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  #1  
Old 08-09-2013, 01:56 PM
janwhin janwhin is offline
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Default Characters and Nicknames

Having written about "Pompey" White, we suddenly thought that most people were known by a nickname rather than their own name. So far we've got; "Pound Note" Tait; "Buster" Dryden; "Cac" Hume; "Stotter" Baston; "Rasto" Brown; "Gooza" and "Cud" Douglas; "Salty Sam" Hedley and his brother in law "The Rabbitcatcher" Robson; "Flit" Common; "Schemer" Common; "Little Bigun" Rutherford; "Token" Guy; "Banty" Moor; "Boss" Weddle.

That's a starter, but I bet there'll be plenty more. We know some more but not for polite society
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  #2  
Old 08-09-2013, 04:12 PM
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Coquet Coquet is offline
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Wormy Joe. (Joe Brady?)

Used to watch him bait digging on the Little Shore as a kid. The guy was a machine. Buckets of enormous lug-worms. Not sure if he commercially sold these or not.

Some time back there was a ongoing cerfuffle to halt worm digging on a number of beaches, but I guess this put a stop to it:

It's your right back to the Magna Carta to dig worms, as Alnwick Council found out at the court of appeal when they fined this chap for digging at Boulmer.

Is the law still on the side of the bait digger does anyone know? [Not sure if there has been any more challenges since that time.]
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  #3  
Old 08-09-2013, 07:28 PM
Sleighbelle Sleighbelle is offline
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"Token" Guy was my Grandfather. I have managed to unravel the circumstances of his death back in 1941, when he was killed as he picked up some sort of incendiary device on Bondicarr beach. I believe his nickname came from the job he had at the pit, handing out and collecting in the tub tokens. Presumably this was either a check on numbers of men and/or quantity of coal? If anyone has more information, I'd be pleased to hear it.
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Old 08-09-2013, 10:26 PM
janwhin janwhin is offline
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He was the best putter at the pit and got the most tokens for his tubs.
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  #5  
Old 08-09-2013, 11:01 PM
Sleighbelle Sleighbelle is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by janwhin View Post
Having written about "Pompey" White, we suddenly thought that most people were known by a nickname rather than their own name. So far we've got; "Pound Note" Tait; "Buster" Dryden; "Cac" Hume; "Stotter" Baston; "Rasto" Brown; "Gooza" and "Cud" Douglas; "Salty Sam" Hedley and his brother in law "The Rabbitcatcher" Robson; "Flit" Common; "Schemer" Common; "Little Bigun" Rutherford; "Token" Guy; "Banty" Moor; "Boss" Weddle.

That's a starter, but I bet there'll be plenty more. We know some more but not for polite society
I've just looked up what a putter actually did. There is very explanatory bit of info on the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers. Thanks for making the link with tokens and putters Janwhin!
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  #6  
Old 09-09-2013, 10:39 AM
janwhin janwhin is offline
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Not me Sleighbelle....I'm not THAT knowlegeable. My brother in law's still here
I could be writing a history of Chevington Drift at the rate he's remembering things.
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  #7  
Old 09-09-2013, 10:43 AM
janwhin janwhin is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Coquet View Post
Wormy Joe. (Joe Brady?)
My sister thinks it might be Prady?
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  #8  
Old 09-09-2013, 11:21 AM
John@theDrift John@theDrift is offline
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Default James Guy

Hi Sleighbelle and welcome to the group
Could you confirm if your Grandad Guy is the bottom left of this pic?
I think we might be distantly related as my Granny came from the Guys
Cheers, John
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File Type: jpg James Guy, Rodder Mitchinson.jpg (38.9 KB, 75 views)
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  #9  
Old 09-09-2013, 11:26 AM
John@theDrift John@theDrift is offline
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In faint biro on the back, Rodder Mitchinson, Bob Lindsley, Jim Guy and unreadable
The pic is of the 7th Northumberland Fusiliers, Rodder was wounded at Ypres April 1915, so this is presumably before then?
Rodder went on to be lollipop man at Red Row, Bob Linsley lost a toe in WW1 and later emigrated to Australia
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Old 09-09-2013, 03:19 PM
Alan J. Alan J. is offline
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Joe Prady was the bait digger on the little shore
Tokens were used to identify the tubs filled by the hewers / arc wall fillers and that which had been "put" by the putters. The number on the token referred to the person involved and as for the hewers / fillers the tubs were weighed over the weighbridge to determine the ammount they had filled. There was a weighman employed by the colliery and a checkweighman employed by the men for the pupose of verifying the weights were correct.
The putters were paid by the number of tubs they put. The hewers token was secured on the inside of the tub and came out through a hole to be visable, the putters token was attached to the handle of the tub. The men had to collect their tokens from the token cabin at the start of their shift. Putters were usually lads from about 18 to 21 and the usual progression was to be on putting prior to becoming a hewer / filler at 21 +
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  #11  
Old 09-09-2013, 03:26 PM
Sleighbelle Sleighbelle is offline
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Might have to disappoint you. Based on the one photo I have of which I am confident, I can't make out a clear likeness. I don't know if he was in the fusiliers either, although I have a photo of four similarly uniformed men, one of whom does look like him. The character seated right looks most possible. I will contact my sister who might have more info as she has my dad's photos etc.
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  #12  
Old 09-09-2013, 03:33 PM
John@theDrift John@theDrift is offline
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Your Grandad was Jim Guy though?
Unfortunately, the gent sitting right is the only unidentified one, the biro seems to have run out, looks like Griffiths, but I couldn't be certain
I think James Guy was living in the newsagents on Amble Queen Street in 1901, if it is the same fellow?
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Old 09-09-2013, 10:33 PM
Little Drift Lass Little Drift Lass is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by janwhin View Post
Having written about "Pompey" White, we suddenly thought that most people were known by a nickname rather than their own name. So far we've got; "Pound Note" Tait; "Buster" Dryden; "Cac" Hume; "Stotter" Baston; "Rasto" Brown; "Gooza" and "Cud" Douglas; "Salty Sam" Hedley and his brother in law "The Rabbitcatcher" Robson; "Flit" Common; "Schemer" Common; "Little Bigun" Rutherford; "Token" Guy; "Banty" Moor; "Boss" Weddle.

That's a starter, but I bet there'll be plenty more. We know some more but not for polite society
Here are some more for you janwhin "Toddler" Potts ," Daddy" Common,"Bomber" Brown , all from Simonside as was wore Stotter. I'm sure there are a few more in my little grey cells it just finding them.
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  #14  
Old 10-09-2013, 07:43 AM
Sleighbelle Sleighbelle is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John@theDrift View Post
Your Grandad was Jim Guy though?
Unfortunately, the gent sitting right is the only unidentified one, the biro seems to have run out, looks like Griffiths, but I couldn't be certain
I think James Guy was living in the newsagents on Amble Queen Street in 1901, if it is the same fellow?
Sorry, no. I am pretty sure he was living in Hepscott Village in 1901. Also, as he was dead several years before I came along, I only ever heard him referred to as " mi fether" or "yer grandad" or "Token", never Jim.
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  #15  
Old 11-09-2013, 09:44 AM
John@theDrift John@theDrift is offline
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Oh well, not to worry Sleighbelle, you're not the first to deny being related to me and I'm sure you won't be the last, only joking.
I was told that this fellow was Token Guy, but was possibly misinformed, never mind, eh?
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  #16  
Old 11-09-2013, 10:16 AM
Sleighbelle Sleighbelle is offline
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Who is living with your James Guy in 1901? That might be the clue to whether my James Guy is the correct one? I keep looking at your photo and trying to see the features of the older man in my photo. The ears are certainly correct!
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  #17  
Old 17-09-2013, 02:44 PM
Sleighbelle Sleighbelle is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John@theDrift View Post
Hi Sleighbelle and welcome to the group
Could you confirm if your Grandad Guy is the bottom left of this pic?
I think we might be distantly related as my Granny came from the Guys
Cheers, John
How about this photo? I am pretty sure Token Guy is back left. Always assuming I've understood the technology!
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  #18  
Old 17-09-2013, 08:22 PM
John@theDrift John@theDrift is offline
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I've got to agree with you Sleighbelle, it certainly looks like two different people... further research definitely required. You are right, if anyone, he looks most like the man sitting to the right of my pic, I could've misinterpreted the writing on the back and maybe that is James Guy. Hope we will be able to find out for sure
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  #19  
Old 28-10-2013, 06:47 PM
billconn billconn is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by janwhin View Post
My sister thinks it might be Prady?
Your sister would be right, it was Joe Praddy and a great worm digger.
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  #20  
Old 01-11-2013, 10:44 PM
cavman cavman is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by billconn View Post
Your sister would be right, it was Joe Praddy and a great worm digger.
Joe could be seen most days at low water digging on the little shore, and he would sell his worms to the holiday makers who were fishing on Amble pier
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