AFTER the Peases came the Plewses. Woodlands, on Woodland Road, Darlington, was taken on by Thomas Plews, brewer, maltster and wine merchant.

(Is there such a word as a maltster: Mr Plews had a large malthouse near the railway on Neasham Road.) Beneath is Mr Plews' obituary from The Northern Echo of June 13, 1885. I quoted it from in last Thursday's Memories about Woodlands, which is now occupied by St Teresa's Hospice.

One of the first things I noticed was that Mr Plews' address was given as Woodlands Road. This road, from Bondgate to Cockerton, started out as Staindrop Lane. When JW Pease enlarged his Woodlands mansion in the early 1860s, it became Woodlands Road. But I reckon around 1910, the road lost the final s - Woodland Road - and so the hospice's address is Woodlands, Woodland Road, which is very confusing.

DEATH OF MR T R M PLEWS OF DARLINGTON

We regretfully announce this morning the death of Mr T.R.M. Plews, J.P., of Darlington, who, after being for some time in ill-health, expired at his residence in Woodlands-road last night. Mr Plews had for a short time been staying in London. He returned on Monday last, on which day he had a serious attack of faintness. Dr. Piper has continually been in attendance, but the deceased gentleman from that time never rallied, the immediate cause of death being syncope.

Mr Plews was born in Edinburgh on the 16th of August, 1834. His father, Mr Thos. Plews, belonged to Bedale, but started business in the Scotch capital as a brewer and spirit merchant, where he married Miss Janet Mackay. In the early part of 1839 he returned to Bedale, where his son resided until 1849. In that year he came to Darlington, and entered the office of his uncle, the late Mr Nathaniel Plews, brewer and spirit merchant, a gentleman who occupied a prominent position in Darlington, and who, as a director of the North-Eastern Railway Company, was closely associated with the development of the railway system. Mr Plews was admitted into partnership with the then firm of Plews & Birchell on the 1st of January, 1856. On the death of Mr Nathaniel Plews the firm was dissolved, and was reconstructed by Mr T.R.M. Plews, who carried on the business, in conjunction with his father, under the style of Plews & Son. Mr Plews, sen., retired from the business in 1863 since which time his son has been the sole partner. Under his energetic management the business has been largely developed, and there are now branch establishments of offices, stores, and bonding cellars at Middlesbrough and Durham. In addition to the previous business, Mr Plews, along with his brother-in-law, Mr Walter Macfarlane, entered largely into the malting business, and in 1874 constructed large maltings at Bank Top. On the incorporation of the borough in 1867, Mr Plews offered himself for election in the South Ward, and was returned at the head of the poll, along with Messrs Richard Benson and R Luck. Messrs Robert Thompson and Robert Teasdale were the defeated candidates. Mr Plews has since then taken an active interest in municipal matters. On the 5th of April, 1876, he qualified as a magistrate for the borough of Darlington, was shortly afterwards elected a member of the Board of Guardians, and in November of the same year became Mayor, in succession to Mr Arthur Pease. Mr Plews married a daughter of the late Dr. Macfarlane, who formerly had an extensive practice in Darlington. Mrs Plews survives her husband, who also leaves three sons and five daughters, one of whom was recently married to Mr Newby, of Stockton.