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Tracing roots

Anonymous — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 05:59:46 CST

Christina Mathews
My mother died when I was 12 and I am trying to trace her roots. Her name was Edna May Collison from Saltburn born in 1921. She had a sister called Joan Collison and a brother Robert Collison. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Edward Ransom
Hi, I am trying to trace Hazel Mulgrew formaly of Saltburn on behalf of the Zetland Lifeboat Museum re copyright on some photos. I know she moved to Ireland. (Anyone with contact information can have it forwarded to Edward via our contact form.)

Cleminson Family Bible
My late father in law lived in Hornsea, East Yorkshire and had relatives or friends from Saltburn. Many years ago he lent them the Cleminson family Bible which my husband would love to see again as it is of great sentimental value to him.
We would happily come up and collect it or pay any expenses for its return. Thanks. Barbara Cleminson

Shipwrecks

seasalt — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 04:19:13 CST

Can anyone please help to direct me to where I can find details or record of a shipwreck off Huntcliff Foot on 28.10.1880? I think it was a small, coal-carrying boat, named SS Elmore or Helmore. All the crew were lost including my g-grandfather, Thomas Rotherham, a marine engineer. Would the recovered bodies be buried in a local churchyard? I have searched the enormous list of wrecks published by www.wrecksite.eu without success. Any suggestions or guidance would be much appreciated. Mrs Janette Ward.

Halfpenny Bridge

seasalt — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 05:40:16 CST

The Toll Bridge Cottage

Shaun Smith
I am trying to obtain some information on the toll bridge cottage near the halfpenny bridge. Can you help gain some history please.

Some history of the 'Ha'penny Bridge can be read here.

Saltburn Joker risks life - this story appered in an edition of the Evening Gazette: can anyone add a date?
A practical joker risked his life to give residents and holiday makers an early morning shock at Saltburn today.
For beneath the centre span of the 180ft high Halfpenny Toll Bridge which spans the Valley Gardens - the scene of many suicides in the past years - hung a lifelike dummy from the end of a 20ft rope which swayed to and fro in the breeze.
Many people had reported a 'body' hanging from the bridge to the police.
Among the first to see it was Mrs Amy Jackson, aged 56, of the Toll Bridge Cottage. She glanced out of her bedroom window and saw the dummy swinging from the end of the rope about 50 yards away.

A Nasty Shock

"I got a nasty shock," she told the Evening Gazette, later.
"From my window it looked very real, I was sure someone had hanged himself. Whoever the culprit was he might have used his energy to better purpose than to frighten people in this way."
Toll keeper John William Jackson aged 68, went on duty at 7 a.m. but did not notice the dummy. As he crossed the bridge he did see a number of white, painted footprints, about a dozen in all and paint marks on the rail.
"I knew nothing about it until the police arrived," he said.
Whoever hung the dummy must have risked his life, for it was tethered on girders on the underside of the bridge. It is thought that he must have climbed over the rail with the help of a rope.

Carefully made

The problem of how to get the effigy down was solved by a local builder, Mr Fred Gall. Using a grappling iron, he hung it over the side of the bridge, but as he began to haul the dummy up its rope snapped and it hurtled into a stream below
Tied to it was a notice board, but when the dummy was recovered it was found that the board read: Motor vehicles cannot use this bridge.
The Dummy had been carefully made. It had on black shoes, grey socks, a pair of dark grey trousers, grey jersey and a cap, the face was a painted carnival type mask. Its body was a sack stuffed with newspaper and its legs consisted of a woman's nylon stockings also stuffed with paper. A needle and thread had been used to stitch it together.

World War 1 Stories

seasalt — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 06:31:49 CST

Ruth de Wynter:

I grew up in Saltburn in the 1970's and 80's and have read various web pages devoted to it over the last few years. I'm trying to confirm a story I'm sure I read some time ago (it sounds so fantastical and I've been sure I must have dreamt it or it was fabricated) and I was wondering if anyone might be able to confirm it for me.

It related to 2 Glenhow School boys sometime after WW1 (not sure when Glenhow opened but I know it was pre WW2) discovering a destitute (he had possibly lost his legs?) First World War soldier scavenging on the beach and his subsequently being given some public assistance.

Is anyone aware of this story and if so, do you have any more information on it?

Home

seasalt — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:57:38 CST

Welcome to Sandbites.
We seem to be getting a lot of requests for information from users of our Saltburn by the Sea website, much of which we are unable to help with ourselves, so we've decided to start a Saltburn wiki and let anyone who can help do so.

If you can help anyone with any information or you would like some help with information yourselves please add your comments where appropriate or start a new page.

Cinema de Luxe?

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:55:42 CST

Mr D Jackson

I recently bought a theatre poster from Saltburn,with the heading the cinema-de-luxe, it features Len Madden, Peggy Joy, Lance Williams, and the wonderfully named Chung-Fu-Sen, I would be very grateful for any information concerning any of the acts or indeed the actual theatre, which I suppose isnt there any more.

Overdene

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:54:31 CST

Judith Vicarage

I was born in October 1953 in Saltburn by the Sea, in a Nursing home I believe was called Overdene. Does anyone have any information they can share with me on this place as I am doing my family history and obviously this is MY starting point!

Zetland Hotel and Stables

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:51:45 CST

Anthony Wilson

I am slowly researching and compiling a record of my family's history. I'm particularly interested in the Zetland stables where my grandfather and mother were very much involved, during the 1930/40s, in the running of that establishment. I believe it was then owned by a Mr Ben Walton. I do have a number of photographs of my mother and grandfather with the horses, particularly with the ponies etc. on the beach.

Can you or anyone you have contact with provide me with any further information? My grandfather was Robert (Bob) Mudd and my mother was Olive. They lived in Leven Street where I was also born.