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!"

The Last of William and Janet's Children - Wilhemina

The youngest of the Clark children was Wilhemina (Willem) who was born in 1892.  Here she is as a young women with many of her Clark family which included her nephew and nieces born to her sister Mary Ann Gibson (nee Clark) "the Gibson clan."  This is such a happy photograph.

Circa 1921 The Clarks, Gibsons, Pattisons and their various Spouses

Wilhemina is standing next to her sister Janet (my Grandma).  By the time this photograph was taken she would have had her first child Edith, her son Tom was yet to be born.  You can see that the photographer did not manage to capture everyone. but what a fantastic family "get together" this must have been.   

L-R:  At the front is 6 year old Marge Clark (Albert & Margaret Clark's eldest daughter). To the left of her, drinking from a cup is 5 year old Molly Gibson.  Behind her is four year old Jennie Dent, Janet's (nee Clark) daughter, next to her, sitting down, could be 13 year old Lillian (Li) Gibson. Next to her is 11 year old Eddie Gibson.  Next to Eddie is Doris Clark, born 1918 and her sister Elsie born 1921 sitting on her Mother Margaret Clark's knee.  Their brother Albert was yet to be born in 1929. Behind Margaret Clark to the right of her in dark clothing could be half sisters Hilda and Ellen Pattison born to Janet Clark/Pattison (nee Little). 

Circa 1920s Right Wilhemina Kearton (nee Clark) with her sister (my Grandmother) Janet Dent (nee Clark)

When she was young Wilhemina worked in service in Darlington and met and  married joiner Will Kearton in 1913.  Will was born 1890.   I remember visiting them, when I was a little girl with my mother and Grandmother. I still remember the house had bow windows and seemed very posh in comparison to our Greenside "pit house".  

Wilhemina and Will had two children:-


Edith Kearton born Newcastle 1916.  In 1939 Edith married Raymond H Kirby in 1939.  She was working as a Shop Assistant of a Dying and Dry Cleaning Company in Darlington. Raymond was working as an Assistant Steel Clerk, (Construction Engineering).  They lived at 9 Vancouver Street Darlington.

Edith died aged 80 in 1996.

9 Vancouver Street Darlington today

Thomas (Tom) Kearton born Newcastle 1922. He married Eva Smith in 1944.  

I think Wilhemina travelled back to Scotswood Newcastle upon Tyne to have both her children. As you can see from the above photograph Janet and Willem were good friends, and perhaps Janet helped her at the time.

Wilhemina died at the age of 88 in June 1976.  Will died at the age of 81 in March 1978. 

William and Janet Clark's Children - Albert & Margaret (nee Galley) Children

In 1916 Albert and Margaret had their first child, a girl Margaret (Marge). They went on to have another two girls and a son:-

Margaret (Marge) born in 1916

Dorothy (Doris) born in 1918

Elsie born 1921

Albert born 1929

Unfortunately I have no photographs of them as children but here is a lovely happy photograph of Doris and Elsie as bridesmaids at Marge's 1939 wedding.

Best Man, Bridesmaid, Groom Edward Simmons, Bride Marge Clark, Bridesmaid Elsie Clark Bridesmaid Doris Clark

Restored

If you look carefully at the photograph, all three bridesmaids dresses are slightly different.  Instead of flowers they have muffs.  Doris made her own dress and embellished her outfit herself, it being more fitted than the other two bridesmaids dresses. Look at the sleeves and bodice, the skirt has been gathered and she has added more artificial flowers to her muff. Their short veil headdresses are very pretty. I wonder what colour the dresses were?  

Marge's wedding dress is made of beautiful lace and her headdress is very 'tiara' like. Her bouquet was quite small and looks colourful in comparison to the popular large trailing bouquets that were popular at the time. 

1939 saw the start of WW2, which is affirmed by a young woman in uniform behind Doris. A nice touch to this story is that Elsie wore Marge's dress when she got married.

Marge married Edward J Simmons and had two daughters.  In the 1939 Electoral Register they were living at Whitfield Terrace.

Doris married Leslie Anderson - they had a son and a daughter, their son had a daughter, and their daughter had a son.

Elsie married and had two daughters 

Albert jnr had three children two daughters, and a son.  In 1951 they emigrated to Australia. In the 1960s Albert snr and Margaret travelled to Australia to see their youngest son and family. 

Albert & Margaret at the Seaside circa 1950s 

Restored

Doris' daughter sent copies of her brother's wedding.  Here are photographs of the parents Doris and Leslie with Albert and Margaret. 

L-R Leslie Anderson, his wife Doris Anderson (nee Clark) Albert Clark, Margaret Clark (nee Galley) circa?

L-R Best Man, Groom (Leslie & Doris' son, Groomsman

Wedding of Leslie and Doris Anderson's son
L-R 3rd Left Leslie Anderson father of Groom, Doris Anderson (nee Clark) mother of Groom, Bridesmaid Grooms sister, (Doris' daughter), Groom and Bride 

This is a photograph of the family attending another wedding 

L-R Bridesmaid, Leslie Anderson, 
Leslie and Doris' daughter. Albert Clark (brother of Doris) Margaret Clark (nee Galley) Leslie & Doris' son and daughter-in-law 

Finally a family wedding photograph of Doris' daughter on her wedding.  Doris made her daughter's beautiful wedding dress (Over the years Doris made many many beautiful wedding dresses for acquaintances and family members).  She also made the small bridesmaid's dress and also her own outfit.  My parents, sister and I were invited to the wedding.  

 Wedding Family Group
Front 1st L Norman Stafford, 3rd Left brother of bride, with his wife holding daughter's hand hand, Leslie Anderson Snr, father of the Bride, behind bride 1st right Doris Anderson (nee Clark) mother of the Bride, Pauline Tweddell (nee Stafford), Dorothy Tweddell (nee Stafford) 

After 60 years of marriage Margaret Galley died in 1975 at the age of 81.

Albert lived a long life and died at the age of 90 in 1980.

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

I

William & Janet's Children - Albert - Early Life - Marriage to Margaret Galley

Albert Samuel Clark was born in 1891 at Bells Close near Scotswood, the second youngest child of William and Janet Clark.  

The 1911 Census records, at this time 20 year old Albert was living at 12 Middle Row Percy Main North Shields. Albert was a lodger, working at the pit as a Colliery Weighman (it is recorded that there was 8 people living in this house at the time). Perhaps this is how he met and married Margaret Galley born 1893 at North Shields, daughter of William Galley. 

Albert aged 23 and Margaret aged 20 were married at Holy Trinity Church North Shields on 29th November 1915.  

Holy Trinity (closed 1982, demolished 1984). From an old photo in Alan Blacklock's Collection

The entry in the Marriage Register states:-

"Marriage of Albert Samuel Clark aged 23, Engineer of 6 Lovaine Avenue (father William Clark, veterinary surgeon deceased). to Margaret Galley aged 20 spinster of 6 Lovaine Avenue (father Wiliam Galley, steam-boatman). Witnesses Thomas Gibson and Hannah Galley."  

All this information was kindly given to me by Albert's grand-daughter, my cousin (once removed) Dorothy Hartnell. Dorothy believes there was a slight exaggeration about the occupation of Albert's father (he was actually recorded in the 1891 Census as a Horsekeeper Groom at the pit!)  She also noted that the Galley family and Albert were all living at 6 Lovaine Ave in North Shields in 1915, so it looks like he was living with them, or gave his address as his. 

Margaret Galley Circa 1922 aged appox 29 years

6 Lovaine Avenue today

The Galley's were originally from Stella (Blaydon), all the men were Keelmen before moving to North Shields.

This is an interesting extract (full text) from "History of the Parish of Ryton":-

"Considering the number of Keelmen that lived at Stella and Blaydon it is not surprising that some of them should be first-class oarsmen.  William Galley of Stella, in the early years of the 19th century, was champion oarsman of the Tyne.  At the celebration of the Coronation of his Majesty George IV, on July 19th 1821 a great boat race took place from Walker Quay to the Tyne Bridge.  Thirteen boats started, including the "Laurel Leaf" arrived seventh in order, but a dispute having arisen, the race was deferred till August 1st (the anniversary of the Battle of the Nile), when the competitors pulled from Hebburn Quay to the Tyne Bridge - in the following order:-

1st "Laurel Leaf" (William Galley ) prize 6 sovereigns

2nd "The Swallow" prize 3 sovereigns

3rd "Lord Ravenworth" prize 2 sovereigns

(Six Boats Competed)

William Galley belonged to one of the old Stella families.  William Silvertop having married a Galley of Stella in the 18th Century.  There were also a four-oared and six oared crew, formed by the Keelmen of Stella and Blaydon. The village has remained stationary for many years; the only industries at present are the Staiths and the brick manufactory belonging to Messrs Joseph Cowen & Co. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Cowen

Keelboat 
http://www.rolyveitch.20m.com/Keelmen.html

William and Janet Clark's Children - Janet - Janet & Luke's Children - Billy

In 1931 Luke & Janet, had a "late baby". 

At the age of 43 Janet went to see the Doctor because she didn't feel well (this was pre NHS), only to be told that she was pregnant! In those days 43 was very old to have a baby. 

Grandma told me she was shocked and stunned, but "Lukie" was quietly smug and self-satisfied that at their age they were going to have another baby, some fourteen years after their only child, daughter Jenny. 

It is not surprising that Janet wasn't quite as enthusiastic as Luke, as in those days men didn't get involved in bringing up a baby, this was a woman's job.  However, for them both, the arrival of a boy, William (Billy), turned into quite a joyous occasion. 

Apparently Billy was a lovely little boy.

Unfortunately his much older sister Jennie was not quite as enthusiastic as she was 'roped-in' as an unpaid baby minder.  

One day Grandma told Jenny to take Billy out in his pram; Jenny was so 'teed off' she just dumped the pram and Billy  and walked away. Somehow I don't think she would have been asked to take her baby brother out again.  What a naughty girl, however, this story still makes it hard for me not to laugh, as clearly, even at l4 she was jealous of the attention Billy got. She had been an only child for such a long time.  Thankfully Billy was found safe and sound.  Not sure what Janet and Luke said to her! 

1932 Billy Dent Aged around a year old

From a young age Billy was made to take piano lessons.  He told me he hated it as he could hear all his friends playing outside, but Janet and Luke made him stick at it. 

I am sure years later Billy was grateful to his mam and dad, as music, especially jazz, became the love of his life.

One of the precious memories I have is of my Uncle Billy sitting at his piano, in grandma's chinzy sitting room, playing and singing along to Fats Waller records. Other family members remember what a good pianist he was. Here's a great example to click on 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYoJCK_lwVg&list=RDxYoJCK_lwVg&t=91

Fats Waller 1904-1943  died aged 39   

In his 20s Billy joined the Merchant Navy as a qualified Marine Engineer.  I thought my Uncle Billy was so handsome in his uniform.

A very young Billy in his Merchant Navy Uniform 1950s

This photograph was taken in the back yard of Gregson Street Scotswood 

Billy Dent in his Summer Whites Uniform circa late 50s

I was in awe of Uncle Billy because he had been to wonderful and exotic places and brought back such wonderful things. I can remember visiting my grandparents, and finding Grandpa Dent in a "Smoking Jacket" wearing a Fez.  I had never seen anything like it.  I can remember Grandpa chuckling at my reaction. 

Billy Dent on shore leave in St Mark's Square Venice

Wedding of Billy Dent and Jenny Danskin circa 1958

Billy & Jenny's Parents Group Photograph circa 1958

Billy left the Merchant Navy when he met and married Jenny Danskin.  He then worked at Stella Power Station as an Engineer. I remember going on an outing from Greenside School and bumped into my Uncle Billy, I was over the moon as we chatted, as my classmates looked on.

Stella North (left) and South (right) Power Station viewed from Newburn Bridge on 31st October 1987 

http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Stella_power_stations


Billy and Jenny had no children.  Billy died at the age of 68 in 2002.  

I have lovely memories of my Uncle Billy, he was kind, gentle and patient, and laughed a lot!