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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Northumberland => Topic started by: R T Cosic on Sunday 30 December 18 11:49 GMT (UK)
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I'm an Ashington lad lost in Pembrokeshire for the last 40 years.
I would appreciate anyone using the library to lookup any information in the Evening Chronicle, or the Journal or any more local papers of the era, about my Great Uncle Ernest.
Any information about him, his shop, the accident from whatever source would be appreciated.
Grandmother told me he died in a "Collision between his motorcycle and a bus, on his way to his cobbler's shop in Morpeth”
National Probate Calendar states “died 8 April 1930 On the highway between Guidepost and High Pit Choppington both in Northumberland”
I recall regularly visiting his grave at Seaton Hirst with my grandmother. I have a photograph of the headstone, with his mother.
I have a photograph of him in his shop doorway with a young assistant.
The photograph is annotated with the name Dennis, presumably this young assistant.
The permanent sign is “Electric Shop” with a printed paper sign E W Hall in the window.
My Grandmother referred to him him often. Because of this bit of family history I did not get a motorcycle until after my grandmother's death.
I can add the photographs if they are of any interest - and once I have mastered the restrictions of this particular site!
https://mediasvc.ancestry.co.uk/v2/image/namespaces/1093/media/f7a4ae56-aff9-47f4-91e6-406f41f642cd.jpg?client=Trees&imageQuality=hq&maxWidth=1903&maxHeight=1036
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Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 04 April 1930
In the early morning fog yesterday Ernest W. Hall, aged 24, of 18, Coronation Terrace, Ashington, collided with a 'bus while cycling to Morpeth and was killed.
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Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 04 April 1930
In the early morning fog yesterday Ernest W. Hall, aged 24, of 18, Coronation Terrace, Ashington, collided with a 'bus while cycling to Morpeth and was killed.
Thank you. That confirms my grandmother's story of low lying mist or fog in a dip in the road, that a bus was involved and that he was on his way to work in Morpeth.
He lived with his parents at 18 Coronation Terrace.
4th April edition and 'yesterday' puts the event on 3rd April, not the 8th April as I stated.
This prompted me to recheck and I had mis-transcribed the record.
3rd April it is as confirmed by the headstone
"In loving memory of Ernest William Dearly loved Son of George & Mary A Hall crossed over on April 3rd 1930 in his 24th year. The above George Hall entered the higher life May 15th 1935 aged 67 years".
Odd that it the story made its way so far south.
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I can check the local newspapers you mention and perhaps a couple of others which might show a report. However, this may take up to a few weeks depending on when work/commitments will fit in with library opening hours. I will do the checking if you don't mind a little wait? :)
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I can check the local newspapers you mention and perhaps a couple of others which might show a report. However, this may take up to a few weeks depending on when work/commitments will fit in with library opening hours. I will do the checking if you don't mind a little wait? :)
I have been pottering about with my family tree for years, so another month or three will make no difference.
After all this time the only thing that seems to ever change is that more information becomes more accessible.
Above all you are doing me an immense favour - who and what would I be trying to put deadlines on that!
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Great .. leave this with me and I will get back to you on here within the next few weeks to let you know if I can find more. :)
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Hi R T Cosic,
I was able to reach the Newcastle City library after work shortly before closing time yesterday and was able to find the article below:
Newcastle Journal - Saturday, 5 April 1930 (Page 7)
'COLLISION IN FOG.
Ashington Jury Exonerate
Bus Driver
The road mishap near Choppington in the dense fog on Thursday morning, resulting in the death of an Ashington boot repairer, Ernest William Hall (23), was the subject of a Coroner's inquiry at Ashington last night.
Hall, who lived at 18, Coronation Terrace, Ashington, was riding his motor-cycle towards Morpeth when he was involved in a head-on collision with a motor-bus.
John Thomas Thompson, an eye-witness of the accident, said the bus, which was proceeding cautiously, appeared through the fog three or four yards ahead of him. At the same time the motor-cyclist approached from the opposite direction, and seemed to run straight into the bus.
Coroner H. J. Percy said it was clear that Hall had been driving with his head down in the fog, and had not been keeping the look-out he should have done.
In returning a verdict of "Accidental death" the jury exonerated the bus driver.'
I also checked the Evening Chronicle on microfilm but a notice appears on this relating that several editions of this newspaper are missing - unfortunately the missing ones cover the dates an article may have appeared.
I have made a start but have not finished yet on checking for anything else which might be available at this library regarding Ernest. As soon as work again permits I will have another look at the library to see if there might be anything else. So R T Cosic, watch out for another post during the next few weeks when I hope to be able to let you know whether or not there may be any more. :)
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Many, many thanks! That report is so comprehensive I doubt anything new will turn up.
It vindicates my grandmother's story totally which is reassuring. She left me with a few other stories so knowing this one was accurate in every detail bodes well for the others.
I would be interested to learn more of the 'Electric Shop' in Morpeth though.I doubt we will stumble across anyone who knows who Dennis was.
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Unfortunately, I have not been able to locate any more on Ernest. I think he might have had notices but the relevant pages at the library are missing. :-\
However, just to add to your records I have found this notice for his Father. You may already have this but I am sending just in case you don't and might like to have this:
Evening Chronicle - Thursday May 16, 1935
'HALL.- Ashington, 18, Coronation Terrace, 15th, (suddenly) aged 6(7?) years, George (late shoe-repairer, 64, Newgate Street, Morpeth), beloved husband of Mary A. Hall. Interment Seaton Hirst Church-yard Saturday: service at residence 1.15 p.m. All friends kindly invited.
Well, I think that may be all I can do on George's son Ernest in my neck of the woods. However, do you know the address of the shop as this possibly may be of help for anyone to possibly find more, perhaps in the Northumberland area.
Best Wishes with the researching RT! :)
(Oh no .. the Christmas smileys have gone .. oh well, will look forward to them again next year .. good while it lasted.) ;)
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Hmm. Interesting!
That is indeed my great grandfather George Hall of 18 Coronation Terrace who died 15 May 1935 aged 67.
But he was a Coal Miner, not a shoe repairer. Unless he took over the running of Ernest's shop on his death. Maybe the young 'Dennis' was doing the actual cobbler's work and George just did the administrative side? Who knows? That is news to me. My great grandmother Mary Ann Saul 1870-1953 has 'Unpaid Domestic Duties' in the 1939 Census so presumably the cobbler's shop at 64 Newgate closed on George's death or maybe the business passed on to 'Dennis'? It now intrigues me the number of times we drove by there but my Mother never mentioned its significance. Maybe she never bothered to find out. I am surprised my grandmother didn't point out her late brother's shop though.
I attach his George's photograph at 18 Coronation Terrace.
https://mediasvc.ancestry.co.uk/v2/image/namespaces/1093/media/b2b6bbd1-a379-40c3-b650-9876d416c3f6.jpg?client=TreeService&maxside=280
Looking again at the photograph of Ernest's shop there appears to be a number 6 on the very right hand edge.
https://mediasvc.ancestry.co.uk/v2/image/namespaces/1093/media/f7a4ae56-aff9-47f4-91e6-406f41f642cd.jpg?client=Trees&imageQuality=hq&maxWidth=1903&maxHeight=1036
This would correspond with its address being 64 Newgate Street.
Looking at today's Google Streetview this would appear to be one shop westward of the corner of Newgate and Manchester. The photograph is consistent with the simple 2 story structure that still exists. Today this seems to be Nacho Nacho and 62 and 64 combined into one shop and looks a lot poorer for it. The passageway to the left of Ernest's photograph seems to have acquired a red painted door today.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.1694256,-1.6914939,3a,48.8y,42.79h,86.96t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1swGmYDEBUYU1f9gXiyLJOoQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
So I suspect you have gleaned more than you first realised! The actual address gives me something I might be able to expand upon. But there cannot be much meat left on those bones. Unless some-one knows the make and model of his motorcycle!
Many many thanks once again and have a Christmas thingy. It is still Christmas for us as I keep my late father's Orthodox tradition of following the Julian calendar - so 2 Christmases for our family. Roast pork tonight.
Bob
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Hi Bob
That's interesting that George was a miner, and yet the death notice records him as a shoe repairer. I wonder if he might have taken over the management of the business after Ernest's death, perhaps with young Dennis carrying out the actual repairs.
Perhaps if there might be a Roots Chatter out there who might be able to locate some local directories of that time covering Morpeth, it might be possible to find out more. The 'Ward's Directory ' is a good one. Perhaps these directories might record who was down as the proprietor before and after George's death. I do think it would be worth trying to locate these. Who knows .. it might turn out that young Dennis may have become the proprietor after George died. I wonder also if there might be an entry for George at his home address and if an occupation might be recorded after his name.
I wonder if these Ward's directories which might cover Newgate Street, might be at a local library in the Morpeth area or at the Northumberland Archives?
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Good call on the directories RTL :)
Woodhorn do not have every year but I looked at all those which might be relevant - all data from Kelly’s directories
1925 - no mention of Hall in the commercial section
1929 - Hall, George and E. W. Bootmakers and repairers 64 Newgate Street
1934 - Hall, Geo. Boot Repairer 64 Newgate Street
1938 - Hall, Mary Ann (Mrs.) Boot repr. 64 Newgate Street
Unfortunately the commercial listings are by name rather than address so I wasn’t able to find what 64 Newgate Street had been prior to the Halls taking it over but I’m thinking that perhaps it was an Electric shop
Hope you find this interesting
Christine
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Many thanks for travelling to the archives Christine and checking this out. This definitely supports what was found in George's death notice then. It would seem that George did carry on the business.
Bob, perhaps if there might be anyone left in your family you can talk to about this, you never know .. perhaps someone might know if George gave up his coal mining for the business or whether he managed to do both.
I think this was very kind of Christine to look through all those directories and find corroborating evidence for you. :)
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It looks as if Ernest's parents had a part in the business, possibly as guarantors for rent or loans.
I'm even more surprised to find that for at least two years after George's death my g grandmother seems to have owned the business, but had given it up by the 1939 Census.
Thanks to all for digging out all those nuggets.
Bob
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My mother died last year. She was the last of her generation and even she was barely 2 years old when her Uncle Ernest died and 7 when her grandfather George died. I had already extracted everything she had - both documentation and memory.
I really think think this well is dry, having delivered far more than I ever thought available.
Thanks to all.
Seems I need to find a new puzzle to set you! Such as following an obscure set of in laws I found at 40 1/2 Castle Terrace Ashington in 1939.
In 1953 my father bought his first property - a flat at 40 1/2 Castle Terrace!
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The coincidences of life!
Start a new thread and see what transpires :)