01 October 2019

Tragic life of William Tynemouth




The story of William Tynemouth is an interesting one as he is my great grand uncle on my father’s side of the family. An aunt did compile some information about him, but I have come across more as time has passed and most recently I came across a record within the Tyne and Wear records office in Newcastle upon Tyne in the United Kingdom that provided me with much more information on him and his family. Records like the census do not tell you about living conditions but following other record trails do provide a picture into their lives.

Recently I came across a record of William being in the care of a local industrial school after finding him in the 1911 census. I did not know anything about this event in his life, but he was with quite a few other boys of various ages. He had not been included with his family, so it made me wonder why he was in the Industrial School and it could be included as something similar to a ragged school for children who were poor. In 1911, William was only 14 years of age. I did wonder how long and when he was in the school for.

William Tynemouth was born in August 1897 in Newcastle Upon Tyne to John William Tynemouth and Isabella. John William Tynemouth passed away in 1899 and Isabella would not remarry. My guess life would not have been easy with three kids, although the oldest by the 1901 census would have been 16 years of age. By 1911 William was in the industrial school run by Richard Hughes Banister. The school no longer exists in Newcastle Upon Tyne and for the records, I would have to physically visit the archives centre as the information are not online. I do love the hunt for a good record and flicking through records to get to the information I am looking for.

Ordering the record in person filled out some of the gaps I had in the Tynemouth family lives. The Administration record for the Industrial school included the age on conviction, when admitted into the school, charge, religion, remarks about them or family, discharge information and further remarks once released.[1] William had been admitted at the age of 12 year and four months but would not be released until he was 16 years of age. Looking at several other records many of the boys were held until they were 16. There were quite a few repeat offenders in the book and their characters were well known. William went through the police court, Newcastle Upon Tyne with WJ Sanderson esq JP and JG Scanlon esq JP which I am guessing were the judges. The charge was noncompliance with school attendance order S11. SS2. The record provides the name of the mother and their religion, which is Church of England. From what I can work out WJ Sanderson was an ex lord mayor of Newcastle Upon Tyne in 1907. It was easy to follow William by his registration number of 1575.

The remarks on the record are interesting as I did not expect extensive detail on his home life. Father dead, Mother hires in rooms at 28 Yorkshire street N/C, in very poor circumstances. Takes in washing. Sister Isabella works at Gallick Watson’s café. She was 14 in 1909. Brother 25 works in Hamburg.

The discharge register I was provided with went further as William was discharged in August 1913.[2] This record goes as far as 1931, but records further than 1920 were tied off with a ribbon, which was the archives version of a restricted record that I couldn’t access. I was not going to test them on that and I never went looking to see if there were other family members admitted as I had basically found the one record I had been looking for. At least I knew he was allowed to be discharged in 1913, although he was now of age. I have to do further research, but he was licensed on the 23rd of July 1913 to live with his mother at 73 Westmoreland Road and to work as a tailor for a Mr. V. Heaton on James Street both in Newcastle upon Tyne.

The Industrial school kept in touch with William Tynemouth until 1916 while World War One was raging in Europe. I was not expecting this extra information from these files as they were a gold mine. I will follow the contact trail as far as it goes.

1913
December 8. Visited at work by the tailor. Doing Well

1914
July 8 – Visited the school. Doing very well at same work and address earning 12/ a week.
22 Sept. Out of work this week, but doing tailoring at home and is doing very nicely
Oct 26. Joined Tyneside Scottish of Kitcheners army
Dec 13. Visited here, doing well

1915
June 21. Visited Y65 11th platoon cco NF
Dec 18. Visited. In band of pioneers stationed at Warminster, No5 Bandsman D.co: 13th Platoon, 18th N.F Warminster. No.1 camp Sutton Vincy

1916
21 Feb – postcard. In France with division band. Bandsman 765 18th Northumberland Fussiers
Nov 2. Letter to boy. Keeping well
Dec 20 – Field Postcard. Still doing well.

Somewhere along the line during the war William Tynemouth contracted Tuberculosis and a post card had been sent home of a convalescent home in Redcar around 1921. My aunt, Eve Smith in her book did not have any further information on William. I have picked up the trail and gone a touch further in his life. His death certificate in August 1927 provides me with a little more information. William died at City Hospital for infectious diseases, Walker gate, Newcastle upon Tyne of Tuberculosis. The Walkergate hospital was well known in Newcastle upon Tyne and opened around 1888. His occupation at time of death was Master Tailor and a cousin J.P Bell who I can guess was James Patterson Bell from Byker was an informant. James’ service record is interesting as he was in the Navy during WW1.

There is apparently a register for those who have Tuberculosis, but I do not have a date of when he contracted the disease, nor if those who served during the war would have been registered. This is something that I would have to do some more research on. I was under the impression the records for the TB register were restricted, but I will know how true this would be. I will gather records on William as time goes by and I think he is an interesting person from the UK.


Sources
Administration register E.AP/8/1 20 July 1859 – 19 December 1913, Tyne and Wear Archives

Discharge Register E.AP/10/1 10 January 1905 – 30 December 1931, Tyne and Wear Archives

William Tynemouth death certificate Newcastle upon Tyne Vol. 10b, page 130, 1927

Smith, Eve, A Grandmother’s Story, 2000.

The City Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Walker Gate, Newcastle

Tyne and Wear Archives, https://twarchives.org.uk/

Children’s Homes, http://www.childrenshomes.org.uk/NewcastleBoysIS/, accessed 1/10/2019.


[1] Administration register E.AP/8/1 20 July 1859 – 19 December 1913, Tyne and Wear Archives

[2] Discharge Register E.AP/10/1 10 January 1905 – 30 December 1931, Tyne and Wear Archives

2 comments:

  1. Wow, what a lot of work you have done! Fascinating.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Margie. I dont think there is enough info, but there is in this blog. There is more to tell eventually.

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