REPORT ON THE MAY 2007 MEETING

Great Romance

Usually the speakers at the meetings of the Alston Moor Historical Society, whilst being very knowledgeable in their area of expertise, are not necessarily emotionally involved. This was not the case with Cathy Smith, who gave a presentation, entitled the Great Romance based on events of the last 100 years of her own family. She was inspired to undertake the research as a result of the discovery of letters and photographs in her grandmother Isabella’s trunk.

Basically the story involves the emigration of members of the Yates family from Cumbria to Canada in 1907 and their letters back to family in England give an insight into the hardships they had to endure as they struggled to build a new life as pioneers in a new country. The climate was harsh with unfamiliar extremes and the life style to which they had to adapt was a totally new experience. However the main story of ‘The Great Romance’ covers the courtship and marriage of grandmother Isabella and Charlie Rigg. The story is touchingly beautiful and the letters provide an intimate insight into their relationship and it not only a love story, but also a chronicle of aspects of everyday life in the early 1900’s. What is perhaps surprising is the quality of the penmanship and fluent use of highly descriptive language by two ordinary people who had been educated in what was then the normal way at that time. It is doubtful if modern day scribes would be quite so eloquent!

The story is the subject of a book by Cathy Smith and was also serialised in 2005 in a Cumbrian magazine. However the talk given to the Society concentrated upon the Alston connection. Many of the places mentioned were well known to the audience and this gave an added dimension of interest. Isabella’s father, John Yeats had worked as a stonemason in the Alston area and lived at Bayles before moving to Bruntley Sykes on the outskirts of Alston. Isabella was apprenticed as a milliner to Miss Richardson in Alston before moving to Bainbridges in Newcastle. She subsequently moved to Carlisle to be with her family. It was there that she met her husband-to-be, Charlie Rigg and where the story of the romance began. However the highlight of the talk proved to be letters recounting holidays spent in Alston. The journey was made by way of the long-gone railway and it was noted that the carriages were new and lighted by electricity and the stations which the train passed through were described as very pretty with flowers in abundance.

The letters contain very precise details of outings and excursions made in, and around, Alston and it is clear from the journals that the couple were excellent walkers and covered huge distances – apparently without much effort. References were made to many places that still exist and can be readily identified whilst others names were more difficult to pinpoint. The Cottage Hospital was under construction and a walk up the Raise passed the Park House to the Ward Way. Visits to Natrass Gill and Ashgill Force were made and also to the Nent Force Level. It was commented that there was not much water in it and that ‘it was dirty during the week’. Also mentioned was Castle Nook, where there was an old Roman altar, and the Roman Camp. Gossipgate and the Congregational Church were mentioned a number of times along with Garrigill and How Hill.

It seems that Alston has not changed too much from those days and it was very interesting to learn what aspects of the town and area were regarded as ‘tourist spots’ a hundred years ago. Not much has changed!

The next meeting of the Society will be on Wednesday, the 6 th June in the Masonic Hall, Alston, when Mr Tom Clare will give a talk entitled ‘Stone Circles’.