• Ken Roddam has sent me several portraits of family groups from the Alston area. I've selected two as representative. Both were evidently taken in a photographers studio (painted backgrounds). The first one shows a couple (Stevie (Stephenson) Doyle and Susie (Susannah) Fairless) in relatively casual dress, photographed at Whitley Bay in 1934. The second a more formal picture in "Sunday best". The adults are John Joseph Doyle, and his second wife (of unknown name, but believed to be of Welsh descent), with their sons Robert and Joseph. Ken has further details of these families.

Askham, near Penrith

• Punch Bowl Hotel, advertising copy from the 1940's, courtesy of Mel Cowin.

Bootle

• A farming scene at Hycemoorside in about 1900 - the Gowan family making hay. Thanks to Gordon Singleton for sharing this family picture.

Bowness-0n-Solway

• The Solway Viaduct, which connected Bowness and Annan, in Scotland, pictured here with a steam train crossing it, in 1889. Reproduced with permission of Ron Fitzpatrick, to whom many thanks.

Carlisle

• A family picture - a charabanc trip, probably dating from the 1920's, judging by the dresses. It appears to have been taken outside the Congregational church on Charlotte Street. The slope is entirely of the photographer's creation !
  It seems to be the same vehicle which appears in this photo, courtesy of Ian Ritchie, but it must surely predate the one above. If you think you recognise any of the passengers, let me know and I'll put you in touch with Ian.
• Carlisle has had a long association with the Border Regiment; Leon Naylor-Whalley has kindly provided these old photos of the Lonsdale Battalion. Football team, dated 1910; cookhouse detail, probably at Blackwell camp; a march through the town hall square from about 1914 - the view is remarkably similar today; and bayonet practise, again, probably at Blackwell.
• All of these are courtesy of Ian Carswell, and show the buildings near the castle demolished to make way for the dual carriageway in the late 1960's. Looking north from the northern end of West Walls. Tiffen's motorbike shop, on the corner of Devonshire Walk. The Irishgate Tavern, opposite the end of Abbey Street. East of the Irishgate stood a range of residential buildings, and on the corner of the castle entrance was a Salvation Army building; in the distance can be seen the then Carr's factory (later McVitie's and United Biscuit's). Another view of the Salvation Army building, also showing a DIY shop on the corner of Castle Street.
• Bill Knight has kindly sent me scans from an old book of photographs of the Carlisle area; published by Chas. Thurnam & Son in Carlisle, entitled "Souvenir of Carlisle". From the evidence contained in the photographs, I would date its publication to the first decade of the 20th century. The cathedral, shown here with its railings, which were later taken down as part of the war effort (WWII). Another view, this time taken from the south-west, showing the main entrance, and the nave, severely truncated by demolition in the 17th century. Shown here is English Street, with the substantial gaol wall at the left, and immediately to its right, the Carlisle Arms, more usually known as the "Gaol Tap". Both have now gone. This one shows the old town hall, and, to its right, Scotch Street. This scene remains little changed today. Lastly, Court Square, taken from the railway station. Bill sent me one more photograph, for which see Wetheral.
• An old postcard showing the home of F.W. Chance, M.P., at Morton Park. Although the posting date is only partially visible, combined with the ½d. stamp of Edward VII means it was posted in 1905. I grew up just across the park, and the old house (semi-derelict at the time) was always known as "Chance's". It was later renovated and used as a library and community centre. Reproduced courtesy of the Alan Bulman Collection.

Cumberland Wrestling

• Thomas Bowman, born in Cummersdale in 1875, is shown here in his Cumberland Wrestling outfit. Bowman was successful at his sport, and the family retains a Lonsdale Belt, and a cup. Thanks to Gerry Wikeley for sharing this family memory.  NEW.

Farming Scenes

• Ian Zirins has sent me these evocative farming scenes from the 1950's and early 1960's. They are all from the Cockermouth and Moota areas.
• Ploughing
• Taking a break
• Mending fences in the snow
• Spade work. Ian believes that this was taken after WWII, when it was used as a "displaced persons" camp. Ray Foster has advised that Moota was also used as a POW camp during WWII.

Grange-Over-Sands

I have taken these pictures and engravings from "Cartmel Priory And Sketches Of North Lonsdale" by A.M. Wakefield, 1909. Because of the nature of the originals, some of the scanned images are of a lesser quality than I would have liked, but I think they are still worth a look.

• Cartmel Priory, and East End
• Cartmel's Old Gateway
• St Anthony's Chapel, Cartmel Fell.
• Fishing for cockles, Morecambe Bay, and again.
• Flookburgh
• Grange, from an engraving of about 1840
• Grange, from another engraving of about 1840
• St. Paul's, Grange
• Quaker Meeting House at "The Height", its entrance, and date tablet, reading 1677.
• Crossing the Sands by coach-and-four, Kent's Bank.
• Kent's Bank and Morecambe Bay

Harrington

Barbara Simmons has kindly sent in this old photo of Harrington Church Road, and must date to the late 1880's. The little girl is Eliza Mary Williamson, born Harrington 1885; she's holding the hand of her dad, John Williamson, born Harrington 1863.

The Lake District

All of these pictures have been kindly made available to me by Peter Dixon, to whom I express my sincere gratitude. The originals are in a photo album dating from 1865.

• Airey Force (now known as Aira Force)
• Borrowdale - I think this might be from the road above Seatoller
• Buttermere
• Buttermere - the left-most hill in the distance is Fleetwith Pike, and the steep slope coming down to the lake is High Crag.
• Derwent Water, from Friar's Crag; the wooded island is Lord's Island.
• Derwent Water
• Grasmere and Rydal Water - Grasmere being the closer.
• Grasmere
• Grasmere Church - St. Oswald's. A picture of this church in a book published in the 1970's indicates that this church is almost unchanged in over a hundred years.
• Honister Crag - the road seen here rises out of Borrowdale, passes Honister Crag, and descends into Buttermere. The crag itself was the scene of extensive slate quarrying, and had been worked for at least 100 years before this picture was taken.
• Kirkstone Pass - which links Patterdale and Ullswater with Ambleside and Windermere.
• Lodore Falls, near the southern end of Derwent Water
• Patterdale Church - I assume this is St. Patrick's.
• Scale Force - at 38 metres is often regarded as the longest waterfall in the Lake District. It lies near the southern end of Crummock Water.

Maryport

• Now sadly demolished, the Brow Street chapel appears to have been a very special building, with an unusual octagonal design. Seen here from below, the nearby buildings have already been knocked down; and a view from Brow Street; the pulpit; the pews. Assuming that this church is the same as the one mentioned in the 1901 directory as the Wesleyan Chapel, Back Brow, it was built in 1864, replacing an earlier chapel on Well Lane. Photos © Peter Ostle.

Moresby

• Moresby Park Soccer Champs, 1905-6, with Myles P. Quinn (age 12) identified. The boy sitting at the right is Michael Quinn. Photo © Ann Selchick.
• Mary Mulligan-Quinn, outside her home at 72 Moresby Park Cottages, Moresby, in the late 1800's. Photo © Ann Selchick.
  

Muncaster Castle, St. Bees, Seascale, Whitehaven and Workington

These marvellous pictures were very kindly supplied by Grant Dixon, who has sadly died since.  © the late Grant Dixon - reproduced by permission of his executors.

• Muncaster Castle
• The headland at St. Bees, and the beach, complete with bathing machines.
• Seascale, looking south along the beach.
• Seascale village, from the beach.
• Whitehaven harbour, complete with a variety of boats.
• The Monkhouse shop in Workington. Grant tells me that the Workington Monkhouse family included a Professor Monkhouse, who wrote geography textbooks, and that the professors cousin is the (British) comedian Bob Monkhouse.

Penrith

• The Royal Oak in 1904. © Ian Bailey, who is related to the then owners, the Errington's.
• A family picture, probably taken in Penrith about 1898, the sitters are all of the Errington family, who had the Bluebell Inn at Penruddock (for which see the non-archive picture page), and later the above Royal Oak. © Ian Bailey. If you have any information on the Errington family, Ian would like to hear from you. Contact me for his e-mail address.
  Ian, Roger Errington wishes to discuss your family tree with you. Roger - I now have an up-to-date e-mail address for Ian, but unfortunately, not for you. Please get in touch so you can discuss family history!!
• A family photograph, can anyone identify the exact location in Penrith? © Bill Knight.

Ulverston

• Previously in the "Unknown" section, Paul Finch had contacted me regarding a Carte de Visite. It shows a town scene, which has now been identified by several correspondents (to whom many thanks) as being Ulverston.

West Cumberland

• Malcolm Bland has kindly sent me a number of photos from West Cumberland, probably pre-dating 1884.

Wetheral

• Looking across the River Eden from Wetheral. © Bill Knight; for further details of the book from which it was taken, see the last Carlisle entry, above.

Whitehaven

• Crosby Street; a street party celebrating VE day. © Kaye Jenkinson.
• Summergrove, a house now long-gone, was near Whitehaven. It's pictured here with its one-time resident Henry Rothery (a solicitor) and family. Photo © Peter Dixon.
• Alan Robandt, an antiques dealer in Chicago, was restoring a piece of English furniture, in which he found this advert from James Martin, with a hand-written date of February 1888. It appears that the firm of Martin probably restored the gilding on the mirror at that time. The piece itself dates from the Regency. Many thanks to Alan for his permission to use it here.

Wigton

• These family photographs of Wigton are courtesy of Bill Knight. Although dating from many years ago, anyone familiar with Wigton will recognise the High Street. © Bill Knight.
• This second photo appears to be in a cemetery. Exact location? © Bill Knight.

Workington

• Brian Davies has kindly sent in this photo of workers from the Bay Mill Steelworks in about 1900. His grandfather Edward "Ted" Davies (second from the left, back row) stood as a Conservative candidate in the 1926 General Election, just failing to win it. Brian has compiled a short biography of his grandfather, available here.