Eliza & Thomas Dent - where they first lived

In 1891 The Census records that Thomas aged 29, Eliza aged 24, and their children Jane Ann Dent (Jinny) aged 2, Luke Dent aged 6 months, Luke Timmins (Eliza's father) aged 45 and his daughter, (Eliza's sister) Mary Jane (Martha) Timmins aged 15 were all living at 38 Park Street Brandon Colliery, note Luke Timmins daughter Amelia is not mentioned in the Census. 

Miners and their families led hard peripatetic lives, you had to go where the work was, and by this time Thomas had already worked at Crook and Spennymoor Colliery.

This is probably the Pit in 1891 that Thomas Dent and Luke Timmins worked

Brandon Colliery

This later Newspaper Photograph of a family moving out of the old pit houses in Brandon Colliery gives an indication of the type of housing the Dent's and Timmins' lived in

Walter Wilson's Store Brandon Colliery

By 1901 Thomas and Eliza had moved on, Luke and Martha  are no longer recorded as living with Eliza and Thomas.  However, by this time all seven of Eliza and Thomas' children had been born.  They were living in the West Auckland area of County Durham, at 78 Grieveson Place, in a village called Woodland. 

Woodland Today 2018 - So pretty, you wouldn't think mining had ever touched it

Woodlands consisted of a scattering of isolated houses and coal mines.  It was the presence of coal that laid the foundation for a population explosion.  The 19th Century saw an incredible period of growth, due to widespread mining of coal, which was needed to fuel the developing heavy industry on Teesside as well as being transported to Lancashire.  The population rocketed from a small scattering of families to its peak of about 700 in the middle of the 19th century. 

In 1887 Woodlands Coal Company, comprising of (Messrs Whitwell, Fryer, Grieveson and Dale) had sunk Woodlands Colliery.  

Clearly this tiny agricultural village, must have been overwhelmed, by the influx of Miners and Coke Workers, clearly more housing was needed as quickly as possible, so  the  likes of Grieveson Place (commonly known as the Flats) and other dwellings were built. Such accommodation was set apart from the main village - Grieveson Place consisted of 22 dwellings with three or four rooms arranged in streets.  

After 1900 the pits began to decline, and the workers dispersed, some went to Newcastle, which is where Thomas and Eliza ended up.

Places like Grieveson place were abandoned and eventually were demolished. There is no sign in Woodland today that any of these dwellings ever existed.

Woodland Village circa 1900

This photograph shows the old tub track leading to Woodland Colliery.  Tubs were small rail running vehicles that were used to transport coal short distances.  Coal was transported from a colliery slightly south of the village, up the hill and through a tunnel underneath the village, to Woodland Colliery where Woodland Branch Railway line was located.  The tunnel entrance can be seen to the left of the picture. This field is opposite the Edge Hotel Public House.

Edge Hotel Woodlands 2018