The Battle of Stockton 1933

[stockton]

  Hi gejen, i'm a Stockton lad born and bred, just live up the road now in Billingham,
i thought i knew my history also but this is new to me!!!

whats even stranger is a few years ago i got into family ancestry to prove my grandad
Robert Casey went to Spain to fight in the Spanish civil war { same fascist }
i never did prove he went but my late father insisted he did so its set in stone for me,
i did find one of my Casey family on the MI5 list having come back from Spain in 1937,
these men were looked on as terrorists or agitators and yet the world was fighting the same fascists
1939-45.

In the early 80 me and my father met the late Jack Jones, he was in Stockton " Tilery rec " with Neil Kinnock, my late father Robert talked with Jack Jones for ages about the Spanish civil war,
my dad did ask Jack if he'd met his father { my grandad Robert Casey } but alas Jack had not, but he did say a lot of good lads where there fighting in Spain.

All the best.
Derek

[genjen]

Wow, a history to make you proud! I should just hang on to the family story - if your father said it happened, it then it almost certainly did.

I am currently trying to find out if my grandfather, as well as taking part in this almost unknown piece of history, was also sent to Ireland at the time of the Easter Rising in 1916. If this is true, it's maybe not something I am so keen to be shouting about, though as a serving soldier, he wouldn't have had any choice in the matter! 

[stockton]

  gejen, should be easy to find out if your grandad was sent to Ireland 1916,
thier's some great historians on RC, who did he serve with.

My grandad served with Kings Own Scotish borderes, he was one of the Old Contemptables,
he was also sent to Gallipoli, then back into France for the Somme offensive, he fell badly wounded 1st day of battle, he died 1939, we his grandchildren never got to see him, no photo exists.
To the best of my knowledge four named Stockton men went to Spain, i'm sure i have thier names
in my archives.

As for your grandad serving in Ireland during the Easter uprising, you are right he was a soldier and
no choice where he served.
In my  Casey search and ancestry work i've learned many many Irish settled in Stockton after
the potato famines, my own Casey's left Ireland 1840s, settled in Glasgow, my 2x gt grandparents came to Stockton 1862, then went into Yorkshire, then back to Stockton to stay, for a small town we Stockton folk have some great history, great town, great people, and of course in the best part of the world " The North East "
All the best.
Derek

[genjen]

gejen, should be easy to find out if your grandad was sent to Ireland 1916,
thier's some great historians on RC, who did he serve with.

Oh, I know! I have been a member of RC for many years and have had some great help ( I hope I have given some too, over the years!)

He was with 10th battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. I know that some of the NF men were sent to Ireland but have seen nothing about 10th men being there. I shall ask that question in the appropriate place on here but I think I might have some of his records hidden among my late mum's papers so I am planning on trawling through that before asking more questions.

  for a small town we Stockton folk have some great history, great town, great people, and of course in the best part of the world " The North East "
All the best.
Derek

As one who was born in Middlesbrough and grew up near Redcar, I have to agree that the North East is wonderful but as I deserted forty-five years ago and have lived in the North West ( Westmorland) for over thirty-five of those years, I have to confess to divided loyalties these days!

[Jomot]

and only wish that it had been deemed important enough for future generations to hear about it.

Me to, I lived in Stockton for 11 years and I've never heard about this. I'd be interested to find out if any of my Stockton relations took part in chasing off the fascists.

My Dad was born & bred just over the bridge in Thornaby in 1932, and my Mam in Stockton a few years later.  I've just been over to see them and neither of them had ever heard of this either - so it seems that not teaching our 'history' is nothing new unfortunately.

[genjen]

Extraordinary isn't it, that it has just been pushed to the back of the town's collective memory.


There is local folk trio who have written a song about it and I believe they do some work in schools in the area, so maybe the next generation of Stockton youngsters will know more than their parents and grandparents have done.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_683M_0fxM

[Serdiville]

Hi.   I'm writing up a pamphlet on the Battle of Stockton for the group organising a commemmoration event this year.   Would it be possible to interview you about your family's response to the events?   

[genjen]

Hello,

I am very interested in the idea of some sort of written commemoration of the event but am not really sure that I would have a great deal to offer. All I have is that my late mother talked about her father being there but her exact words (and indeed my memory of them) couldn't really be relied on as being accurate.

It might be worth your while posting a new query asking if anyone has any more reliable memories or stories. As has been mentioned in this thread, there are some very knowledgeable people in this group and I am sure someone will be able to help you.

I'm sorry I can't be more helpful; if I'd had anything definite to offer, I would have been more than happy to do so.

Good luck - and do let us all know when the pamphlet is published. 

[Serdiville]

Ok, thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I quite understand your urge for historical accuracy but sometimes people's vague memories tell you a lot  about how they view their past.   Of course, we are also going to do a properly researched history but I would like to include personal views as well.

Good idea to post more widely here, I shall give it a go!