Common, John
* Information provided by Stan Owen October 2023
John Common (1848-1931) of Harbottle
When William and Florence Brabban met John Common at Rothbury station, they were meeting a local character from one of the oldest families of Northumberland, which traced its descent from the de Comyn family, who came to England with William the Conqueror. John Common had written articles for the Newcastle Weekly Chronicle on the colourful history of Upper Coquetdale and would probably have mentioned that his two younger sons, Edmund and George, were playing their part in The Great War, which was entering its darkest phase and was a frequent topic of conversation among the residents of Upper Coquetdale. The Military Service Act had introduced conscription on 2nd March 1916 and the Battle of the Somme would begin on 1st July.
The above picture, taken at Kidland Hill Foot, shows the familiar figure of John Common, sporting his distinctive white “mutton chop” whiskers and seated behind his white horse, called Molly. By the early 20th century, Harbottle had become a popular holiday destination for people from the industrial towns but getting there required careful planning. Travellers would catch a train to Morpeth to connect with one of the three trains a day to Rothbury, a leisurely journey, often punctuated with a stop to pick blackberries, with the train taking seventy minutes to cover the 24 miles of single track and serving the stations of Meldon, Angerton, Middleton, Scotsgap, Longwitton, Ewesley, Fontburn and Brinkburn. The sight of John Common at Rothbury station was welcome for locals and visitors wishing to continue the final nine miles of their journey to Harbottle. His wife Jane would have several of the nine rooms in Cherry Tree House ready for summer visitors, many of whom would have begun their Harbottle Holiday with a leisurely ride in a horse and trap. There was, however, a surprise in store for first time travellers at Flotterton and Sharperton where John would insist that his passengers alighted and walked up the bank at Flotterton, which Molly found too long and tiring, and down the bank at Sharperton, which she found very steep.
