Time Team Dig – Captain Cook’s Birthplace Cottage

Geotag Icon Show on map

Tees Archaeology’s Excavations in Stewart Park

The pictures on this page show the Time Team Big Dig which took place over the weekend of 28th – 29th June 2003 at Captain Cook’s birthplace cottage in Stewart Park

All pictures on this page:
© Captain Cook Birthplace Museum.

The Stewart Park and Marton History Group was a small local history group that now, no longer meets . It had a website that was in the process of being updated with local history when the group disbanded and these are the pages that survived.
The lasting legacy of the group is the graves of Bolckow and Vaughan in Marton Churchyard, a project the group started and fund raised for and it eventually came to be, through the work of Middlesbrough Environment City.

People of Marton Village.

Geotag Icon Show on map

Marton had several locally famous and important people who at one time lived in the village or Parish but it would be nothing without the ordinary folk who carried on their business and contributed to the life of the village.

Along with the Agricultural Labourers who worked the surrounding farms, Marton had in 1841 trades in Shoemaking, Building, Blacksmiths, Cartwhrights, Carpenters, Tile and Brick makers, Tailors, Butchers, and Publicans. In 1841 there were a total of 410 persons living in the parish of Marton. In 1861 the population was at 587.

From the 1841 census:
Tailor – John Whitfield 60.
Shoemaker – Joseph Ingledew 25, Thomas Rowland 35, John Teasdale 25, John Lax 50
Blacksmith – William Handisides 30
Publican – Joseph Harker 30, William Atkinson 70
Bricklayer -Henry Readman 65, John Readman 60, George Easton 75, Edward Knight 40
Tile/Brickmaker – William Moss 55, John Foster 25, John Boyd 30
School Master – James Hunter 40, Robert Day 55
Cartwright – Whitfield 35
Butcher – John Tomlinson 30
Shopkeeper – Margaret Harker 30, John Thistle 50
Horse Breaker – John Harrison 45
Mason – Robert Armstrong
Farrier – Thomas Parrington

Other Profesions in the village were: John Parrington – Land Agent, William Parrington – Commercial Agent, Robert Robinson – House Carpenter, Ralph Hedley – Miller, Thomas Merrywether – Groom.

Ralph Hedley the Miller had the Mill on the land of Newham Grange farm and it would have stood just near where the A174 passes the farm
Robert Robinson occupied Slip Inn which was also a Public House.

We must not forget the “ordinary” people who lived and worked in Marton and the surrounding hamlets

Handisides .There are three gravestones to the Handisides who were the village Blacksmiths right up to the last working blacksmith in Marton.

Coates. The Coates family were stonemasons and many of the gravestones in the churchyard were made by them.

Ingledew. Joseph Ingledew was a shoemaker and parish clerk for 48 years.

Easton. George Easton ( Eston ) was a builder and bricklayer of Marton.

Davison. The Davison family owned farmland in the Longlands area of The Marton parish. John Davison was also one of the first plot owners in the new town of Middlesbrough.

Mewburn. George Mewburn was a farm owner and employed James Cook’s father in Marton.

In the Parish Register there is an entry by the Vicar of a burial of someone who was probably a Catholic or Non Conformist who at one time must have been excommunicated. In the end he was given a christian burial in the churchyard.

On supposition that Robert Bateman, Tailor, died excommunicated, the following public proclamation was made at meeting the body at the gate and no objection made.
If there be any person or persons here present that will absolutely say that the present body is or remains excommunicated according to the laws of the church of England, then it must be denied christian burial, if not, God forbid it should be refused, as witnessed my hand this 12th day of August 1763 . Thomas Peacock

The Farmers in the Parish of Marton in 1840

Robert Hymers – Gunnergate
John Hopper – Newham Grange
Robert Harper – Saltersgill
John Davison ( land owner ) – West Moor
Thomas Garbutt ( land owner ) – Longlands
William Dale – Prissick
Robert Holliday – Marton Low Farm
John Reid – Red House Farm
Elizabeth Robinson ( land owner ) – Bonny Grove
John Pearson ( land owner ) – Marton Grange
Robert Turnbull ( land owner ) – Brass Castle
Elizabeth Jordison – Tolesby House Farm

The Stewart Park and Marton History Group was a small local history group that now, no longer meets . It had a website that was in the process of being updated with local history when the group disbanded and these are the pages that survived.
The lasting legacy of the group is the graves of Bolckow and Vaughan in Marton Churchyard, a project the group started and fund raised for and it eventually came to be, through the work of Middlesbrough Environment City.

Westside House – Old Marton Vicarage

Geotag Icon Show on map

This is the former vicarage built in 1847. It replaced the old parsonage that was in a very bad state of repair. It is now in the ownership of a private company.

The following is a report in the papers of Middlesbrough of an incident at the vicarage of Marton in 1875.

FATAL GUN ACCIDENT NEAR MIDDLESBROUGH. A HOUSEMAID SHOT BY A CLERGYMAN’S SON.
On Saturday 1875, the housmaid, Margaret Barnett, was shot and fatally wounded in the kitchen of the vicarage in Marton village. The vicar’s son, Richard Bailey, had just loaded the gun, which was a breach loading double barrel gun, when one barrel went off hitting Margaret Barnett in the left breast. The groom, called Carver was also in the kitchen at the time and had just gotten up from the table, if he had stayed at the table then he would have taken the fatal shot. Margaret staggered into the other kitchen followed by Richard, whereupon she fell to the floor dying. the Doctor was sent for but she died before he arrived. Richard had been pestering his father, the Rev Bailey, for a gun of his own and so his father borrowed one from Carl F Bolckow. On the morning of the fateful day Richard had spotted a hare in the garden and had asked Margaret to fetch the cartridges from upstairs. She stood in front of him a couple of yards away and watched him load the gun, it was just after this that the trigger was caught and the gun went off. Margaret Barnett was buried in St Cuthbert’s churchyard on the 25th January 1875 after an inquest decided it was accidental.

The Stewart Park and Marton History Group was a small local history group that now, no longer meets . It had a website that was in the process of being updated with local history when the group disbanded and these are the pages that survived.
The lasting legacy of the group is the graves of Bolckow and Vaughan in Marton Churchyard, a project the group started and fund raised for and it eventually came to be, through the work of Middlesbrough Environment City.

Additional info, the house has since been converted into apartments, here are a detailed set of photos, details of an archaeological dig and its listed building entry

Grave of three thieves who died in a well, Marton

Geotag Icon Show on map

The story of these men was that they hid some stolen meat down a well behind the Rudds Arms public house and when they went to retrieve it they succumbed to the gas at the bottom. The grave inscription goes on to warn of the dangers of gas in wells.

The Stewart Park and Marton History Group was a small local history group that now, no longer meets . It had a website that was in the process of being updated with local history when the group disbanded and these are the pages that survived.
The lasting legacy of the group is the graves of Bolckow and Vaughan in Marton Churchyard, a project the group started and fund raised for and it eventually came to be, through the work of Middlesbrough Environment City.

Some additional information I have found from North East History Tour

The three men were Robert Armstrong (28), John Ingledew (39) and Joseph Fenison (28) who lost their lives on 11th October 1812.

St Cuthberts Church and Churchyard

Geotag Icon Show on map

The parish of Marton also includes the hamlets of Tolesby and Newham. The original village was in two parts – an eastside and a westside. Most of the eastside of the village was removed when Marton Lodge was improved by Bartholomew Rudd and this allegedly included the cottage where James Cook was born. There are no original buildings left in the hamlets of Tolesby and Newham, all the land being built on with modern housing.

In the west side of the village is the parish church of St Cuthbert. It originally consisted of a nave, chancel and square tower. Many of the improvements and it’s design you see today was through the patronage of the Rudd family.

In the older picture can be seen the window given by the Bolckow family. By the condition of the stone work, this picture was taken not long after the window was installed.

As well as Bolckow and Vaughan, other notable graves are:
Bartholomew Rudd.
Born 1769 Died 1829. Owned the estate of Marton, lived at Marton Lodge with his wife Ann and are both buried in the family vault in St Cuthberts . ( Marton Lodge burnt down and was eventually replaced by Marton Hall built by H.W.F Bolckow )
John Bartholomew Rudd.Born 1813 Died 1888. Lived at Tollesby Hall. Nephew of Bartholomew Rudd of Marton Lodge. He gave the stone from Marton Lodge to be used in the building of the Capt Cook Memorial School.

Sir Raylton Dixon.
Shipbuilder. Bought Gunnergate Hall but died before moving in. Councilor from 1868 – 1874 and 1879 – 1888. Mayor of Middlesbrough in 1889 when the town played host to the Prince and Princess of Wales at the opening of the new Town Hall.

Edward Williams. 1826 – 1886
In 1865 Edward Williams moved to Middlesbrough to become the general manager of Bolckow and Vaughan’s iron works. After several years as a manager he bought his own works, so becoming an Ironmaster in his own right.

Robert Ridley Kitching.
An Architect by profession. He was a Middlesbrough Councilor from 1932 – 1949 and Mayor in 1943 and 1944.

Henry Newbould 1877 – 1965.
Pie maker. Second son of the founder of the well known family business in Middlesbrough, Henry took over the running of the business after Wilson Newbould ( his brother ) died on 15th May 1896 at the young age of 57, and Wilson’s oldest son, Samuel aged 19, had died of pneumonia two days earlier.

Joseph Winterschladen.
Born in Cologne in 1842. He came to Middlesbrough in 1865 setting up as a wine importer. In 1885 opened up his own business as Winterschladens. Married Miss M. J. Barrett in 1875, they had four sons and four daughters. Lived at Rhine Lodge which is still standing, on Marton Road next to what is now Longlands roundabouts.

Agnes Spencer.
Died 1959. Born in the village of Marton . She stayed on at the memorial school as a pupil teacher. Moving to Leeds, she met and married Thomas Spencer the cofounder and partner of Marks and Spencer. She funded many charitable works including the church of St Agnes at Easterside . In later life she came back to Marton, and lived on the Grove.

The Stewart Park and Marton History Group was a small local history group that now, no longer meets . It had a website that was in the process of being updated with local history when the group disbanded and these are the pages that survived.
The lasting legacy of the group is the graves of Bolckow and Vaughan in Marton Churchyard, a project the group started and fund raised for and it eventually came to be, through the work of Middlesbrough Environment City.

Bolckow & Vaughan Graves Pre-restoration

Geotag Icon Show on map

Stewart Park & Marton Heritage Group (in partnership with Middlesbrough Freemasons, Marton Community Councils, St. Cuthberts Church, and the residents of Marton ) are trying to obtain grants to raise funds to restore the graves of two of Middlesbrough’s most important founding fathers: H.W.F.Bolckow and John Vaughan, along with those graves of other notable people who shaped this area into what it has become today. Also restoring the churchyard into a site fitting the historical importance that it surely is. Bolckow & Vaughan were the two men who started the iron and steel industry in Middlesbrough, which brought the growth and prosperity to Middlesbrough and also the area of Teesside. They were both Mayors of Middlesbrough and Henry Bolckow became the town’s first M.P.


The Vaughan family vault.

The Bolckow family plot.

You can see in the pictures above, particularly the Vaughans’ vault, that they have been neglected and are in need of renovation.

The Stewart Park and Marton History Group was a small local history group that now, no longer meets . It had a website that was in the process of being updated with local history when the group disbanded and these are the pages that survived.
The lasting legacy of the group is the graves of Bolckow and Vaughan in Marton Churchyard, a project the group started and fund raised for and it eventually came to be, through the work of Middlesbrough Environment City.

Saltburn Mosaic Number 4

Geotag Icon Show on map

The 4th in the series of 150th anniversary mosaics was recently unveiled by Anne Bedell.
Saltburn Mosaic 4

Subjects this time are still existant buildings such as the  Primitive Methodist church,  Queen Hotel and Railway Station as well as on the left the now demolished public Brine Baths

It also features a representation of current Saltburn town crier Sharon Wilson , the artists are Helen Gaunt and Derek Mosey with assistance from the people of Saltburn.

Below is a shot of the mosaic actually being worked on, shortly before it was unveiled.
Saltburn Mosaic Creation