Table of Contents
This family group is one of the most extensive in my family history, and so to aid readability it is split into eight parts. This volume begins in the mid-19th century with Emily Copus and Thomas King and sees generations of families live and work in the great industrial city of Middlesbrough.
G5: Emily Copus (1841-1908)
Birth: Emily Copus was born in Charlemont, County Armagh on 15 July 1841. She was the second child of William and Mary.
Christening: on 26 August 1841 in Moy.
Marriage: to Thomas King on Christmas Day 1860 at St Mary Magdalene Church in Woolwich. She was aged 19, although on the marriage certificate she was noted as ‘underage’.
Spouse history: Thomas was the son of John King, a coach builder, and it is possible that he had been born in India during 1842.
Children: (1) Emily in 1863, (2) Edward in 1867, (3) Kate in 1872, (4) Ernest in 1874, and (5) Lily in 1877. It’s possible that they had two other children, Walter in 1862 and William in 1865.
Military service: Thomas was already a Bombardier in the Royal Artillery when he met Emily. He had a long career in the commissariat branch, effectively the supply department, ensuring that the soldiers had enough of everything from food to uniforms and ammunition. He was promoted to Sergeant by 1863 before then being posted to India, taking his family with him. It’s not known when he left the army, but he was cited on his daughter Kate’s marriage certificate as a deceased lieutenant.
Residences: Thomas initially lived in the barracks of the Royal Artillery, while Emily lived nearby with her parents. They then moved into the married quarters at Cambridge Cottages on Brookhill Road.
After a decade spent in India they moved back to Britain before 1881 and settled in Middlesbrough, where most of Emily’s siblings now lived. They lived near younger sister Jane, first on High Denmark Street in the close knit and vibrant Cannon Road community, and later on Monkland Street.
- Emily: Ann Street, Woolwich (1851); Rush Grove, Woolwich (1852); 5 Rush Grove Street, Woolwich (1856-1861); Cambridge Cottages, Brookhill Road, Woolwich (1863); 38 High Denmark Street, Middlesbrough (1881); 31 Monkland Street, Middlesbrough (1887-1901); 43 Lime Street, Middlesbrough (1897)
- Thomas: Cambridge Cottages, Brookhill Road, Woolwich (1863)
Deaths: Emily died on 7 August 1908 when aged 67 and was buried in Linthorpe Cemetery.
Notes: Thomas is absent from all the censuses between 1861 and 1891.
G4: Emily Elizabeth King (1863-?)
Birth: Emily Elizabeth King was born in Woolwich on 25 November 1863. She was the first child of Thomas and Emily.
Christening: on 13 March 1864 in St Mary Magdalene Church on Greenlaw Street in Woolwich. There are two records of this, one giving her birth date as 25 November and one as 25 December.
Residences: Cambridge Cottages, Brookhill Road, Woolwich (1863)
Notes: no further record of Emily can be found and it’s possible that she died as a child in India.
G4: Edward Reuben King (1867-1912)
Birth: Edward Reuben King was born during 1867 in Letapore in the Bengal area of what was then British India. He was the second child of Thomas and Emily.
Marriage: to his cousin Mary Jane Walker, who lived next door, on 1 August 1887 at All Saints Church in Middlesbrough. He was aged 20 and she was 21.
Spouse history: Mary had been born in Middlesbrough during 1866, the eighth child of blacksmith Alexander but only the second with his third wife Jane. The family had recently relocated from London, and by 1871 lived on Alfred Street. Mary was christened at St Hilda’s in March 1872 when aged six. The 1881 census captured 14-year-old Mary living on High Denmark Street with her aunt Catherine and uncle Thomas.
Children: (1) Florence in 1888, (2) Gertrude in 1890, (3) Thomas in 1892, (4) Albert in 1894, (5) Jessie in 1896, (6) William in 1897, (7) Emily in 1902, (8) Kate in 1903, and (9) Ruby in 1910. There is a question mark as to whether Ruby is their biological daughter. The 1911 census shows that they had nine children, two of which were dead, whereas of the nine listed above only one was dead. It’s likely that Ruby was not their biological daughter, and that Winifred May King who was born in 1907 and died the following year was their daughter.
Occupations: Edward worked as a labourer in the iron and steel industry. As a furnace stoker, he spent his days shovelling coal in hard physical labour and in 1900 he worked for the Lees Bridge Engineering Company. Within a year he changed jobs to become a shipyard driller, later moving to become a dock labourer.
Military service: in 1900 Edward attempted to enlist into the 4th Yorkshire Regiment, a militia unit, but was found to be medically unfit due to a defective right eye. He was described as 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing 144 lbs, with a fresh complexion, brown eyes, and dark grey hair.
Death: Edward died in 1912 when aged just 45.
Marriage (2): to John James White in 1926. She was aged 60.
Residences: at the time of their marriage the couple both still lived with their parents in different houses on Monkland Street. The 1891 census captured the family living with Mary’s parents on Alexandria Street. They then got a house of their own on nearby Calthorp Street before moving to Lime Street. By 1901, they had a terraced house on Rock Street, close to a large chemical works on the other side of town. By the end of the war the widow Mary lived in another house on Rock Street, often sharing with her adult children William and Emily. After marrying John, the couple lived together on Fidler Street until their respective deaths in 1936 and 1939, being joined for short periods by her adult children William and Emily.
- Edward: 38 High Denmark Street (1881); 31 Monkland Street (1887); 23 Alexandria Street (1888-1891); 53 Rockcliffe Street, Middlesbrough (1892); 48 Calthorp Street (1895); 43 Lime Street (1897-1898); 31 Monkland Street (1900); 10 Rock Street (1901); 5 Monkland Street (1902); 37 Rock Street (1903-1912) – all in Middlesbrough.
- Mary: 7 Alfred Street (1871); 40 High Denmark Street (1881); 38 Monkland Street (1887); 23 Alexandria Street (1888-1891); 53 Rockcliffe Street, Middlesbrough (1892); 48 Calthorp Street (1895); 43 Lime Street (1897-1898); 31 Monkland Street (1900); 10 Rock Street (1901); 5 Monkland Street (1902); 37 Rock Street (1903-1912); 49 Rock Street (1918-1925); 17 Fidler Street (1927-1939) – all in Middlesbrough.
- John: 17 Fidler Street, Middlesbrough (1927-1936)
Deaths: John died in around 1936 and Mary in 1939 when aged 73.
G3: Florence Maud King (1888-?)
Birth: Florence Maud King was born in Middlesbrough on 2 June 1888. She was the first child of Edward and Mary.
Christening: on 4 July 1888 at St Paul’s Church on Newport Road in Middlesbrough.
Marriage: to Thomas Collins on 28 December 1912 at St. Barnabas in Linthorpe. She was aged 24 and he was 32.
Spouse history: Tom had been born in Ripon during 1880 to William Collins and Sarah Jane Scaife. In 1881 they lived with his maternal grandfather William Scaife on Fishergreen, adjacent to the River Skell. He was a gardener (perhaps a market gardener) while his mother sorted rags to earn some money. By 1891 Tom’s father was dead. His mother and her three children still lived with her father William, now about 35 miles north in Gainford near Darlington. There is no record of Tom on the 1901 census, but by 1911 he had relocated to Middlesbrough where he lived with sister Minnie on Holt Street.
Children: (1) Thomas in 1915, (2) Laura in 1917, (3) William in 1920.
Residences: at the time of her marriage, Florence lived with her aunt Lily King on Aire Street. By 1920 the family had moved to the small mining village of Middle Rainton, about 30 miles north of Middlesbrough, where they lived on Slate Row.
- Florence: 23 Alexandria Street, Middlesbrough (1888-1891); 53 Rockcliffe Street, Middlesbrough (1892); 48 Calthorp Street, Middlesbrough (1895); 43 Lime Street, Middlesbrough (1897-1898); 31 Monkland Street, Middlesbrough (1900); 20 Garden Street, Middlesbrough (1901); 93 Aire Street, Middlesbrough (1912); 21 Bennett Street, Middlesbrough (1915); 1 Kay Street, Middlesbrough (1917); 67 Slate Row, Middle Rainton (1921)
- Thomas: Fishergreen, Ripon (1881); 51 Holt Street, Middlesbrough (1911); 46 Kildare Street, Middlesbrough (1912); 21 Bennett Street, Middlesbrough (1915); 1 Kay Street, Middlesbrough (1917); 67 Slate Row, Middle Rainton (1921)
Occupation: Tom worked on the railways. Between 1912 and 1917 he was a shunter, responsible for positioning wagons to form trains in the correct order and coupling and uncoupling them to the locomotives. By 1921 he was a platelayer for North East Railways – it was his job to inspect and maintain the track, including all its component parts such as rails, sleepers, fishplates, bolts, etc. Their duties included greasing points and generally watching for wear and tear. When sections of track required complete replacement, larger teams of platelayers worked together. He took up work as an above-ground platelayer in a colliery after moving to Middle Rainton.
Deaths: Tom probably died in 1936.
Notes: on the night that the 1901 census was taken, 12-year-old Florence was staying with her maternal grandparents, about a mile away from home, but it’s not known if this arrangement was permanent.
Two girls called Florence Maud King were born in Middlesbrough during 1887/88 and following the 1901 census they become almost indistinguishable. They were both domestic servants in 1911, following which one married Tom Collins and the other an Edward Scrafton. It is clear from the date of birth on the 1939 Register that our Florence did not marry Scrafton, as sometimes suggested in other online trees. I have also had it confirmed from three generations of their descendants that Florence married Tom Collins.
G2: Thomas Henry Collins (1915-1983)
Birth: Thomas Henry Collins was born in Middlesbrough on 10 September 1915. He was the first child of Tom and Florence.
Christening: on 26 September 1915 at All Saints Church on Linthorpe Road.
Marriage: to Hannah Havelock Thompson during 1941 in Newcastle. He was aged 25 and he was 22.
Spouse history: Hannah had been born on 20 February 1918, the fourth child of John Edward Thompson and his wife Jessie. When the 1921 census was taken the family lived in a terraced house on Larch Street in Newastle. John was a coal miner for W. Benson & Sons.
Residences: the unmarried couple lived together with Hannah’s parents when the National Register was taken in 1939, curiously joined there by his youngest sister Miriam. They had a house of their own on Larch Street from at least 1949 until 1959.
- Thomas: 21 Bennett Street, Middlesbrough (1915); 1 Kay Street, Middlesbrough (1917); 67 Slate Row, Middle Rainton (1921); 17 Larch Street, Newcastle upon Tyne (1939-1946); 57 Larch Street, Newcastle upon Tyne (1949-1959)
- Hannah: 17 Larch Street, Newcastle upon Tyne (1921-1946); 57 Larch Street, Newcastle upon Tyne (1949-1959)
Occupations: in 1939 Thomas was a painter and decorator while Hannah was a light press hand.
Deaths: Thomas died in Newcastle during 1983 when aged 67. Hannah survived him for 16 years and died in August 1999 when aged 81.
G2: Laura Alberta Collins (1917-2003)
Birth: Laura Alberta Collins was born in Middlesbrough on 23 September 1917. She was the second child of Tom and Florence.
Christening: on 9 October 1917 at All Saints Church on Linthorpe Road.
Marriage: to Joseph Wandlass Leach during 1939 in Middlesbrough. She was aged 21 and he was just 18.
Spouse history: Joseph had been born in Middlesbrough on 2 May 1920 to Charles Leach and Hannah Jane Wandlass.
Children: a daughter in 1939.
Residences: the newlyweds initially lived on Fidler Street in a house which until a few months before had been occupied by Joseph’s late mother. They then settled in the south of Middlesbrough during the mid-1950s, where they had a modern house on a housing estate which was their home for almost two decades.
- Laura: 1 Kay Street, Middlesbrough (1917); 67 Slate Row, Middle Rainton (1921); 17 Fidler Street, Middlesbrough (1939); 8 Elizabeth Street, Middlesbrough (1947); 6 Elizabeth Street, Middlesbrough (1948); 9 Walker Street (1949-1951); 140 Lansdowne Road, Middlesbrough (1952-1953); 7 Easson Street, Middlesbrough (1954-1972); 73 Millbrook Avenue (1972-1973)
- Joseph: 17 Fidler Street, Middlesbrough (1939); 8 Elizabeth Street, Middlesbrough (1947); 6 Elizabeth Street, Middlesbrough (1948); 9 Walker Street (1949-1951); 140 Lansdowne Road, Middlesbrough (1952-1953); 7 Easson Street, Middlesbrough (1954-1972); 73 Millbrook Avenue (1972-1973)
Occupation: Joseph was a general labourer.
Deaths: Joseph died in 1979 when aged just 59. Laura survived him for over two decades and died in Middlesbrough on 10 July 2003 when aged 85.
G2: William Alexander Collins (1920-?)
Birth: William Alexander Collins was born in the small mining village of Middle Rainton in 1920. He was the third child of Tom and Florence.
Residences: 67 Slate Row, Middle Rainton (1921)
Due to the commonality of his name, nothing further is known.
G2: Miriam Collins (1923-)
Birth: Miriam Collins was born in the small mining village of Middle Rainton in 1923. She was the fourth child of Tom and Florence.
Residences: in 1939, Miriam boarded with the Thompson family on Larch Street in Newcastle. She lived here with her brother Thomas, who two years later would marry one of their daughters.
- 17 Larch Street, Newcastle upon Tyne (1939)
Due to the commonality of her name, nothing further is known.
G3: Gertrude Jane Eleanor King (1890-?)
Birth: Gertrude Jane Eleanor King was born in Middlesbrough on 19 January 1890. She was the second child of Edward and Mary.
Christening: on 9 February 1890 at St Paul’s Church on Newport Road.
Marriage: to Thomas Ward during 1914 in Middlesbrough. She was aged 24 and he was 35. The marriage was not successful, and the couple divorced by 1935.
Spouse history: Thomas was born in 1879.
Children: they possibly had three children together.
Military service: during the war Thomas served first with the Yorkshire Regiment (service number 21253) and then with the 94th Company of the Labour Corps (service number 582149).
Occupation: after their divorce Gertrude became a housekeeper.
Residences: the couple were perineal movers and never spent more than a year living at the same address. In 1939, 49-year-old Gertrude lived in a terraced house on Petch Street with a John H. Phillips.
- Gertrude: 23 Alexandria Street (1890-1891); 53 Rockcliffe Street, Middlesbrough (1892); 48 Calthorp Street (1895); 43 Lime Street (1897-1898); 31 Monkland Street (1900); 10 Rock Street (1901); 49 Rock Stret (1918, 1923-1926); 85 Newport Road (1931); 1 Bright Street (1932); 41 North Ormesby Road (1933); 4 Petch Street (1939) – all Middlesbrough.
- Thomas: 49 Rock Stret (1918, 1923-1926); 85 Newport Road (1931); 1 Bright Street (1932); 41 North Ormesby Road (1933).
Death: she possibly died in 1972.
Notes: there is no mention of Gertrude in the 1911 census.
G3: Thomas Alexander King (1892-)
Birth: Thomas Alexander King was born in Middlesbrough on 2 September 1892. He was the third child of Edward and Mary.
Christening: on 28 September 1892 at St Paul’s Church on Newport Road.
Residences: 53 Rockcliffe Street, Middlesbrough (1892)
Notes: there is no further record of Thomas, and he likely died in 1895.
G3: Albert Edward King (1894-?)
Birth: Albert Edward King was born in Middlesbrough on 14 September 1894. He was the fourth child of Edward and Mary.
Christening: on 19 June 1895 at All Saints Church on Linthorpe Road.
Residences: 48 Calthorp Stret (1895); 43 Lime Street (1897-1898); 31 Monkland Street (1900); 10 Rock Street (1901); 5 Monkland Street (1902); 37 Rock Street (1903-1912); 49 Rock Street (1919) – all Middlesbrough.
Occupation: after leaving school Albert became an ironworker in one of Middlesbrough’s many steelworks, labouring from at least the age of 16.
Military service: Albert enlisted into the Territorial Force in January 1913 when aged 18, joining the 4th Battalion, Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own (Yorkshire Regiment). They were mobilised immediately after the outbreak of war in August 1914, and after a period of training and home defence embarked for France in April 1915. Albert thereafter served continually on the Western Front until the Armistice three and a half years later, fighting in major battles at Ypres, the Somme, Arras, and Ypres again, as well as regularly manning the lines and participating in the final Allied advance. It is truly remarkable that he survived – especially as his unit was largely decimated whilst he was home on leave at the end of May 1918. Albert remained in Belgium until December and then moved into Germany itself. He was demobilised in March 1919.
Notes: due to the commonality of his name, nothing is known about his later life. He perhaps married Edith May Lee in 1919 and moved to Newcastle.
G3: Jessie King (1896-1932)
Birth: Jessie King was born in Middlesbrough during 1896. She was the fifth child of Edward and Mary.
Spouse history: George was considerably older than Jessie and had been born in Wallsend, near Newcastle, on 26 May 1875 to Thomas Ash. He had married Catherine Ann Feeney on 6 February 1897, and they had five children together (George, Thomas, Margaret, James, and Catherine), although only Thomas survived childhood. In 1901 the couple lived with Catherine’s parents but by 1911 had a place of their own on Woodside. Cathrine died in 1914 when aged 40. George was presumably in a reserved occupation during the war.
Occupations: George was a labourer in a shipyard and part of the riveting team. He was a ‘holder up’, which was a common method of assembling metal structures in shipbuilding before welding became dominant. His role was to support and secure the rivet from the opposite side while it was being hammered into place by the riveter. Typically, this involved holding a heavy metal tool, such as a dolly or snap, against the head of the rivet to absorb the force of the hammering and ensure the rivet was firmly and correctly seated in the metal plates. It required considerable strength and precision, as the holder up worked closely with the riveter in noisy and often challenging conditions. In 1921 he worked for the Furness Shipbuilding Company in Haverton Hill, Stockton. The yard had been established in 1917 as an emergency shipyard to repair ships damaged in the war. It then became a ship builder in its own right and during 1920s built colliers, tramp steamers, twin-funnelled passenger/cargo liners, whaling ships and five deep-sea tankers.
Children: (1) Florence in 1919; (2) George in 1920; (3) Elizabeth in 1921; (4) May in 1923; (5) Leslie in 1928
Residences: when Jessie and George were married, they lived on adjacent streets. They soon moved in together into his home on Charles Street, where they lived until their untimely deaths.
- Jessie: 43 Lime Street (1897-1898); 31 Monkland Street (1900); 10 Rock Street (1901); 5 Monkland Street (1902); 37 Rock Street (1903-1911), 7 Fidler Street (1918); 53 Charles Street (1918-1931) – all Middlesbrough.
- George: 4 Lincoln Street (1901); 5 Woodside Street (1911); 53 Charles Street (1918-1930) – all Middlesbrough.
Deaths: George died in Middlesbrough during 1930 when aged 53. Jessie followed only two years later when aged just 35.
Notes: there were two Jessie Kings in Middlesbrough of roughly the same age. Our Jessie likely died in 1932.
G2 Florence Ash (1919)
Birth: Florence Ash was born in Middlesbrough on 4 March 1919. She was the first child of George and Jessie.
Christening: on 23 March 1919 at St John the Evangelist.
Residences: 53 Charles Street, Middlesbrough (1919)
Death: Florence died soon after birth.
G2 George Ash (1920)
Birth: George Ash was born in Middlesbrough on 2 March 1920. He was the second child of George and Jessie.
Christening: on 21 March 1920 at St John the Evangelist.
Residences: 53 Charles Street, Middlesbrough (1920)
Death: George died a few months after birth.
G2 Elizabeth Ash (1921-)
Birth: Elizabeth Ash was born in Middlesbrough on 28 July 1921. She was the third child of George and Jessie but the first to survived infancy.
Christening: on 12 August 1921 at St John the Evangelist.
Residences: 53 Charles Street, Middlesbrough (1921)
Notes: Elizabeth likely married Sidney Marden in 1943 and died in 2008. However, due to the commonality of the name, further confirmation is required.
G2 May Ash (1923-)
Birth: May Ash was born in Middlesbrough on 16 May 1923. She was the fourth child of George and Jessie.
Christening: on 29 May 1923 at St John the Evangelist.
Residences: 53 Charles Street, Middlesbrough (1923)
Notes: May likely married John Pennington in 1941 and died in 2014. However, due to the commonality of the name, further confirmation is required.
G2 Leslie Ash (1928-)
Birth: May Ash was born in Middlesbrough in 1928. He was the fifth child of George and Jessie.
Residences: 53 Charles Street, Middlesbrough (1928)
Notes: Leslie likely married Doreen Towell in 1951 and emigrated to Australia, where he died in 1987. However, due to the commonality of the name, further confirmation is required.
G3: William King (1897-?)
Birth: William King was born in Middlesbrough on 2 November 1897. He was the sixth child of Edward and Mary.
Christening: on 23 November 1897 at All Saints Church on Linthorpe Road.
Military service: William served in the British Army during the First World War with the 2/7th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment). He was given service number 267313 and possibly became a prisoner of war. He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Residences: 43 Lime Street (1897-1898); 31 Monkland Street (1900); 10 Rock Street (1901); 5 Monkland Street (1902); 37 Rock Street (1903-1911); 49 Rock Street (1918-1923); 17 Fidler Street (1932-1933) – all Middlesbrough.
Notes: due to the commonality of his name, nothing more is known. It’s likely that he moved with his mother to 26 Stephenson Street in 1925.
G3: Emily King (1902-1986)
Birth: Emily King was born in Middlesbrough during 1901. She was the seventh child of Edward and Mary.
Christening: on 7 January 1902 at All Saints Church on Linthorpe Road.
Marriage: to George Robert Parker on 9 August 1924 at Holy Trinity in North Ormesby. She was aged 22 and he was 19, despite their marriage certificate recording his age as 21.
Spouse history: George had been born in Redcar on 29 May 1905 to George Robert Parker and Jane Ann Parrish. The family of four soon moved to Middlesbrough where in 1911 they lodged with Ann Searfield, her two adult children, and two other families in a cramped house on West Street. George’s father was a labourer in the shipping industry.
Children: (1) Ronald in 1934, (2) a boy in 1935. There could possibly have been other children.
Occupations: in 1924 George worked as a driver. In 1939 he was a general labourer and a member of the Auxiliary Fire Service.
Residences: the family spent the late 1930s moving around several short-term lodgings, often staying with family. By 1939 the couple lived in Billingham, adjacent to Stockton-on-Tees.
- Emily: 5 Monkland Street, Middlesbrough (1902); 37 Rock Street, Middlesbrough (1903-1911); 49 Rock Street, Middlesbrough (1921); 30 Stephenson Street, Middlesbrough (1924); 17 Fidler Street, Middlesbrough (1929); 85 Newport Road, Middlesbrough (1931); 1 Bright Street, Middlesbrough (1932); 41 North Ormsby Road, Middlesbrough (1934-1935); 66 Milton Street, Middlesbrough (1936); 17 Fidler Street, Middlesbrough (1936); 25 Elm Street, Billingham (1939)
- George: 9 Elton Street, Redcar (1905); 36 West Street, Middlesbrough (1911); 6 Hymers Street, Middlesbrough (1924); 17 Fidler Street, Middlesbrough (1929); 85 Newport Road, Middlesbrough (1931); 1 Bright Street, Middlesbrough (1932); 41 North Ormsby Road, Middlesbrough (1934-1935); 66 Milton Street, Middlesbrough (1936); 17 Fidler Street, Middlesbrough (1936); 25 Elm Street, Billingham (1939)
Deaths: Emily died in September 1986 when aged 84. George had possibly died in 1967.
G2 Ronald Parker (1934-2002)
Birth: Ronald Parker was born in Middlesbrough on 9 July 1934. He was the first child of George and Emily.
Residences: 25 Elm Street, Billingham (1939)
Death: Ronald died in Stockton during January 2002 when aged 67.
G3: Kate King (1903-)
Birth: Kate King was born in Middlesbrough on 17 February 1903. She was the eigth child of Edward and Mary.
Christening: on 21 March 1903 at St John the Evangelist’s Church on Marton Road.
Marriage (1): to George William Ward on 24 May 1920 at St John the Evangelist in Middlesbrough. She was aged 17 and he was 19, although the marriage certificate recorded them as being 19 and 21 respectively.
Spouse history (1): George had been born on 11 August 1900 and was the tenth child of George Ward and Annie Passman. He grew up in the old St Hilda’s area of northern Middlesbrough, where his family rented several terraced houses.
Children (1): a girl in 1931.
Occupations: in 1939 George worked as a labourer in an iron foundry.
Residences: during the early 1930s the couple moved frequently between short-term rentals, often living with one or two of Kate’s siblings. By 1939 the couple lived in Billingham, adjacent to Stockton-on-Tees.
- Kate: 37 Rock Street, Middlesbrough (1903-1911); 49 Rock Street, Middlesbrough (1918-1920); 28-30 Lower Feversham Street, Middlesbrough (1930); 85 Newport Road, Middlesbrough (1931); 1 Bright Street, Middlesbrough (1932); 41 North Ormsby Road, Middlesbrough (1933-1935); 6 Pickering Street, Billingham (1939)
- George: 13 Hilda Place, Middlesbrough (1901); 11 Paradise Place, Middlesbrough (1911); 49 Rock Street, Middlesbrough (1920); 28-30 Lower Feversham Street, Middlesbrough (1930); 85 Newport Road, Middlesbrough (1931); 1 Bright Street, Middlesbrough (1932); 41 North Ormsby Road, Middlesbrough (1933-1935); 6 Pickering Street, Billingham (1939)
Notes: George likely died in 1948 at the age of 48. Kate probably went on to marry someone called Foster.
G3: Ruby Edna King (1910-?)
Birth: Ruby Edna King was born in Middlesbrough during 1910. She was the ninth child of Edward and Mary.
Residences: 37 Rock Street, Middlesbrough (1903-1911).
Notes: Ruby is a curious case. Our only record of her is on the 1911 census, stating that she was the daughter of Edward and Mary, born seven years after their previous child (Kate) and when her Mary was 44 years old. The mother’s maiden name on the birth registration is blank however, which usually indicates that the child was illegitimate. It’s possible that she was the daughter of one of their older children. There is no further record of Ruby.
G4: Kate King (1872-1944)
Birth: Kate King was born during 1872 in the hill town of Raneekhet (now Ranikhet) in the Bengal area of what was then British India. She was the third child of Thomas and Emily.
Marriage (1): to William John North Coverdale on 5 August 1889 at All Saints Church in Middlesbrough. She was aged just 17 and he was 21.
Spouse history (1): William was five years older than Kate and had been born during 1868 in the small village of Coatham, now part of Redcar on the Yorkshire coast, the son of William Coverdale and Hannah. The family soon moved to Middlesbrough where in 1871 they lived on Davison Street in the centre of the town. His father was a slater. On the night that the census was taken however, William was at the home of his paternal grandparents in Coatham. It is not known whether this was a permanent arrangement. By 1881 William had five siblings, and they lived together on Monkland Street. William was a general labourer.
Children (1): (1) Lily in 1890, (2) Annie in 1891, (3) Emily in 1893.
Death: William sadly died during 1893 when aged just 25.
Marriage (2): after being a widow for five years, Kate married Xavier Leonard on 30 May 1898 at St Paul’s Church.
Spouse history (2): Xavier had been born in Durham in 1872, the first child of his namesake father and Sarah Jane Patterson, being christened in September. The family moved often and spent periods in Redcar in 1876-77 and Stockport in 1879. By 1881 they had moved to the capital where they had a three-storey terraced house on Loveridge Road in the newly built Kilburn area of Camden. They moved around the corner to Broomsleigh Street in 1889. His father was a house joiner. Four further children were born there before the family moved north to Middlesbrough between 1890-1892.
Before this, in August 1888 when he was 17 years old, Xavier had been employed as a conductor by the London Transport Company and based at Bishopsgate. In the five months before his inevitable dismissal he was fined no fewer than 10 times for a variety of offences, including carrying more passengers than had been accounted for; being late; running the trams ahead of or behind time (for which he was cautioned that if it happened again he will be dismissed), “Kicking an old crippled Jew in Old Road Street and making untruthful statement in connection therewith”, and finally “Near side destination board damaged. Said to have been caused by Leonard winching it from panel of omnibus”.
Military service: Xavier joined the army and in 1891 was a private with the 12th (Prince of Wales’s) Royal Lancers cavalry regiment. The regiment was based at the Seaforth Barracks on Claremont Road in Seaforth. Xavier stated at the time of his marriage that he worked as a railwayman, but a year later in October 1899 he deployed to South Africa for service in the Second Boer War. He was involved in the Battle of Magersfontein during December that ended in a tactical defeat for the British. Xavier contracted typhoid fever soon afterwards and died at De Aar (where there was a large military hospital) on 11 February 1900 when aged 28.
Marriage (3): to Samuel Turner Dalby during 1906 in Middlesbrough. She was aged 33 and he was 24. The marriage was possibly not successful as from 1930 they consistently lived at separate addresses.
Spouse history (3): Samuel had been born in the small mining town of Eston, a few miles east of Middlesbrough, on 29 May 1881 to John Turner and Fanny. In 1891 they had a terraced house on South Street, which was virtually the last road in town. His father, who was originally from Lincolnshire, was an engine driver and wood turner. In 1901, 19-year-old Samuel was likely a blacksmith apprentice, lodging with blacksmith Thomas Collins and his family in the village of Bedale, 30 miles southwest of Middlesbrough.
Residences: when Kate married her first husband they both lived with their respective parents on Monkland Street before moving into their own home on the same street. After Wiliam’s death, Kate relocated into a relatively new terraced house on nearby Windsor Street.
By 1901 Kate had been widowed for a second time. The census of that year records her living on Westward Street with her daughters and two lodgers.
By 1910 Kate was living with her third husband, Samuel, and her eldest daughter in a another newly built terraced house, this time on Aire Street in the emerging Ayresome suburb. Her sister Lily lived on the same street. By 1920, the family had moved to Harford Street, sharing their home with two boarders. On the night of the 1921 census, they were being visited by their granddaughter Kate Dilworth.
It appears that Kate and Samuel separated in around 1930. Kate remained on Harford Street until 1939, renting out a room in her home to a succession of five different married couples, the most recent being her grandson William Dilworth and his new wife, Eileen. During this time, Samuel resided at various addresses, often sharing accommodations with three or four other individuals.
- Kate: 38 High Denmark Street (1881); 31 Monkland Street (1887-1889); 32 Monkland Street (1890-1891); 31 Monkland Street (1896); 16 Windsor Street (1898); 20 Westward Street (1901-1904); 7 Aire Street (1910-1914); 88 Harford Street (1918-1939) – all Middlesbrough
- William: 15 Davison Street, Middlesbrough (1871); 1 High Street, Redcar (1871); 81 Monkland Street, Middlesbrough (1881); 27 Monkland Street, Middlesbrough (1889); 43 Gladstone Street, Middlesbrough (1889); 32 Monkland Street, Middlesbrough (1890-1891)
- Xavier: 20 High Street, Redcar (1877); 26 Loveridge Road, Kilburn (1881); 2 Loveridge Road, Kilburn (1884-1888); 8 Claremont Villas, Broomsleigh Street, West Hampstead (1889); 11 Gladstone Street, Middlesbrough (1892); 43 Gladstone Street, Middlesbrough (1896-1898)
- Samuel: 36 South Street, Eston (1891); 7 Aire Street, Middlesbrough (1910-1914); 88 Harford Street, Middlesbrough (1918-1929); 80 Clive Road, Middlesbrough (1939); 100 Charteris Road, Bradford (1960)
Occupations: in 1901 Kate worked nursing the sick. Third husband Samuel worked in the steel industry where he was a millwright, installing, repairing, and moving machinery. By 1921 he worked in the steelworks of Dorman Long.
Death: Kate died when aged 72 and was buried in Linthorpe Cemetery on 15 September 1944.
Notes: it’s interesting to note that in the 1911 census Kate gave her age as 29, rather than her actual age of 39, perhaps to hide the age gap to her husband. After the war Samuel moved to Eston where he lived with Charlotte A. Moore until 1959. He died in Bradford on 16 December 1960 when aged 79 and left his estate of £360 4s 8d to Irene Hodgson, ‘married woman’.
G3: Lily Lavinia Coverdale (1890-1958)
Birth: Lily Lavinia Coverdale was born in Middlesbrough on 1 June 1890. She was the first child of William and Kate.
Christening: on 2 July 1890 in St Paul’s Church on Newport Road.
School: enrolled into Victoria Road Juniors (Girls) School in 1896.
Marriage: to William Albert Dilworth on 19 July 1913 at St John the Evangelist’s Church. She was aged 22 and he was 23.
Spouse history: William was two years older than her and had been born in Middlesbrough on 1 November 1889, the third child of Albert Dilworth and Emma Carrigan. He was christened at All Saints Church later that month, not far from Pollard Street where the family lived in the home of William Carrigill, an assistant harbour master. His mother had died by 1901. William’s father worked in the iron mills and he moved the family to Rock Street in the industrial northeast of the town. By 1911 William lived on nearby Slate Street with his elder sister Edith and her family.
Children: (1) Kate in 1913, (2) William in 1916, (3) Ernest in 1918, (4) Donald in 1922.
Military service: William enlisted into the army in December 1915 and arrived in France during June 1916. He served with the 20th (Labour) Battalion, Sherwood Foresters, which helped to build and maintain the network of roads, railways, canals, buildings, camps, stores, dumps, and telegraph and telephone systems that the army depended on. William contracted trench fever in February 1917 which required him to be repatriated home for treatment. He never returned to France and instead joined the Labour Corps, serving with the 500th Home Service Employment Company from June 1917. William transferred to 169 Protection Company, Royal Defence Corps in June 1918 which undertook local defence duties such as guarding ports, bridges, and POW camps. He was demobilised in March 1919.
Residences: after spending a few years living with Lily’s parents, in 1920 the family of five moved into a terraced house on Amber Street. They lived here until the mid-1950s when they relocated to a similar house on Garnet Street in the centre of town. After Lily’s death, William went to live with his son Ernest and family.
- Lily: 32 Monkland Street (1890-1891); 31 Monkland Street (1896); 16 Windsor Street (1898); 20 Westward Street (1901-1904); 7 Aire Street (1910-1911); 39 Errol Street (1913); 88 Harford Street (1918-1919); 22 Amber Street (1920-1934); 49 Garnet Street (1935-1958) – all in Middlesbrough.
- William: 24 Pollard Street (1889-1891); 3 Rock Street (1901); 14 Slate Street (1911-1913); 88 Harford Street (1918-1919); 22 Amber Street (1920-1934); 49 Garnet Street (1935-1958); 10 Harsley Walk (1959-1970) – all in Middlesbrough.
Occupation: before the war William worked as a joiner for a shipbuilder before moving to the steelworks of Dorman Long, possibly alongside his father-in-law. He returned to this position after leaving the army. The 1939 Register stated that he was a fitter’s labourer.
Deaths: Lily died in Middlesbrough when aged 68 and was buried at Acklam Cemetery on 6 March 1958. William survived her by 13 years and died in Gosport, Hampshire in 1971 when aged 81. He was buried at Acklam Cemetery on 31 August.
Notes: their daughter Kate was staying with Lily’s mother on then night that the 1911 census was taken.
G2: Kate Dilworth (1913-1997)
Birth: Kate Dilworth was born in Middlesbrough on 19 December 1913. She was the first child of William and Lily.
Christening: on 11 January 1914 at All Saints Church on Linthorpe Road.
Marriage (1): to Alan Edgar Waters during 1940 in Reading. She was aged 26 and he was 32.
Spouse history (1): Alan had been born on 12 August 1907 and was the only child of Herbert Lester Waters and Mabel Beatrice Brill. His father worked as an insurance agent and the family lived in Lime Cottage on Colham Green in what was still very rural Hillington. He was christened during February 1908 at nearby St John the Baptist Church. By 1911 they had a new terraced house on Ivy Cottages. The family then moved to Reading where from at least 1935 they lived at Hawthorn Gardens, a town house on a new estate to the south of the town.
Residences: Kate moved to Reading, where she was captured in the 1939 Register living alone in a flat in a once grand three-storey town house on Queen’s Road. By the end of the war, the newlyweds lived on King’s Road in the centre of the town, which they shared with another couple.
- Kate: 22 Amber Street, Middlesbrough (1920-1921); Flat 2, 50 Queen’s Road, Reading (1939); 139 King’s Road, Reading (1945)
- Alan: 13 Ivy Cottages, Uxbridge (1911); 4 Hawthorn Gardens, Reading (1935-1939); 139 King’s Road, Reading (1945)
Occupations: in 1939 both Kate and Alan worked in a biscuit factory – she was an oven feeder while he was a baker. We know that Alan worked for the Huntley and Palmers wholesale biscuit manufacturer and it’s likely that Kate did too.
Marriage (2): to George H. Horder during 1945 in Portsmouth. She was aged 32. Nothing is known about George.
Deaths: Kate died in Portsmouth during July 1997 when aged 83.
Notes: some sources cite Kate as marrying George Ramage during 1936, but the 1939 National Register shows that this Kate had been born in 1895, some 20 years earlier.
Alan Waters never remarried and died in 1997. He had lived on Hawthorn Gardens until at least 1961.
G2: William Dilworth (1916-?)
Birth: William Dilworth was born in Middlesbrough on 1 February 1916. He was the second child of William and Lily.
Marriage: to Eileen Kelledy during 1937 in Middlesbrough. He was aged 20 and she was 19.
Spouse history: Eileen had been born on 20 July 1917 to James Kelledy and Mary Jane Vaughan. Sadly, her father died two years later, and in 1921 the widow Mary lived with her two children and young sister Ellen on Italy Street in the north of Middlesbrough. She was a self-employed grocer general dealer working from home. Eileen was actually a patient in North Riding Infirmary on the night that the census was taken and so was captured twice.
Residences: in September 1939, the newlyweds lived with William’s maternal grandmother in her terraced house on Harford Street in the Ayresome suburb.
- William: 88 Harford Street (1918-1919); 22 Amber Street, Middlesbrough (1920-1934); 49 Garnet Street (1935-1937); 88 Harford Street, Middlesbrough (1939)
- Eileen: 56 Italy Street, Middlesbrough (1921); 88 Harford Street, Middlesbrough (1939)
Occupations: William worked in the steel industry as a roll rigger.
Deaths: it’s likely that William died in Middlesbrough during 1942 when aged 26, but further confirmation is required as there was a namesake born in the same place at the same time.
Notes: Eileen married John E. Onions in 1945 and died in 1997.
G2: Ernest Charles Dilworth (1918-1983)
Birth: Ernest Charles Dilworth was born in Middlesbrough on 14 May 1918. He was the third child of William and Lily.
Christening: on 3 June 1918 at All Saints Church on Linthorpe Road.
Marriage (1): to Alice Myra Tilley on 14 October 1939 at St Barnabas’s Church. He was aged 21 and she was 22. The marriage was not successful.
Spouse history (1): Alice had been born in Middlesbrough on 25 February 1917 to bricklayer Thomas Tilley and his wife Margaret Ann Nicholson. They lived in a terraced house on Finsbury Street, not far from her future husband. By 1939 they lived in a new semi-detached house on Rochester Road in the Linthorpe suburb.
Marriage (2): to Freda Elliott during 1947 in Middlesbrough. He was aged 28 and she was 23. This marriage also ended in divorce, with the couple probably separating in the late 1960s.
Spouse history (2): Freda had been born in Middlesbrough on 9 June 1923 to John A. Elliott and Elizabeth F. Mils. In 1939 they lived in a new terraced house on Pannell Avenue in Linthorpe.
Children (2): they had three children together in 1948, 1953 and 1954.
Marriage (3): to Joan O’Reilly during 1978 in Staincliffe. He was aged 60. Nothing is known about Joan.
Occupations: in 1939 Ernest was a tailor’s cutter, while Alice was a tailor, and it’s likely that they met through work. Alice soon joined the British Red Cross. Ernest’s second wife was also a tailor.
Residences: Ernest and Freda lived with his parents for a few years after their marriage. They then got a house on the Berwick Hills estate in the early 1950s, before moving to the neighbouring Marton Grove estate after a few years. They were joined there by Ernest’s father after the death of his mother, who appeared to continue to live with Freda after the couple separated in the late 1960s.
- Ernest: 88 Harford Street (1918-1919); 22 Amber Street, (1920-1934); 49 Garnet Street (1935-1939, 1949-1952); 41 Garnet Street (1947); 16 Pannell Avenue (1948); 121 Bradhope Road (1953-1958); 10 Harsley Walk (1959-1967) – all Middlesbrough
- Alice: 14 Finsbury Street (1917-1921); 61 Rochester Road (1938-1947) – all Middlesbrough
- Freda: 16 Pannell Avenue (1939-1948); 49 Garnet Street (1949-1952); 121 Bradhope Road (1953-1958); 10 Harsley Walk (1959-1974) – all Middlesbrough
Deaths: Ernest died in Staincliffe during 1983 when aged 65.
Notes: first wife Alice went on to marry Donald Maxwell in 1947 and died in Rotherham in 1992 on her 75th birthday. Second wife Freda did not remarry and died in March 1990.
G2: Donald Dilworth (1922-1976)
Birth: Donald Dilworth was born in Middlesbrough on 22 October 1922. He was the fourth child of William and Lily.
Christening: on 8 November 1922 at All Saints Church on Linthorpe Road.
Occupation: in 1939 he was a 16-year-old apprentice pattern maker.
Residences: 22 Amber Street (1922-1934); 49 Garnet Street, Middlesbrough (1935-1945)
Death: Donald died in Keighley during 1976 when aged just 52.
Notes: it’s likely that he married Mary Clarke during 1943, but since there was a namesake born at a similar time, then further confirmation is needed.
G3: Annie Maud Coverdale (1891)
Birth: Annie Maud Coverdale was born in Middlesbrough during November 1891. She was the second child of William and Kate.
Death: Annie died two days later and was buried in Linthorpe Cemetery on 12 November.
G3: Emily Rose Coverdale (1893-)
Birth: Emily Rose Coverdale was born in Middlesbrough on 3 January 1893. She was the third child of William and Kate.
Marriage: to William John Jones on 28 April 1919 at St Barnabas’s Church in Linthorpe. She was aged 26 and he was 36.
Spouse history: William was a decade older than her and had been born on 25 July 1882 to Joseph Jones a carpenter.
Children: (1) Joseph in 1919.
Occupations: when the census was taken in 1911, 18-year-old Rose worked as a housemaid for the wealthy Casper family of shipbrokers in their ten-roomed house called New Grove in what was then the little village of Marton-in-Cleveland to the southeast of Middlesbrough. William worked on the railways and at the time of their marriage was a relief station master. In 1939 he was a station master for North Eastern Railway.
Residences: in 1921 the young family lived on Errol Street, moving to a new house on Tavistock Road by 1939.
- Emily: 31 Monkland Street (1896); 16 Windsor Street (1898); 20 Westward Street (1901-1904); New Grove (1911); 88 Harford Street (1919); 23 Errol Street (1921); 79 Tavistock Road (1939) – all in Middlesbrough
- William: 23 Errol Street (1921); 79 Tavistock Road (1939) – all in Middlesbrough
Notes: due to the commonality of their names once married, nothing further is known.
G2: Joseph Jones (1919-?)
Birth: Joseph Jones was born in Middlesbrough on 18 December 1919. He was the first child of William and Rose.
Christening: on 19 December 1919 at St Barnabas’s Church in Linthorpe.
Residences: 88 Harford Street (1919); 23 Errol Street, Middlesbrough (1921)
Note: due to the commonality of his name, nothing further is known.
G4: Ernest Charles King (1874-1897)
Birth: Ernest Charles King was born on 5 December 1874 in Allahabad in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in what was then British India. He was the fourth child of Thomas and Emily.
Christening: on 1 August 1877 in Allahabad alongside sister Lily.
Occupation: the 1891 census shows that despite only being 16 years old, Ernest worked as a labourer in an iron tube works.
Residences: 38 High Denmark Street, Middlesbrough (1881); 31 Monkland Street, Middlesbrough (1887-1891)
Death: Ernest died when aged just 22 and was buried at Linthorpe Cemetery on 11 May 1897.
G4: Lily Amelia Eleanor King (1877-1955)
Birth: Lily Amelia Eleanor King was born on 1 July 1877 in Allahabad in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in what was then British India. She was the fifth child of Thomas and Emily.
Christening: on 1 August 1877 in Allahabad alongside brother Ernest.
Marriage (1): to John William Jeffrey on 7 September 1896 at All Saints Church in Middlesbrough. She was aged 19 and he was 23.
Spouse history (1): John had been born in 1873 to William Jeffrey.
Death: unfortunately, John died just before their two-year anniversary on 4 September 1898, when aged 25. He was buried at Linthorpe Cemetery, leaving his effects of £94 (£5,590 today) to his wife.
Marriage (2): to George Thomas Coy on 27 November 1902 at St Hilda’s Church on Market Place. She was aged 25 and he was 26.
Spouse history (2): George had been born on 4 July 1876 to labourer James Coy and Mary Elizabeth Jefferson. He was born in Swinefleet near Goole, despite the 1911 census giving his place of birth as Belle Vue near Wakefield. By 1881 the family had moved south to the rapidly expanding mill town of Savile Town, near Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, where they lived in an unnamed house amongst the factories on Mill Street East. His father was a ‘general carrier’. The next census in 1891 captured them in ‘Navigation Yard’ on the same street, with his father now working as a horse keeper for a navigation company while 15-year-old George was a chemist’s warehouseman, perhaps in the nearby Britannia Dye and Chemical Works. By 1901 he had moved to Middlesbrough to work as an engine fitter. He lodged with the widow Annie Laden, originally from Buffalo in the USA, just a few doors down from his future sister-in-law Kate on Westward Street.
Children: (1) Norman in 1903, (2) Ruby in 1906, (3) Lily in 1911, and (4) Maisie in 1916.
Residences: the newlyweds John and Lily initially lived together with Lily’s parents, but soon moved into a relatively new terraced house on Windsor Street in the west of the town. After his untimely death Lily moved back in with her mother and was a widow for four years until she married George.
The new family moved to Pelham Street to the south of the town centre, later moving to join Lilly’s sister Kate on Aire Street in the Ayresome. By 1921 they had moved to Sutton Ings however, which then was just a few houses in the countryside on the road out of Hull, about 3 miles north of the town. They would live in Casterton House on Marfleet Lane for at least the next 30 years, by which time the suburbia of Hull had grown to encompass the once rural area.
- Lily: 38 High Denmark Street, Middlesbrough (1881); 31 Monkland Street, Middlesbrough (1887-1896); 16 Windsor Street, Middlesbrough (1897-1898); 31 Monkland Street, Middlesbrough (1901); 12 Graham Street, Middlesbrough (1902); 39 Pelham Street, Middlesbrough (1903); 46 Pelham Street, Middlesbrough (1904-1906); 9 Napier Street, Middlesbrough (1909-1910); 93 Aire Street, Middlesbrough (1911-1915); 99 Crescent Road, Middlesbrough (1916-1919); 748 Marfleet Lane, Hull (1921-1951)
- John: 31 Monkland Street, Middlesbrough (1896); 16 Windsor Street, Middlesbrough (1897-1898)
- George: Mill Street East, Dewsbury (1881-1891); 12 Westward Street, Middlesbrough (1901-1902); 39 Pelham Street, Middlesbrough (1903); 46 Pelham Street, Middlesbrough (1904-1906); 9 Napier Street, Middlesbrough (1909-1910); 93 Aire Street, Middlesbrough (1911-1915); 99 Crescent Road, Middlesbrough (1916-1919); 748 Marfleet Lane, Hull (1921-1951)
Occupations: George worked as an engine fitter for most of his career – someone who as the name suggests was responsible for assembling and installing engines. In 1911 he did this for a steam and gas engine manufacturer, but by 1921 worked for Earle’s Shipbuilding and Engineering Co. on Headon Road – being joined by his 17-year-old son Norman.
Deaths: George died on 9 December 1951 when aged 75. He left his estate to his younger brother John Herbert Coy. Lily likely died in the seaside town of Barry, in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales, during 1955 when aged 78.
G3: Norman Coy (1903-1987)
Birth: Norman Coy was born on 2 November 1903 in Middlesbrough. He was the first child of George and Lily.
Christening: on 30 November 1903 in All Saints Church on Linthorpe Road.
Marriage: to Dorothy Esther Wake on 23 September 1930 at St Andrew’s Church in Avonmouth. He was aged 26 and she was 28. The bride was given away by her father, while her brother Ray was best man. She wore an ankle-length dress of beige georgette over oyster pink lace. After the ceremony, a reception was held at Dorothy’s home. She was apparently well known in business circles and received many presents.
Spouse history: Dorothy had been born in Avonmouth on 12 April 1902, one of an eventual six children of George Edward Wake and Ellen Room. She was christened at Napier Road Congregational Church in May. Her father, originally from Liverpool, was a shipwright in one of the docks and by 1911 the family lived in a terraced house on nearby Collins Street. Little changed over the next decade, with the boys in the family following their father as shipwrights and Dorothy becoming a stationary assistant for a John McKenna.
Children: (1) Peter in 1932, (2) Sheila in 1935.
Occupation: Norman initially followed in his father’s footsteps, becoming an apprentice engineer for Earle’s Shipbuilding and Engineering Co. on Headon Road in Hull. He then joined the merchant marine. A record card from 1924 described him as 5 feet 10 inches tall with grey eyes and brown hair. This work probably took him south, where he met his future wife Dorothy in the port of Avonmouth. By 1930 Norman was an engineer on the old White Star liner Megantic which sailed the New York route.
Residences: when the couple married, Norman gave his address as Oban Villas in Sutton Ings. By 1938 the young family had a semi-detached house called Purview on Sir John’s Lane in the very north of Bristol. Post-war they moved to Cardiff, where from 1949 to 1967 they lived in a large house on busy Park Road. They then moved to a quiet bungalow on Pen Y Fai.
- Norman: 39 Pelham Street, Middlesbrough (1903); 46 Pelham Street, Middlesbrough (1904-1906); 9 Napier Street, Middlesbrough (1909-1910); 93 Aire Street, Middlesbrough (1911-1915); 99 Crescent Road, Middlesbrough (1916-1919); 5 Oban Villas, Kingston upon Hull (1930); Purview, Sir John’s Lane, Bristol (1938-1939); 17 Hospital Cottages, Park Road, Cardiff (1949-1967); 28 Pen Y Fai, Cardiff (1968-1987)
- Dorothy: 14 Collins Street, Avonmouth (1911-1921); Purview, Sir John’s Lane, Bristol (1938-1939); 17 Hospital Cottages, Park Road, Cardiff (1949-1967); 28 Pen Y Fai, Cardiff (1968-1978)
Deaths: Norman died on 10 June 1987 when aged 83. Dorothy likely died six years later at Ty-Coch Nursing Home in Llanishen on 15 December 1993.
G3: Ruby Coy (1906-1973)
Birth: Ruby Coy was born on 27 January 1906 in Middlesbrough. She was the second child of George and Lily.
Christening: on 30 November 1903 in All Saints Church on Linthorpe Road.
Marriage: to Henry Claud Townend on 26 May 1931 in Hull. She was aged 26 and he was 45.
Spouse history: Henry, commonly known as Harry, was 20 years older than Ruby and had been born in Goole on 14 April 1886 to accountant George William Townend and Elizabeth Thomson. He was christened in Snaith Methodist Church a couple of weeks later, which was a village about 7 miles west of Goole. He was educated at St. Bede’s College in Hornsea, where in 1901 he was a boarding pupil.
Harry married Ida Nichols in 1910 and the couple had four children together (Leslie, Kenneth, Jack, and George). In 1911 the family had a house on Cranbrook Avenue, a wide tree-lined road in a newly built suburb in the north of Hull. They then moved to Maynard Lodge on Newland Park in time to be captured there in the census of 1921. Ida died in 1930 when aged 42.
Children: their first child was born in 1932 but died before he could be named. Further children were born in 1934, 1938 and 1941.
Occupations: the 1921 census showed that despite being only 15 years old, Ruby worked as an apprentice milliner for Hilyards Ltd. on Prospect Street in Hull. Harry had a successful career in insurance, first as an inspector for the Employers Liability Assurance Co. Ltd in Hull and later as an insurance broker. Insurance inspectors would visit properties to evaluate potential risks that could lead to damage or loss, helping the insurance companies determine appropriate coverage and premiums.
Residences: Harry’s middle-class income was reflected in their large semi-detached house on St George’s Road in the west of the city. The wide tree-lined road featured yellow-brick terraced houses that were larger than on neighbouring roads, with bay windows and long gardens.
- Ruby: 46 Pelham Street, Middlesbrough (1906); 9 Napier Street, Middlesbrough (1909-1910); 93 Aire Street, Middlesbrough (1911-1915); 99 Crescent Road, Middlesbrough (1916-1919); 748 Marfleet Lane, Hull (1921-1930); 21 St. George’s Road, Hull (1939)
- Harry: 35 Cranbrook Avenue, Kingston upon Hull (1911-1913); Maynard Lodge, 68 Newland Park, Hull (1922); 21 St. George’s Road, Hull (1939)
Deaths: Harry died in Hull during 1958 when aged 71. Ruby died in Hull on 12 January 1973 aged 66.
G2: Unnamed Townend (1932)
The first child of Henry and Ruby was born in the Sculcoates suburb of Hull during 1932 but died before he could be named.
G3: Lily Coy (1911-1989)
Birth: Lily Coy was born during 1911 in Middlesbrough. S
Birth: Lily Coy was born on 8 July 1911 in Middlesbrough. She was the third child of George and Lily.
Christening: on 30 July 1911 in All Saints Church on Linthorpe Road.
Marriage: to Fred Smith during 1937 in Hull. She was aged 25 and he was 27.
Spouse history: Fred had been born in Hull on 25 July 1909, the second child of William Smith and Edith Mary Wilson. His father was a labourer, and the family lived on Barnsley Street.
Occupations: Fred became a building contractor.
Emigration: the couple appeared to live overseas during the 1940s and 1950s. They arrived in the UK from Capetown in August 1948, stating that they were visiting a property called ‘Greencourt’ on St Swithin’s Road, in Tankerton, Kent and that they lived permanently in South Rhodesia. They repeated the trip in November 1949, then a few months later in February 1950 departed Liverpool onboard the liner Franconia, stating their intention to live permanently in Canada.
In April 1956 they arrived on a ship from New York to visit the same address, stating that they now lived in the US. Fred returned alone at the end of June.
Residences: in 1939 Lily lived with her in-laws in their terraced house in Hull. The couple lived in the United States during the 1950s.
- Lily: 93 Aire Street, Middlesbrough (1911-1915); 99 Crescent Road, Middlesbrough (1916-1919); 5 Helmsdale, Hull (1939)
- Fred: 9 Barnsley Street, Hull (1911)
Hobbies and interests: in 1955 Fred joined the Acacia Lodge of the Freemasons in Massachusetts.
Deaths: Fred died in Ryedale during 1985 when aged 76. Lily survived him for a few years and died during 1989 when aged 77.
he was the third child of George and Lily.
Notes: she likely married Fred Smith in 1937, but further confirmation is required.
G3: Maisie Coy (1916-1957)
Birth: Maisie Coy was born on 21 April 1916 in Middlesbrough. She was the fourth child of George and Lily.
Christening: on 14 May 1916 in All Saints Church on Linthorpe Road.
Marriage: to Alfred Christie Pearson in 1936 in Hull. She was aged 19 and he was 25.
Spouse history: Alfred had been born in Sunderland on 19 August 1910, the fourth child of Alfred Christie Pearson and Mary Jane Hope. He was christened at St Ignatius the Martyr Church in the Hendon suburb during September. When the 1911 census was taken a few months later, it captured the family living in a terraced house on Westbourne Road in the north of the town. His father was an engineman at a gas works. When the 1921 census was taken, the five Pearson children, who were aged between 17 and 8, were boarding with Robert and Elizabeth Walker in what must have been a very cramped terraced house on Close Street. There is no record of their parents, and it is not known if they had any relation to the Walkers.
Children: a first child was born in the year following their marriage and then a second in 1939.
Occupations: it’s possible that in the early 1930s Alfred was in the merchant navy, operating in the Pacific and off the coast of California. By 1939 29-year-old Alfred was a maintenance engineer (qualified marine fitter and turner).
Residences: in 1939 the young family lived on Rimswell Grove, part of a housing estate in Hull. By 1957 they lived in a large house on The Crescent in the village of Chartham, on the very border of the Kent Downs.
- Maisie: 99 Crescent Road, Middlesbrough (1916-1919); 748 Marfleet Lane, Hull (1921-1930); 3 Rimswell Grove, Hull (1939); 23 The Crescent, Chartham (1957)
- Alfred: 98 Westbourne Road, Sunderland (1911); 23 Close Street, Sunderland (1921); 3 Rimswell Grove, Hull (1939); 23 The Crescent, Chartham (1957)
Deaths: Maisie died on 30 November 1957 when aged just 41. She left her effects of £158 1s. to Alfred, who was a hospital engineer. Alfred remarried in 1958 to Elizabeth Sproul McPherson. He died in Canterbury on 6 March 1996 while aged 85 and was cremated in nearby Barham.
