Since my ancestors on both sides migrated frequently around the mining communities of Northumberland I have often wondered if they bumped into each other on their travels. Today I came across documentary evidence of one such encounter and was intrigued to read a newspaper article about a quoit match involving my great granda from one side and two of my great granduncles from the other side. The Morpeth Herald of Saturday 6 April 1878 reports the results of the Quoit Handicap at Scotland Gate:
The full text of the article can be found here. Leonard Crackett is my paternal great grandfather. Andrew Oliver and Joseph Oliver are the younger brothers of my maternal great great grandmother Mary Oliver. None of my relatives actually won the competition.
How fantastic to find this information. I have ancestors that have frequented the same area but am yet to find the proof that they knew each other.
Same challenge here until now Sharon. I know some from different lines who were living very close to each other or even working in the same pits, but this is the first concrete evidence that they socialised together. A real gem. Hope you will be lucky enough to find something similar on yours.