Eliza and Thomas Dent's Children - Luke

Eliza and Thomas' second born was Luke (my grandpa) who was born in 1891 at Brandon, County Durham.  In order to stay in work Luke's father worked in many pits in the area,  eventually leaving Woodland near Bishop Auckland, moving to Newcastle upon Tyne to another mining area, Scotswood, where Luke eventually became a miner (like his dad)

By 1915, at the age of 24, my handsome grandpa, Luke, was employed by Vickers Armstrong's and as you can see he worked there for forty years until he retired on the 25th April 1958.

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/history/vickers-armstrong-old-photos-show-9985844

Also in 1915 Luke married Janet Clark aged 23.  Her wedding dress was beautiful. 

  

WW1 had been raging over a year when Luke and Janet's wedding took place. I assume because he was working in a munitions factory, Luke was exempt, but he did join up. Here we see 28 year old Luke, looking very proud in his uniform and carrying a Swagger Stick. 

Luke Dent aged about 27 in uniform ready for war 

Luke and Janet had two children Janet (Jenny) b 1917 - 1987 and William (Billy) b 1934 - 2002

Baby Jenny Circa 1917 

Billy circa 1935

Older Jenny in Newcastle City Centre aged about 18 circa 1935

Older Billy ready to join Merchant Navy circa 1955

I think Luke and Janet were very brave, as in the 1920s, when work was difficult to find, Janet's half sister Hilda persuaded Luke and Janet to move to Peru.  Hilda had met and married a Peruvian Carlos de Terry, who had been studying mining at Armstrong College Newcastle upon Tyne.  Hilda told them there was plenty of work in Lima, where she lived.  So, Janet, Luke and Jenny 'upped-sticks', booked tickets on a boat and sailed off to Peru. Jenny would be around 4 years old at the time.  Methinks Hilda had been economical with the truth, but I believe they were also very homesick, so they returned home quite quickly. 

Older photograph of Luke circa 1956

Older picture of Janet Dent in Garden of 13 Gregson Street Scotswood
This was Luke and Janet's Last home together

Luke died in 1958 in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Newcastle at the age of 68, of a Cerebral Haemorrhage.  This was the same year as he retired from Vickers Armstrong. Grandma said he lied about his age so he worked two years longer than the statutory retirement age of 65.

After Luke died, Grandma and Grandpa's house, 13 Gregson Street Scotswood, was burgled. Janet was too nervous to remain living there, so she applied for a pensioners cottage at Bells Close which was very close to her half sister Ellen.

Apart from all the things stolen, a casualty of the burglary was Grandma's writing slope.

Janet Dent's Writing Slope showing a crack right across the top, no doubt done whilst trying the 'prise' it open

L-R Janet Dent, Ellen Pattison, Billy Dent - Bells Close
 

Janet died at the age of 89 in 1978, just before my one and only child was born, our daughter Elise, but at least she knew she was going to be a Great Grandma.  She died in her home at Bells Close cared for by her daughter Jenny with the help of her sister Ellen.  She had stomach cancer.

My mam, sister and I missed Grandpa Luke very much, he wasn't very tall, all our family was small.  

He was gentle and quiet, but with a great sense of humour. I remember when my sister and I were little girls we were bought toy cameras that would squirt water at the person you were pretending to photograph, Grandpa was so good at pretending he didn't know it's is just a small thing but at 74 (in 2020) I remember it so well! 

After Grandpa died, almost every Sunday afternoon I used to pick up my mam and sister in the car to visit Grandma, we did this for years until she died, we also saw Auntie Ellen, as she was always around at Janet's.  They both were always so pleased to see the three of us.

So lucky to have such kind, loving and gentle Grandpa and Grandma, and Auntie Ellen.