People (Northumberland)

Robert Besford was born on 14th November 1856 at “Mill, Cowpen”. He died when he was three weeks old.

Isabella Besford was born at Middleton Street, Amble, Northumberland, on 1st November 1895. She died on 14th November 1898 at Chevington Colliery, Northumberland from measles and diphtheria.

Known as Maggie, Margaret was born at 19 Church Street, Amble, Northumberland, on 17th May 1890. She died of influenza at Chevington Colliery at the age of 9 on 28th May 1899.

Nellie Besford was born on 22nd February 1904. Nellie was born with spina bifida and died just over one year later.

Robert Besford was born at Chevington Colliery on 13th June 1898. He died before his first birthday on 28th May 1899.

The raiding families of the Anglo-Scottish border lived outside the law for some 300 years, owing allegiance to their family name rather than to either country.

Several Reiver family names occur in Mary Turnbull’s ancestry.

The houses of Cowpen Square were built for the miners of the Cowpen pits: one narrow room and a ladder to the garret, with the inner square as their shared social space.

David and Mary Besford lived at 19 Church Street, Amble, where they had twelve children, eight of whom survived beyond childhood.

The village of La Boisselle was the subject of heavy fighting during the First World War. George Besford (1893–1966) was wounded here in the Battle of the Somme on 1st July 1916.