Hi, I've solved the mystery of the "theatre". There is a story in the Jan 3rd 1888 edition of the Shields Daily Gazette, which makes reference to a petty sessions in which James Hunter was brought up for not having a license for a "portable theatre" at Willington Quay. He apparently rented the land. So it looks like James and family were moving from town to town, putting up the theatre where ever they could. That certainly fits the census, birth and marriage records, which has the family all over the  place - James married in Scotland, and though I have not looked yet the details, I can see from newspaper indexes that the name James Hunter crops up a lot in regard to Theatre listings in Scotland. It seems like he was a bit of fixture toward the end of his life at Willington Quay, as the publication The Era, of Aug 29th 1896 contains a quite detailed history of the theatres of Tyneside, and mades reference (in a rather odd turn of phrase) to the "happy hunting grounds of the late James Hunter and his dramatic booth". The article vaguely suggests that the original Theatre was still standing in 1896, with the rumour to the effect that the new owner intended to reopen. So Mill House was obviously just where they were lodging with the "portable theatre" one would assume very close by. John ________________________________ From: Geoff Nicholson <geoff.nicholson@aol.co.uk> To: jd.gosling@btinternet.com; northumbria@rootsweb.com Sent: Thursday, 5 March 2015, 19:31 Subject: Re: [NMB] Mill House, Willington Quay John:        I know nothing of any theatre in the area - would not "Music Hall" be more likely to be the more precise description?  However, as you don't mention it and therefore don't seem to know, I should tell you that to those people who believe in ghosts (I don't!), Willington Mill, which is now long demolished, had the reputation of being the "Most haunted building on Tyneside".  Apparently the ghosts were of a nasty, vindictive type and therefore local people would avoid that building as much as possible.  No doubt others will be able to give you chapter and verse.                 Geoff Nicholson

It sounds like a Punch and Judy Show! >>to the "happy hunting grounds of the late James Hunter and his dramatic booth".

I wonder if this pop up theatre was put on the land of the demolished Mill House, this was a flour mill owned by a Joseph Proctor in the days of the haunting and the mill still stands even though it has been modernised now, the adjoining Mill House was his family home, from what I can gather he didn't live in it for long Margery Sent from my iPhone > On 8 Mar 2015, at 11:28, JOHN GOSLING via <northumbria@rootsweb.com> wrote: > > > So Mill House was obviously just where they were lodging with the "portable theatre" one would assume very close by. > > John > > > > ________________________________ > From: Geoff Nicholson <geoff.nicholson@aol.co.uk> > To: jd.gosling@btinternet.com; northumbria@rootsweb.com > Sent: Thursday, 5 March 2015, 19:31 > Subject: Re: [NMB] Mill House, Willington Quay > > > > John: > > I know nothing of any theatre in the area - would not "Music Hall" be more likely to be the more precise description? However, as you don't mention it and therefore don't seem to know, I should tell you that to those people who believe in ghosts (I don't!), Willington Mill, which is now long demolished, had the reputation of being the "Most haunted building on Tyneside". Apparently the ghosts were of a nasty, vindictive type and therefore local people would avoid that building as much as possible. No doubt others will be able to give you chapter and verse. > > Geoff Nicholson > .. > Please quote the minimum necessary to put your reply on context. Please introduce yourself at the top of every post. > > The NORTHUMBRIA FAQ page is located at http://www.bpears.org.uk/NorthumbriaFAQ/ > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NORTHUMBRIA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message