Spennymoor

SPENNYMOOR is market town and ecclesiastical district formed from Whitworth parish October 29, 1875, with a station on the Bishop Auckland and Ferry Hill branch of the North Eastern Railway, 3 miles west from Ferry Hill, 4 north-east from Bishop Auckland and 6 south from Durham, in the Bishop Auckland division of the county, north-west division of Darlington ward, petty sessional division and county court district of Bishop Auckland, Auckland union, and rural deanery and archdeaconry of Auckland and diocese of Durham. The town is governed by a Local Board of Health of nine members, formed July 29th, 1864, under the Local Government Act of 1858. This place has rapidly advanced in importance, wealth and population, owing to the product of coal and the establishment of the Weardale Iron and Coal Co, who employ many hundred men: in a few years it has risen from an obscure township into a wealthy town. The church of St. Paul, erected in 1857 and enlarged in 1870, is a plain building of stone, in the Gothic style, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, south porch and a western turret containing one bell: in the north aisle is a stained window, erected by the parishioners December 1878; there are sittings fur 460 persons. The register dates from the year 1858. The living is a vicarage, gross yearly value £300, with residence, in the gift of the Dean and Chapter of Durham, and held since 1875 by the Rev. John Gaskill, who is surrogate. There are Baptist, Primitive Methodist, Free Methodist and Welsh Calvinistic Methodist chapels. Victoria Park, of 10 acres, was opened to the public in June, 1889, and is under the control of five members of the local board. The Town Hall, situated in High Street, is chiefly used for concerts and other public entertainments: the size of the hall is 70 feet by 34 feet, and platform 31 feet by 16 feet; it has good public and private entrances. There are two market halls, one in Spennymoor proper and the other in Tudhoe Grange adjoining. The market is held on Saturday. The area is 176 acres; rateable value, £10,500; the population in 1881: 6,091. POST, M.O. & T.O., S.B. & Annuity & Insurance Office —William Byers, postmaster. Letters are delivered at 7 a.m. and 4.30 p.m.; dispatched at 11.10 a.m. 2, 6.30 & 7.50 p.m. LOCAL BOARD OF HEALTH. Treasurer, R. D. Edwards, National Provincial Bank, Durham Clerk, Frederick Badcock, Bishop Auckland Medical Officer, John Christopher O'Hanlon M.D. Tudhoe Grange Surveyor, Collector & Inspector of Nuisances, John Coldwell, Carlton terrace Assistant Overseer, George Byers Inspector of Lodging Houses Robert Harrison Market Manager, John Coldwell, Carlton Terrace INSURANCE AGENTS : — Caledonian Fire & Life, T. Farthing, 4 High Street Commercial Union, G. Byers, 3 Thomas Street Imperial Fire, W, Bentham, 7 High Street Northern Assurance, T. Madisson, Tudhoe Grange Phoenix Fire, J. Bethel, Reservoir Cottages Star Life, L. Hewitt, Mount Pleasant Sun Fire, T, A. Burdon, 38 High Street PUBLIC ESTABLISHMENTS: — Stamp Office, High street; William Bentham, distributor Durham Light Infantry, G & H Companies, Rev. R. A. Wilkinson M.A. acting chaplain Freemasons' Hall, Dundas Street Police Station, Robert Harrison, Inspector; Frederick White, sergeant; & 3 constables Town Hall, High street PUBLIC OFFICERS:- Medical Officer & Public Vaccinator, Whitworth District, Auckland Union, Robert Smail Anderson M.D., C.M. Hillingdon house Relieving Officer, Whitworth District, Auckland Union, William John Sanderson, Carlton Terrace SCHOOLS:- A School Board of 9 members was formed February 11th, 1876, for the united district of Spennymoor, Ferry Hill, Merrington, Tudhoe & Whitworth. Spennymoor Board (mixed and infants), Rosa Street, built in 1879, for 800 children; average attendance, 530; John MacFarlane Chisholm, master; Miss Annie Syme, mistress; Miss Hannah Teasdale, infants’ mistress. National School (mixed & infants), High Street, built in 1859, for 400 children; average attendance, 330; Albert Charles Brown, master; Miss Elizabeth, Mary Dyson, girls mistress; Miss Catherine Jane Gibbon, infants’ mistress. Railway Station (North Eastern) Benjamin Hill, station master. Omnibus daily to and from Bishop Auckland.

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