Lives of your great-grandfathers


What a brilliant story marra.
And what a legacy she left for the world to see.😇

Never a truer word spoken marra.
Going up the male line, I'm pretty sure he was a miner. He died before I was born. All I ever knew of him was an old and early photo on the wall at my grandpa's house. One of those ones where no background was really captured, just a round picture around the face that seemed to fade away. I wonder what happened to that picture. I always thought he looked stern but posh, which would not fit with being a miner. Perhaps taken in his sunday best.

No idea on my mam's dad's side. My mam's mam's mam lived until I was probably about 14. She was a fantastic lady and full of fascinating stories. She was brought up close to Catherine Cookson and was the same age, I think they knew each other. My nana might have been a year or two ahead of her at school. Some of the real life events that went into Cookson's books, she remembered. The changes she saw come in in her life was fascinating.

She was a seamstress. Her dad died when she was quite young, so her and her mam faced poverty or make a living without a man in the house. Her mam started bringing in clothes for mending or would pick up old and worn clothes then cut, trim and make new clothes out of the best bits. She used to unpick the worn collar off a shirt, turn it around so the worn bit was on the inside folded over bit and get another few years of wear out of it. My nana picked up all the skills and it kept her out of the workhouse.

She loved her sewing and crochet. Some of the stuff she made, and her various dress making pattern books are now in one of the 1950s houses in Beamish. Fantastic going to see her stuff and show my kids, with it being their great great granmother's stuff. Admittedly my daughter was interested, my son less so!
Planning to take 2 of my grandbains to Beamish to show them the type of place I grew up in, and get a feel for the history of the NE.

I am going to make sure we see her stuff marra.
 
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My dads grandad was born in italy in 1865 . In 1892 he landed in Hull with a wife who had given birth on the boat from genoa . We think the plan was america but the baby caused disembark in Hull.
He ended up in york in the old hungate slums with the rest of the paddys and wops , hes on the 1901 census as an organ grinder . No one knows where he ended up , he changed his name and age from time to time presumably to get employment
 
All I know is my dad's side unfortunately and his granda was going to get done for desertion when he left the navy but got off with it as he went and joined the army , was killed in France somewhere.
 
My dads grandad was born in italy in 1865 . In 1892 he landed in Hull with a wife who had given birth on the boat from genoa . We think the plan was america but the baby caused disembark in Hull.
He ended up in york in the old hungate slums with the rest of the paddys and wops , hes on the 1901 census as an organ grinder . No one knows where he ended up , he changed his name and age from time to time presumably to get employment
The baby was my granddad i should have said .
 
I don’t know much about mine other than the odd vague bit of info. But recently an aunt in Canada gave me my great grandfather’s Admiralty pocket watch. He was a naval officer during WW1. Apparently the Navy issued them for things including timing the salvos of incoming shells to work out range?
The watch has tiny etchings inside the cover including what might be his service number. It’s over 100 years old and still works when you wind it up.
 
I don’t know much about mine other than the odd vague bit of info. But recently an aunt in Canada gave me my great grandfather’s Admiralty pocket watch. He was a naval officer during WW1. Apparently the Navy issued them for things including timing the salvos of incoming shells to work out range?
The watch has tiny etchings inside the cover including what might be his service number. It’s over 100 years old and still works when you wind it up.

Wow, what a fantastic thing to have. I would treasure that mate.
A thoroughly nice auntie as well.
 
My dads maternal grandfather was a soldier who settled as a labourer . By his age ( born 1860s) if he saw active service it would have been the Mahdi war , Omdurman, fuzzy wuzzies and such .
Both my mams granddads were irish men born in Galway who both eventually ended up migrating to the new steel town of Middlesbrough in the 1880s .
 
1. Lead Miner, upper Weardale (I have a family tree going back to the 1500s :eek: )
2. Lead miner, upper Weardale (as above)
3. Bombardier, Royal Artillery Newcastle
4. Police Constable, Felling
 
Better being boring than dead though. The only great-grandad that I'm aware of fought in WWI and was gassed multiple times. He died in 1922 as a result of his injuries. Bollocks to that.
My grandad died in 1968 as a result of shrapnel from a gas shell in his head from WWI moving.
 
Mothers side.
Ralph March, born 1885 in Marsden Colliery, Whitburn. He was a miner and I've just realised I haven't researched when he died.
Charles William Stuart, born 1876 in Birtley. died 1951 aged 74 in Hendon.

Fathers side.
Alfred John Gaster, born 1868 Poplar, London (East End). Died 1897 aged 29, buried in Tower Hamlets Cemetery (Ripper suspect ????)
Alfred Keenan, born 1861 Sunderland (to Irish parents) Died 1923 aged 62 in Southwick.

My Great Grandfather Charles William Stuarts 9ct gold football medal for the 1899-1900 season. I've no idea what league it was, Sunderland and District or maybe Sunderland and Durham? Who knows because I don't. And I didn't inherit any of his football skills either. :(

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Both served in the forces in WW2. My grandad Norman (grandfather’s dad) was a Chief Petty Officer in the Navy. He was also a very good at cricketer by all accounts. He died when I was about 5 I can still remember him.

I never met my grandad Matty on my grandmother’s side as he died of a stroke when I’m his 40’s, He was in the Catering Corps. I believe he was involved in the liberation of Norway.
 
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