Coble Dene... an area and a road still exists today. It lies close to Percy Main, which is itself part of North Shields.
The dene was a hollow near the river (Tyne) bank. In late 1800s, it was excavated to become a dock ( Edward Albert Dock) which today is near the Ferry terminal for traffic to Scandanavia.
To see it on modern map..... go to site... google.maps.co.uk
and search on "coble dene". Both "hits" will show you where it lies.
And importantly I was wrong thinking that "your" William was part of a fishing family from/in Cullercoats. That William was still, unmarried , with his family on C1861. Whereas your William was married with children in Percy Main, on C1861.
William and his son William S may have worked together on the river bank. William senior was a coal trimmer, his son was a coal teemer.
Both would have worked not for a coal mining company, but for port authorities or railway company.
Pictuire the scene.... coal wagons filled with coal are transported up onto the staithes or "drops". Colliers (coal ships) moor alongside and beneath the drops.
The coal is poured into the chutes, then released by a gang of "Teemers" to cascade down into the hold of ship below.
Below standing in the hold, will be a gang of Trimmers, whose jop was to quickly flatten and level off the coal in the hold to prevent capsize through uneven loading and facilitate more drops.
The Trimmer's job was very dangerous. They had to jump clear as more loads of coal were "teemed" down, then quickly tackle the new heap within the hold.
One lapse of concentration could have been fatal.
Michael Dixon
