Hello,
I'm desperately trying to find where my Great Uncle, Eric Thompson Stobbs was laid to rest.
Birth 1 OCT 1899 • Cornriggs, Stanhope,Weardale, Durham
Death 11 FEB 1944 •Harton Institute South Shields, Durham, England
Mother Margaret Jane Thompson, Father William Stobbs
Eric was my paternal Grandmother Nellie's brother and had Downs syndrome. There were 3 other siblings, Arnold, Harry (who was killed in WWI) and Dora.
Their mother Margaret died in 1918 and William Stobbs married Selina Watson in the 1920's. Eric lived in St Johns Chapel in Weardale (Stanhope) until the death of his Father and Step Mother in 1934. Eric's father spent all his life in Weardale, as did Eric's maternal Grandfather, Joseph Thompson who was a Miller at Cowshill.
From heresay from my Dad, before Erics father William Stobbs died he gave money to all of Eric's siblings on the understanding that they would all "take their turn" in having Eric to live with them. However in practise this isn't what happened. I believe that his brother Arnold was particulalry reluctant to provide care for him. This resulted in considerable animosity amongst the family. As a result, Eric was admitted on to one of the longstay wards at the Harton Institiute (formerly the workhouse) at South Shields, Durham around about 1940. He died in February 1944.
Arnold was a Doctor whose last known address may have been in Northumberland, certainly he had family who lived there in the 1960s and 70s. As far as I'm aware he never visited Eric at the Institute, so I think it's unlikely that he was involved when Eric died.
Dora married and became Nattrass and would have been living in Guisborough, Cleveland at the time of Eric's death.
My Grandmother married and became Elliott. They moved around the North-East quite a lot and Eric spent the most amount of time living with them. Consequently Eric and my Dad grew up together and were close even though there was a 32 year age difference.
They were living at Escomb Bishop Auckland Durham at the time of Eric's death. Dad would have been 12 when Eric died, but he can't recall anything about a funeral, but he knows that his mother did used to visit Eric at Harton.
I've tried local resources, graveyards and various online places but I'm unable to find where Eric was buried. Eric's mother Margaret Thompson,is buried in Weardale (Burtreeford cemetry) with her Mother and Father etc but there's no sign of Eric there.
His Sister Nellie and my Grandfather and several other family members are buried at St Johns Chapel, Stanhope, Weardale but I can't find him there either, although the parish records are particularly poor.
I have found out that Erics estate of £140 went to my Grandmother, Nellie, who as I said was living at Escomb at the time of Eric's death, and it is that address that's on the probate record for Eric.It seems likely that she may have been involved when he died.
Any help appreciated as Dad is now 83 and we would really like to find Eric.
,
