The war, forgotten heroes and long-lost Staindrop pubs

A NEW history group is offering its experience to help people find out more about their family trees.
Staindrop History Group will host its first meeting this week but it has already produced its first booklet on past pubs in the village.
The aim is to produce more booklets on local subjects in the future.
Jim Pearson, who shares the group chairmanship with Bernard Poole and John Ellison, said the organisation was made up of people with different interests.
He added: “We formed the group because everyone was doing their own bit of research and we wanted to co-ordinate it and record it.”
Now the group is focussing on key aspects of the village including architecture, social history, people and places, castle connections and the First World War along with other conflicts.
The First World War research will build on work that has already been done for an exhibition at St Mary’s church, in the village, in Staindrop.
Jennifer Priestley, who was part of that research group, said: “The WWI project started at the church for those who died, but now we want to look at the men who came back from the war – 180 men came back.”
Mr Pearson added: “People assume everyone was killed in the war but most of them came back.”
It is fitting then that the group’s first major event, on April 28, will feature the film Warhorse.
Speaking at the event will be Andy Robertshaw, who served as military advisor during the filming of the movie. While in the area, he will also be visiting schools in Staindrop and Barnard Castle to give talks. The Royal Dragoon Guards will be making an appearance on the day to show off various artefacts.
Of interest to people in the village might be their genealogy and the fledgling history group is well placed to help.
Mr Pearson has about 50 years’ experience in the field and as archivist for the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum, helped countless people discover their family trees.
He also aided people from abroad access their ancestry while in Scotland as a clan historian.
The joint chairman was brought up in Middlesbrough, but has a link with the village through his great-great-grandmother who lived there in the 1700s. He also lived in the village for a few years before moving to Scotland for a period. His book, The Lost Inns of Staindrop, is now available for a £2 donation which will help finance the group’s activities. Ironically a teetotaller, Mr Pearson’s booklet covers some 11 pubs that have existed in the village and includes information about the landlords as well as their families.
The group’s inaugural meeting at the Scarth Memorial Hall took place last night (Wednesday, March 8) and included a Skype session so that people living outside the village, or who might struggle to attend, could take part.
Group member Jan Pearson is currently setting up a website and the group is already on social media.
She said: “We are desperate for photographs and things for our website, Twitter and Facebook page. We are looking for artefacts which we will photograph, document and return.”
Pictures of the artefacts, and the stories around them, are to be put on the website.
Anyone who would like to get involved or has photographs or items the group will be interested in can email info@staindrophistory.co.uk or they can visit the group’s Facebook page.