The compelling story of Peter Lee, the man after which Peterlee was named

The compelling life of the pitman-turned-politician is being celebrated by Wheatley Hill History Club.

The successful club has been awarded £17,900 from the Heritage Lottery project.

The man they named a town after

It is putting that money together with other funding to create a budget of £24,900 for a project called The Man They Named a Town After.

Wheatley Hill genealogist Margaret Hedley said: “Peter Lee is the only man in this country to have a town named after him.”

The history club is working with the team behind the 75th anniversary celebrations in Peterlee to bring his story to primary schools in Wheatley Hill, Thornley, Peterlee and Trimdon where Peter Lee was born.

A compelling story which is coming to East Durham schools

The aim is to create a ‘compelling’ story which captures the imagination of children, their teachers, parents and extended families.

Margaret added: “Working alongside Colin Robson from Durham County Council, we have commissioned a multi-disciplinary creative team to produce a new piece of theatre that will be developed in collaboration with local primary schools and later performed at The Lubetkin Theatre in Peterlee.”

Workshops and classroom events

Pupils from years 4, 5 and 6 will be involved in the creation of the play and there will be a series of workshops as well as classroom activities for children.

‘Alongside their classroom sessions, pupils will be invited to visit Wheatley Hill Heritage Centre.”

They will get to see the Peter Lee exhibition including his grave in Wheatley Hill cemetery.

Peter Lee was born in July 1864, in Trimdon Grange and by the early 1900s he was the checkweighmen at Wheatley Hill Colliery.

Later, he was a prominent council figure in County Durham and President of the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain.

He had worked in 15 pits by the time he was 21.

Open to the public

The exhibition opens with a private event on Friday, June 28, with Peter Lee’s granddaughter Win Colman there.

It will also be open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays after that between 10am and 12pm, and 2pm to 4pm, until the middle of September.

Find out more about the history club at https://wheatley-hill.org.uk/