From: "Brian Pears" <bp@bpears.org.uk> > Towns and cities had street names and houses numbers or names > from an early date and this practice spread to smaller and > smaller places, but even in the first decade of the 20th > century some hamlets were still without house or street names. > Hi Brian, I was born in Norham in North Northumberland, which is quite a large village, yet apart from the council housing estates, there were no street names/numbers until the village postman Alan Hill retired around 1958. At that time the post office made the council erect street name signs and all houses were required to be numbered. Postal deliveries were then made by van from Berwick. Prior to this, houses were mainly named, we lived in 'Ancrum Lodge' and 'Branxton House' but letters addressed to my father as Tommy Simpson, Joiner, Norham, Northumberland were always delivered correctly. As you say, everyone knew everyone else so street addresses were irrelevant. Mike Simpson Penrith, NSW.