The First of Ninety Seven Robert Henry Barker Pte. 8853 2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry Coxhoe local History Group The village of Sleetburn was a small mining community situated in the Deerness Valley and is now better known as New Brancepeth just to the West of Durham City, and it was there in 1887, at 8, Hepworth Street that John and Margaret Barker added to their family when Robert Henry was born, a young brother for sister Alice. 1895 Map of New Brancepeth Father John was aged 31 and was employed as a miner in the local colliery at New Brancepeth (Sleetburn Colliery). Houses would be small but you would often find many people occupying what were often 2 up 2 down dwellings. The Barker household was no exception with four lodgers from Roscommon, Ireland living with them in their small miners cottage and working a farm and mine labourers. This was often a way of scratching out a decent living given that the wages of miners were low, and with families to raise every means of increasing income was considered.
The First of Ninety Seven Robert Henry Barker Pte. 8853 2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry Coxhoe local History Group The village of Sleetburn was a small mining community situated in the Deerness Valley and is now better known as New Brancepeth just to the West of Durham City, and it was there in 1887, at 8, Hepworth Street that John and Margaret Barker added to their family when Robert Henry was born, a young brother for sister Alice. 1895 Map of New Brancepeth Father John was aged 31 and was employed as a miner in the local colliery at New Brancepeth (Sleetburn Colliery). Houses would be small but you would often find many people occupying what were often 2 up 2 down dwellings. The Barker household was no exception with four lodgers from Roscommon, Ireland living with them in their small miners cottage and working a farm and mine labourers. This was often a way of scratching out a decent living given that the wages of miners were low, and with families to raise every means of increasing income was considered.