Eliza and Thomas Dent's Family

Eliza and Thomas married in 1883 and had 7 children. According to the dates (from Ancestry) Eliza was 15 when she married 25 year old Thomas, which would explain why she and Thomas, and Luke, her father, Mary Jane,  were all still living together (Amelia is not noted on the census entry).

For this studio photograph Eliza and Thomas have dressed in their 'Sunday Best'.  That is 'some hat', and her dress has a beautiful lace insert, and a long necklace, (many of her photographs show her wearing a long necklace.  Thomas is very 'dapper' in a smart 3 piece suit, with waistcoat and a bow tie.

Thomas was small, thin, and looks rather gaunt, not surprising in the job he did, lying or hunkered in wet, tiny claustrophobic spaces as a coal hewer.

Studio Photograph Eliza and Thomas circa 1896

Restoration

Their Children:-
1.   Jane Ann Dent (known as Jinny)  b 1883-1958
      Married Thomas Clarke b 1889 - (no children)

2.   Luke Dent (my Grandpa)              b 1891-1958
      Married Janet Clark (2 children Janet (Jenny) 
      & William (Billy) 

3.  Sarah Dent (known as Sally)          b 1893 - 1956
     Married Ernest Pattinson  (3 children, Elsie, Frederick
     and Norman

4.  Amelia Dent (known as Meelie)     b 1896 - 1984
     Married Thomas Davison (4 children Edna Millicent,
     Freda, Elsie, Thomas)

5.  Frederick Thomas Dent                 b 1899-1925 
     died in the Montague Pit Disaster, Scotswood

6.  John Robert Dent                          b 1903-1981
     Married Eleanor Avery (2 children Frederick, Claudia)

7.  Edna Dent                                     b 1904 - 1984
     Married William Noon (1 child, Norma) 



The following are family photographs that I am not sure who some of them are:-

Jinny Clark nee Dent with young schoolboy

Thomas and Eliza with family group

Liza and Thomas with two of their children?

Eliza Dent (nee Timmins)

ELIZA DENT (NEE TIMMINS)

Here is a torn photograph of my very young paternal, Great Grandmother Eliza Dent (nee Timmins) who was born in 1868 at Queen's Cross Dudley Staffordshire. 

Eliza Timmins maybe around 16 years of age

Restoration of Eliza Dent (nee Timmins) b circa 1868

Eliza Timmins was born at Queens Cross Dudley in Staffordshire, 

The Area of Queens Cross Dudley 2018

The 1871 Census shows that Jane Timmons (Eliza's mother) was 'Head of the Family' aged 20.  At this time Eliza was 3 years old and there was also one month old Amelia.  

Luke was a miner and could have been on shift, or even working away.

Ten years later the 1881 Census shows that Eliza was living at 1 South Street Hemlington Row County Durham.  No doubt the family had moved north for work, as it states Luke was a Coal Hewer.  

Part of Helmington Row 2018

At this time Luke Timmins was aged 36.  The Census also showed he was a widower.  I discovered that his wife Jane Timmins (nee Lee was born 1849-1880).  So, tragically, Jane had died at the age of 30 the previous year. 

Luke was left with three young children to take care of, Amelia aged 2, Mary (Martha?) aged 5 and Eliza (the eldest) aged 11.  

Undoubtedly at the age of 11 Eliza would have had to take care of the children and the house. 

Like Thomas Dent, it would appear that Eliza Timmins, as a child, also had a very hard life.

THOMAS DENT

My paternal Great Great Grandparents, Henry Dent b 1835 at Bolam near Darlington County Durham and Sarah Dent b 1836 at Woolwich London (nee Million) were the parents of my great grandfather Thomas Dent, known as Tot, b 1858 at Staindrop County Durham. 

the tiny hamlet of Bolam near Darlington County Durham 2018
Still very agricultural when Henry was a child

Staindrop circa 1867 would look similar to this when Thomas was a child

Staindrop 2018

The 1861 Census shows Thomas' father Henry, and mother Sarah, were living at 230 West Auckland.  

After the opening of the Stockton Darlington Railway in 1825 the search for coal escalated.  Drilling started in 1826 in West Auckland and in 1828 in St. Helen Auckland, so with better prospect of jobs, the population rose from 978 in 1801 to 3,651 by 1891.  Henry would have been a miner in either West Auckland Colliery, that employed 620 men and more probably at St Helen's Colliery, that employed 352 men.

Sadly by the time of the 1871 Census at the age of 34 Thomas' father Henry was dead - it states Sarah was a widow and head of the household, living at 36 Albert Street Willington County Durham with her son William aged 14 a miner, Thomas aged 12 a miner, and Sarah's two brothers George Million aged 30 and John Million aged 23 

It is difficult to contemplate that Thomas, at the age of 10, became, like his father, a miner, what a terrible hard life for a child. 

Restoration of Thomas Dent probably in his 40s perhaps taken in Yard of 
22 Montague Street Scotswood Newcastle upon Tyne 

Thomas Dent in approx 1926

Restoration Thomas Dent Front Door of 252 Whitfield Road Scotswood
 Newcastle upon Tyne

What is notable about these photographs of my Great Grandpa is how smart he is, he may have been a miner, but, obviously it was important to him to be dressed smartly.  This was something he passed on to his son Luke Dent my Grandfather.

THE DENTS - ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The following photographs and information are the history of my paternal great grandparents Thomas and Eliza Dent. 

A great deal of this information was given to me in 2005 and 2006 by distant Dent relatives.

Fred Owens and Lillian Pickard (nee Owens)

I am very grateful to Fred and Lillian, (brother and sister). 

Lillian informed me in 2005 that ...

"Fred had a heart attack about ten years  ago, (1995) and whilst recovering he started the family history, he is the 'brains' and travels to Durham and spends hours on Parish Records.  All the history is backed up by birth, marriage and death certificates and census information. We came to a dead end with 3 x Great Grandfather Thomas Dent born about 1795, and his wife Ann Hutchinson, 3 x Great Grandmother b 1796."  

Fred and Lillian's information is amazing, and I am so grateful to them for kindly sharing some of their family history with me. 

This Dent relationship is a bit complicated as my Grandfather, Luke Dent, (Eliza Dent, nee Timmins was his mother) are related through Lillian and Fred's father's mother's cousin - I really need to sit down and work this out!

John Burton

I also have to thank my cousin (3 x removed) John Burton who also very kindly gave me invaluable family information.  He even put me in touch with his mam, Norma Noon, who was Luke's, (my Grandpa Dent) niece. Through John, Norma and I corresponded (see the emails later). 

This was the reply from John when I contacted him- I have to agree with his sentiments!

"Thanks very much for responding.  It's all very interesting if not a bit spooky chatting about your own family with someone you don't know!"