Mary (Molly) Gibson's Story - Part 2 - The Youngest Gibson

MOLLY'S STORY PART 2

After Molly and Forster were engaged, the rift between the Gibson family was still very prevalent.  It upset Molly as she, as the baby of the family, had loved her father dearly.  Thomas Gibson and his second wife, Janet, had two children of their own.  Robert, who died aged about 12 (Molly thought it was TB, but not sure).  They also had a daughter, Margaret, who Molly got to know in later years.  More information about that later.

Forster continued to work for the Co-op, and was organist at Blaydon Parish Church.

Blaydon Parish Church St Cuthberts 2018

Molly continued to help Eliza and Archie in their shop and teaching elocution.  

Forster's family were all very musical.  His brother Tom played the fiddle and piano, brother Laidler played piano and saxophone, and of course Forster played piano and organ.  Tom passed his musical ability onto his own two sons; this ability continues in Molly's eldest Great Grandson.

World War II

World War II broke out in 1939 and changed everything.

Forster joined the RAF as an instructor in book-keeping and the safety of the new recruits.  He became a Flight Lieutenant.

Flight Lieutenant Forster Moore First Row Centre

WWII Flight Lieutenant Uniform

Molly joined the WAAF and was in the stores.  Molly became a Non-Commissioned Officer.  WAAFs who were engaged to be married were not allowed to be Commissioned.

WWII WAAF Uniform

Molly was stationed at Thornaby in Yorkshire, and Forster was at another base in Yorkshire. 

MOLLY

Molly and Forster in their RAF/WAAF Uniforms

Molly's brother Tom lived in North Ferriby and as they were stationed near, they would both stay with Tom and his family when they got leave.  Both Molly and Forster enjoyed life in the RAF and told many hillarious tales to their daughter.

North Ferriby

Molly (right)
 Photograph could have been taken at her brother Tom's house in North Ferriby?

When Molly and Forster picked a day for their wedding, Eliza took the 'bull by the horns' and went to see her father and asked him to give Molly away.  He agreed and Molly and Forster married in Holy Cross church in Fenham on 24th June 1943.  Eliza and Archie paid for the wedding. 

1943 Molly and her father Tom Gibson aged 69

Molly and Forster Wedding Day
24th June 1943
L-R: Maureen Potts (Molly's sister Lillian's daughter) Jean Moore (Forster's brother Tommy's daughter)
Forster and Molly, Ann Gibson, (Molly's sister) Ernest Cook (best man)
Joan Gibson (?) and Ailsa McLeod (Molly's sister Eliza's daughter)

Molly and her friends from WAAF

Holy Cross Church Fenham built in 1935
The church had only been built for 8 years when Molly and Forster married

Whether Molly went back into the WAAF is not known.

This gets a little confusing.  Eliza and her family went to Australia and came back to England, but the dates are not known.

Molly gave birth to a daughter, Christine Mary on the 1st September 1945 in the private Gables Nursing home on Scotswood Road.  Once again Eliza and Archie paid for this.

Molly's sister Ann had given birth to a daughter Sonia at the Gables on Molly's birthday in 1944, Ann was very ill, but was well taken care of, so this is why Eliza made Molly go privately.

THE GABLES
18 Gloucester Terrace, Elswick Road Newcastle/Tyne - it was demolished in 1994 

By this time Forster was stationed at the Grand Hotel in Eastbourne.  Eliza and Archie were living in Brighton and Molly and Christine went to live with them until Forster was demobbed.

During WWII Eastbourne was easy prey to air raids - the Grand Hotel eventually closed down and became a military headquarters

 Brighton Beach
From the Outbreak of War in 1939 Brighton became a no-go area
The beach was covered in mines and barbed wire

25 years after their marriage, Molly and Forster celebrated their Silver Wedding with their respective Gibson and Moore families.

THE GIBSON CLAN

back L-R: Rob Hull (Ann Gibson's husband) Sonia Hull (Ann & Rob's only child) Forster Moore Jim Smith (Christine Moore's husband) Joe Gibson Eddie Gibson

front L-R: Ann Hull (nee Gibson) Tom Gibson Nan Gibson (Tom's wife) Molly holding her first grandchild Kirsten - daughter Christine's first child) Christine Smith (nee Moore Molly & Forster's only child) Peggy Gibson (Eddie's wife) Molly Gibson (Joe's wife)

Unfortunately the "Moore Clan" photograph is very blurred but it was still worth publishing as it records a very happy occasion for everyone.

THE MOORE CLAN - names later

 

"MOLLY'S STORY" - Part 1 - The Youngest Gibson

My Grandmother Janet Dent (nee Clark) used to tell me about her sister Mary (Polly) Gibson (nee Clark).  Mary gave birth to 13 children (sadly two died). Her husband was Tom Gibson who was General Manager in the huge armaments factory, Vickers Armstrong in Scotswood, near Newcastle upon Tyne.  Tragically Mary Gibson died giving birth to her 13th baby.  Mother and child were buried in the same coffin.  This left Tom Gibson a widower with 10 children 6 boys and 4 girls.  So Molly Gibson remained the youngest child aged 16 months old. 

In March 2018 one of my half cousins emailed me to say that she had been on Facebook's Lemington Past and Present and found that Christine Smith (nee Moore) who was also a half cousin had made a few posts.  It brought all my Grandmas stories flooding back as Christine Smith (nee Moore) was Molly Gibsons' only daughter, so I decided to join the group, to see if I could contact Christine.  It has become one of the best things I have ever done.  Christine and I hadn't seen each other since we were young children, but snippets of news about her often came up in family conversations with Grandma Dent.

It is an absolute joy keeping in touch with her, and we have become firm loving friends. 

When I told Christine I had a blog going back as far as both my Great Grandparents, we decided to expand the notes she had made over the years of her mum's memories and add them to this blog.  

Even though life wasn't easy, Molly's path was somewhat smoothed by the ever-loving kindness of her sister Eliza and husband Archie.

Molly turned into the gentlest and kindest of human beings.

So, I'll begin the story about a small babe who never knew her mother, who grew up in a large family.  As they used to say on the BBC Children's Radio many many years ago, "Are you sitting comfortably, then I'll begin." 

Thomas and Eliza's Children - Edna Dent

Edna Dent was Thomas and Eliza's 7th and youngest child.  Edna was born on the 11th April 1904 at Barnard Castle Co Durham.

Barnard Castle

At the age of 25, in 1929, Edna married William (Billy) Noon aged 30, who was from Winlaton.  William was born on 22nd February 1899.

Winlaton 1936

Sadly I don't have any photographs of Edna or Billy, but at one time they lived at 10 Turret Road Newcastle upon Tyne.

10 Turret Road Newcastle upon Tyne in 2019

The 1939 Register records that William worked as a Steel Rougher. 

In 2005 William's daughter Norma informed me that her father worked at the Delta Steelworks Swalwell for 40 years, leaving with a gold watch and a pension of ten shillings a week. 

Edna and Billy had only one child, Norma Noon who was born in 1935.  Norma went on to marry John Burton - they had a daughter and son.

A few years ago I was in contact with Norma's son who was also interested in his family history.  Through him, Norma and I wrote to each other via email.  

"23rd December 2005

Dear Pauline,

I enjoyed reading your email to John, it was most interesting.  I don't remember your mam at all, so it was nice reading about her.  I do remember Billy though, as I was learning to play the piano about the same time, and he taught me to play 'My Guys Come Back' without music 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AQT76WlpUQ
 - my only piece of jazz!  He was very good.  

Aunt Janet and Uncle Luke are only vague memories I'm afraid.  I seem to remember that they went to Peru to work, but didn't stay long, as they didn't like being with the native people.  It must have been quite a change from Scotswood!

We saw a lot of Aunt Jinny and Uncle Tommy - they were my Godparents.  Tommy fell from a ladder while working as a cleaner for the United Buses, and never worked again.  He had a number of operations and spent many, many months in Hexham Hospital.  The operations were on the hip and resulted in one leg being shorter than the other - I remember the huge built up boot he wore?  The ulcers were a result of all this.  No Health and Safety or compensation in those days, so life must have been very hard.  Aunt Jinny took in lodgers and cleaned for a number of people.  The embroidery was a form of therapy.  Tommy learnt this while in hospital, and making soft toys.  I wasn't living in Newcastle when Jinny became ill and went to Hospital.  I remember mam saying she visited and found her scrubbing the floor!  She didn't know mam, who was so upset. Very sad to remember all these things.

Aunt Sally married Ernie Pattinson and they lived in Hordon. Ernie worked in the pit there.  They had 3 children, Elsie, Fred and Norman.  Fred was in the RAF and served in India during the later part of the war.  When he came out he worked in the Ministry at Longbenton and lived with Aunt Jinny for a lot of years.  He never married and is living in Peterlee, Co Durham

Aunt Milly married Thomas Davidson and lived in Scotswood.  They had four children, Edna, Freda, Elsie (another one) and Tom.  I spent a lot of time with them being a bit younger than Elsie and a bit older than Tom.

Uncle Jack (John Robert) married Eleanor (Nellie) and they had two children, Claudia and Fred.  Uncle Jack worked for Vickers Armstrong.

Mam (Edna) married Billy Noon and lived in Armstrong road first, then in Denton Burn.  I was their only child, born in 1935 at Grandma's flat in Whitfield Road.  Dad worked for nearly 40 years at the Delta Steelworks in Swalwell.  He left with a pension of ten shillings a week and a gold watch, which he gave to his grandson.

Delta Works Swalwell

 I married John William Burton who originated from Scotswood and spent the war years in Cumbria.  He was in the RAF for 12 years, during which time we were married.  We have lived in Cumbria since the 60's and have a son and daughter.  My daughter lives in the Scottish Highlands.

Freddie as you know, died in the Montague Pit disaster in 1925.  I think it must have affected all the family.  Mam said that Grandma went every day to the pit head to wait for news, and all you could hear was the rushing of the water as it was pumped out of the mine shaft.  At one time the owners wanted to fill in the mine but public opinion changed that and eventually all 38 men's bodies were recovered.  I still have some of the original cuttings from the Evening Chronicle, along with some of those from the paper 50 years later in 1975.

The Dent family came from Woodland and Copfield in Co Durham to live in Whitfield Road in about 1911.  I think it must have been to find work.

I have quite a few photographs and hope you find some of them interesting [these photographs may have been sent to me but I had to purchase a new computer and they may have been lost in transfer of files].

Happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year.    

Norma" 

"Jan 2006

Dear Norma,

Thank you so much for such a lovely and informative letter. You brought back memories that I thought had been completely erased from my memory. 

Grandma and Grandpa Dent (Luke and Janet) were always talking about the Dent girls, "Our Sally, Edna, Meelie, and Jinny". Unfortunately I can’t remember much of my Great Uncles, but Uncle Jack and Auntie Nellie I just about remember, I know we visited them.

Sally's son Fred Pattinson I remember very well as he lodged with Aunt Jinny and Uncle Tommy, so we saw him when we visited them.  Fred always appeared very worldly and intelligent to my sister Dorothy and I.  I think I also met Claudia Dent at Gregson Street Scotswood at Luke and Janet's.

What amazed me is Janet seemed to get on well with her sister's-in-law.  I never heard her ever say anything awful about them.

I cannot believe Fred is still alive he must be about 85 now.

Fred, Billy, Edna and Elsie are grand Dent family names, but the tradition of naming children after other family members has long gone now, which is a real shame. My middle name is Clark, the Clark was from both my Grandma's - Grandma Dent was a Clark before she was married, and so was Grandma Stafford, although they were not related.

It is a bit of a fluke that I called my daughter Elise, like you Norma she is an 'only one'.  Her name is French for Elizabeth, but I didn't have the sense to carry on Clark for her middle name - it is actually Nicola.  Having a surname like Tweddell I wanted her to have a pretty name, but when you glance at Elise it is often taken for Elsie, as it is just the 'i' transposed, so she is often called Elsie Tweddell by the doctors etc.  I don't think she realises there have been a few Elsie's in the family before her!  

I was telling our Dorothy about getting your lovely letter and she was talking about your mam.  We both remember Edna through the eyes of very small children, but to us she was very friendly, buxom and bonny.  Dorothy remember’s her being very smart wearing a black pencil skirt, stockings with seams and her wetting the back of her heels to keep her shoes on. It is strange what you remember as a child isn’t it?

I can just imagine Uncle Billy teaching you a piece of Jazz Norma.  Dorothy and I idolised him, although we didn't really see much of him.  We thought he was very handsome in his Merchant Navy Uniform, and was a fabulous pianist, to this day I love listening to Fats Waller and Satchmo.

I can remember him bringing back some really exotic presents from his travels.  Grandma had a musical gondola, and a beautiful cameo and gold broach which was passed on to my mam and then to me and will eventually be passed on to Elise. 

 Cameo Broach bought by Billy Dent for his mother Janet

I can also remember he brought back a fez and smoking jacket for Luke.  Luke was a good sport and would sit with his fez and smoking jacket on - smoking his pipe full of Condor Sliced tobacco.  On very rare occasions, these days, if I get a whiff of Condor Slice it takes me back to Gregson Street.  Wonderful memories!

Fez

I cannot explain how wonderful it has been contacting you and to receive family information that brought memories flooding back.  I am not going to allow this to be forgotten this time.  I have many photographs of people from my dad's side of the family that I have no idea who they are, so I have written the information on the back and have started an album containing photograph. birth, wedding and death certificates so they can be passed on and not forgotten.  I am going to do the same with my Dent family  Dot says she has a few more photographs so if they are of interest I will pass them on to John through email.

With warm and loving wishes        Pauline Tweddell"

William (Billy) Noon passed away on May 6th 1982 at Denton Burn Newcastle upon Tyne at the age of 83.  

Edna Noon (nee Dent) passed away in 1984 aged 79

Edna and William had been married for 52 years.

Thomas & Eliza's Children - John Robert Dent

John Robert Dent (Jack) was the 6th of Thomas & Eliza's children.  He was born on the 28th August 1902.  In 1929 he married Eleanor Avery (Nellie) who was born on the 8th December 1905. 

Jack, like his brother Luke, worked at Vickers Armstrong - the 1939 Register shows that Jack worked as a "Maintenance Engineer Armaments." 

Coastal Tanks Vickers Armstrong 1942

The 1939 Register also shows they lived close to Vickers at 86 Roberts Street, Scotswood.  Here is a photograph taken, in 2009 of what was left of Roberts Street, obviously, just before these remaining houses were completely demolished.

This photograph was taken in 2009 showing what remained of Roberts Street Scotswood. Starting from the left at No 74, which means No 86 is top right second door down - they are all flats

By 1953 the Electoral Register shows John Robert and Eleanor were living at 36 Netherby Drive Fenham with their children. 

John and Eleanor had two children:

Their son Frederick (Fred) born 1930 -1989 - married Mary Agnes Young. They had 5 children, Alan, Ann, Marian, Paul, and Catherine. 
                                  
Their daughter Claudia born 1931 - In 1957 married William Hoggett. The 1958 Electoral Register records that Claudia and William were living with her parents at 36 Netherby Drive after they married.

36 Netherby Drive, Fenham, Newcastle upon Tyne as at 2019

John and Eleanor's final home was a bungalow at 18 Rudchester Place Fenham, Newcastle upon Tyne.

18 Rudchester Place Fenham

Unfortunately I have no photographs of John or any of his family.

John Robert Dent died in October 1981 at the age of 79.  

Eleanor Dent (nee Avery) died in November 1989 aged 83. 

Eliza and Thomas Dent's children - Frederick Thomas

Frederick (Fred) Thomas Dent was born in 1899 was Thomas and Liza's fifth child.  In 1925 at the age of 25 he died in the Scotswood Montagu Pit disaster.

It is so sad that the only photograph or information I have about my great uncle Fred is this memorial in St. John's Cemetery Elswick that commemorates his death, together with the other 31 other poor souls who died along with him as you can see on the Memorial (6 other miners were buried elsewhere). 

I can't imagine how Thomas and Liza, and their children coped with the horror and sadness of Fred's death.

Luke was greatly affected in having to identify his brother's drowned body.  Luke's story, as I remember it, was, he could only identify his brother Fred by the socks his mam had knitted for him.  This story has been passed down through the family.

The coroner's report describes Luke's means of identifying Fred in more detail. (this information was kindly passed on to me by my relative Lillian Pickard) 

"Twenty three of the dead were buried in Elswick Cemetery, there were 50,000 mourners at Elswick Cemetery.  Frederick Thomas Dent, aged 25 of 252 Whitfield Road Scotswood was identified by his brother Luke Dent because of the army boots he was wearing.  They were of a heavy pattern, the toe and heel plate were missing, having been worn off.  Luke said "he had new ones at home on the chimney piece to put on when he had time.  Luke showed the coroner the home knitted stocking tops with a fancy stitch that he recognised were worn by his brother.  Luke also recognised his brother Fred's dark shirt that he had been wearing on the day of the disaster.  Three others were also recovered on May 23rd [some two months later].

This picture of 252 Whitfield Road today (what was the entrance to an upstairs flat is outlined in green).  Today the two flats 252 and 251 are now one house, as are most of the 'houses' in the street.  

252 Whitfield Road 2019

Here is a picture of Fred's dad Thomas (Tot) standing at the entrance of 252 Whitfield Road around the time of the disaster.

Thomas Dent outside 252 Whitfield Road Scotswood

 Lillian Pickering informed me that two of her family members also perished in this terrible disaster - they were G Hetherington and M Hetherington (Matthew).  Matthew's wife Mary Owens (Lillian's father's cousin) had to wait nearly six weeks before they retrieved his body, even more heart rending was is they found him in the arms of his older brother.

Lillian's brother Fred Owens gave me a copy of the following:- 

"The Mines Inspectors Annual Report for 1925 from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian. 
  
"It is with deep regret that I have to record the loss of 38 lives at Montagu View Colliery, situated at Scotswood in the county of Northumberland owned by Messrs W. Benson and Sons Ltd.

This disaster is the worst that has occurred in the Division for a number of years, and was caused by an inrush of water into the workings of the Brockwell Seam at almost the lowest point in the colliery.  The accident happened about 10:30am on Monday 30th March, in a district known as Robson's Bord Flat, following the firing of three shots by the deputy in charge.

New pumping plant had to be installed, and the last body was not recovered from the mine until 19th October.

The water broke in from the old Paradise Pit, Brockwell Seam workings, which had been abandoned about the year 1848.

The circumstances of this accident were the subject of a special inquiry by the Right Hon. H.P. Macmillan, K.C., with H.M. Chief Inspector of Mines acting assessor.  The inquiry was held on 26th and 27th January, 1926, at the Moot Hall, Newcastle-on-Tyne.  The report* of the inquiry was published in April 1926.

A relief fund was opened by the Lord Mayor of Newcastle-on-Tyne, and met with a ready response by the general public.

*Report on the causes of, and circumstances attending the in rush of water which occurred at the View Pit of the Montagu Colliery Scotswood Northumberland, on 30th March, 1925, by the Right Hon. Hugh Pattison Macmillan, K.C (Cmd.2607)."

The following is a more up-to-date (short) modern version of what happened which is interesting:-

"On the 25th March 1925 miners at the Montagu View Pit in Scotswood Newcastle upon Tyne broke through into the old workings of the Paradise Pit with the consequence of thirty eight men and boys dying in the flood that followed.  It was a disaster that should never have happened.  The plans to the old mine were kept in the offices of a nearby colliery, but the owners of the Montagu Colliery didn't refer to them when they planned to extend the Montagu workings to the Paradise Barrier. The Montagu wasn't the only disaster in Newcastle caused by flooding from old workings.  In 1815 seventy five miners died at Heaton when the pit was flooded fron old workings. John Buddle Jnr, the part owner and manager of Heaton proposed after the disaster that there should be a central repository for the plans of old mines, but unfortunately his suggestion was not taken up until after the Montagu disaster.  A J Cronin's book "The Stars Look Down is a fictionalised account of the Montagu Disaster."   

I leave Lillian Pickard (nee Owen) to finish this very sad page.

"Terrible isn't it the troubles within family history.  It is sad things like deaths, wars and disaster are the only things that are well documented - all the funny and good things are not." 

Eliza and Thomas Dent's children - Amelia

Amelia (Meelie) was Eliza and Thomas' 4th child born on the 23rd October 1896  - She was born at 78 Grieveson House Woodland, near Bishop Auckland.  

I only have two photographs of Meelie - they were taken when she was visiting her brother Luke, his wife Janet Dent, at 13 Gregson Street Scotswood, and Janet's half sister Ellen Pattison who was also visiting.

A little blurred but a happy phtograph - better than nothing!
Left Ellen Pattison, Luke (with Ellen and Meelie on his knee)
and Meelie

Left just managed to get Amelia, Meelie Davison (nee Dent) on photograph!
Ellen Pattison and Janet Dent (nee Clark)
13 Gregson Street Circa 1950s?

In the 1911 Census Amelia was 14 and was living with her parents and all her brothers and sisters - Jinny, Luke, John Robert, Edna and a lodger Ralph Ingram at 22 Montague Street Scotswood.

22 Montague Street 2019

At the age of 25, Amelia married Thomas Davidson who was also aged 25 - Amelia and Thomas went on to have 4 children:-

1.  Edna Millicent - born 1921 - 1994. Married George William Stoves who died in 1989 - They had no children.

2. Freda - born 1925 married James Marshall. They had one child  born in 1958 who married Malcolm Philip Hall.

3.  Elsie - born 1930 married Eric Hardy, they had one daughter born 1958 who married Howard Walker. 

4.  Thomas - born 1938 married Freda Dingle, they had one son.


The following photograph of an old rocking chair was a typical piece of furniture you could find in a colliery house and belonged to Auntie Meelie and Thomas. I can only assume that at sometime she must have given it to her brother Luke, and it was then in turn passed on to their daughter Jenny, my mam, and eventually passed down to me.

I love it - unfortunately the webbing has worn away with old age, thereby nothing holds the springs in place, so they  hang down. I have been loathed to have it repaired, as not surprisingly the black covering is no longer produced. I suppose the cover could be replaced with black leather but somehow I don't think it would be the same, so nobody is allowed to sit on it.

As you can see I have placed the two black dolls that my Grandma's half sister Auntie Ellen bought for my sister Dorothy and I about 55 years ago, thereby stopping people sitting on it.  

The dolls had to be repaired a couple of years ago, I found them on the chair completely collapsed, not surprising the elastic holding them together had perished, so, with great difficulty I found someone to repair them, and as you can see they have pride of place on the rocking chair.

Auntie Ellen's Christmas Present to Pauline & Dorothy Stafford about 55 years ago and the Rocking Chair inherited from Auntie (Meelie) Amelia Davison (nee Dent) 

I found this photograph of the same rocking chair in a typical interior of a colliery house.

A typical miners house - a blazing fire and washing drying above the cast iron stove and oven - not quite the luxury we have these days in 2019!

Sadly I don't have a lot of information about Meelie and Thomas but records show that Thomas died on the 8th December 1938 at the age of 59.  

Amelia (Meelie) died in 1984 aged 88.

Eliza and Thomas Dent's Children - Sarah (Sally) Dent

Eliza and Thomas' third child was Sarah (Sally) who was born on the 11th April 1893.  Unfortunately I don't have a photograph that I could say definitively it was Sally, but this previously uploaded photograph on Jinny's page probably contains a photograph of Sally.

Back Jinny's husband Tommy Clark and perhaps Edna next to him
Left Jinny, perhaps Sally, and Amelia (Meelie)

In 1913 Sally married Ernest (Ernie) Pattison who at the time was a Colliery Locomotive Driver.  He was born on the 5th Oct 1884 and died in 1968.
  
When Sally married she moved to the Easington area where Ernest was probably already working.

Sally and Ernest had a daughter Elsie born in 1912, and two sons - Frederick born in 1917 and Norman born in 1919. Like their dad, both worked in the colliery.  

At this time Easington was a relatively new colliery which had been sunk in 1889, with the first coal being drawn in 1910.  Thousands came to the area from all parts of Britain. It closed on the 7th May 1993 with the loss of 1,400 jobs.

Since then Easington has become an employment blackspot.

One of the houses that Sally and Ernest first lived in was 97 New Sixth Street, Easington, Co Durham. It is notable that none of the streets were named, just given numbers, which was probably due to having to build such a huge amount of housing as quickly as possible to accommodate the massive influx of miners and their families. 

97 New Sixth Street Easington in 2019

This photograph shows the extent of some of the colliery housing in Easington and how close they were built to the Colliery, and the sea. 

Ariel view Easington Colliery and the extent of some of housing built

Sally and Ernest children were:-

Elsie Pattinson  - born on the 30th November 1912.  In October 1935 at the age of 23 she married Leslie Sutherland, who was born 6th August 1911.  

The 1939 Register shows (just as war was beginning) Leslie was working as a Temporary Postman.  At this time Sally and Ernest were living at 13 Lime Avenue Blackhall Colliery Hartlepool - they lived in this house until their deaths.  

13 Lime View Blackhall Colliery Hartlepool today

 

Elsie and Leslie had two sons:-

Frederick Pattinson - b 2nd Sept 1917.  It is recorded in the 1939 Register that Frederick was employed at the Colliery as a general labourer, Coke Ovens.  During the war Fred joined the RAF, and when he was demobbed he found work at the the 'Ministry' at Longbenton.  He died aged 87 in the Peterlee area.  Fred never married. 

Norman Pattinson  -  b 20th Jan 1919.  The 1939 Register records that Norman was employed as a Colliery Sorter - He married Catherine Langhorne in 1944 and it is believed they had one son.  Norman's death at the age of 82 was registered Hartlepool. 

This is a photograph I found on the internet of a George A Sutherland b in 1911 - he is 15 years old in this photograph taken in Easington in 1925.  The 1939 register shows he was a window cleaner, (not working in the colliery).  The reason I uploaded this photograph is that there is a slight chance that George could be related to Leslie Sutherland, but what this photograph also shows is the way Frederick and Norman would probably have dressed.

I discovered that George A Sutherland lived at 22 Bourne Street Easington which still exists.

George A Sutherland aged l5 years b circa 1911
Taken in Easington in 1926

"Easington Pit Disaster 1951

On Tuesday 29th May at 4:35 am an explosion occurred in the Duck Bill district of the Five Quarter Seam - the coal cutting machine cutter, struck pyrites causing sparks which ignited firedamp - 120 yards of roof was brought down and entombed 81 men.

The rescue operation covered a period of 257 hours during which time 11 officers, 48 permanent corps-men and 291 trained colliery rescue workers were engaged.  Between them these men wore apparatus 1,168 times and 13,277 pounds of liquid air was used.

It may be that the the temperatures were not excessive, nor travelling conditions unduly arduous, but the work was prolonged. The distances travelled were considerable and the atmosphere so lethal that anyone making a mistake or raking a liberty was likely to pay for it with his life.  Nevertheless, and in spite of the death of two of their own comrades, these men never faltered, and their morale throughout was maintained at a level that reflected the greatest credit on them as individuals and on the system in which they had been trained."

I am sure Ernest, Sally and their family were deeply affected by the tragedy as were the community they lived in.

Easington - Crowds waiting for news 1st June 1951

Sally died aged 64 in 1956.

Ernest died aged 77 in 1968 - he outlived Sarah/Sally by 12 years.