Byers Green
Encyclopedia
Byers Green is a village in County Durham
, in England
. It is situated to the north of Bishop Auckland
, between Willington
and Spennymoor
, and a short distance from the River Wear
.
Thomas Wright
, (1711-1786) a famous 18th century astronomer
, architect and mathematician was born and died here. He was one of the first scientists to suggest a theory for the origin of the Milky Way
.
Matthew Grierson was also born here.
Harold Orton
, a noted 20th century linguist and English dialectologist was also born here.
Sir Percy Cradock
, GCMG, a senior British civil servant, was born 26 October 1923 in Byers Green. He was educated at Alderman Wraith Grammar School, Spennymoor
followed by St John's College, Cambridge
where he read law. Cradock held a number of senior diplomatic posts including Ambassador
to China
. Later in his career he was labelled by the media as the 'UK's most senior spy' because he chaired the Joint Intelligence Committee (UK) under Margaret Thatcher's government.
It is not known whether there was a village at Byers Green in the Anglo-Saxon
period. The village name is quite late; it was first recorded in 1345 as Bires. It is probably the exact equivalent of the modern word 'byres'. The village name thus means '(the green by the) cowsheds'.
Byers Green remained a farming area throughout the medieval period and into 16th and 17th century. Most people would have worked on the land.
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is situated to the north of Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland is a market town and civil parish in County Durham in north east England. It is located about northwest of Darlington and southwest of Durham at the confluence of the River Wear with its tributary the River Gaunless...
, between Willington
Willington, County Durham
Willington is a former-pit town in County Durham, England. It is in the foothills of the Pennines and near the River Wear close to Crook and Bishop Auckland. Like many communities in the area, Willington's economy was largely based on coal mining. The closure of the colliery in 1967 therefore hit...
and Spennymoor
Spennymoor
Spennymoor is a town in County Durham, England. It stands above the Wear Valley approximately seven miles south of Durham. The town was founded over 160 years ago...
, and a short distance from the River Wear
River Wear
The River Wear is located in North East England, rising in the Pennines and flowing eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea at Sunderland.-Geology and history:...
.
Thomas Wright
Thomas Wright (astronomer)
Thomas Wright was an English astronomer, mathematician, instrument maker, architect and garden designer. He was the first to describe the shape of the Milky Way and speculate that faint nebulae were distant galaxies....
, (1711-1786) a famous 18th century astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
, architect and mathematician was born and died here. He was one of the first scientists to suggest a theory for the origin of the Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
.
Matthew Grierson was also born here.
Harold Orton
Harold Orton
Harold Orton was an English university lecturer and dialectologist, best remembered as co-founder of the Survey of English Dialects . Orton developed the questionnaire for the survey together with Eugen Dieth...
, a noted 20th century linguist and English dialectologist was also born here.
Sir Percy Cradock
Percy Cradock
Sir Percy Cradock, GCMG was a British diplomat, civil servant and sinologist who served as British Ambassador to the People's Republic of China from 1978 to 1983, playing a significant role in the Sino-British negotiations which led up to the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration in...
, GCMG, a senior British civil servant, was born 26 October 1923 in Byers Green. He was educated at Alderman Wraith Grammar School, Spennymoor
Spennymoor
Spennymoor is a town in County Durham, England. It stands above the Wear Valley approximately seven miles south of Durham. The town was founded over 160 years ago...
followed by St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
where he read law. Cradock held a number of senior diplomatic posts including Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Later in his career he was labelled by the media as the 'UK's most senior spy' because he chaired the Joint Intelligence Committee (UK) under Margaret Thatcher's government.
It is not known whether there was a village at Byers Green in the Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
period. The village name is quite late; it was first recorded in 1345 as Bires. It is probably the exact equivalent of the modern word 'byres'. The village name thus means '(the green by the) cowsheds'.
Byers Green remained a farming area throughout the medieval period and into 16th and 17th century. Most people would have worked on the land.