrum Pit.  Co-incidence?

The site of West Stanley Colliery lay within Charles Towneley’s estate.