A.O.S.A. 2005 ANNUAL REPORT

This Magazine
Contents
All Magazines 
Contents
Homepage

The low shop was kept by a Friend named Isaac Brown, who did a good business as a tallow chandler. Candles were comparatively cheap - of course they were all dips - some very common long ones had a rush in the centre and were called rush lights. They gave a very poor light not sufficient to read by. There were of course oil lamps, but they were very greasy. How I used to enjoy seeing these candles get bigger and bigger as each fresh dipping solidified and was ready for the next. There was a story that Isaac Brown was very particular to give exact weight, neither too little nor too much, and had been known to split a raisin in two - this must be apocryphal as he might easily have changed a raisin for a larger one or vice versa. But I must begin to describe the village more. The only houses in California were the two - one now used as a greengrocer's shop and the little one adjoining it, and the Tile Sheds farm house - named from the land being once used for making bricks and tiles which were then coming into use to take the place of thatch. From the gateway at Cleveland Lodge - to these two houses there was a dirty cart road hardly wide enough for two carts to pass - at one side some flag stones for a footpath: the cart road stopped here but the footpath extended to the Guisbro' road. The property here belonged to an old lady who always went by the name of Betsy Martin - she lived in the house now occupied by the Doctor. The land now owned by the Thistlethwaites belonged to her - she sold milk from house to house. She had two measures, one for winter and the other for summer, 1d pint all the year round. She had a mule that was over 40 years of age - her old servant Ann was older than her mistress (who was not less than 70 when I knew her) whom the men persuaded to put her name on the census as 30. She bought hides, had them tanned and cured and cut up suitable for shoemakers, always doing the latter herself. I saw her at work several times with a sharp knife shaped like a half moon - she told me most people kept their boots several months before wearing them, this she said is a mistake. I remember the old lady used to walk up the aisle of the Friends’ Meeting House, her boots squeaking almost like a musical instrument, this was considered a sign of good leather. You will wonder how she disposed of her goods, well she had a shop in Manchester - to think of spending three days in going and other three days returning empty. I think I would recognise her voice (she had a lisp) if I heard her now.

Some of you may not know how the name of California became attached to the place. My father got an idea that if people could be persuaded to buy a little land they could use it for gardening or even building cottages so he got John Richardson of Langbaurgh to sell a field to be cut up into allotments of an acre each, the payment of which was to be in yearly installments paying at the same time interest on the unpaid capital - the cost to be £30 per quarter of an acre - the whole to be paid off in a certain time - the road to be measured in. It was a long time before the scheme was taken up and many noisy meetings were held in the British School - at last by some parties taking 2 or 3 and in one case 4 lots, the whole were subscribed for - this opened the way for making the footpath to the Guisbro road wide enough for carts. As this happened at the time when gold was discovered in California, it by degrees got that name attached to it.

At the corner of the high green where the Village Hall is - there were two poor thatched cottages where weavers lived and. at the corner a Joiners shop where John Harbottle worked - he lived up in the corner by the Friend's Meeting House, his wife for many years being the caretaker - how little did they know that their grandson would be a Dick Whittington (five times Mayor of Darlington). Coming to the Station road - at the corner by the iron gates leading to Thistlethwaites was a substantial house stuccoed, then 3 or 4 cottages finishing off with the Tea Rooms - the gate opening into the School farm - these buildings were destroyed by fire - and the substantial stone buildings erected but further from the road. Where the School museum is now there was a cottage which was last used as a work shop, one room being occupied by Robert Jackson where he made and mended the children’s boots and shoes. The School children were then provided with clothing at the cost of the School, so he was always very busy, generally talking to some young visitor all the time. Where Chestnut House (the School Sanatorium)(known as Rawdon House since the closure of that school in 1921- Ed) is now was a pretty little cottage completely covered with ivy - the garden on the play ground side had a cherry tree and garganell pear - round the cherry tree was a beautiful moss rose a root of which I still possess. It was the house where I and my wife lived when we were married.

Then there were the houses on Station Road now standing but much improved, at the end of which was the gas premises where Willie Galvert lived so many years. Willie was a steady good Wesleyan never in a hurry - an acquirement almost lost nowadays. It was said he never was seen to run except on the day when the farm buildings were on fire.

We next come to the Mill yard - the mill was built for extracting oil from linseed, the cake being used then as now for cattle. The linseed was heated then put in hair bags and crushed by stampers - which made a continual thumping noise which could be heard for some distance. Then there was Seaton cottage a shabby little house which was used for bottling ginger beer and lemonade.

You may notice up the Station road a number of beech trees, these were grown for the sake of the wood which was largely used in the Oil Mill. Where the half-dozen large beech trees now stand was a cottage where the linseed oil was boiled, very ticklish process, as once being on fire nothing can stop the flames. It was said an oil boiler accidentally fell in the cauldron of boiling oil - since which time, until the opening of the railway - a ghost might often be seen of course in the dusk of the evening, walking about. The cottage was afterwards utilized as a bath house for the School where boys and girls bathed certain days of the week - the large upper chamber being used as a dressing room.

Stories of Ghosts were very rife in those days and 2 or 3 houses had oval openings in the doors or shutters, it was said to allow the evil spirits a safety way of exit. These were generally supplemented by a horse shoe which not only drove off evil spirits but also brought good luck - in those days people were very ignorant and consequently very superstitious. I remember once my brother and I heard a clanking noise in the Friends’ graveyard and after summoning up an unwonted degree of courage, were determined to combat the ghost which we dimly saw in the distance. I think my brother took a dash with his arms spread wide and actually caught it - Foxtons’ white donkey which had made its way from the high green.

Mr. Pearson's house and the Cottages and Park Square were not then built. Where Coates lives was a butcher’s shop. The road at the end of the new buildings of the School was for access to Betsy Martin's tan yard, afterwards purchased by the School and converted into the present commodious swimming bath, the water being obtained from the high dam crossing the River Leven, in a pipe attached from the ornamental bridge. To return to buildings in the village - there was no Waterfall Terrace nor Wesleyan Chapel, the central house where Squire Jackson lives being occupied by the Doctor who was generally called Old Mr. Loy to distinguish him from his son who succeeded him in the practice. Where Terry has his shop was a blacksmith’s shop then occupied by John Snowdon the elder. Where the Police Station is now built was the Wesleyan Chapel - built on a site given to the Wesleyans by Betsy Martin. I believe previously that they occupied a small chapel near the Mill Race. The public house at the corner was occupied by one Joe Watson who eked out a living by making cooperage tubs, which were then in high demand. At the end of the row of buildings, where the Police Offices are, was a blacksmith’s shop occupied by old Jasper who spent nearly all his time in making nails - all nails and tacks were then made by hand. People in Ayton at that time were very poor, the tanyards there were then three - farm labour, and stone breaking, and weaving being the principle employments. There were then about 20 looms going, weaving coarse sheets, table cloths, etc. It was usual for good housewives to keep a stock of linen goods far beyond their requirements and these home made articles did wear. I remember being shown some sheets which had been in the family nearly 100 years. A good deal of the flax was then grown in the neighbourhood - the linseed being sent to the mill and the stalk being converted into linen yarn. Weavers worked long hours and were very badly paid - they rose early in the morning and retired early especially during the winter months; the work was also unhealthy; it required close attention in a stooping position. After being woven the linen had to be washed, and bleached. I believe there are still linen mills at Osmotherley. The last weaver in Ayton was Robert Jackson’s father who was also the village hairdresser. He used to take his work to Hutton Rudby. The Ayton work was principally bleached at Easby.

Return to:
Homepage