NOTICE BOARD
NOTICE BOARD
PastScape number; 26206
County Sites and Monuments Record number; 12
Following the article relating to the ancestors of Mr and Mrs David and Lesley Peters and Mr Brian Smailes relating to the history of the farm and castle estates we have had e-mails from others requesting information on the Hylton Castle cottages that were occupied at the same time
Unfortunately we no longer have their e-mail addresses and would be grateful if they could contact us with the view of getting in touch with a Mr Michael Turner
Among our most interesting responses to our Heritage Open Days of 2005 are letters from Mr and Mrs David and Lesley Peters and Mr Brian Smailes.
Lesley’s grandfather was Mr John Frankland, the Farm Bailiff at Hylton Castle farm who passed away in 1948 after more than 30 years at the farm and after the estate was taken over by the Coal Board. One of his 6 children, John William Frankland, was also employed by the Wearmouth Coal Company and worked alongside his father on the farm.
The family are researching their historical past and upon completion will be sending us a “write up” to place on our web site.
Brian has sent details of his grandmother who was involved
in the castle history.
She was born on the 20th April 1882 and passed away on the 14th May
1972 at the age of 90.
Her maiden name was Jane Brown Sykes and from the age of 16 to 19
worked as a servant at the castle. Her name is on the records of the
staff list of the 1901 census for Hylton Castle.
She used to say how she enjoyed working at the castle
and when it was handed over to the council she was the last person
to leave and she locked the door behind her. She believed the Briggs
family moved to Derbyshire.
She used to tell his mother and other members of the family of how
things were in those days. At the time of her employment at the castle
the staff often related tales of the Cauld Lad of Hylton who would
enter the rooms via the chimney looking for food which would be left
out overnight for him and it would be gone by the morning. Of how
one of the servants was injured whilst handling a swan from the pond
near the castle, it was attempting to struggle free and the bird’s
wing caught him and broke his arm.
She married Mr John William Glasper who like herself was a resident
of North Hylton. When they married they lived at Woodbine Cottages,
now demolished but was on the way to North Hylton and she used to
speak about the festivities held at North Hylton such as the “greasy
pole” that people would attempt to walk the length of, but would
usually fall into the river. One of her relations used to ply the
ferry between the north and south side of the river. She was also
acquainted with the “tile sheds” where she grew up.
The Friends thank both families for their contribution
to our site and will add to this when we learn more interesting history
of Hylton Castle and the local people associated with it.
When planning your visit to Hylton Castle the City of Sunderland Tourist Information Centre can help. For those looking for a great place to stay during your visit, we have an excellent choice of hotels and friendly guesthouses. Friendly well trained staff can help with accommodation bookings, transport, route planning and advice on exploring the region.
Contact the Tourist Information Centre at 50 Fawcett Street, Sunderland, SR1 1RF, Telephone 0191 5532000/1/2 or email us at tourist.info@sunderland.gov.uk. You may also like to visit our web site at www.sunderland.gov.uk
Sunderland is a city renowned for its wide choice of art and cultural attractions
· Medieval Hylton Castle with its
beautifully landscaped grounds and resident ghost
· St Peter’s which dates from 674AD, walk in
the steps of the Venerable Bede and recently nominated for World Heritage
Site status
· Washington Old Hall 17th Century Manor house and
ancestral home of George Washington first president of the United
States
· National Glass Centre – Hosts some of the
best glass exhibitions in the world, see live glassblowing and experience
the interactive world of glass in the Kaleidoscope Gallery
· Museum and Winter Gardens – Stimulate your
senses with over 1500 plants all under one stunning glass roof. Learn
about the region’s social history through fascinating exhibitions
and displays.
· Empire Threatre – Edwardian theatre attracting
top productions including the likes of West end production ‘Miss
Saigon’, Royal ballet and National Opera.
Excellent transport connections enable you to visit many regional attractions:
· Beamish Open Air Museum –
Living Museum of the Year 2004. Step back in time to the 19th Century,
300 acre living exhibit teeming with the sights and sounds.
· Hadrian’s Wall - Once vital to the defence
of the Roman Empire with milecastles and large fortresses, celebrate
the might and ingenuity of that ancient empire
· Lindisfarne (Holy Island) – Birthplace of
Christianity in Britain visit the ruined Norman Benedictine Priory
The Friends group wishes to thank the Sunderland University students for the work they put into the report and the presentation made. We hope to put most, if not all of their proposals into operation.
One of the chapters contained within Robert Surtees "History of the County of Durham" published in the 1800's, dealt with the Hiltons and contains personal details of the Baron's dealings, family pedigrees, wills and other interesting historical data. Please turn to the History page of our website and scroll down to read extracts taken from the chapter that contains 27 pages of fascinating historical facts and as you will note from the selected extracts, part is written in the olde English and Latin used during the period of time it was documented.
Anyone who wishes to receive the full chapter containing twenty seven pages please contact Denny at the friends@hyltoncastle.com leaving your own e-mail address and the text will be e-mailed to you.
MEMBERSHIP
Membership of the Friends of Hylton Dene is special and it means a lot for us to have you as supporter of our aims and goals, of providing both a historical link to the past and a protector of the future by our many environmentally aware projects As a member you will be positively supporting our aims and objectives and have the opportunity to be involved in our exciting schedule of events and projects. Our memberships include those who we look upon as Community Friends aimed at people living in Sunderland and surrounding districts, UK Friends who reside anywhere within the country and International Friends, created since we have had an overwhelming demand for membership from Australia, Canada and the USA, in fact anywhere former Sunderland residents have moved to. Why not join the Friends of Hylton Dene, a welcome is assured by those upholding the past and making plans for the future. Membership is free. To become a member please contact Susan our secretary You can contact the following officers for further information :-
email the friends at thefriends@hyltoncastle.com |