William & Janet's Children - Albert - Work Pre and Post WW11

The 1923 Electoral Register confirms that Albert Clark was living with his sister Janet and her Husband Luke at 11 Munitions Cottages Block F in Scotswood. Janet and Luke had lived there from 1921. Margaret was probably living there as well but as she was under the age of 30 she would not be eligible to vote, therefore, she would not appear on the Electoral Register.

The Munitions Cottages were 411 temporary cottages built in 1916 in Scotswood for the Armstrong Whitworth factory.

Janet Dent aged 33 (with background photograph of Luke in Uniform)
11 Munitions Cottages Block F - Circa 1922

In 1923 number 11 would be very crowded as Luke and Janet had their daughter Jennie aged around 6 living with them and Albert and Margaret would have had their three  daughters Margaret (Marge) aged 8 and Dorothy (Doris) aged 6 and Elsie aged around 2 also living with them.

This situation didn't last very long as probably the reason Albert and Margaret moved in to number 11 was in order to take over the tenancy when Janet, Luke and Jennie left Scotswood in April 1924 to join her sister Hilda and husband Carlos in Lima Peru (probably in search for work). 

Here is an extract from Hansard, which shows how hard life was at this time, for some of the inhabitants of the Munitions Cottages, Scotswood.

"MUNITION COTTAGES, NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE (EJECTMENT NOTICES).HC Deb 21 January 1924 vol 169 c511511

§33. Captain RAMAGE 

asked the First Commissioner of Works if he is aware that between 20 and 30 unemployed tenants of His Majesty's Office of Works occupying the munition cottages, Scots-wood, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, have received notices to quit from His Majesty's Office of Works on account of arrears of rent; if he is aware that there is no alternative accommodation in the Scotswood district to which the tenants affected can go; and if he will give an assurance that, in view of the poverty of the tenants and of the imminent gap period in the unemployment insurance benefit, these notices will be withdrawn or, at least, suspended?

§The FIRST COMMISSIONER of WORKS (Sir John Baird) 

There are at the moment only two notices to quit which are operative against unemployed tenants. Twenty-eight notices were served on the 28th May last, and in all cases where the tenants have not subsequently vacated the notices have been withdrawn on satisfactory arrangements to pay having been made. Much as I regret the necessity for taking action against tenants heavily in arrear with their rent, it would be clearly improper for a Government Department to grant to its tenants what would in effect be a subsidy to them at the expense of taxpayers generally.

§Captain RAMAGE 

How does he suggest that these tenants are to pay off their arrears of rent while they are unemployed, and where does he suggest that these people are to go?

Sir J. BAIRD  Arrangements have been made for these tenants to gradually pay off the rent, and we have been very lenient in enforcing the law in regard to them."

A very old and dilapidated photo of an exterior view of a Scotswood Munitions Cottage 

The Electoral Register also records that Albert was some kind of machine operator (the record of what type of machine operator is unfortunately indecipherable), showing he was working at this factory. 

It is also worth noting that Albert, Luke and Tom Gibson were brother's in law.  Tom eventually became General Manager of Vickers Armstrong. Luke on his return from Peru was re-employed by Vickers Armstrong (he did 40 years service from 1915 to 1958) and I believe Albert remained at Vickers Armstrong until he retired. 

Machining 500lb bombs at the Elswick Works

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