I am looking for information and old photographs of Corporation Road in Middlesbrough – particularly at the end closest to the cinema and football stadium. I’d also like to know any information on the building which is now the Purple Onion/Multi Media Exchange – any information on previous occupiers, its history, photographs inside and out.
Matt
mfalcus@atomic-planet.com
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Query re Gresham Road
I am researching my family history and found that one of my ancestors died at 69 Gresham Road, Middlesbrough in 1908. The address was shown as the County Borough Asylum. Does anyone know if this was a mental institution as the name suggests? I would like to have any information regarding this establishment. The address doesn't appear in the 1901 census so I would be interested to know when Gresham Road was built.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade
Looking to see if there are any connections with the Middlesbrough area. Perhaps relating to the Tees. Can anyone help ?
Thanks
julie_tweedy@fsmail.net
Thanks
julie_tweedy@fsmail.net
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Lives of the wives and families of Ironstone Miners of East Cleveland
I am a History undergrad at Teesside and am extremely interested in researching the lives of the wives and families of Ironstone Miners of East Cleveland. If anyone has any family anecdotes, stories, photos, memories etc of what life was like for these women and the coping strategies they used to look after their families I would be extremely grateful. Full confidentiality will be given. Please reply to:
Carole.research@tiscali.co.uk
Many thanks,
Carole Benson
Carole.research@tiscali.co.uk
Many thanks,
Carole Benson
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Skelton folklore
I am commencing a project on the history of Skelton with Y5 children at Lingdale Primary School and would like to find folklore, legends etc. from around the Skelton area.
Could you help or would you be able to give me contact details for somebody who would ?
Thank you
Miss N Oxtoby
Nic.Oxtoby@talktalk.net
Could you help or would you be able to give me contact details for somebody who would ?
Thank you
Miss N Oxtoby
Nic.Oxtoby@talktalk.net
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Sgt John Stainley West - WW2 - Official British War Photographer
This is very much a long shot, I am trying to research my late grandfather’s time during WW11. There have been numerous articles in local newspapers regarding my grandfather and the information given in these is pretty much all I know as he never spoke to us regarding his experiences. To be honest I have no idea where to start but would be most grateful for any links or information that you could provide.
He was Sgt John Stainley West of Stokesley North Yorkshire and was one of the first to land on the Normandy beaches in 1944, helping to clear minefields in Northern France and other parts of Europe while serving with a division of the Canadian Army where he specialised in mine detectors and detonators. He also became a POW for half a day. On April 15th 1945 he entered Belsen as the Official British War Photographer. At the time he was serving with the 116th Light Ack Company who's Commander was a Lt Col William Mather. My Grandfather spent 4 months in Belsen recording the scenes of the few victims left alive and also working in the maternity ward. He also helped collect bodies and supervise their burials of 23,000.
He had a photocopy of a Belsen record card, on the back of which were some brief notes compiled at the time. The following extracts illustrate only too vividly the grimness of the war which was nearing its end.
"We feel that some of you who were not here at Belsen from the beginning might like to see these notes. They give the most accurate facts available, We would liked to have produced them before, but we were one and all rather busy on the first main job of clearing the concentration camp. That job is now finished. On the 12April 1945 the Chief of Staff of the 1st German Para Army approached the Brigadier General's staff of the British 8th Corps and said he had a terrible situation on hand at Belsen and that the place must be taken over. On 13 April 1945 the terms of a special truce were drawn up, although we must remember that a battle was going on all around the Belsen area. Under these terms, the British agreed to come in and take over the camp, a neutral area was defined around Belsen, the German SS camp staff were to remain, the British doing what they liked with them, and the Hungarians to remain armed, and be used by the British until such time as they had no further use for them. It is believed that Brig Glyn Hughes, deputy director of medical services, was the first to arrive. The First British unit in was an Anti Tank Battery which arrived on 15 April. The scene which met the first officers beggars description. There were an estimated 30,000 people in camp, of which about 10,000 lay dead in the huts or about the camp. Those still alive had been without food or water for about seven days, after long periods of semi-starvation. Typhus, amongst other diseases, was raging. Corruption and filth were everywhere. The air was poisoned. You have no doubt heard these terrible details from those who saw them. The tasks which faced the first comers must have appeared unsurmountable. Nevertheless they were tackled with outstanding success when one considers the resources available.
The Document says that, eventually the Army took over control of all the Concentration Camps. All the living inmates of Belsen were moved into hospitals and transit camps. The total moved numbered 28,900, although 2,00 died later.
A memento which he kept to remind himself of mans inhumanity to man was a knife, fork and spoon wrapped in a cloth folder which belonged to the Nazi Commandant, The infamous "Beast of Belsen" I believe his name to be Kramer. My Grandfather confiscated it after being spat on by this officer during one of the morning parades.
He left the camp to return to England in September 1945 after contracting a disease at Belsen that attacked his nervous system and which kept him in hospital for 5 months. His illness affected him for the next ten years, resulting in loss of memory and repeated nightmares.
Anyway I have gone on for long enough! But I would be so grateful if you could point me in the right direction so that I can look into my grandfather’s history and perhaps find out if any of his pictures are still in existence.
Emma West
ejw220373@msn.com
He was Sgt John Stainley West of Stokesley North Yorkshire and was one of the first to land on the Normandy beaches in 1944, helping to clear minefields in Northern France and other parts of Europe while serving with a division of the Canadian Army where he specialised in mine detectors and detonators. He also became a POW for half a day. On April 15th 1945 he entered Belsen as the Official British War Photographer. At the time he was serving with the 116th Light Ack Company who's Commander was a Lt Col William Mather. My Grandfather spent 4 months in Belsen recording the scenes of the few victims left alive and also working in the maternity ward. He also helped collect bodies and supervise their burials of 23,000.
He had a photocopy of a Belsen record card, on the back of which were some brief notes compiled at the time. The following extracts illustrate only too vividly the grimness of the war which was nearing its end.
"We feel that some of you who were not here at Belsen from the beginning might like to see these notes. They give the most accurate facts available, We would liked to have produced them before, but we were one and all rather busy on the first main job of clearing the concentration camp. That job is now finished. On the 12April 1945 the Chief of Staff of the 1st German Para Army approached the Brigadier General's staff of the British 8th Corps and said he had a terrible situation on hand at Belsen and that the place must be taken over. On 13 April 1945 the terms of a special truce were drawn up, although we must remember that a battle was going on all around the Belsen area. Under these terms, the British agreed to come in and take over the camp, a neutral area was defined around Belsen, the German SS camp staff were to remain, the British doing what they liked with them, and the Hungarians to remain armed, and be used by the British until such time as they had no further use for them. It is believed that Brig Glyn Hughes, deputy director of medical services, was the first to arrive. The First British unit in was an Anti Tank Battery which arrived on 15 April. The scene which met the first officers beggars description. There were an estimated 30,000 people in camp, of which about 10,000 lay dead in the huts or about the camp. Those still alive had been without food or water for about seven days, after long periods of semi-starvation. Typhus, amongst other diseases, was raging. Corruption and filth were everywhere. The air was poisoned. You have no doubt heard these terrible details from those who saw them. The tasks which faced the first comers must have appeared unsurmountable. Nevertheless they were tackled with outstanding success when one considers the resources available.
The Document says that, eventually the Army took over control of all the Concentration Camps. All the living inmates of Belsen were moved into hospitals and transit camps. The total moved numbered 28,900, although 2,00 died later.
A memento which he kept to remind himself of mans inhumanity to man was a knife, fork and spoon wrapped in a cloth folder which belonged to the Nazi Commandant, The infamous "Beast of Belsen" I believe his name to be Kramer. My Grandfather confiscated it after being spat on by this officer during one of the morning parades.
He left the camp to return to England in September 1945 after contracting a disease at Belsen that attacked his nervous system and which kept him in hospital for 5 months. His illness affected him for the next ten years, resulting in loss of memory and repeated nightmares.
Anyway I have gone on for long enough! But I would be so grateful if you could point me in the right direction so that I can look into my grandfather’s history and perhaps find out if any of his pictures are still in existence.
Emma West
ejw220373@msn.com
Influx of skilled iron workers from Wales
Hello Teesside, do you have any members interested in the influx of skilled iron workers from Wales in mid 18th century? I hope you can assist.
Alan Teulon of Northants I A Group.
ateulon@waitrose.com
Alan Teulon of Northants I A Group.
ateulon@waitrose.com
Monday, January 01, 2007
Teesside Industry
I took this photo in September 2006 when I was lucky enough to have a flight over the area in a 4 seater Piper.
The area looked quite different from the air and I'm not entirely sure where this photo shows.
Can anyone help out ? Please add a comment. You can also contact me at: julie_tweedy@fsmail.net
Launch of our blog
Hi. Welcome to the Society's blog.
As a Society we now receive numerous e-mails asking for local history information. Unfortunately we are not able to answer many of these queries. But we don't like the people who contact us to go away empty handed.
Creating a blog seemed the ideal solution. If you have any queries please e-mail us with them in the usual way to ctlhs@fsmail.net. Indicating that you are happy for your query to go on the web. Include images if you wish (as long as you hold the copyright). Also let us know if you are happy to be contacted directly via e-mail and we'll add your e-mail address.
We are keen for the local history community to add comments to add any query placed on the blog. Please feel free to do so if you can help out.
As a Society we now receive numerous e-mails asking for local history information. Unfortunately we are not able to answer many of these queries. But we don't like the people who contact us to go away empty handed.
Creating a blog seemed the ideal solution. If you have any queries please e-mail us with them in the usual way to ctlhs@fsmail.net. Indicating that you are happy for your query to go on the web. Include images if you wish (as long as you hold the copyright). Also let us know if you are happy to be contacted directly via e-mail and we'll add your e-mail address.
We are keen for the local history community to add comments to add any query placed on the blog. Please feel free to do so if you can help out.
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