New member - Hello : )
 

Hi there,
I stumbled on this wonderful site, whilst looking for anything on Amble House! What a feast of information there is here : )
I'm tracing my Coates family line, which took in some Besfords and a Kinghorn too as my Dad was born in Amble.
Dad was John Edward Coates b 1921
Grandad was John Edward Coates b. 1899
Both called Jack of course!

I have a lovely old photo of a group of men at a colliery,
that might be useful for this site.
No idea which colliery, and only know 3 of the men on it.
Henry Coates, Grandad 'Jack' Coates and a man called Old man Kelly.

Not altogether sure how to share it though?


Also II am trying to find out anything at all about my Granma,
Isabella (Bella) Coates nee Besford.
Her birth is eluding me and I have 3 birth certs that aren't her already LOL
In 1921 she purported to be 21 at her wedding but I think she told a white lie!
Id be happy to post the certs that aren't her here too, if they might be any use for anyone else?

Granma - Bella Coates (nee Besford) was granddaughter to Isabella Bell
( nee Kinghorn who lived to be 106 and was "brethren").

Maybe Plymouth Brethren since I read here, there were some practising in Amble.
I have been told that when Isabella and husband Johnson lived in Amble House, harmonium playing and out of tune singing could be heard LOL
The karioki of its day maybe?!

Colliery photo
 

Attachment 684

John Edward Coates b 1899 back left
His father Henry Coates bottom left
Centre front I think is 'Old man Kelly'
No idea which colliery or who the other gents are

Looks like the Brickworks rather than a colliery.

Welcome to the Forum Liniecat. That definitely looks like the Brickworks. There is a photo in one of the Amble books that has another Brickworks photo and names. I'll have to look it out as some of those men you have are on that photo, I think.

I can recall an Ella Coates when I was younger in Amble.....could that be the Bella you refer to?

Ella Coates ,rings a bell with me also!

Ella Coates was never married and lived with her two brothers, one of whom was called Sid, in Middleton Street Amble.

I knew I could rely on you Alan!

Liniecat, on the 1911 census your grandmother, Isabella Besford is living with her grandparents, Johnson and Isabella Bell. She was born at East Chevington 1900/1901. The family are living at 47, Dandsfield Place, Radcliffe.

On the 1939 Register your father and grandfather are listed, living at Widdrington Colliery. Your grandfather is a foreman at a kiln burner (Refractory) and your father is a moulder there. I wonder if the photograph you have is at WIddrington Brickworks?

I can understand why the picture is described as a colliery if it is Stobswood brickworks as they, the Colliery and brickworks, were virtually together anyway.

Here's a view with those distinctive sloping kiln walls and the colliery in the background.


The NCB closed the colliery in 1965 but the Burn Fireclay Co. persisted until 1999. The Burn family originally owned both but lost the colliery with the 1947 nationalisation.

Isabella Besford/Coates
 

Many thanks for your replies folks, I am grateful.
It seems likely the photograph may have been taken at the Brickworks then, I wonder if it was a proper visiting photographers picture?
Were others like this taken perhaps every now and then?
I guess each colliery had a brickworks attached did they?

I think the Ella Coates recalled here, must have been someone else, since I know Grandma and Grandad did marry, I have their wedding certificate and the birth certs of their 3 children.
My Grandad and one or two others in the family called his wife Bella and yes she did live with her Grandparents, as a schoolgirl at one time, I saw that on the census.
On her wedding cert her residence is down as 47 Wellwood street, which is where Lily Bell/Besford was a servant in 1911.
And a gentleman who lived at 49 Wellwood St as a child recalls a 'Bella' collecting rent for both 47 and 49 Wellwood Str, from time to time.
So I'm wondering if those two houses belonged somehow to someone in the family maybe?
(Though of course she may just have had a little job!)
I'm thinking Lily Bell/Besford was likely my Grandmas Mum, although not being able to find Bellas actual birth date is holding me back at tieing up loose ends.
Lily Bell was actually listed as Lily Kinghorn on her own birth certificate, so Johnson Bell clearly brought her up as his own, although she was born to his later wife, Isabella Kinghorn.
They make it look so straight forwards on Who Do You Think You Are - don't they! lol

coates family
 

hi liniecat i lived beside a family in east chevington (the drift) called coates matty and doris and there 3 daughters pat noreen and doris i have a book about widdrington and stobswood there's a photo in of a panto group with a photo of sylvia coates.

Many thanks Drifter,

They may well be Dads side, will keep that in mind as I move across the family line : )

On my grandmothers side of the family,they are Kinghorns from Pegswood Bothal area.