thingyer Hill or "Kocker" Hill or C***er Hill

[slightlyfoxed]

Hi, I'm researching the history of the Kocker Hill area of Stalybridge. I have changed the spelling to try to get around the dreaded replacement by the software to Thingy Hill.

I've recently found listed on the 1891 Census An institute for fallen women. Anyone know anything about it? Or got any suggestions to how I can find out more. So far all I have done is check out the census records to find it's existence and try to follow through the lives of the girls.

I'd also be very interested to hear from anyone who has found ancestors living on Kocker Hill or anyone who has memories of the area. I have a few photos and information on some of the houses pat and present and it would be great to share them.

I'd love to build up a picture of the place prior to the "slum clearance" and to hear from anyone who knows of people re housed as part of the slum clearance.

Cheers, Slightly Foxed!

[Gay J Oliver]

Hello Slightly Foxed

Welcome to this message board. Sorry about the censorship - we had the same thing with a place in Yorkshire called P*n*stone.

I was going to write to you anyway, because a few days ago I found your Kocker Hill blog and wanted to congratulate you on it and ask if I could put in a link to it from my main website:

tamesidefamilyhistory.co.uk

I too live in Stalybridge and my husband lived on Kocker Hill for a couple of years in the 1950s.

Very best wishes,
GAY

PS An address for the home for fallen women or a census reference would help. My first thoughts would be some sort of religious institute.

[slightlyfoxed]

Thanks,

RE Kocker Hill Blog, yes I'd love you to put a link to the site. Like all these things it is a work in progress at the moment. There is not as much "new" research on there as I'd like but what it does do is gather the information I found together so that it is hopefully easy to look through.

RE The Institute for Fallen Women - it appears to have been on Kocker Hill itself. It is on both the 1881 and 1891 census. There is no house number. I'm guessing it was on the lower half of the street. I'm next going to have a proper look at some of the older maps and see if I can see anything likely. I'm also going to try to follow through some of the ladies on later census records and see if I can find some happy endings.

[slightlyfoxed]

1891 Census ref - RG12/3296 or search Elizabeth D Williams aged 37, she was the Matron

[Gay J Oliver]

I've just added links to your blog on my website:

tamesidefamilyhistory.co.uk/historylinks.htm
tamesidefamilyhistory.co.uk/latest.htm
tamesidefamilyhistory.co.uk/locallinks.htm

I've also asked a couple of Stalybridge historian type friends and they agree that the Institution for Fallen Women would most likely belonged to some church, but we don't think Church of England - how about Wakefield Road Baptists?

I will still ask one or two other people.

[scottfree]

Hi, found the references to Kocker Hill Facinating! (I am she of the 'Thingytone'!) I'm probably getting to be one of the last to remember our life & times at Old St Georges Church. I was in the choir as a teenager, which meant going to church twice on Sundays,(3 times for communion)Iremember Rev Saunders. I was confirmed there, & our lives revolved round the church & Old St Georges School. We started at New St Georges Primary School, lovely headmistress Miss Sykes, then transferred to Old St Georges School at 11, wonderful headmaster Mr Howard,who worked hard to get me through the 11 plus to Hyde Grammar. Social lives were centred through the church at the school. Dances, Nativity plays , Dramas we did it all.From Brownies to Girl Guides, brothers in the Boys Brigade, sports days in f ield at the top of Ridge Hill, (Ashtons farm, I think) Pride at walking the Whit walks under the banner of Old St Georges Church.Both my brother & I were married at NEW St Georges, & my sister & brother are buried there.As a youngster, we knew nothing of the history of Kocker Hill, & find your blog facinating. This was a wonderful childhood, although we were certainly not rich. Memories include 'Wakes week', the 'Pot Man', & the Black pea Tent! Regards Hilda

[slightlyfoxed]

Thanks Hilda, and thanks for your comments on my blog. If you want to write a longer piece with your memories about the Church and School for me to put on my Blog I'd love it. Just email me and I'll put it up. Hopefully we'll then get some comments from others who were there then. I have really enjoyed finding out about the earlier "text book" history of the area but to be honest it is the people stories that arn't in books that I think are most interesting. my email address is on the members page. If I put it here it will just get changed.

ps they still sell black peas in the Station Buffet Bar.

[scottfree]

::)Talking about Black Peas, (as you do) Ive been researching about them, & the various names for them ie Maple ; Carlings or Pigeon peas. I believe the original taste from the fairgrounds is hard to reproduce, especially in Stalybridge, as they were boiled in the water from the river,which the tent stood alongside.I have found an Supplier, but I cant see them posting a kilo to Spain. Hilda

[thea]

We always had black peas on bonfire night in the back lane behind kershaw st .The whole st joined in on the one bonfire as all the kids played out together and my mum did the parkin and black peas.
That was when the bendix factory was in kershaw st in the 50's