Johnson Patterson's Family Story and Other Stories from the Berwick 900 Family History Festival

A major part of Berwick 900 has been the many family stories discovered during the festival.

An unusual start to the video about the Berwick 900 Family History Festival weekend has two volunteers, Trevor Bird and his son, Andrew Bird, talking about Northern Spirit, Berwick, a peer support group for people suffering from health problems like depression and anxiety issues.

Hear Gordon Elliot, born in Spittal, Peter Guthrie, Carol White and Terry White, glimpses of the exhibition in Berwick Town Hall and a couple of speakers (Fred Kennington about researching family history across the England/Scotland border and I about harnessing search engines for family history research), Derek Sharman talking about the legacy of the Berwick 900 Festival, Linda Bankier talking in detail about family history research and using Berwick Archives.

You'll see Linda Bankier in the graveyard of Holy Trinity Church talking about the gravestone of Charles Younghusband Patterson, son of Johnson Patterson, born 1763 and Isabella Patterson; about checking the burial registers and the parish registers. Using church records, Linda discovered that Johnson and Isabella had 7 sons and 2 daughters, but that Johnson had an earlier wife, Ann Dumble. The 1841 census showed a son from that marriage. The Freemen of Berwick Guild records showed that Johnson was a Freeman and several of his sons became Freemen, too. Linda established that Johnson had 15 children in total.

You can also see a small boy helping artist, Carl von Weiler, making part of the Great Performing Rope.

The Errington Inquiry, 1715

Here's another video from the 1715 Northumbrian Jacobite Rising weekend with John Nicholls, MBE, talking about the Northumbrian Jacobites and what happened to the unsuccessful rebel ringleaders, Kendal Leask about the reproduction printing press, excerpts from poetry readings in English and French in Berwick Literary Festival, Derek Sharman about the Berwick 900 Festival and a drama, The Errington Inquiry set in the Court room above Berwick Guildhall.

The inquiry was presided over by the Mayor of Berwick and features Mrs Wilson, a tavern-keeper on Holy Island,  Corporal Francis Amos, Alexander Unthank, the jail-keeper and tavern-keeper of the Berwick Arms. Most of their evidence is about Lancelot Errington, the principal ringleader who seized Holy Island castle with his nephew.

A Replica 18th Century Printing Press in Action

This is a replica of the type of printing press used in the 17th and early 18th century used to produce a reproduction of the Berwick Patriot broadsheet about the capture of Holy Island by the Jacobites.

It was set up at 2 Hide Hill, Berwick-upon-Tweed on the 1715 Jacobite Rising weekend, 10 & 11 October.

The ink should have been chimney soot mixed with boiled linseed oil but they didn't have any apprentices to mix it, so they used a modern water-based ink.

It was interesting that they were using an engraved steel plate rather than blocks of type and while I watched, it was rather slow production; though the printer claimed that an experienced 18th century printer with a full staff could produce 180 printed sheets an hour, which is somewhat faster than my dot-matrix printer, on my computer system, could produce in 1985.

The initial narrator is Derek Sharman, the subsequent narrator, talking about the press is Kendal Leask.

The King's Own Scottish Borderers' Minden Day Parade at Berwick Barracks

The King's Own Scottish Borderers' return to Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed, every year to remember those comrades who fought at the battle of Minden.

The Battle of Minden was fought on 1 August 1759, during the Seven Years' War.
It was an important victory for the British troops with help from King George II's German possessions and allies against a larger French and Saxony army.

The 25th Foot (later The King's Own Scottish Borderers - KOSB) was part of that British Army. All ranks wear red roses in their bonnets memory of those original soldiers of the 25th Foot, who while advancing through local gardens, picked roses and stuck them in their coats.

Here is the story of one KOSB. soldier, Sergeant Dougie Scott, told by his widow Cynthia, who attends the parade every year with their family.
Another soldier mentioned is Jock Wallace.

After assembling, the King's Own Scottish Borderers march from Berwick Barracks down Marygate past the Town Hall led by the Royal British Legion pipe band.

Free Theatre Tickets - Friday 14 August - Maltings Theatre, Berwick-upon-Tweed

From Linda Bankier:

I have been working with Wendy Payn and Ross Graham at the Maltings Theatre, Eastern Lane, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1AJ, with a group of children, aged 8 to 12, who are creating a play in a week for Maltings Youth Theatre.

The play is still evolving but it will be based on research and information that the children have found out about the Greenses area of Berwick and fishing.

 Their short play will be performed at 6pm in the Henry Travers Studio at the Maltings on Friday 14 August.

Here's the trailer:


It’s free to attend and will last a maximum of half an hour.

If you are in Berwick, please do come along and support the children who have worked very hard all week on this project.

Map.

Berwick 900 Seaside & Maritime Story

This video looks at some of the visual elements in the Spittal Seaside Festival and the exhibition in Tweedmouth Watchtower (introduced by Annie Robinson) where Margaret Kenny and volunteers work on creating a rag wall-hanging to celebrate Berwick 900. 

You'll see nice views of Berwick's landscape and architecture, Spittal promenade, Captain Jim (James) Evans talking about his cooper ancestors, colourful kites on Spittal beach, a teddy bears' picnic with an assortment of knitted woollen food.

Berwick-upon-Tweed's Fishing Story

Berwick-upon-Tweed's Our Fishing Story video begins with a view of the fishing boat, Reaper, entering Berwick harbour carrying Lauren Dixon, the outgoing 2014-15 Salmon Queen from Eyemouth to Berwick quayside.

As well as nice views of the quayside and the harbour, there's views of the nice food stalls on the quayside taking part in the Mouth of the Tweed food festival celebrating food that is harvested, grown or produced in the Berwick-upon-Tweed area.

On the quayside, that group of red tops and red caps is Prior Park First School there to entertain the crowds. The camera shifts to the Tweedmouth Watchtower and the Silver Shiels and Salmon Darlings exhibition with history displays about fishing and craftswork and paintings related to fishing: fishes, nets, a huge collage of fishes in the waves. Next comes Spittal Promenade with glimpses of Tidal's contemporary dance depicting the sea and River Tweed, then the Tweedmouth Feast carnival parade through the streets of Berwick, Tweedmouth and Spittal. There's commentary by Berwick's Mayor, Hazel Bettison, too.

Several views of people avidly reading the displays in Berwick's Maritime Connections Exhibition at Berwick Guildhall on 18 July, where volunteers were collecting family stories mainly about salmon fishing around Berwick and herring fishing inhabitants in the Greenses area of Berwick. More views of the town are followed by a pipe band leading the procession to the crowning of the new Tweedmouth Salmon Queen, Shannon Blackhall.

The video closes with the departure of Reaper.

Berwick-upon-Tweed - A World War I Military Service Tribunal

In this video, Maltings Youth Theatre present a World War I military service tribunal in the setting of Berwick-upon-Tweed jail hearing 2 applications for exemption from conscription into the British Army, based on research by the Berwick 900 Our Families project.

Dr Philip MacLagan is presiding.

Tidal Taster on Spittal Beach

One of the events in the Berwick 900 Festival is 'Tidal' on 18 and 19 July.

There'll be various venues for this imaginative outdoor community dance project directed by local choreographer, Chloe Smith, - see the Berwick 900 Festival programme for more details.

See a video taster of Chloe Smith of the dance group Tidal on Spittal beach.

Berwick’s First Mayor’s Parade on Sunday 24 May

The May Fair Street Markets take place on Marygate, right in the centre of Berwick, from today to Monday 25 May from 11am to 4pm each day.

Other events are a talent competition and a ceilidh on Saturday 23 May.
On the Sunday, there’s the first Mayor’s parade with horse-drawn vehicles, pipe bands, vintage vehicles, historically-themed floats and characters representing themes from Berwick’s history and the town’s guild and trades through the ages, Deans of Guilds in their ceremonial robes from Aberdeen, Arbroath, Ayr, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Brechin, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Lanark, Perth and Stirling.

It starts in Castlegate at 11.45am at the War Memorial, goes down Castlegate, into Marygate, up Church Street, to the Parade ground.

Also on Sunday there are local bands playing on the Parade in front of the Barracks, pipe bands and Highland dancing, and a church service. More information. .

Some of the historical characters including George Manuel a crab fisherman; John Crombie; Dr Philip MacLagan and his son, Dr Charles MacLagan are played by actors in this Maltings Youth Theatre video.

The picture shows George Manuel; his wife, Margaret; and John Crombie.