CAN anyone help Alma Coombe with the answer to a problem which has dogged her for years?
Now living in Australia, Alma was born in North Ormesby in 1935 and her dad always referred to the place as "Doggy", but neither Alma nor her sister ever found out why.
And when Alma began researching her family tree she noticed that many of her relatives were born at West Cornforth, in County Durham.
West Cornforth was also known as "Doggy", and had a steelworks.
Again, Alma was puzzled; two connections to her family, both posing the same question.
Can anyone offer any information on the subject?
To help jog people's memories of her family, Alma writes: "Dad's grandfather, Hamilton Jefferson, born in Ireland in 1856, married Mary Graham of Eston and settled in North Ormesby by 1881. Two of Hamilton's brothers also lived there, Hugh, who soon after left for America, and Thomas.
"Hamilton and Mary had at least seven children. They also brought up my father, his sister and brother because their mum died when she was only 21.
"I was born at 18 Thomas Street, North Ormesby, in 1935. Dad joined the army in 1939 and we went to live near Grandma in Marsh Street, Middlesbrough, when the war started. Mum died there in January 1944. Dad got two weeks' compassionate leave then had to return to active service, leaving the three of us with Grandma. We returned to live in N.O. in later years.
"I was married in the local parish church in 1954. The place has changed so much since then!"
Alma can be contacted at almarose@bigpond.com
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