Historian updates Newhouses book
Last updated 15:52, Wednesday, 02 April 2008
COLIN McCourt broke new ground with his book on Newhouses, the story of three rows of 266 whitewashed dwellings built for Whitehaven’s 18th century mine workers.
Six years ago he wrote and published Newhouses–A Celebration about a community that deserved its own place in Whitehaven’s social history. Now, with a surge of new information and images coming in he has decided to update the story withNewhouses Revisitedhis latest work, expected to be out within the next few months.
In 2002 Colin, who formerly worked at Haig Mining Museum and The Beacon, was overwhelmed by the response to his quest for information and memories of the Newhouses settlement, also known as The Rows. There was considerable local interest in his book too, with the first print-run of 1,000 selling out in quick time.
Said Colin: “After the book was out the information just kept coming, letters, phone calls, and there was good feedback from all over the world - South Africa, America and Australia, with people wanting to obtain a copy. I now think the time has come to incorporate this extra material into the original book. There will also be an extra chapter at the end.
“The first book still stands. But I thought a revised edition might give those who are interested in the subject and who didn’t see the original, or manage to get a copy, a new opportunity to learn about the history and culture of this place.’’
Colin has once again enlisted the help of local artist John Armstrong in composing a cover for the new edition, a depiction of Bells Lane.
It was Colin’s well-received local talks about Newhouses back in 2001 that initially planted the idea of a book, an opportunity to give a very local insight into the lives of the area’s early miners and the conditions in which their families lived. The unique way the houses had been dug into the side of The Brows, between Ginns and Newtown, meant that roofs of one row were at street level on the row behind, providing a wonderful playground for children. Though initially welcomed as good accommodation provided for the Lowther coal workers, the houses deteriorated over the years and combined with poor sanitary and living conditions became a breeding ground for disease.
Because of its coal industry tenants, the area was very badly affected by mining disasters, particularly the big one, Wellington in 1910 which claimed 136 lives, many of them Newhouses residents.
