Thread: County of Northumberland

[quote name='sandgroper' date='18 February 2010 - 07:04 AM' timestamp='1266476640' post='214610']

Information sought on The Convent of the Good Shepherd, Benton Grange, Longbenton, Tynemouth.

This was the place on a death certificate where an ancestor died in 1897. Want to know if it still exists and/or if records exist? Was it a hospital or a school?

Many thanks

[/quote]



You could try here.

http://www.tyneandweararchives.org.uk/



http://www.stbedesnewcastle.co.uk/Good%20Shepherd.htm

[quote name='sandgroper' date='18 February 2010 - 07:04 AM' timestamp='1266476640' post='214610']

Information sought on The Convent of the Good Shepherd, Benton Grange, Longbenton, Tynemouth.

This was the place on a death certificate where an ancestor died in 1897. Want to know if it still exists and/or if records exist? Was it a hospital or a school?

Many thanks

[/quote]

Hi found this



Theremains of the cemetery Iie within the grounds of the Convent. The cemetery is now surrounded by a modern day housing estate aptly called Cloisters. The grave markers were removed in the late 1980's but the remains of the Sisters and the Chaplain remain. In his fine book "Beyond the Grave - Exploring Newcastle's Burial Grounds" ISBN 1-857951-02-6 (available from Tyne Bridge Publishing - www.tynebridgepublishing.co.uk) Alan Morgan has a piece on the Convent of the Good Shepherds Sisters Burial Ground. Alan makes the point that the convent building was built as Benton Grange for Matthew Liddell who was the manager of Gosforth Colliery, probably circa 1829. In the 1891 census the convent is shown as having 34 females living there of which 25 were recorded as being laundry workers. If you take a look at the OS map that I posted to my site you will see that the Jesmond and Gosforth Laundry was on the other side of Benton Park Road and this is most likely where the inhabitants were employed. The convent was demolished in the 1980's and a modern day housing estate, aptly named "Cloisters" built in its place

regards