Articles

John was born on 31st May 1868 at Cowpen Colliery, Blyth. He died on 25th July 1869, just short of 14 months old.

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 Sebright Baronetcy of Besford was created in 1626 for Edward Sebright, High Sheriff of Worcestershire, who later fought as a Royalist in the Civil War.

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.