Northumberland project wins funding

Newbiggin-by-the-Sea was reliant upon the fishing industry until the opening of a colliery in 1908 (courtesy of Newbiggin Genealogy Project)

A project to preserve the history of a Northumberland coastal town is set to receive a grant of up to £44,900 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

As reported in the June issue of Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine, volunteers from Newbiggin-by-the-Sea have been adding details of residents past and present to an extensive ‘community family tree’ at www.myheritage.com.

So far, more than 2,700 people have been recorded, with some names dating back to the 17th century. Through public meetings and via Facebook, hundreds of locals have also offered access to their own family archives, sharing photograph albums and stories that will now be preserved for the benefit of future generations.

Led by Newbiggin native and former Labour MP, Hilton Dawson, the project’s management committee now hopes to grow the tree and appoint a member of staff to engage volunteers in creating publications and displays from the research material.

The initiative also has the full support of the nearby Woodhorn Museum and Northumberland Archives, which has opened up many of its records for the project.

“This is a huge vote of confidence in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea from the Heritage Lottery Fund and we are extremely grateful to them,” says Mr Dawson.

“We are not aware of any other community which has attempted such an ambitious project. It has been inspired by the contributions from hundreds of Newbiggin people and it is being led by a committee made up of locals who have worked extremely hard to achieve this success.”

► For more information about the project, visit www.northumbriapeople.co.uk
► To view the Newbiggin-by-the-Sea family tree for free, send an email to newbiggingenealogyproject@gmail.com