THE KYLINS Residents' Association is a small community one mile south of Morpeth in Northumberland.

It derives its name from a large Victorian house in whose land and gardens our houses were built in the 1950s. The house was sold in 1939 by widow Aimee Montague Seed, who we believe was a French lady who married Thomas Hartley Seed who died in 1939.

Thomas Hartley Seed was born in Blackburn. In the 1881 census he was living, aged one, at 3 Cheltenham Street, with his parents Ellen and Charlie Seed, who was an insurance agent.

The residents are researching the history of the old house to try and save it from being pulled down and to preserve the grounds, which are one of the few refuges of the red squirrel.

Our interest is in finding out more about Thomas Hartley Seed who was in the insurance business - like his father - and was a ships broker in the port of Blyth on the North East Coast.

Did he have children? Can any descendants of Ellen and Charlie Seed fill the gaps and tell us if they changed the name of the House from Loansdean House to The Kylins in the 1920s?

A kylin is a fantastic mythical creature from Chinese legends that brings benevolence, wisdom and protection to those he guards throughout their lives.

Why did Thomas Hartley Seed come to this small corner of the North East? How did he meet Aimee and did they rename the house?

Any information can be e-mailed to me, or please write.

MRS HOWES, 1 The Kylins, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 2DJ. (e-mail, KYLINS@aol.com)

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.