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Catalogue

Miscellaneous documents

Reference: D/X 1900 Catalogue Title: Miscellaneous documents Area: Catalogue Category: Other Records Description: Birk House Farm, Brignall; Arthur Purdy of Evenwood

Covering Dates: 1880-1967

Access: open

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Catalogue Description

The first part of this collection refers to Arthur Purdy, a football player from Evenwood. He played football for Cockfield Church with his brother William. He was a goal keeper for Tottenham Hotspur, school football team. In 1928-1929 he played for Blackpool Football Club. He had to stop playing after an injury.

During the Second World War he was recognized for his service as a driver and after he came back he worked as a bus and a cab driver in London.

In 1953 he retired and moved back to Evenwood to run a public house called The Bay Horse with his brother William, who ran a Club there. Later Arthur ran the Neville's Cross Club in Durham for some time, but had a stroke and had to move to Thirsk, where his wife had a sweet shop. He stayed there for the rest of his life.

The second part of the collection refers to Birk House Farm near Brignall, from which we have some tenancy agreements and accounts. The farm is a property of the Morritt Estate. According to the deposited records, in 1880 the farm was occupied by Robert Kidd, then William Tennett from 1885, and in 1922 by John Mutum, who was the current tenant's grandfather.

John Mutum was born in Norwich and worked as a head groom for Capt. Alfrey in Scotland. During World War I he was left without work as all the horses were taken by the Army, so he decided to rent the farm after William Tennett retired. He was succeeded in 1939 by his son-in-law Stanley Atkinson, and currently it is occupied by Stanley's son, Peter and his wife Myra.

Catalogue Contents

Birk House Farm, Brignall; Arthur Purdy of Evenwood (Ref: D/X 1900)Arthur Purdy of Evenwood (Ref: D/X 1900)Records of his Football League career (Ref: D/X 1900)

May 1928 (1) Blackpool Football Club (2) Arthur Purdy of 14 West View, Evenwood Agreement to play football for the club for a year Consideration: £5 per week from May to August and £6 from August to May
(1 paper)


List of results of football events in which A[rthur] Purdy took part between 17 October 1925 and 6 December 1929, n.d. [1990s]
(3 papers, printed)

Photographs (Ref: D/X 1900)

Portrait photograph of Arthur Purdy by W. J. Crawford, Edmonton Studios, n.d. [c. 1920]
(1 photograph, 18 x 26 cm, black and white)


Copy photograph of Cockfield, St Mary Church Football Club in 1920, with A. Purdy standing in the back row, n.d. [1990s] Names of other players are also provided: J. Rand (Chairman), B. Gargett, A. Purdy, E. Morley, G. W. Welford (Sec.), M. A. Ashton (Treasurer) Rev. H. C. Reed, T. Linsley, T. W. Cowley, G. Studholme, M. Arnison, J. Robinson (Capt.), A. Cook (Trainer), T. Appleby A. Robson, G. W. White, W. Purdy, T. Mudd, F. Hall, N. Lowson, C. Bowes D. Appleby, C. W. Pratt
(1 photograph, 21 x 26 cm, black and white)


Photocopy of a group photograph of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club in 1923, with A. Purdy standing in the back row, n.d. [1990s] Names of other players are also provided: Back Row: Skinner, Brown, Walters, Bunn, Purdy, Maddison, Blake, MacDonald, Clay, Duffus and Ross Third Row: Banks, White, Forster, B.Smith, Grimsdell, Lowe, Skitt, Bann, Sage, Thompson Second Row: T.A.Deacock, Elkes, Mc Cudden, Dimmock, Seed, Sharp, Jennings, G.Cox Front Row: Barnett, Hendley, Walden, W.H.Smith, Lindsay, Brooks
(1 paper)


Copy photograph of Luton Town Football Club in 1925 with A. Purdy standing in the back row, n. d. [1990s] Names of other players are also provided: Back Row (left to right): Robinson, Graham, Purdy, Mingay, Till, Walker, Anderson Middle Row (Left to Right): Charles Green (Secretary), Rogers, Richards, Thomson, Bedford, Neil, Thompson (J), Millar (R), Littlewood, Barr (Trainer). Front Row (Left to Right): Millar (J), Shanley, Jennings, A. Thompson (Manager), Moffit, Reid, Dennis
(1 photograph, 21 x 15 cm, black and white)


Portrait photograph of Arthur Purdy, n.d. [c. 1928]
(1 photograph, 17 x 22 cm, black and white)


Drawing of a car loaded with Blackpool AFC football players following the road sign 'to Wembley'. Their faces are superimposed with their own photographs, n.d. [c. 1928] Names of players are provided: Back Row: Tremelling, Watson, Benton, Purdy, Gibson, Barnett Front Row: Wilson (holding the ball), Hampson, Oxberry, Downs, Neal
(1 paper)

Birk House Farm, Brignall (Ref: D/X 1900)Tenancy agreements (Ref: D/X 1900)

1880 (1) Robert Ambrose Morritt of Rokeby, Barnard Castle, esq. (2) Robert Kidd of Brignall, tenant Agreement to let by (1) to (2) Birk House Farm and about 88 acres of land as described in enclosed schedule Consideration: £100
(2 papers)


1885 (1) Robert Ambrose Morritt of Rokeby, Barnard Castle, esq. (2) William Tennet of Brignall, tenant Agreement to let by (1) to (2) Birk House Farm and about 88 acres of land as described in enclosed schedule Consideration: £80
(3 papers)


21 June 1922 (1) Major Henry Edward Morritt of Rokeby, Barnard Castle, esq and John Francis Baker, his agent (2) John Mutum of Birk House, Cross Lanes, Barnard Castle, tenant Agreement to let by (1) to (2) Birk House Farm and about 90 acres of land as described in enclosed schedule Consideration: £80 per annum
(1 file)


23 March 1939 (1) Arthur William Watts, agent of Mortham Estates, 1 Church Court, Old Jewry, London (2) Stanley Atkinson of High Grange, Melsonby, North Yorkshire, tenant Agreement to let by (1) to (2) a farm in Brignall and about 90 acres of land as described in enclosed schedule Consideration: £90 per annum
(1 paper)

Farm accounts (Ref: D/X 1900)

Birk House Farm accounts, 2 June 1962 - 25 May 1963
(1 file)


Birk House Farm accounts, 4 June 1966 - 27 May 1967
(1 file)