Brian Pears

Gateshead, United Kingdom

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My pages include the Northumberland section of GENUKI, the United Kingdom and Ireland Genealogical Information Service.

Information about my own family and relations is now online as are a number of my efforts relating to World War Two in the area:- Index to the Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour (which covers Northumberland, Durham and Yorkshire); North East Diary 1939-1945 (which I co-authored with the late Roy Ripley of Cramlington); When Bombs Fell on Rowlands Gill; Rowlands Gill and the North-East 1939-1945 and Wartime Incidents in Allenheads and Allendale.

I also intend to make some of my my local history essays about the Rowlands Gill area available here. So far only "Blaydon Council's Water Supply to the Rowlands Gill Area" is online, but in due course I will be adding "Eighty Years", the story of Rowlands Gill's electricity supply; "From Roller Skates to Bingo", the story of Rowlands Gill's two cinemas; and "Telephone Rowlands Gill One", the story of Rowlands Gill's postal and telephone service. I may also add my father's unpublished history of High Spen, although a considerable amount of work will be required before this will be possible.

A series of articles - "Our Ancestors, Conceptions, Misconceptions and a Paradox", "The Ancestor Paradox Revisited" and "The Ancestor Paradox Yet Again" - is also now available, as is "Where There's A Will..." an article about the trouble that wills have caused in my family. This topic is also addressed in great detail in my paper, "Greendikes - A tale of forgery and greed", which is available in PDF format (921 Kb).

Fans of murder and mystery may be interested in three articles describing murders in and around Rowland Gill. The Mystery of Doctor Robert Stirling and The High Spen Murderer were written by my late father, Thomas William Pears, and The Lintz Green Murder is by a friend, Terry Middleton, a very able local historian.

I've recently a added a survey of Plaques and Memorials in Gateshead Borough and my selection of photographs taken at the North of England Open Air Museum at Beamish, Co Durham is still available.

Here's a brief curriculum vitae with some photographs just in case anyone is interested.

Born: Newcastle upon Tyne, 1945; son of Thomas William Pears (1919-1991) and Cecilia Pears formerly Walker (1919-1999); and grandson of Nicholas Pears (1895-1955), Susannah Pears formerly Axford (1896-1982), Joseph Walker (1890-1975) and Elizabeth Walker formerly Shields (1893-1954).

Married: A beautiful Gateshead lass:

Lived: High Spen, Co Durham - now Gateshead Borough Rowlands Gill, Co Durham - now Gateshead Borough

Education: Highfield Infants & Junior Schools, Rowlands Gill, 1950-1957 Hookergate Grammar School, Rowlands Gill, 1957-1964 Newcastle University, Dept. of Physics, 1964-1967

Teaching Posts: St Joseph's R.C. Secondary Modern School, Sunderland Benwell School, Newcastle John Marlay School/Redewood School, Newcastle Seconded to the School of Education, Newcastle University

Hobbies: Hiking (and formerly camping and youth hostelling) Local History Family History Photography Electronics Computer Programming and Web Page Authoring

Here are a few more pictures - but you must promise not to laugh!

I've placed numerous small collections of photographs online, mostly for the benefit of ex-pats I keep in touch with through mailing lists. These include:

Recitals and Christmas Talk at the Shipley Art Gallery 2007 - Photographs taken at Ravensworth - Strathmore Road Road Methodist Youth Club and Church Photographs 1959-2007 - Tyneside Cinema & Restaurant at Gateshead - Red Kite over Hookergate Cemetery - Local Scenes by Tom Waters (1907-1990) - A Nostalgic Visit to Highfield School - Tall Ships' Races on the Tyne 2005 - Newcastle Quayside 2 July 2005 - Town Moor Hoppings 2005 - Vindolanda Roman Camp 2004 - Fenwick's Christmas Window Displays 2003 - Fenwick's Christmas Window Displays 2004 - Some Remnants of Victorian Gateshead - Brandling Coal Drops - Launch of Local History Month 2003 - Demolition of the Union Debating Chamber at Newcastle University in 2003 - High Spen in 1977 with some old maps - Marlborough Crescent Bus Station in December 1976 - Exploration of the Victoria Tunnel, Newcastle. There is also a full index of albums and other collections.

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