Haltwhistle and surrounding area about 1910

The town is mainly formed by one long street, and is lighted with gas from works erected in 1856

Haltwhistle Gas Co. Limited. William Bell, Manager. E. Blackburn. Sec.

The market, for which a charter was granted by Edward 1 in 1306, is held on Thursday, but it has now become almost extinct; and fairs are held for the sale of cattle. horse. and sheep, on the 14th of May, the 17th of September and the 22nd of November. Hiring for servants are held on May 12th and November l0th. An auction is held here on Thursdays for the sale of store and fat cattle and sheep.

About 2 miles north of the town runs the Roman wall of Hadrian and Severus, a wonderful work, extending from Newcastle-on-Tyne to Carlisle, a distance of 73! miles, and supposed to have been originally at least 15 feet in height: though frequently built along a line of ridges, at a considerable altitude, the outside stones were dressed and squared : there was also a ditch and vallum or turf wall to the same extent, with camps or stations every four miles, castles at every mile, and watch towers between every castle: the wall is generally believed to have been meant as a territorial boundary, but as there were Roman stations for some distance north of the wall its purpose was more probably that of a military outpost and defence : the whole district, which continued in a state of constant disturbance from the Roman invasion to the Norman period, and thence through the Scottish and succession wars, as well as from local broils and feuds caused by the lawless raids of moss-troopers and freebooters, is full of historical and antiquarian interest.

The atmosphere is pure, the country being open; The surrounding scenery, wild but picturesque, is diversified by mossy hills and rocky dells with rivulets and streams well stocked with fish. The farms are mostly fells and common lands, inclosed for stock, for which they afford abundant pasturage.

Crag lough and Hadrians wall our wild and wonderful country side

Along the banks of the Tyne the land is arable and yields good crops of oats and other cereals. Messrs. Adamson, of Newcastle, hold the manorial rights. Ernest A. Webster esq, J.P. of Unthank Hall, Edward Joicey esq. of Blenkinsopp Hall, James Hope-Wallace esq. Of Featherstone Castle, and John Burkill Lowes esq. Of Allen's Green, are the chief landowners. Tile area of the township is 3,090 acres of land and 44 of water ; rateable value, £16,099 ; the population of the township in 1901 was 3,145 including 4 officers and 35 inmates in the workhouse, and in the ecclesiastical parish, 4,690. Sexton, Edward Steele.

Haltwhistles first bus I must tell you about the bus it travelled between Haltwhistle and Halton lea gate and stopped anywhere it went by Redpath and down by Pinkings Cluff to Maiden Way and down Craigs bank now that was an experience you would never forget because you had to get off at the top of Craigs bank and walk down to the bottom which was Burn Foot as the brakes were not very good and on the way back you had to get off at the bottom and help push the bus up to the top.

Offical Establishments, Local Institutions

Post, M. 0., T. & Telephonic Express Delivery Office (letters should have Northumberland added).- William Graham, postmaster. Letters arrive from Newcastle & Hexham at 8.5 a.m. ; from Newcastle at 4 p.m. ; from Carlisle at 7.30 a.m. & 5.5 p.m. dispatched, Newcastle, 10.20 a.m. ; to Newcastle, 2.40 p.m. & Hexham, 2.4° & 7 p.m. ; to Carlisle, 11.10 a.m. & 3.40, 5.55 & 8.I5 p.m. Sunday, arrive from Newcastle & Hexham, 8.55 a.m. ; Carlisle, 8.5 a.m. ; dispatch, Newcastle & Hexham, 6.I5 p.m. & Carlisle, 6.I5 p.m. Deliveries commence at 8.30 a.m- & 5.3° p.m. week days & 9.3° a.m. on Sundays Wall Letter Boxes :- West end, cleared at IO a,m. & 2.3°, 5.30 & 7.30 p.m. week days only Haltwhistle Bank, cleared at IO.45 a.m. & 640 p.m

The Town Hall, erected in 1861, and now used by the County Police, is a building of stone, containing on the first floor a large room used for petty sessions : the ground floor is occupied by the police station; the whole was sold to the county about 1897, and is now used solely for petty sessions and police purposes.

Police Station, Jas.Ellerington, inspector, & 6 constables Town Hall

Ellerington James, inspector of police & inspector under Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act

COUNTY MAGISTRATES FOR THE HALTWHISTLE PETTY SESSIONAL DIVISION

Joicey Edward esq. D.L. Blenkinsopp hall, Haltwhistle, chairman

Askew Thomas Hordon esq. Whitley Bay

Blackett-Ord John Reginald esq. Whitfield hall, Whitfield

Bowes-Lyon Hon. Francis D.L. Ridley hall, Bardon Mill, Carlisle

Clark John McClare esq. Bellister castle, Haltwhistle

Forster William Ridley esq. Oakey Knowe, Haltwhistle

Hope-Wallace James esq. Featherstone castle, Haltwhistle

Jackson Daniel esq. M.D. Netherton, Hexham

Lowes Jn. Burkill esq. Allen's green. Bardon Mill, Carlisle

Webster Ernest A. esq. Unthank hall, Haltwhistle

The chairman, for the time being, of the Haltwhistle Rural District Council is an ex officer magistrate Clerk to the Magistrates, Edward Blackburn

Petty Sessions are held at the Magistrates' office on the last Thursday in each month, at I2 noon. The following places are included in the petty sessional division :

Bellister, Blenkinsopp, Coanwood, Featherstone, Haltwhistle, Hartley Burn, Henshaw, Kirkhaugh, Knaresdale, Lambley, Melkridge, Plainmeller, Ridley, Thirlwall, Thorngrafton, Wall Town, Whitfield.

HALTWHISTLE RURAL DISTRICT COUNCIL. meetings at the Council offices, thursday, fortnightly, at I p.m.

Highway Committee meetings monthly. at I p.m.

Chairman, John Maughan, Kirkhaugh, Alston

Officials. Clerk to the Council, Thomas Dryden, Haltwhistle

Treasurer, John McClare Clark J.P. London Joint Stock, Bank Limited, Haltwhistle

Medical Officer of Health, John Morley Glasse M.B., Ch.B.Edin. Eden house, Haltwhistle

Highway Surveyor, Henry A. Murray, Council offices, Haltwhistle

Sanitary Inspector, James Doughty, Council offices, Haltwhistle

Sub-District Northumberland Local Pensions Committee, Council offices

HALTWHISTLE UNION. the board room and offices for the Guardians of Haltwhistle Union and District Council, erected in 1903 at a cost of £1,460, form a building of stone with coarse rubble facings and chiselled stone dressings.

Board day, Thursday, fortnightly, at the Union offices. at I p.m.

The following places are in Haltwhistle union :-Bellister, Blenkinsopp, Coanwood, Featherstone, Haltwhistle, Hartleyburn, Henshaw, Kirkhaugh, Knaresdale, Lambley, Melkridge, Plainmeller, Ridley, Thirlwall, Thorngrafton, Wall Town, Whitfield. The population of the union in 1901 was 8,502; area 96,323 acres ; rateable, value in 1910, £,69,364

Chairman of the Board of Guardians, John Maughan, Kirkhaugh, Alston

Clerk to the Guardians Assessment Committee, Thos. Dryden, Council offices, Haltwhistle

Treasurer, John McClare Clark J.P. London Joint Stock Bank Limited, Haltwhistle

Medical Officers & Public Vaccinators, Eastern district, George J. Williams M.D. B.S. West Bridge house, Haltwhistle;

Southern district, Stewart Carson M.D. C.M. Salvin lodge, Alston;

Western district, Ludovic Hill M.R.C.S.Eng., L.R.C.P.Lond. Westgate house. Haltwhistle; Whitfield district, James Murray, Allendale Town

Collector to the Guardians & Relieving & Vaccination. Officer for the Union, Frank Smith, Haltwhistle

Workhouse a building of stone. built in 1837-9, to hold 60 inmates ; William H. Laird, master; George J. Williams M.D., B.S, medical officer; Mrs. Emily Laird, matron

Superintendent Registrar, Thomas Dryden, Union offices, Haltwhistle;

deputy, John Dryden, Main st. Haltwhistle

Registrar of Births, Deaths & Marriages, Haltwhistle district, Frank Smith, Haltwhistle;

PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. Managing Committee. Meets at the school, quarterly.

Chairman. John F. Graham

Correspondent, William Batey, Crossfield terrace

Attendance Officer, Thomas Ridley, Ashcroft terrace

Board school
mixed, built in 1875, for 300 children, with infants school added in 1892, for 130 children; average attendance, 291 boys & girls & 105 infants; William Keenlyside; master; Miss Alice Hamilton, infants' mistress Mixed, enlarged in 1871 & again in 1889, for 500 children.Average attendance, 260; John George Parke, master. Miss Emily Hartley, infants' mistress

Staff at board school my auntie Bee middle row second from left

Fell Burn School, built in 1865, for 37 children; Miss E. M. Dinning, mistress

deputy, William Jas Graham, Main street, Haltwhistle

PUBLIC ESTABLISHMENTS.

The Mechanics' Institute, established in 1848, has been removed from the Town Hall to new premises in the centre of the town, built in 1901 at a cost of £3,000, and comprising a large hall, used for concerts and entertainment's, reading rooms, billiard rooms it has a library of about 1,400 volumes.

Edward Joicey esq. J.P. Hon president; Thomas Dryden; hon. sec.

The cemetery, opened in 1900, comprises 3 acres of well laid out grounds, and is managed by a Joint Committee.

Wilkinson Moralee, clerk to the Haltwhistle & District & Blenkinsopp & Thirlwall Joint Burial Committees, Town hall

Varty Teasdale, supt. of cemetery, West end

Church Hall see Holy Cross

County Court, His Honor David Fenwick Steavenson LL.B. J.P. judge; Edward Blackburn, registrar; Peter Spratt, deputy bailiff a county court is held at Jackson's Assembly rooms in January, April, JUly & October; it comprises the following places in its jurisdiction Asholme, Bellister, Blenkinsopp, Coanwood, Featherstone, Haltwhistle, Hartleyburn Henshaw, Lambley, Melkridge, Plainmeller, Ridley, Thirlwall, Thorngrafton, Wall Town, Whitfield (part of), Wydon

Assembly Rooms (Joseph Jackson, proprietor), West end

For Bankruptcy purposes this court is included in that of Carlisle, Keighley John Rough, 34 Fisher street, Carlisle, official receiver

TERRITORIAL FORCE Battalion (4th) Northumberland Fusiliers (F Co. ; Capt. & Hon. Maj. John B. Lowes ; Color-Sergt. George D. Fewster, drill instructor) head quarters, The Armoury, Castle terrace

4th Northumberland Fusiliers (F Co.) ; head quarters, The Armoury, Castle terrace; Capt. k Ron,

Major John B. Lowell ; Color-Sergt. George D. Fewster, drill instructor; numbers 90 rank & file

The South Tyne Agricultural Society and the Haltwhistle Floral and Horticultural Society hold yearly shows in September.

Haltwhistle Floral & Horticultural Society (James Doughty, hon. sec. ). Central place

South Tyne Agricultural Society (William Armstrong, sec. Henshaw)

Haltwhistle Cricket. Club (Edwin Hastewell, sec.), Westgate