Continuing the story of the family founded by William Copus and Mary Stuart in the 19th century, we pick up with their daughters Mary and Esther, who shared a husband, George Watts.
Table of Contents
To enhance readability, this family history is divided into several parts.
G5: Mary Ann Copus (1848-1876) and Esther Copus (1850-1870)
Unusually, due to the intertwined nature of their lives, we are considering the histories of these two sisters together.
Birth: Mary Ann Copus was born in Ireland during 1846. She was the fifth child of William and Mary. Her father was an English soldier stationed there with the Royal Artillery. They soon moved back to England to live in Woolwich, where Esther was born in 1850.
Marriage (1): Esther married George Watts on 26 September 1867 at St Mary Magdalene Church in Woolwich. She was just 16 years old and likely pregnant at the time, while George was 22.
Spouse history: George had been born in Woolwich in around 1845.
Children: (1) George in 1868, (2) Esther in 1869.
Death: Esther died in 1870 when aged just 20 and was buried at Linthorpe Cemetery on 30 October.
Marriage (2): following Esther’s death, Mary and George formed a relationship and married within a year, on 1 May 1871 at St Hilda’s Church.
Residences: Esther and George moved to Middlesbrough in 1869, following her sisters Elizabeth and Jane and their husbands (who were father and son) had had moved a couple of years earlier. Her mother and other siblings, including Mary, would soon follow.
By 1871, newlyweds Mary and George lived together on Grange Street, a short cul-de-sac of terraced houses in industrial north of the town. After Mary’s death, George remained closely connected to the Copus family. In 1881 he lived next door to his former sister-in-law Jane and two along from Emily, and in 1891 he was living beside another sister, Elizabeth.
- Mary: Ann Street, Woolwich (1851); Rush Grove, Woolwich (1852); 5 Rush Grove Street, Woolwich (1856-1867); 1 Grange Street, Middlesbrough (1871)
- Esther: Ann Street, Woolwich (1851); Rush Grove, Woolwich (1852); 5 Rush Grove Street, Woolwich (1856-1867); 17 Waterman’s Fields, Woolwich (1868);
- George: 17 Waterman’s Fields, Woolwich (1867-1868); 1 Grange Street, Middlesbrough (1871); 16 Jamieson Street, Middlesbrough (1877); 42 Denmark Street, Middlesbrough (1879-1886); 101 Grange Road West, Middlesbrough (1888-1893); 1 Victoria Terrace, Middlesbrough (1899-1911); 9 Victoria Road, Middlesbrough (1912-1924); 265 Union Street, Middlesbrough (1925-1926)
Occupations: George was a labourer who at times worked as a block maker and an engine fitter at an ironworks. By 1901 he made a career change and became a self-employed furniture dealer, working in this role until retirement. Mary was a servant.
Death: Mary died on 13 July 1876, aged just 28, and was buried at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Cemetery.
Notes: in 1877, George remarried, this time to Hannah Smith, with whom he had three more children (James, Charles and Henry). He died in 1928 at the age of 83 and was buried in Linthorpe Cemetery on 14 June.
G4: George William Watts (1868-1947)
Birth: George William Watts was born in Woolwich on 28 June 1868, nine months after the marriage of his parents George and Esther.
Christening: on 16 August 1868 at St Mary Magdalene Church in Woolwich.
Marriage: to Louisa Grayson during 1887 in Middlesbrough. They were both aged 18.
Spouse history: Louisa had been born in Middlesbrough during 1869, the fourth child of Thomas Grayson and Elizabeth Waddle. She was christened at St Hilda’s Church during July. In 1871 the family had a terraced house on Dock Street close to the shipyards where her father worked as an iron shipwright. By 1881 they had moved to nearby School Croft, close to a large chemical works.
Children: (1) George in 1887, (2) Elizabeth in 1889, (3) Anthony in 1891, (4) John in 1893, (5) Florence in 1896, (6) Albert in 1899, (7) Edith in 1901, (8) Edward in 1904, (9) Earnest in 1910. Sadly, Elizabeth died in childhood.
Residences: the newlyweds lived on Brunswick Street, a narrow road adjacent to the railway station, but by 1904 had moved the short distance to Mount Street, before finally settling on Richardson Street.
- George: 1 Grange Street (1871); 16 Jamieson Street, Middlesbrough (1877); 42 Denmark Street (1879-1881); 10 Brunswick Street (1889-1902); 51 Mount Street (1904); 16 Richardson Street (1911-1946) – all in Middlesbrough.
- Louisa: 37 Dock Street (1871); 22 School Croft (1881); 10 Brunswick Street (1889-1902); 51 Mount Street (1904); 16 Richardson Street (1911-1935) – all in Middlesbrough.
Occupations: George initially worked in the shipyards before becoming a wringing machine repairer by 1901, a job he would hold for the next 40 years. In the early 20th century doing your laundry at home was a time-consuming and physically demanding job. As most homes had no hot running water, water had to be first heated on the stove. The weekly wash was then put into a tub with the hot water and soap. To help remove dirt, the laundry was either scrubbed using a washboard or agitated in the hot soapy water with a ‘dolly’ or stick. After the initial wash, the clothing and bedding would be repeatedly rinsed and rolled through a wringer (also known as a mangle) to get rid of the dirty water. Once rinsed and mangled, the damp laundry was hung up to dry. It appears that George’s job was to repair those valuable mangles, either those used at home or the industrial variants used in laundries.
Deaths: Louisa died on 20 August 1935 when aged 66 and was buried in Linthorpe Cemetery. George died on 11 March 1947 when aged 78. He was buried alongside his wife.
G3: George Thomas Watts (1887-?)
Birth: George Thomas Watts was born in Middlesbrough during 1887. He was the first child of newlyweds George and Louisa.
Christening: on 25 September 1887 at St Hilda’s Church on Market Place.
Residences: 23-year-old George had left home by the time of the 1911 census, when he was a boarder in the home of Herbert and Sarah Avery and their four children in a relatively new terraced house on Harford Street in the Ayresome suburb.
- 10 Brunswick Street, Middlesbrough (1889-1902); 18 Harford Street, Middlesbrough (1911)
Occupations: in 1911 George was an apprentice ship plater in one of the nearby shipyards.
Notes: George almost certainly married Elsie Bassindale Marshall in 1912, but further confirmation is needed.
G3: Elizabeth Hannah Watts (1889-1894)
Birth: Elizabeth Hannah Watts was born in Middlesbrough during 1889. She was the second child of George and Louisa.
Christening: on 1 September 1889 at St Hilda’s Church on Market Place.
Residences: 10 Brunswick Street, Middlesbrough (1889-1894).
Death: Elizabeth died aged 5 and was buried at Linthorpe Cemetery on 29 October 1894.
G3: Anthony Henry Watts (1891-1991)
Birth: Anthony Henry Watts was born in Middlesbrough on 8 August 1891. He was the third child of George and Louisa.
Christening: on 16 August 1891 at St Hilda’s Church on Market Place.
Marriage: to Bertha Everett Sheldon during 1914 in Middlesbrough. He was aged 22 and she was 20.
Spouse history: Bertha had been born in Thornaby-on-Tees on 26 September 1893 to bricklayer John Sheldon and his wife Mary Elizabeth – and was the youngest of their children by quite some way. She was christened a few weeks later at St Luke’s Church, not far from the family home on Walker Street. They later moved literally moved around the corner to Gilmore Street, and then on to Primrose Terrace.
Children: (1) Olga in 1916, (2) Dennis in 1920, (3) Barry in 1930.
Residences: by the end of the war in 1918 the family lived on Haddon Street. They later moved out to Redcar on the Yorkshire coast and by 1937 had a house on Thrush Road, close to the racecourse, where they lived for the next three decades. In 1970 the couple returned to Middlesbrough, where they retired into a bungalow on Malven Drive.
- Anthony: 10 Brunswick Street, Middlesbrough (1891-1902); 51 Mount Street, Middlesbrough (1904); 16 Richardson Street, Middlesbrough (1911); 9 Haddon Street, Middlesbrough (1918-1925); 41 Turner Street, Redcar (1934-1936), 63 Thrush Road, Redcar (1937-1969); 80 Malvern Drive (1970-1974)
- Bertha: 3 Walker Street, Thornaby-on-Tees (1893); 5 Gilmore Street, Thornaby-on-Tees (1901); 24 Primrose Terrace, Thornaby-on-Tees (1911); 9 Haddon Street, Middlesbrough (1918-1925); 41 Turner Street, Redcar (1934-1936), 63 Thrush Road, Redcar (1937-1969); 80 Malvern Drive (1970-1974)
Occupations: in 1911 when he was aged 19, Anthony worked as a crane driver in a moulding shop. This was the section of an iron or steelworks where the molten metal was poured into a mould to produce cast metal products. This allowed for the mass production of complex and detailed shapes. By 1921 he was an engineer for the Furness Shipbuilding Company on Haverton Hill, an 85-acre site on the north bank of the Tees opposite Middlesbrough. This was a new shipyard that had only recently been built. After moving out to Redcar, Anthony worked as a machinist in the iron and steel industry.
Deaths: Bertha died aged 90 and was buried in Linthorpe Cemetery on 10 November 1983. Anthony survived her for eight years and died in the summer of 1991 when aged 99.
G2: Olga Lydia Watts (1916-1995)
Birth: Olga Lydia Watts was born in Middlesbrough on 23 April 1916. She was the first child of Anthony and Bertha.
Marriage: to Douglas Bond Somerville Thompson on 1 September 1936 in Christ Church, Coatham. She was aged 20 and he was 23.
Spouse history: Douglas had been born in Middlesbrough on 15 November 1912 to Paul S. Thompson and Eliza Bond. In 1921 the family lived on Ruby Street in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, where his mother was a milliner shopkeeper. There is no mention of his father.
Children: unknown.
Divorce: the couple appeared to divorce in the late 1950s as Douglas married Hilary Mary Maddison in 1960. However, it’s possible that the couple re-married in 1982.
Residences: in 1935 Douglas lodged with the Pilkington family in their large home called ‘Beechwood’ on Victoria Terrace. After their marriage the couple moved to ‘Oakwood’ on Marton Moor in the village of Nunthorpe. They lived here for two years before moving to the similarly named Marton Road in Middlesbrough. In 1948 they moved back to Saltburn where they lived in a large Victorian villa on leafy Albion Terrace. Olga continued to live there for a few years after their divorce.
- Olga: 9 Haddon Street, Middlesbrough (1918-1925); ‘Oakwood’, Marton Moor, Nunthorpe (1937-1938); 206 Marton Road, Middlesbrough (1939-1947); Hawthorne House, Albion Terrace, Saltburn by the Sea (1948-1963); 67 Low Lane, Middlesbrough (1965-1974)
- Douglas: 52 Ruby Street, Saltburn by the Sea (1921); Beechwood, Victoria Terrace, Saltburn by the Sea (1935-1936); ‘Oakwood’, Marton Moor, Nunthorpe (1937-1938); 206 Marton Road, Middlesbrough (1939); Hawthorne House, Albion Terrace, Saltburn by the Sea (1948-1959); 9 Abdale Avenue, Middlesbrough (1992).
Occupation: by 1939 Douglas was a motor mechanic and a garage proprietor, probably in the garage adjacent to his home. He was also a part-time ambulance driver with the ARP.
Deaths: Olga died in April 1995 when aged 79.
Notes: Douglas died on 20 August 1992 when aged 79.
G2: Dennis Watts (1920-?)
Birth: Dennis Watts was born in Middlesbrough on 2 June 1920. He was the second child of Anthony and Bertha.
Occupations: by 1939 Dennis had followed in his father’s footsteps and was an apprentice turner in the iron and steel industry.
Residences: Dennis lived at home with his parents until the late 1940s.
- 9 Haddon Street, Middlesbrough (1921); 63 Thrush Road, Redcar (1939-1948)
Notes: it’s possible that he married Joyce Penketh in 1949, which coincides with him leaving home, but due to the commonality of his name more evidence is required. He likely died in 2010.
G3: John Charles Watts (1893-1976)
Birth: John Charles Watts was born in Middlesbrough on 22 November 1893. He was the fourth child of George and Louisa.
Christening: on 19 December 1893 at St Hilda’s Church on Market Place.
Marriage: to Ada Gravelle on 23 July 1932 at St Paul’s Church. He was aged 39 and she was 41.
Spouse history: Ada had been born in Middlesbrough on 23 July 1891 to John Speed and Maria Julia Johnson. Her father was an engineman at the Dorman Long steelworks and the family lived on Carey Street throughout her childhood. On 14 January 1919 Ada married soldier Frank Gravell at St Paul’s Church. After demobilisation Frank went to work in the Port Clarence steelworks of Dorman Long. The couple lived with Ada’s parents, moving with them to Parliament Road in 1923. After Frank died in 1928, the widow Ada moved with her parents to Outram Street in 1931.
Occupations: John was aged 17 when the 1911 census was taken and worked as a barman in a pub. He later worked in the steel industry where he was a sheet galvaniser at Dorman Long, rising to become the shift foreman by 1939.
Residences: after leaving home in 1920, John lodged with William Tonks and family on Outram Street for several years, moving with Sarah Tonks to nearby Ross Street in 1926 and Crescent Road in 1928. If this was a relationship in then ended, as John moved back in with his parents in 1931. After marrying, John and Ada settled into a house on Coder Road where they would live until John’s death 45 years later.
- John: 10 Brunswick Street (1893-1902); 51 Mount Street (1904); 16 Richardson Street (1911-1920, 1931-1932); 32 Outram Street (1920-1925); 10 Ross Street (1926-1927); 112 Crescent Road (1928-1930); 3 Outram Street (1933); 1 (1934-1976) – all in Middlesbrough.
- Ada: 3 Carey Street (1891-1893); 37 Carey Street (1894-1901); 58 Outram Street (1919); 11 Princes Road (1921); 95 Parliament Road (1923-1930); 3 Outram Street (1931-1933); 30 Corder Road (1934-1976) – all in Middlesbrough
Deaths: John died at home on 25 March 1976 when aged 82.
Notes: in the 1911 census, Ada is probably working as a domestic servant for the Muncaster family of Imperial Avenue in Stockton-on-Tees.
G3: Florence Louisa Watts (1896-1938)
Birth: Florence Louisa Watts was born in Middlesbrough during 1896. She was the fifth child of George and Louisa.
Christening: on 16 February 1896 at St Hilda’s Church on Market Place.
Marriage: to James Watts on 17 September 1917 at St John the Evangelist’s Church, Marton Road. They were both aged 21.
Spouse history: James had been born in Wolstanton in Staffordshire on 25 January 1896 to Ebenezer Watts and Edith Elizabeth Mason. In 1901 they lived on Moorland View in the hamlet of Smallthorne, a cluster of terraced houses amongst fields in what is now Stoke-on-Trent. His father worked in one of the local coal mines. Over the next decade they moved to Middlesbrough, where in 1911 his father was a chain inspector in a cast iron foundry.
Children: (1) Florence in 1918, (2) Ernest in 1919.
Occupations: at the time of their marriage in 1917 Florrie was a driver and James worked as a fireman, tending the boilers of a steelworks rather than of the emergency services. By 1921 he worked for Cochrane and Co in their Cargo Fleet foundry as a chainsmith striker, involved in shaping molten metal into shapes. By 1939 James had changed occupations and was now a bus and taxi proprietor.
Residences:
- Florrie: 10 Brunswick Street, Middlesbrough (1896-1902); 51 Mount Street, Middlesbrough (1904); 16 Richardson Street, Middlesbrough (1911-1917); 8 Louisa Street, Middlesbrough (1918); 8 Diamond Road, Middlesbrough (1921-1922); 83 Ormesby Road, Middlesbrough (1936-1938)
- John: 5 Moorland View, Smallthorne (1901); 8 Louisa Street, Middlesbrough (1911-1918); 8 Diamond Road, Middlesbrough (1921-1922); 83 Ormesby Road, Middlesbrough (1936-1939)
Deaths: Florrie died during early 1938 and was buried at Holy Trinity on James Street.
G2: Florence Louisa Watts (1918-)
Birth: Florence Louisa Watts was born in Middlesbrough on 27 June 1918. She was the first child of James and Florrie.
Christening: on 31 July 1918 at St Hilda’s Church on Market Place.
Residences: 8 Louisa Street, Middlesbrough (1918); 8 Diamond Road, Middlesbrough (1921-1922); 83 Ormesby Road, Middlesbrough (1936-1939)
G2: Ernest Albert Watts (1919-)
Birth: Ernest Albert Watts was born in Middlesbrough during 1919. He was the second child of James and Florrie.
Military service: Ernest served in the RAF during the war, and at the time of his marriage was a rigger with No. 214 Squadron. Based at RAF Feltwell in Norfolk, the squadron flew the Handley Page Harrow heavy bomber, which despite only having entered service just two years before was already outdated. A rigger was an airframe mechanic whose job it was to tend to the aircraft’s airframe, as opposed to a fitter, who maintained engines and mechanical systems, with both working together to ensure that aircraft were serviceable and combat ready.
Marriage: to Edna May Hunter on 25 November 1939 at St Barnabas in Linthorpe. He was aged 20 and she was 26.
Spouse history: Edna was several years older than Ernest and had been born in Middlesbrough on 23 April 1913 to John William Hunter and Mary Jane Emmerson. Her father was a crane driver at the Dorman Long steelworks and the family lived on Shakespeare Street. In 1939 Edna lived with her family and worked as a ‘finery ironer’ in a laundry.
Residences:
- Ernest: 8 Diamond Road, Middlesbrough (1921-1922)
- Edna: 66 Shakespeare Street, Middlesbrough (1913-1921); 4 Aire Street, Middlesbrough (1939)
G3: Albert William Watts (1899-1966)
Birth: Albert William Watts was born in Middlesbrough on 14 May 1899. He was the sixth child of George and Louisa.
Christening: on 28 May 1899 at St Hilda’s Church on Market Place.
Marriage: to Hannah Mora Morley on 3 June 1922 in Middlesbrough. He was aged 23 and she was 21.
Spouse history: Douglas had been born on 28 November 1900 in the village of Stokesley, eight miles south of Middlesbrough, and was the fourth and penultimate child of George William Morley and Elizabeth Jane Appleton. When the census was taken the following year, the family lived in a cottage in the nearby village of Hemlington where her father worked as a farm labourer. They moved back to Stokesley over the next decade where the 1911 census captured them living on a road called Beck Side. There is no sign of her father, yet her mother is not recorded as a widow.
Children: (1) Dorothy in 1922, (2) Albert in 1924.
Military service: Albert joined the army in June 1918 when aged 19, serving with the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry with service number 68032. He was transferred to the Royal Army Service Corps in May 1919 as a driver and given the service number 385115. He was discharged in April 1920 after less than two years of service. At the age of 26, Albert enlisted into the Territorial Force of the Royal Tank Corps on 11 February 1926 for a period of four years, receiving service number 545895.
Occupations: Albert was an electric welder in a foundry. This was a crucial role in joining metal components using electrical currents to generate heat. In a foundry setting, welding was often employed to assemble or repair metal structures, components, or castings.
Residences: in 1939 the family lived in a terraced house on Buxton Street, which would be there home well into the 1960s.
- Albert: 10 Brunswick Street (1899-1902); 51 Mount Street (1904); 16 Richardson Street (1911-1922); 54 Banks Street (1923); 6 Richardson Street (1929); 65 Buxton Street (1930-1966) – all in Middlesbrough.
- Hannah: Beck Side, Stokesley (1911); 54 Banks Street (1923); 6 Richardson Street (1929); 65 Buxton Street, Middlesbrough (1930-1967)
Deaths: Albert died in Middlesbrough during 1966 when aged 67. Hannah died a year later on 22 July 1967 when aged 66.
Notes: on the 1911 census he was cited as ‘William Albert’ rather than ‘Albert William’.
G2: Dorothy Winifred Watts (1922-1991)
Birth: Dorothy Winifred Watts was born in Middlesbrough on 21 December 1922. She was the first child of Albert and Hannah.
Marriage: to Jeffrey Wright on 4 September 1943 at St Egelwin’s Church in the small village of Scalford, Leicestershire. She was aged 20 and she was 22.
Spouse history: Jeffrey had been born in Scalford on 21 December 1920 to James Eaton Wright and Elizabeth Ellen Marsden. He was christened in March. It was a large family and Jeffrey was the sixth of an eventual nine children. They lived in a house on Chapel Street, while his father was a carter in the nearby brickyards of Lion Brick and Tile Co.
Children: two.
Occupations: in 1939 when she was aged 16, Dorothy worked as a grocery shop assistant. She still had this job when she was married, while Jeffrey was a farmer, however the certificate also shows that both were serving in the armed forces in the army and WRAF respectively.
Residences: they moved to the Derbyshire village of Kirk Hallam later in life.
- Dorothy: 65 Buxton Street, Middlesbrough (1930-1948); 69 Wirksworth Road, Kirk Hallam (1991)
- Jeffrey: Chapel St, Scalford (1921); Cumberland Lodge, Scalford (1943)
Deaths: Dorothy died in Kirk Hallam on 18 March 1991 when aged 68. Jeffrey survived her for five years and died there on 27 March 1996 when aged 75.
G2: Albert Watts (1924-2003)
Birth: Albert Watts was born in Stokesley on 18 October 1924. He was the second child of Albert and Hannah.
Marriage: to Jean Brough during 1953. He was aged 28.
Children: a girl in 1956.
Occupations: in 1939 Albert worked an errand boy for an ironmonger. In 1967 he was a process engineer.
Residences:
- Albert: 65 Buxton Street, Middlesbrough (1930-1956); 28 Lodge Road, Middlesbrough (2003-2004)
- Jean: 65 Buxton Street, Middlesbrough (1954-1956); 28 Lodge Road, Middlesbrough (2003-2004)
Deaths: Albert died in Middlesbrough during April 2003 when aged 78. Jean survived him until 2015 when she died on 1 September, being cremated at Teesside Crematorium.
G3: Edith Lilian Watts (1901-1987)
Birth: Edith Lilian Watts was born in Middlesbrough on 24 July 1901. She was the seventh child of George and Louisa.
Christening: on 15 August 1901 at St Hilda’s Church on Market Place.
Marriage: to John Thomas Iseton on 5 Apr 1920 at St John the Evangelist’s. She was aged 18 and he was 22.
Spouse history: John had been born in West Cornforth in Durham on 10 August 1897, the eldest son of newlyweds George Iseton and Jane Molyneux. By 1901 the young family had moved south to the Middlesbrough area where his father found work as a dock labourer. They lived in the nearby industrialised enclave Cargo Fleet in a terraced house on Tyne Street. John was registered at Princess Street Primary School in 1904. By 1911 they had moved to the small town of South Bank, about 3 miles from Middlesbrough, which had grown up around a steel works on the Tees. His father was a metal carrier in a blast furnace and the lived in a typical terraced house on Pym Street.
Children: (1) John in 1923, (2) Eric in 1929, (3) Peter in 1934.
Residences: the newlyweds initially lived with Edith’s brother Albert on Richardson Street, before moving into a home of their own on Banks Street in 1923. They then moved to a new estate in Acklam, first living on Endsleigh Drive and then moving literally around the corner to Corby Avenue, their home for at least the next 30 years.
- Edith: 10 Brunswick Street (1901-1902); 51 Mount Street (1904); 16 Richardson Street (1911-1920); 40 Richardson Street (1920-1921); 54 Banks Street (1923-1936); 12 Endsleigh Drive (1938-1939), 17 Corby Avenue (1945-1974) – all in Middlesbrough.
- John: 5 Tyne Street (1901-1904); 2 Pym Street, South Bank (1911); 16 Richardson Street (1920); 40 Richardson Street (1920-1921); 54 Banks Street (1923-1936); 12 Endsleigh Drive (1938-1939); 17 Corby Avenue (1945-1974) – all in Middlesbrough.
Occupations: John was a shipyard plater – a skilled trade whose primary duties involved measuring and cutting the plates of steel that formed a ship’s hull. These plates would be rolled to form the various contours required to form the hull, and either riveted or welded together.
Deaths: John died in Cleveland during 1980 when aged 83. Edith survived him for seven years and died there during 1987 when aged 86.
G2: John George Iseton (1923-2003)
Birth: John George Iseton was born in Middlesbrough on 14 April 1923. He was the first child of John and Edith. He as commonly known by his middle name.
Marriage: to Mildred Ann Wright during 1945 in Middlesbrough. He was aged 21 and she was 20.
Spouse history Mildred had been born in Middlesbrough on 3 January 1924 to Richard Norfolk Wright and Mary Elena Clare. In 1939 the family lived in a semi-detached house on Manton Avenue in Acklam. 15-year-old Mildred was a shop worker, while her father worked in steel rolling.
Children: a boy in 1948.
Occupations: by September 1939, 16-year-old George had followed in his father’s footsteps and become an apprentice shipyard plater.
Residences: in the early 1950s the couple had a house just around the corner from John’s parents on an estate in Acklam. They then moved away from Middlesbrough and after a couple of years living in a terraced house in pretty the only road in the village of Dunstable, finally settled in Redcar.
- John: 12 Endsleigh Drive, Middlesbrough (1938-1939); 17 Corby Avenue, Middlesbrough (1945); 16 Richardson Street, Middlesbrough (1947-1949); 25 Stoneyhurst Avenue, Middlesbrough (1950-1956); 31 Redcar Road, Dunsdale (1957-1958); 36 Yeoman Street, Redcar (1959-1963); 64 Kent Close, Redcar (1964-1968); 88 Blakey Close, Redcar (1969-1973); 322 Laburnum Road, Redcar (2003)
- Mildred: 14 Manton Avenue, Middlesbrough (1939); 17 Corby Avenue, Middlesbrough (1945); 16 Richardson Street, Middlesbrough (1947-1949); 25 Stoneyhurst Avenue, Middlesbrough (1950-1956); 31 Redcar Road, Dunsdale (1957-1958); 36 Yeoman Street, Redcar (1959-1963); 64 Kent Close, Redcar (1964-1968); 88 Blakey Close, Redcar (1969-1973)
Deaths: Mildred died in Middlesbrough on 6 October 2002 when aged 78, with John following on 3 September 2003 when aged 80.
G2: Eric William Iseton (1929-2016)
Birth: Eric William Iseton was born in Middlesbrough on 3 May 1929. He was the second child of John and Edith.
Marriage: to Norma Green during 1958 in Middlesbrough. He was aged 28 and she was 22.
Children: two girls born in 1962 and 1963.
Residences: after their marriage the couple lived in a terraced house on Leinster Road for many years. From at least 2002 they had a bungalow on an estate in the suburb of Coulby Newham.
- Eric: 12 Endsleigh Drive, Middlesbrough (1938-1939); 17 Corby Avenue, Middlesbrough (1945-1958); 24 Stamford Street, Middlesbrough (1959); 16 Leinster Road, Middlesbrough (1960-1974); 103 Fox Howe, Coulby Newham (2002-2014)
- Norma: 24 Stamford Street, Middlesbrough (1959); 16 Leinster Road, Middlesbrough (1960-1974); 103 Fox Howe, Coulby Newham (2002-2011)
Deaths: Norma died in Middlesbrough on 31 January 2011 when aged 75. Eric survived her for five years and died on 15 January 2016, being cremated at Teesside Crematorium.
G3: Edward Stanley Watts (1904-1963)
Birth: Edward Stanley Watts was born in Middlesbrough on 20 July 1904. He was the eighth child of George and Louisa.
Christening: on 31 July 1904 at St Hilda’s Church on Market Place.
Marriage (1): to Doris Edna Reynolds on 19 November 1921 at Holy Trinity in Ormesby. The marriage registers cites them both as being aged 21, but he was in fact just 17 and she a year older. Doris was pregnant at the time.
Spouse history (1): Doris had been born in Middlesbrough on 15 July 1903 to John William Reynolds and Edith Annie Young. Her father was a fireman, and they lived on Telford Street. By 1921 her father was dead and the family of seven lived with her grandmother on Charles Street in North Ormesby. Doris worked as a baker and confectioner at 44 Boro Road West.
Children (1): Edward in 1922.
Death: Doris died in 1923 when aged just 19.
Marriage (2): to Sophia Ward on 24 October 1925 at All Saints Church in Skelton-in-Cleveland. He was aged 21 and she was 20.
Spouse history: Sophia had been born on 11 December 1904, one of the 12 children of William Ward and Sophia Grange. The family lived in the village of Skelton-in-Cleveland, just a few miles down the road from Marske. Her father was a miner and worked as a ‘back by deputy’ in one of the local ironstone mines. He was responsible for ensuring safety in a section of the mine, inspecting the working area, checking for safety hazards like gas leaks, and ensuring miners are following safety procedures before they start work in their assigned section (i.e. had to give the okay before a miner could go back to their work area).
Children: (1) Keith in 1927
Occupation: despite being only 16 years old when the 1921 census was taken, Edward worked as a corrugated sheet labourer in the rolling mills of Dorman Long. By the time of his first marriage later that year he had become a galvinser, involved in the process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron to prevent rusting. He worked in this role until at least 1939, when in addition he was also an auxiliary fireman and lived opposite the fire station.
Residences: despite their young age, Edward and Stephen made a home together away from their parents, moving to the seaside town of Marske where they lived in Erimus Hutments adjacent to the small aerodrome. Following Doris’s death, Edward briefly moved back home, likely so that his mother could help with their young son. After marrying Sophia, they settled in her hometown of Skelton.
- Edward: 51 Mount Street, Middlesbrough (1904); 16 Richardson Street, Middlesbrough (1911-1921); 45 Charles Street, Middlesbrough (1921); 40 Erimus Hutments, Marske-by-the-Sea (1922); 57 High Street, Skelton-in-Cleveland (1926); 1 Carrick’s Yard, Skelton-in-Cleveland (1927-1948); 89 High Street, Skelton-in-Cleveland (1949-1963)
- Doris: 45 Charles Street, Middlesbrough (1921); 40 Erimus Hutments, Marske-by-the-Sea (1922)
- Sophia: 46 High Street, Skelton-in-Cleveland (1911-1921); 57 High Street, Skelton-in-Cleveland (1925-1926); 1 Carrick’s Yard, Skelton-in-Cleveland (1927-1948); 89 High Street, Skelton-in-Cleveland (1949-1969); 7 Yeoman Street, Skelton-in-Cleveland (1970-1971)
Deaths: Edward died in Skelton in 1963 when aged just 59 and was buried in the parish graveyard on 14 November. Sophia survived him by 30 years and died on 26 April 1995 when aged 90.
G2: Edward William Stanley Watts (1922-1982)
Birth: Edward William Stanley Watts was born in Middlesbrough on 29 June 1922. He was the first child of George and Doris, although his mother died six months later.
Christening: on 13 July 1922 at St John’s Church in Marske.
Marriage: to Catherine Brannigan during 1941 in Middlesbrough.
Occupations: in 1939 when he was aged 16, Edward worked as a corrugated sheet labourer.
Residences: it’s not known where Edward grew up following the death of his mother, whether he remained with his father or grandparents. In 1939 he lived with his paternal grandfather. After their marriage the couple lived on Blake Street for a few years before settling in a house on Thornton Street, their home for the remainder of their lives.
- Edward: 40 Erimus Hutments, Marske-by-the-Sea (1922); 16 Richardson Street, Middlesbrough (1939); 11 Blake Street, Middlesbrough (1945-1951); 105 Thornton Street, Middlesbrough (1951-1982)
- Catherine: 11 Blake Street, Middlesbrough (1945-1951); 105 Thornton Street, Middlesbrough (1951-2003)
Deaths: Edward died on 15 May 1982 when aged 59.
G2: Keith Watts (1927-1996)
Birth: Keith Watts was born on 27 June 1927. He was the first child of George with second wife Sophia.
Residences: 1 Carrick’s Yard, Skelton-in-Cleveland (1927-1948); 89 High Street, Skelton-in-Cleveland (1949-1962)
Deaths: during 1996 when aged 68.
G2: Anthony Watts (1931-2011)
Birth: Anthony Watts was born in 1931. He was the second child of George with second wife Sophia.
Marriage: to Joyce Forster during 1958. He was aged 27 and she was 25.
Spouse history: Joyce had been born in 1933 to Norman Foster and Eva Winspear. In 1939 they lived with Joyce’s maternal grandparents on William Street in Skelton-in-Cleveland.
Residences: the newlyweds briefly lived with Joyce’s parents before moving into the house next door in 1960, where they lived for most of the rest of their lives.
- Anthony: 1 Carrick’s Yard, Skelton-in-Cleveland (1931-1948); 89 High Street, Skelton-in-Cleveland (1949-1958); 7 William Street, Skelton-in-Cleveland (1959); 9 William Street, Skelton-in-Cleveland (1960-2008); 5 Thirlmere Drive, Skelton-in-Cleveland (2009-2010)
- Joyce: 7 William Street, Skelton-in-Cleveland (1939-1959); 9 William Street, Skelton-in-Cleveland (1960-2008); 5 Thirlmere Drive, Skelton-in-Cleveland (2009-2010)
Deaths: Joyce died on 11 April 2010 when aged 77. Anthony survived her for just over a year and died on 14 June 2011 when aged 80.
G3: Ernest Frank Watts (1910-1980)
Birth: Ernest Frank Watts was born in Middlesbrough on 2 September 1908. He was the ninth child of George and Louisa.
Christening: on 23 September 1909 at St Hilda’s Church on Market Place.
Marriage: to Mary Dowson on 28 March 1932 at St Paul’s Church in Middlesbrough. He was aged 23 and she was 24.
Spouse history: Mary had been born on 9 March 1908, one of the seven children of Charles Edward Henry Dowson. By 1911 her mother was dead. Her father was yard manager for an ‘auction mart’, perhaps the cattle market over the road from their house in the village of Tow Law in County Durham. Her father remarried and in 1921 the family lived on Inkerman Row.
Children: (1) May in 1938.
Occupations: Ernest became a swimming pool attendant and swimming instructor.
Residences:
- Ernest: 16 Richardson Street, Middlesbrough (1911-1932); 116 Borough Road, Middlesbrough (1932); 32 Gilkes Street, Middlesbrough (1933-1966); 90 Evesham Road, Middlesbrough (1967-1980)
- Mary: 32 Castle Bank, Tow Law (1911); 9 Inkerman Row, Tow Law (1921); 54 Banks Street, Middlesbrough (1932); 116 Borough Road, Middlesbrough (1932); 32 Gilkes Street, Middlesbrough (1933-1966); 90 Evesham Road, Middlesbrough (1967-1980); 21 Middlebank Road, Middlesbrough (1993)
Deaths: Ernest died on 17 March 1980 when aged 71. Mary survived him for over a decade and died in 1993 when aged 85.
G2: Mary Watts (1938-2018)
Birth: Mary Watts was born in Middlesbrough on 27 August 1938. She was the only child of Ernest and Mary.
Marriage: to John Henry Keegan during 1957 in Middlesbrough. She was aged 18 and he was 20.
Spouse history: John had been born in Middlesbrough on 18 February 1936 to John Keegan and Lily Walker. His father was a general labourer in a chemical works and they lived on Blake Street.
Children: it’s not thought that they had any children.
Residences: the couple briefly lived with Mary’s parents for a few years before settling on Middlebank Road, where they would live for most of their remaining years.
- Mary: 32 Gilkes Street, Middlesbrough (1933-1961); 21 Middlebank Road, Middlesbrough (1969-2012)
- John: 35 Blake Street, Middlesbrough (1939); 32 Gilkes Street, Middlesbrough (1957-1961); 21 Middlebank Road, Middlesbrough (1964-2010)
Deaths: Mary died in Middlesbrough on 9 July 2018 when aged 79.
G4: Esther Elizabeth Watts (1869-?)
Birth: Esther Elizabeth Watts was born in Middlesbrough during 1869. She was the second child of George and Esther.
Residences: 1 Grange Street, Middlesbrough (1871); 42 High Denmark Street, Middlesbrough (1881)
Nothing further is known.
