A COLLECTION of postcards has recently been donated to Ferryhill History Society. The Society has used the pictures to illustrate its 2013 calendar (a bargain at £3: see below for details).

But while the old views are fascinating, the messages on the back are tantalising.

One reads: “Before you come down in the morning, ask Mrs Fleetham if we can have the steps to do the pantry.”What canbe going on here? Has the pantry a high ceiling in need of decoration?

But why would Mrs Fleetham have borrowed the stepladder?

Lizzie Tod used another postcard to send her mother some breaking news: the picture showed the damage to the belfry of St Luke’s Church, Ferryhill, caused by the gale of February 27, 1903.

On the back of a picture of another Ferryhill church – St Luke’s in John Street – Lizzie wrote a poignant message: “Dear A, Expecting a letter by every post. The Church on this card is the place where Harry hung himself. Have been to the Rink and enjoyed it. Kindest regards.

Lizzie.”

She addressed the card to: “Mr. A. A. Tod, 256 Hoffman Street, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. America.”

It was too tantalising amessage for TimBrown, assistant chairman of the society, who started researching the story.

He discovered that Lizzie had enjoyed herself at the new roller skating rink which had been built near Manor Farm in Ferryhill, but he has yetto discoverwho Harrywas and why, poor chap, he hanged himself in the church.

But using census returns, birth and marriage registrations, ship manifests, passport applications and online US newspaper archives, Tim has pieced together the story of the boys from Bishop Auckland who made it big in Baltimore.

The boys’ parents, David Tod and Ann Grey, were married in Edinburgh in 1860.

They moved about the country, having four children, before settling in Tenters Street, Bishop Auckland, where they had a further six.

David supported his offspring through his coachbuilding business – rather like Raine’s of Spennymoor which has featured in Memories recently. His coachworks was in South Street, nextto theWear Valley Hotel, where a tanning shop is now.

The Northern Echo: ON TRACK: The Eldon Arms, Ferryhill station, 1906, from the Tod Collection

His boys did well for themselves. David, his eldest, followed as a coachbuilder.

James qualified as a civil engineer. Adam became a chemist and Henry set himself up as a painter and decorator in farawayFerryhill Station.

In the late 1880s, though, the three eldest decided Bishop wasn’t big enough for their ambition, and they sailed for America.

David, the eldest, was the first to go, in 1889, his arrival in Hempstead on Long Island, New York, coinciding with a dramatic event which led to him becoming the Fire Department Chief.

New York’s local newspaper,the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, said: “The night of his appearance in the village a disastrous conflagration occurred and it was owing to the activities of the future chief that the flames were quenched.”

T HE fire chief was probably an elected position at a time when most firefighters were unpaid volunteers.

As well as fighting fires, David was building coaches.

He exhibited his vehicles at the 1903 Mineola Fair in New York, and the Eagle said: “The Hempstead Road cart built by David Tod is a fine example of handsome work.”

He married – Ida, a Marylander – and together they sang in the local Glee Club and Operatic Society. He played violin at their local Presbyterian church, and they appeared in concertin St George’s Cathedral, Garden City.

The Northern Echo: INTREPID TRAVELLER: David Tod, who left south Durham for a new life as a fire chief in New York. Right, South Street, Bishop Auckland, where David Tod Senior had his coachworks

Soon after David settled on Long Island, his brother, James, sailed over. Although he stayed in America for a number of years, he never really settled.

Third brother Adam also came over. He was the chemist, but soon he was calling himself a doctor or a physician. He was clearly doing well for himself. Not only did he have his house in Baltimore, he had access to a holiday home in fashionable Florida.

He fairly regularly crossed the Atlantic, visiting friends and family in Durham, and holidaying in France.

In August 1905,he evenconvinced his 63-year-old mother Ann to sail over from Bishop Auckland on board the steamship Numidian to visit him. He paid for her saloon class ticket – the equivalent of first class today.

The journey must have gone okay, because in November 1905, Adam’s younger brother Henry – the stay-athome painter and decorator – sailed over, saloon class, with his wife Lizzie on the Etruria.

They probably enjoyed their New York holiday, seeing the new lives their brave brothers had carved out in north America, butthey were not seduced. Once the holiday was over,they returned to the painting and the decorating in Ferryhill Station – butthey made sure thatthe boys in the Big Apple kept in touch with news from home by sending them picture postcards.

Those postcards form the basis of Ferryhill History Society’s 2013 calendar,which is available from the Eldon Arms, Colin’s Chippy and Mainsforth News in Ferryhill Station; The Bait Box in Chilton Lane; Ferrydec, the Ladder Centre, Kelly’s Newsagent, Naylor’s Newsagents and the Manor House Hotel in Ferryhill, and theThinford Nursery atThinford.

Or, for £5, with cheques made payable to the Ferryhill DES RES: A 1906 Tod postcard of Mainsforth Hall History Society at 15 Widecombe Walk, Ferryhill, County Durham DL17 8DD. Call 01740-652771 for further information.

The two brothers had come a long way from their Bishop Auckland life, but Henry and Lizzie remained content to live in Ferryhill Station.