Problems with Berwick, Tweedmouth or Spittal Ancestors ? Try Easter Family History Surgeries at Berwick-upon-Tweed

This weekend is the start of the Berwick 900 Festival that celebrates 900 years of Berwick’s history. The theme of the Easter weekend, 3rd to 6th April is “Our Christian Story” that celebrates Christian institutions, religious life and a few of the great Christian leaders in the town.

At St Andrews Church, Wallace Green, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1ED as well as the “Moments in Time” Flower Festival, inspired by the church’s history, there will be display panels about Robert Balmer, an inspirational minister at Golden Square, Dr John Cairns and Berwick’s well known physician, Philip MacLagan, a church elder.

Although all these men were born in Scotland and at times lived elsewhere, they all had strong links with Berwick.

Like them, John Hamilton Hall, a freeman, was born in Coldstream, moved to Berwick as a child where his father was a doctor, left the town to fight in India, returned when he retired from the army, aged 40, got married and then moved to Edinburgh.

Did your family move into or out of Berwick ?
Why did they do that ?
If your family is associated with Berwick, Tweedmouth or Spittal, the Berwick 900 Our Families Project would love to hear your family stories. 

Tweet them @Berwick900 or contact Linda Bankier at berwickarchives@woodhorn.org.uk .

Normally you need to visit Berwick Record Office to consult the transcripts of church registers of baptisms, marriages and burials for Berwick and Tweedmouth. However, over the Easter weekend, you can look at some of the registers in the churches where the events took place – Berwick Parish, St Andrews and Berwick Roman Catholic churches and Tweedmouth Parish Church.

Look on the Berwick 900 website for opening times.

Are you wondering how to start your family history ?
Perhaps you’ve started researching your family but have hit a brick wall.
If you need some help, go along to the Family History surgeries in St Andrews Church from 12 to 2pm each day from Good Friday to Easter Monday and speak to experienced genealogists.

Berwick 900 Festival - Our Families Project

As part of the Berwick 900 Festival, there will be a complementary project called “Our Families” which is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. This project will focus on finding out information about various families who lived in Berwick, Tweedmouth and Spittal in the past, particularly ones connected with the various themes represented in the overall Festival. 

The Berwick Record Office plays an important part in this project and is looking for volunteers to help it undertake the research required. We are looking for two types of volunteers – experienced family history researchers who can help us undertake the research straight away and those who have not done any family history before and want to learn how to do it. Training will be provided for both groups on types of sources for research, particularly in relation to different themes – Guild; maritime etc.

If you would be interested in getting involved in the project, there will be a short introductory meeting in the Council Chamber of the Guildhall, Berwick on Saturday 24^th January @ 11.30 am where you can find out more about what is involved. On the same day you can also find out about other projects and elements of the Berwick 900. 

  

If you can’t attend the meeting and would like to know more about the project, please contact Linda Bankier on (01289) 301865 or e-mail berwickarchives@woodhorn.org.uk.

This is a very exciting 16 month  project which will help increase our knowledge about Berwick people in the past. 

Watch out for news about the Bygone Borderlands event on 2nd and 3rd May.

Berwick-upon-Tweed’s Fascinating Food History

If you had lived in the Scottish Borders in the 1840s and had a modest income as most people did, your diet would have been mostly oatmeal and potatoes with the addition of milk (and in a few parishes cheese) and garden vegetables. Bread was occasionally used, but butcher-meat very rarely. In the Borders, the most common meat was pork (or bacon or ham), the labouring classes rarely saw beef or mutton, except for dead or diseased sheep, though I suspect many may have eaten fish or rabbit.

Our next meeting is this Sunday, 27th April, at 2.30pm in Coldingham Village Hall, Coldingham, TD14 5NL, when Derek Sharman will talk about Berwick-upon-Tweed’s fascinating food history. 

The Victorian period was a period of change and innovation in farming, fishing and the producing, processing and selling of food and drink.  It was also the heyday for Berwick’s trade in barley, herring and salmon. The town is full of reminders of its food-producing heritage - old salmon fishing shiels, ice-houses, herring yards, smokehouses, breweries, granaries and maltings. This talk offers fascinating glimpses into that time through a selection of extracts from local newspapers and photographs from the Berwick Record Office collection. 

I think you'll find this a very interesting talk whether you're interested in family history, local or social history.
I warmly invite you to attend the talk whether you are a member or not.

Doors open at 2pm; the meeting begins at 2.30pm. It’s free to come in.

We'll have a range of family history publications available to buy, and there’ll be light refreshments (donation expected) available after the talk.
If you have a problem with your family history, please discuss it (no charge) with one of our volunteers.

Come and Visit Us at Bygone Borderlands This Weekend (18 & 19 May)

This weekend, 18 and 19 May, there’s a local and family history weekend organised by Berwick Record Office celebrating the heritage of the Scottish and English Borders and commemorating the battle of Flodden in 1513. 

The weekend event is called Bygone Borderlands and takes place in the Guildhall, Berwick on Tweed, England. 

On Saturday it runs from 10am to 4pm and on Sunday from 11am to 4pm. 

This is a very popular event with displays about the history of North Northumberland and the Scottish Borders, talks and exhibitors. 

Saturday’s talks are: 

• 10.15    An Introduction to the Battle of Flodden     Chris Burgess
• 11.00    Rebuilding Berwick’s Town Hall – recent discoveries    Jim Herbert 
• 12.00    A Glimpse into the Archives at Paxton House     Martha Andrews and Chris Pawson
• 1.00    Wilson’s Tales of the Borders : Berwick’s Forgotten Heritage. The Tales; The Man and their historic context    Andrew Ayre
• 2.00    James IV – who was he?     Matthew Rooke 
• 3.00    Family History Resources in the Berwick Record Office and the Heritage Hub at Hawick    Linda Bankier and Paul Brough

Sunday’s talks are: 

• 11.15    An Introduction to the Battle of Flodden     Chris Burgess
• 12.00    Women and the Battle of Flodden    Clive Hallam Baker
• 1.00      Berwick’s  Medieval Walls    Jim Herbert
• 2.00      Mauchlineware and Flodden    Jane Bowen
• 3.00      The Alnwick Muster Roll, February 1514    Chris Hunwick, Archivist to the Duke of Northumberland

There'll be an archaeological tour of the jail area of the Town Hall, led by Jim Herbert at 12 noon on Saturday and 2pm on Sunday.

 Exhibitors include:

• Borders Family History Society
• Glendale Local History Society 
• Lowick Heritage Group 
• Northumberland and Durham Family History Society 
• Norham and Ladykirk Local History Society 
• Old Parish of Bamburgh

Entry is free and tasty refreshments will be available.

Bygone Borderlands 2013

The weekend after we host the 24th Annual SAFHS Conference and Family History and Local History Fair on
11 May 2013 in Galashiels, Scotland; Berwick Record Office  are holding their annual event, Bygone Borderlands, on 18 and 19 May 2013 in the Guildhall, Berwick on Tweed, England.

This is a very popular event with displays about the history of North Northumberland and the Scottish Borders, talks and exhibitors.

The talks include

• Introduction to the Battle of Flodden
• Women and the Battle of Flodden
• Berwick’s Medieval Walls
• History of the Guildhall

Exhibitors include

• Borders Family History Society
• Glendale Local History Society
• Lowick Heritage Group
• Norham and Ladykirk Local History Society
• Old Parish of Bamburgh

Entry is free and tasty refreshments will be available.

Opening hours are Saturday, 10am to 4pm and Sunday. 11am to 4pm.

More information from Linda Bankier on 01289 301865.

Remember, this is the weekend after our conference.

Online booking for our conference has closed.

Have You a Piece of the Jigsaw ?

On Friday 4th November at 7 pm, the Friends of Berwick and District Museum and Archives are holding an open meeting in Berwick Parish Centre, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1DF, England. Map.

Following the success of their August meeting, 'A History of Berwick in 10 Objects', when Anne Moore, the Museum’s Curator, and Linda Bankier, the Archivist, highlighted particular aspects of the Berwick and North Northumberland district’s history from objects in both collections, members of the public are being invited to bring items of interest to the Parish Centre on the 4th November, to add pieces to the jigsaw of the history of the district.

This is not an 'Antiques Roadshow', and valuations will not be given.

What the Friends are looking for are items which add to their knowledge of life and work experienced by previous generations – it could be an old wage packet showing how much was earned for a particular job before the last war, a household item no longer used, a timetable for a rail or steamer service which no longer exists, or something unearthed while digging the garden.

Among items already offered are:

• a kiln tile from the brewery
• clay pipes from Tweedmouth
• a notebook containing an inventory of furnishings at Middleton Hall
• an old sampler from Belford

If you think you have something which could add to their knowledge, please ring Linda Bankier, on 01289 301865 by 31st October, and bring the item to the Parish Centre by 6.30 pm on 4th November, to allow time for them all to be set out and the experts to examine them before the meeting starts at 7 pm.

Even if you don't have an item to take, it's worth going along and seeing what turns up.

All are welcome and refreshments will be provided.

Film Programme at Berwick Record Office Exhibition - Past, Present and Future at Berwick Guildhall, Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th September

My blog on 8 September mentioned the Berwick Record Office Exhibition.

The film programme has just been announced.

Saturday 24 September
11am Canney View of Berwick and the Investigator (1970s)

1pm Miscellaneous: - Queen Mother's Visit to Berwick, 1970s; Goswick Rail Crash, 1947; Mayor's Sunday, 1947 ; Snapshots of Berwick, 1929; Berwick Horse Procession and Fair, 1911

3pm Fred Stott's Berwick in the 1950s

Sunday 25th September 
11.30am Canney View of Berwick and the Investigator (1970s)

12.45 Miscellaneous - Queen Mother's Visit to Berwick, 1970s; Goswick Rail Crash, 1947; Mayor's Sunday, 1947 ; Snapshots of Berwick, 1929; Berwick Horse Procession and Fair, 1911

3pm Fred Stott’s Berwick in the 1950s


Films in the cells as part of the Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival
La Tristesse Riche  by Erwin Olaf
Netherlands | 2010 | 11min HD Video UK Premiere

In what appears to be a beautiful 19th century costume drama, the world of Sophie is invaded by intruders who are invisible to the rest of her family. Is poor Sophie mad, or simply a visionary?

Rammatik - by Marianna Mørkøre & Rannvá Káradóttir Mare
UK | 2011 | 6min | Super-8 transferred to Digital Video World Premiere

Commissioned by Northumberland County Council in partnership with the Festival, and featuring members of the Maltings' Youth Drama and Dance Company, Mare was filmed on the Berwick coastline, while the title refers to the ‘sea' and the folkloric meaning of the spirit in nightmares.

Unravel: The Longest Hand- painted Film in Britain (Berwick excerpt) UK | 2011 | 14min 16mm transferred to Digital Video by Maria Anastassiou, Kelvin Brown, Joanna Byrne, Chris Paul Daniels & Mark Pickles World Premiere

This time last year, over 100 people in Berwick participated in the first of many workshops all over the country to create the longest hand-painted film in Britain. This year, the Festival is proud to be premiering the resulting film.

Solar Sight : by Lawrence Jordan   UK Premiere
USA | 2011 | 15min | Video transfer from 16mm film

A dreamlike collaged landscape of free association, transformation and mythical symbolism. This latest work by the influential US avant- garde animator, Jordan, is a poetic reflection on the place of the human being in the cosmos. Courtesy of Lawrence Jordan & LUX, London.


The Golden Age  : by Toby Tatum
UK | 2010 | 6min | Digital Video

A return to the fabled Golden Age of antiquity where the inhabitants of a secluded utopia dedicate themselves to relaxation and artistic pursuits. Featuring British Sea Power's Abi Fry, who also composed the film's original score.

All the films will be shown on a loop.

Please do come along and support this event – it's free!

We hope to see some of you on the stand on the Saturday, but not on the Sunday !

Why ?

On the Sunday afternoon we hope to see you at the first of our new season of talks - Mary Craig will be talking about the witchcraft trials of the Borders.
This talk will be at the Corn Exchange, Market Square, Melrose, TD6 9PN and starts at 2.30 pm.

Berwick Record Office Exhibition - Past, Present and Future at Berwick Guildhall, Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th September

To complete its celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the Record Office, the Record Office and the Friends are organising an exhibition weekend in the Guildhall on Saturday and Sunday 24th and 25th September – Berwick Record Office, Past, Present and Future.

As well as the exhibitions, they will be showing some of their archive films in the Council Chamber whilst the Film and Media Festival will be showing some of their films in the Old Gaol upstairs.

The Guildhall is in Berwick-Upon-Tweed, England, TD15 1BN. Map.

We hope to see some of you on the stand on the Saturday, but not on the Sunday !

Why ?

On the Sunday afternoon we hope to see you at the first of our new season of talks - Mary Craig will be talking about the witchcraft trials of the Borders.

That talk will be at the Corn Exchange, Market Square, Melrose, TD6 9PN and starts at 2.30 pm.

Whaling in Berwick

Whaling in Berwick is the title of the next talk in the series held by Berwick  Record Office to celebrate their 30th anniversary.

Well-known local maritime historian Tony Barrow will be talking about the importance of whaling to the town and about some of the key people involved. It’s a fascinating story. The talk will be illustrated.  This is a talk not to be missed by anyone interested in the history of Berwick or the fishing industry.

It takes place on Friday 8 July at 7.30 pm at Berwick Parish Centre, The Parade, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1DF, England. Map. It's next to Holy Trinity Church. Entrance is through the churchyard. The suggested car parking is in the car park next to the churchyard.

Everyone is welcome. Admission free. Refreshments available.

The Impact Of Computers On Archive Research

Linda Bankier from Berwick Record Office will be giving a talk on Friday 17 June 7pm-9pm on the Impact Of Computers On Archive Research  at the William Elder Building, Castlegate, Berwick Upon Tweed, TD15 1JT, England.  Map.

Come and find out how to make best use of your computer when researching family and local history!

Free admission, everyone welcome and refreshments available! Don’t miss it!

Bygone Borderlands at Berwick - Programme of Talks

As reported in our previous blogs, Bygone Borderlands - Family and Local History Weekend and Bygone Borderlands - Flodden 500 Projects, the unmissable event this coming weekend (14th and 15th May) is Bygone Borderlands at the Guildhall, in Berwick Upon Tweed, England, TD15 1BN.

The programme of talks was published today, and it looks very interesting.


Saturday 14th May 2011

• 11.00    Tracing my Family History – Celtic Origins and what price DNA? A 'rare' surname & a few costly mistakes ! : Donald McIllhagga
• 12.00    Brewing in Ford in the 18th century : Peter Maule
• 1.00    Murky Mires – an investigation of Spades Mire and the medieval defensive ditches of Berwick : Jim Herbert
• 2.00    Detective Research – the Heritage Hub and its resources for Scottish Borders Local and Family History : Rachel Hosker
• 3.00    The Bondagers – What did they wear ? : Dinah Iredale

Sunday 15th May 2011

• 11.00    Flodden 500 – meeting of those interested in researching Flodden : led by Chris Burgess and Chris Bowles
• 12.00    Eleanor Weatherley’s Diary – a recently discovered diary written by a Belford farmer’s daughter, giving a glimpse into everyday life in North Northumberland in 1804 : Joan Wright
• 1.00    Flodden – a brief archaeological history : Chris Burgess
• 2.00    Following in Henry’s Footsteps ( Dr Henry Richardson in Australia) : Jane Bowen
• 3.00    The Trials and Tribulations of Berwick as a Border Poor Law Union : Linda Bankier

We have a stall there, both days, with a variety of members present.
We'll be glad to help you with your family history problems and queries.

See you there !

Bygone Borderlands - Family and Local History Weekend

Bygone Borderlands - Family and Local History Weekend will take place on Saturday 14th May (10am to 4pm) and Sunday 15th May (11am to 4pm)  at The Guildhall, Berwick Upon Tweed, England, TD15 1BN.


This is a free event for anyone interested in finding out more about their family history and the local area. Several local history societies will be putting on displays about their village or town and there will be volunteers available to assist with family history queries. There will also be bookstalls and talks on the subjects.

Don’t think this event is just for adults ! Activities for children are also planned !

The last time a similar event was held a record number of visitors attended. Please don’t miss this great opportunity!

Borders Family History Society will be there, though if there's anything you especially want to see, please contact Mary Thomson on our Contacts page using the contact type Order for Publications.
For further information contact Linda Bankier, Archivist, Berwick Record Office

'Collingwood’s Northumbrians' by Dr Tony Barrow - Friday 15th April

Dr Barrow will speak on the men from Tyneside and Northumberland who had social and family connections with Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood and how  the latter supported them (or otherwise!) in their naval careers. This is a fascinating study of influence and patronage as well as inherent talent.

This talk is on Friday 15 April at 7.30pm at Berwick Parish Centre, The Parade, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1DF, England. Map. It's next to Holy Trinity Church. Entrance is through the churchyard. The suggested car parking is near the Barracks and Wallace Green.

Everyone is welcome. Admission free. Refreshments available.

Looking after Old Photographs

Want to know more about looking after old photographs?

Then go to a free Photographic Workshop by Jim Walker on Saturday 26 March 2011, 9.30am to 12.30pm at Berwick Parish Centre, The Parade, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1DF, England. Map. It's next to Holy Trinity Church. Entrance is through the churchyard. The suggested car parking is near the Barracks and Wallace Green.  

The session will cover types of old photographs, techniques in looking after them  and restoration. The session is free of charge thanks to funding received from sponsors for the year of events organised to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Berwick Record Office.  Booking is essential as there is a limited number of places.  To book or get more information, phone Linda Bankier at Berwick Record Office on 01289 301865.

Old Films of Berwick-on-Tweed, England

On Friday 18 March 2011 at 7pm there will be a special showing of archive
films of Berwick and district at The Maltings, Berwick. This is a unique
opportunity to see old films from 1911 to the 1980's, many of which have
never been shown before.

This event has been arranged by Berwick Record
Office to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

Tickets are only £5.
Book now on 01289 330999 !

Lessons of the Workhouse Project

Berwick Record Office's next event is on Friday 11 March 2011 at 7.30 pm following the annual general meeting of The Friends of Berwick and District Museum and Archives at 7pm. Paul Carter (National Archives, London) will be talking about lessons learnt on the Workhouse Project. Berwick Workhouse was included in this recent project which has enabled correspondence concerning various workhouses throughout the country to become available on the internet.

It's not easy to find, however you can search for Poor Law Correspondence for Berwick by entering 'Berwick'.
Everyone is welcome to attend this free talk !

It's at Berwick Parish Centre, The Parade, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1DF, England. Map.  It's next to Holy Trinity Church. Entrance is through the churchyard. The suggested car parking is near the Barracks and Wallace Green.

Bednelfysh & Gode Red Herring (Beadnell Fish and Good Red Herring)

Berwick Record Office  begins its 2011 programme of events celebrating its 30th anniversary with a talk by Katrina Porteous on fishing and fishing folk in North Northumberland, in particular, the village of Beadnell.

Everyone is welcome to attend this free talk by Katrina who has carried out extensive historical research on her subject. 

It's on Friday, 14 January 2011 at 7.30pm at Berwick Parish Centre, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1DF, England. Map. It's next to Holy Trinity Church. Entrance is through the churchyard. The suggested car parking is near the Barracks and Wallace Green.

Katrina’s talks and guided walks in the area always prove very popular. Don’t miss this one!

Berwick’s Victorian Food Heritage

The next event to celebrate 30 years of Berwick-upon-Tweed Record Office will be held on Friday 20 August 2010 at 7.30pm in the Parish Centre, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1DF, England.  Map.  It's next to Holy Trinity Church. Entrance is through the churchyard. The suggested car parking is near the Barracks and Wallace Green.

Derek Sharman will talk on Berwick’s Victorian Food Heritage. Everyone is welcome, whether you are a local resident or holidaymaker, and admission is free and refreshments will be available.

To comment on this article, please click the 'comments' link below.  

From Ditch to Bastion - the history of Berwick’s famous walls and defences

The next Friday evening talk to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Berwick upon Tweed Record Office will take place on Friday 23rd July at 7.30 pm at Berwick Parish Centre, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1DF, England.  Map.  It's next to Holy Trinity Church. Entrance is through the churchyard. The suggested car parking is near the Barracks and Wallace Green.

Jim Herbert will speak on From Ditch to Bastion, the history of Berwick’s famous walls and defences.

Everyone is welcome, whether you are a local resident or holidaymaker and admission is free.

To comment on this article, please click the 'comments' link below.  

30th Anniversary of Berwick Record Office

The Friends of Berwick and District Museum and Archives have organised a series of talks to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Berwick Record Office.

The first talk will be given by Linda Bankier, Archivist at Berwick Record Office, on 'Snippets from the Archives'. Linda will be sharing with us a miscellany of gleanings from the archives covering crime and punishment, local celebrations and customs from throughout the borough. Prepare to be enthralled, fascinated or even appalled!

Friday 25 June 2010 - 7.30pm at Berwick Parish Centre, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1DF, England.  Map.  It's next to Holy Trinity Church. Entrance is through the churchyard. The suggested car parking is near the Barracks and Wallace Green.
Everyone welcome, free admission.

To comment on this article, please click the 'comments' link below.