I am hoping someone with some knowledge of Gateshead history can provide some insight into a bit of a family mystery.
My great grandmother’s name was Isabella Eliza Rowe formerly Lumsden. She frequently went by Eliza, sometimes Isabella (sometimes Eliza Isabella) and tended to change her age (adding or shaving a few years) as she felt fit. She was however born in 1886 and would have been 29/30 years old in 1916.
We recently started going through old documents left by my grandfather as part of our genealogy research and found legal document concerning a Workman’s Compensation Act 1906 ruling between the Gatehead and District Tramways Company and Elizabeth Jane Rowe age 29 – Lady Conductor for injuries caused when she was pinned under a tram. It is dated June 26th 1916. We also found a letter from the Albert Thuse Benevolent Society (the second name Thuse is not clear so I am guessing at that) dated 192… written on Bainbridge Company letterhead – to Mrs. Bainbridge - Eliza married James Bainbridge in 1920. In it they were discussing how sorry they were that her nerve damage was not cured as quickly as she had hoped and they were offering her 4 pounds to help with a move to better a climate. The 1921 Census has her married to James and working for Bainbridge & Co Drapers as a salesperson, they were living in Cullercoats.
I started investigating the tram accident and Elizabeth Jane Rowe was the name of the conductor on the Bensham Bank Tram when it crashed and have found newspaper articles listing her name and injuries (these match the workman’s comp claim).
Is it safe to conclude that Eliza Rowe was the same person – Elizabeth Jane Rowe and is there any way to find information about the inquiry that followed the accident.
Nicola
