Linden Grange, Hutton Rudby, in 1830

I've written about Linden Grange before, as I explain in this blogpost.  It is the house that lies between Hutton Rudby and Potto, and was previously called Linden Grove.  In the early 19th century it was called Suggitt Grove, and before that, Tunstall Ground.

In 1822 it was inherited by Dr George Merryweather of Whitby from his uncle Benjamin Suggitt.  He was the inventor of the Tempest Prognosticator, a leech-powered weather forecasting device, and between the years 1840 and 1861 was curator of the Whitby Museum (and if you haven't visited the museum, then you simply must!)

An advertisement of 1830 gives us a glimpse of the interior of the house; you can find the history of the gardens, which were "stocked with the choicest Trees and Shrubs", here on the website of the Yorkshire Gardens Trust.

Yorkshire Gazette, 06 March 1830

TO BE LET,

An agreeable COUNTRY RESIDENCE recently fitted up, and in complete repair, beautifully situated in Cleveland. 

The House consists of Breakfast, Dining, and Drawing Rooms, Day Nursery, four good Bed-Rooms, Attics, Double Staircase, Large Kitchen and Pantries, &c; Dairy, Stabling, Carriage-House, and sundry Offices. 

The Breakfast, Dining, and two Bed-rooms, will be Let Furnished, if required. 

The Gardens and Pleasure Grounds are stocked with the choicest Trees and Shrubs. 

This place is, in every respect, suited for a genteel Family, desirous of living in a rich and fertile country.  It is situated a quarter of a Mile from Hutton Rudby, 5 Miles from the Tontine Inn, 5 Miles from Stokesley, 10 Miles from Stockton, and 16 Miles from Darlington. 

The Premises are open for Inspection; for Particulars, apply to Mr. MERRYWEATHER, Whitby.

The house became the home of the new vicar, the Revd R J Barlow (see this chapter of Remarkable, but Still True), until he built the vicarage on Belborough Lane.  It was clear from the letters he wrote to the newspapers during the Year of the Cholera that he was living there in October 1832, but when I was writing the book I could not find out when he moved in.  The following advertisement shows that he had not been long in the house when the cholera epidemic broke out:

Yorkshire Gazette, 4 August 1832

TO BE LET, 

A CAPITAL CORN-MILL, (from Michaelmas next) in excellent order, driving three pairs of Stones, with all requisite Machinery, and suitable convenience for an extensive business; together with a DWELLING HOUSE, and about EIGHT ACRES of superior Grass Land adjoining. 

The above Mill is situate on the river Leven, at Rudby, in Cleveland, at a reasonable distance from the port of Stockon-on-Tees, and in a good Corn District. 

Also, a compact HOUSE, and about SIX ACRES of Grass Land adjoining, in the village of Hutton, near Rudby, now in the occupation of the Rev. Mr Barlow, and suitable for the residence of a small genteel family. 

For particulars inquire of GEO. BRIGHAM, of Rudby, near Stokesley Land Agent, if by Letter, post paid.
July 25th, 1832

I don't know where the compact house with its 6 acres of grass land was, but I think it was probably the house now called White House Farm, mentioned in the blogpost about the Revd Jeremiah Grice.

The information on the Rudby Mill is another useful addition to our knowledge of the mill.  A previous tenant, Robert Robinson, had become insolvent in 1823 (cf this blogpost on Various Occupants of Rudby Mill), so let's hope the tenant in 1832 was able to make an "extensive business" there, as suggested by Mr Brigham in the advertisement.

Hutton Rudby and District Local History Society on Facebook: old photos

Visit the new Facebook page of the Hutton Rudby and District Local History Society and you'll find it a source of the most fascinating old photographs.

This is thanks to the hard work of Malcolm McPhie and he tells me there are plenty more to follow - just keep visiting the page!

Anne Hutton, wife of George Wilson

The marriage announcement for Anne Hutton and George Wilson, founder of the Hutton Rudby Sailcloth Mill, shows that her father's name was George, and that the family lived in Pilgrim Street, Newcastle.

(George Wilson and his partner Mr Robinson took a newly-built warehouse at 79 Pilgrim Street the following year)

Durham Chronicle, 17 June 1836

In Newcastle, on the 9th inst.,  ... at St Andrew's, Mr Geo. Wilson, of Hutton Rudby, Yorkshire, to Anne, eldest daughter of Mr George Hutton, Pilgrim Street

Otter hunting on the Leven, 1830

To remind us of how far we have come:-

Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle, 8 August 1830

SEVERE OTTER HUNT. - On Monday, the Stockton and Hutton-Rudby Otter Hunters met at Leven-bridge, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, at four o'clock in the morning, and at six found a large dog-otter, which they, at length, succeeded in killing, after an excellent hunt, both by land and water, for nine hours.  He was so powerful and large, weighing twenty-six pounds, that although there were eight couple of hounds attacking him in a wood, he nearly tore them to pieces, many having been obliged to be carried home.  On the whole, the day's sport was very fine, and the hunt is allowed to have been the best and severest ever known in this part of the country.

At least we don't view that sort of horror as sport any more.

Joseph Hill Appleton (1811-80) and the Meynell family

A reader has been in touch and would like to be in contact with anyone who has any information on the family of Joseph Hill Appleton (born in Richmond, Yorks in 1811, died in Attercliffe, Sheffield in 1880).  He was the son of John Appleton (1775-1852) and Margaretta Clare Ann Hill (born in Great Ayton in 1783).  Margaretta was reputed to be the daughter of a Mary Meynell.

Joseph Hill Appleton said that he was the great-grandson of Christopher Meynell of Hunterbanks Farm, Crathorne.

My correspondent would like to know how Margaretta Clare Ann Hill was connected to the Meynell family and would dearly love to make contact with the purchasers of the 18th and 19th century Ephemera relating to the Appleton Family of Sheffield which came up for sale at Tennants of Leyburn in September 2008.

His particular interest is in an album made by Joseph Hill Appleton entitled "Appletonia", showing a connection to the Appleton family of Appleton Wiske, North Yorkshire, and he would be happy to pay for high resolution scans of the contents.

Anyone who can assist, do please contact me and I will put you in touch.

John Jackson (1743-1808), schoolmaster of Hutton Rudby

In the Schoolmasters section of People of Hutton Rudby (Sadler to Seamer), I had a little bit of information about the Rudby schoolmaster John Jackson, taken from The Church and Parish of Rudby in Cleveland by the Rev Arthur Eddowes (published 1924).

He took his information from The Bards and Authors of Cleveland, which was written and published by George Markham Tweddell, the Stokesley printer, in 1872.  The full title was The Bards and Authors of Cleveland and South Durham and the Vicinage.  Tweddell has a short chapter on John Jackson

who for six-and-twenty years was master of Rudby School, was so much esteemed as a classical and mathematical teacher that the sons of the principal inhabitants of Stokesley used to travel daily to and from his academy to avail themselves of his instruction.  Many of the sundials still existing in Cleveland are of his manufacture, that at Rudby Church being one.  

Tweddell quotes in full the lyrics of the song The Cleveland Fox Chase, for which John Jackson wrote both the words and the music.  It begins

The glimpse of Aurora appears o'er the hills,

The morning's inviting and fair;

The murmuring streamlets and fine purling rills,

Along with the sweet-scented air,

Invite the gay sportsmen; and first do appear

The two noble chiefs of Greenhow,

With famed Gis'brough's lord, and the hounds in the rear,

In hopes to cry off - Tally-ho!

(The gentlemen mentioned were Sir William Foulis, Bt, his brother John Robinson Foulis, and William Chaloner, owner of the hounds).

John Jackson was evidently a man of many talents.  The notice of his death in the Hull Packet of 21 June 1808 records

On Friday the 27th ult. that very useful member of society, Mr John Jackson, of Hutton Rudby school, aged 65.  He was a universal scholar, and many years a contributor (in every department) to those learned and entertaining annual publications, the Ladies' and Gentlemen's Diaries.

(I think the Diaries was an Almanac-style publication)

As for The Bards and Authors of Cleveland, which covers authors and poets from Caedmon to Francis Mewburn, the solicitor for the Stockton & Darlington Railway, you can read it here, as archive.org now has the text online.  A full account of its contents is to be found here on the website dedicated to the life and works of George Markham Tweddell (1823-1903).

Photographs of Hutton Rudby

Looking for photographs of Hutton Rudby, old and new?  Go at once to Malcolm McPhie's Facebook page Hutton Rudby Karting incorporating village history 

So many pictures that have never been seen before – don't miss the one looking downstream under Hutton Rudby bridge with the mill chimney beyond. 

Definitely not to be missed!