Extracts from Roots to Routes Newton

Sherwood Street was built on a single field owned by Mr Stephen Wilkinson of Hilcote Hall. He probably sold the field in the 1880s to Charles Seely and Co for the development of houses for Tibshelf Colliery workers. At this time the houses were lit with oil lamps, and there was no street lighting. Residents of Sherwood Street first appeared in the census of 1901 at which time there were 325 people living there in 108 families. The birthplaces of these families covered 21 English Counties plus Wales, Ireland and India, showing how the collieries attracted so many with their offer of better paid work and new housing. The population of the whole of Newton increased 6 fold from 188 in 1841 to 1,317 in 1901. From Coal Pit to Pulpit The last house on the left at the bottom end of Sherwood St., is one of a few which were not built by the Colliery Company. Originally named "The Willows", it was built by Albert Rowe and his wife Mary Ann nee Brown about 1902. Albert was a miner all hi...