1928 newspaper article - 24th baby for Spearlett/Speariett couple

[tillypeg]

Found this snippet in the Darlington & Stockton Times 17 March 1928.  The name Spearlett doesn't appear in the GRO index but Speariett does.  1911 they appear as Spiriett, 1901 as Spirieatt. 

Their 24th Baby
Mrs James Spearlett of Moor Lane, Preston, the wife of a contractor’s labourer, has just given birth to her 24th baby.  Mr and Mrs Spearlett have been married 28 years.  They have 14 children living, the oldest being 26.  Two are married and 9 are under 14 years of age.  “When I went to enlist during the war they told me to clear off as they could keep a battalion for what it would cost for my family”, the father told a reporter.  Mrs Spearlett declared proudly that they have never needed a doctor adding “It’s cooks they want not doctors.”

Married D1898 Preston 8E 1013 James Spireatt & Mary Jane Cartmell.

[LizzieW]

Ouch 

[Radcliff]

Poor woman must have been worn out,with all the washing,
are you interested in the family.or just curious because of the snippet,

St Thomas,Preston,
1st October,1898
James Spireatt,aged 20,labourer,bachelor
of 26 Salter St,
father,Arthur, a engine driver deceased,
Mary Jane Cartmell aged 18.Rover ,spinster of 2 Emmet Street
father Richard Cartmell,minder,
witness to marriage Hy Cartmell and Mary Ellen Leeming

[loobylooayr]

But a sad statistic that out of 24 children they'd lost 10!
I can't begin to imagine how that felt.

[Radcliff]

She didnt stop there,
Katherine Speariett birth registered Preston 1929 mother Cartmell


I wonder how many grandchildren she accumalated before her death
Mar Jane Speariett,death registered Preston,1951 aged 69 years,

James Speariett birth also registered Preston,1956 aged 79 years

[tillypeg]

Hi Radcliff,

I was just interested in the snippet really.  I went to my Local Studies Library in Darlington to look for something else which I couldn't find in the end, so decided to find anything interesting to justify me spending an hour at a microfilm reader!

[Duck]

Tonight I met one of the many grandchildren, she was saying that her nan went on to have 26 children all together, apparently she was loaded, every time one of the children married she bought them a house

[LizzieW]

apparently she was loaded, every time one of the children married she bought them a house

And yet her husband was only a contractor's labourer according to the newspaper cutting.  She must have won the Pools 

[Duck]

apparently she was loaded, every time one of the children married she bought them a house

And yet her husband was only a contractor's labourer according to the newspaper cutting.  She must have won the Pools 

That's what I don't understand.  Also I can only find birth indexes for 19 of the children