[Eileen Welsh]

I wonder if anyone can help me? My Grandmother was born in Hexham in 1884 – her parents lived in Skinnerburn or Eastgate according to the 1882 census. I’ve traced my family in Hexham/Allendale and the surrounding areas back to the 1700s.

Her father (my great grandfather) was a leather merchant and he had a shop in Fore Street under the name George Hope & Son (listed in the Post Office Directory 1879). He was also listed in the Bulmers Directory in 1886, along with his sisters Priscilla & Sarah who ran a ladies seminary in Market Street and his brother Joseph who had a Grocery shop in Priestpopple.

His father was also a leather merchant who is listed in the 1832 Electoral Register in Fore street – dwellinghouse, stables and outbuildings as occupier and in Whelan’s Directory 1855 as a Currier and Leather Cutter in Back Street

I have searched to see if I can find any more detailed information on any of them, but that’s as much as I’ve found. Every time I see a book with old photos of Hexham I look through trying to see if I can find a photo of my great grandfather’s shop, but never have.

I wonder whether any of your members might have any old photos of Fore Street that might include his shop or any other information about the family?

[Yvonne Purdy]

Hello Eileen, In 2014, the Society was sent a small diary which had belonged to a Laura Hope. We transcribed the diary, and there is an article entitled: Ripping nights and good laughs: The Edwardian diary of a Hexham girl in Hexham Historian No. 24, published in August 2014. If Laura Hope is indeed part of your family, I found the family tombstone in Hexham cemetery, with the following inscription:

In loving memory of Joseph, beloved husband of Emma Hope, who died 3rd Sep 1933 aged 79 years. Also the above Emma Hope, who died 25th March 1940, aged 84 years. Laura their daughter, and wife of G. Keeling, died 10th Dec. 1925, aged 39 years. Henry Taylor their son, died 4th Nov. 1927, aged 45 years. Thomas R., & Alfred, their sons who died in infancy. Joseph Richardson, their eldest son, died 16th May 1940, aged 63 years. And Emily Hope, died 25th Dec, 1981, aged 91 years. R.I.P.

If this is part of your family, I have a photograph of the tombstone, and will happily send you a copy.

yvonnepurdy18@talktalk.net

Kind regards, Yvonne

[Eileen Welsh]

Sorry I’ve only just been pointed to this post. I thought I’d get a notification if anyone replied, so I must apologise for not checking back!

Thank you so much for replying, but I’m not absolutely certain that Laura is related to me. My great grandfather moved from Hexham to Byker between 1890 and 1891, as he appears in the Electoral Registers in 1888, 1889 and 1890, but not in 1891 and he appears in Kellys Directory in Byker in 1902 and onwards, so I didn’t follow the Hope family forward, as I was tracing my own genealogy.

There is a family plot in Hexham Cemetery which was purchased by his brother John (named for their father John Hope) on 24th July 1887, with a rather impressive spire type gravestone, where he and his wife Priscilla are buried. My great grandmother, Mary Hope, nee McHarg, and 3 of her children are also buried there, but there is no mention of them on the gravestone. My great great grandparents, John and Jane Hope are also buried in Hexham, with a gravestone, as are my other great great grandparents, Hugh & Mary McHarg, although they don’t have a gravestone. In 1881 John’s wife Jane lived in 15 Market Street (above what is now the double fronted antique shop) after John died in 1879, which is the address where her daughters ran their ladies seminary.

It’s a remote possibility that Emma’s husband Joseph could be my great grandfather’s brother, who had the grocery shop in Priestpopple , but it seems unlikely as he appears in the 1881 census as being 35, which would mean he was born in 1846 so 9 years older than Emma’s Joseph. Joseph certainly could be a family name as my 3 X gt grandparents, Robert & Elizabeth Hope, also had a son Joseph, who had a son called Joseph, but the grandson was born in 1859, so the dates still don’t tally.
Robert was the furthest I got back in the Hope family – I wasn’t able to find Robert’s baptism entry, so couldn’t find out his parents name to go further back, although I did get his wife Elizabeth Latham back another 5 generations to 1685.

By the way I did all this research way back in the last 1980s, so no internet help then and it may be that there are more records out there now than there were when I was going it.

Thank you for your help and if there are any further clues you can offer me, it goes without saying that I would be most grateful

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