The gravestone is found as you go
through the South Gate, and is on the right hand
side - about 3rd gravestone along. The headstone is
just about falling down. There is writing on both
sides of the headstone – first side of the
headstone as follows:
Click here to view photographs
Beloved in Memory Of Sarah the beloved wife of John
Wilkinson
Of Felling Who died July 4th 1877, Aged 87 Years
THE
ABOVE NAMED JOHN WILKINSON DIED DECEMBER 7TH 1880,
AGED 89 YEARS.
ELIZABETH SWAP, Daughter died January 9th 1900, Aged
79 Years
MARGARET dear wife of WILLIAM WILKINSON
AND DAUGHTER IN LAW OF THE ABOVE JOHN and SARAH
WILKINSON,
Youngest and the last survivor of ROBERT AND
CATHERINE HARLE OF PERCY MAIN, DIED MARCH 18TH 1905
AGED 77 YEARS.
A
history of the family:
John Wilkinson was baptised 1792
at Heworth, Durham, his father being John
Wilkinson. John Wilkinson married Sarah Wraith -
she was the daughter of George Wraith (1760-1830)
and Elizabeth Storey (1764 –1840), and was born in
1791.
John Wilkinson and Sarah Wraith
married on 30 May 1815 at Heworth, Durham.
In 1839 John Wilkinson owned a
boat jointly with Thomas Wraith (his brother in
law), Thomas was the brother of John Wilkinson's
wife, Sarah Wraith – “Boat Invincible, Year 1839,
16 tonnes, Owners Thomas Wraith and John Wilkinson”.
With my searches of this family I
also looked at the Wraith family history –I found
there were a lot of boats/ships also owned by Thomas
Selby Wraith. Thomas Selby Wraith was the son of
Thomas and Anne Wraith (nee Sharpe), Thomas Wraith
and Ann married 28.1.1816. Sarah's family and
brother owned quite a few sailing ships at Bill
Quay, Gateshead. Her brother Thomas owned a boat
jointly with Sarah's husband John Wilkinson, and
Thomas Selby Wraith who was the son of Thomas, who
married Anne Sharp, owned quite a few ships ‘True
Briton’, ‘ Jane Briton’, ‘Mary’
naming a few of their ships. From searches I have
carried out - others include:
(Ship name, date, tonnage, and
owners)
Pelaw,
1847, 40, Thomas Selby Wraith, Robert Gill
Jenetta,
1855, 60, Thomas Selby Wraith, George Wraith
2356 Conqueror, 1856, Thomas Selby Wraith
Pelaw.
1857, 32, Thomas Selby Wraith & Edward Tibbs
Gem
(steam ship), 1858. 12, Thomas Selby Wraith
The Wraith ships/boats seemed to
be all at Pelaw Main.
From looking at the history of
Sailing Ships at Bill Quay 1812-1876 - William
Boutland was operating at Bill Quay from 1818. Other
builders such as Robert and John Maddison rented
part of the yard. A lot of ship owners are listed
in Kelly’s Directories, ( a lot of these directories
are now online).
John Wilkinson and Sarah (nee
Wraith) had 7 children, as follows:
1.
George Wilkinson,
bn 1816 who married Sophia Hunt
2.
Dorothy
Wilkinson bn 1818, who
married Robert Potts (headstone in Heworth)
3.
Elizabeth
Wilkinson, bn 1820,
who married firstly Andrew Swap (Mariner), and then
Robert Smith (mentioned on headstone in Heworth St
Marys.
4.
John Wilkinson
who was bn 14 Dec 1821, and who died 1 Feb 1822
5.
John Wilkinson
who was bn 1823, who married Jane Redhead. John was
a Shipwright
6.
Sarah Wilkinson
bn 1825, who married Robert Peters (headstone at St
Mary’s)
7.
William
Wilkinson bn 1827, who
married Margaret Harle (you have the picture of this
gravestone at St Marys).
All the children of John Wilkinson and Sarah Wraith
I have traced through all the censuses. I also
looked up all their baptisms and marriages on parish
registers on microfiche. Six out of the seven
children of John Wilkinson and Sarah Wraith survived
into adulthood, and all married.
Below a brief history of what
life was like for John and his wife Sarah at the
time they lived at Heworth:
In 1841 there were 7008
inhabitants living at Heworth, by 1851 this number
had risen to 8869 and in the 1861 census there were
10,315 people living in Heworth. By 1871 there were
13, 755 people and by 1881 there were 17,138 people
living at Heworth. Looking at the history of
Heworth and also old maps that I have, Bill Quay
and Pelaw Main were the coal staithes and coal was
brought from the collieries by waggonway routes and
the coal was shipped to other parts of the country
and from reading articles some coal was also shipped
abroad. Trimmers who worked on the ships which
transported the coal spread the cargo evenly in the
holds of the ships. I also have all the reproduced
maps of waggonways etc courtesy Godfrey
Edition.Maps.
Below an outline of all John
Wilkinson and Sarah Wraith’s children – these give
an outline of where they lived:
Child 1 George Wilkinson
was baptised 19 May 1816 at Heworth, Durham. He
married Sophia Hunt in 1840 at West Bromwich,
Warwickshire. George moved away from Heworth for
some reason, and is the only child of John and Sarah
to do this. The 1841 census tells us that the family
were living at Duke Street, Aston, Birmingham,
George was an Engineer. By the 1851 census the
family were living at Railway Terrace, Elswick,
George is an Engine Fitter, and they have five
children. The 1861 census tells us that the family
have moved to West Derby, Liverpool, Lancs and that
they now have 9 children. By the 1871 census George
has died, and his wife Sophia is a widow only 51
years old and living with one of her sons -
Robert. By the 1881 census Sophia is now 61 years
old and is a domestic servant, living with one of
her other sons Arthur who is a labourer at the Iron
Foundry. The family were all living in Liverpool.
Child 2 Dorothy Wilkinson,
who was baptised 18 Jan 1818 daughter of John
Wilkinson and Sarah Wraith.
Headstone first on the left as you go through the
South Gate). As follows:
Dorothy the wife of Robert Potts, who died March 21st
1881 - 63 years. Robert her husband who died at
Alliance Villa, Felling 27 December 1887 - 67 years.
Also Thomas Septimus Magog 22 years who died 24 June
1886. Elizabeth B Potts died Oct 18th
1900 aged 74 years.
Dorothy Wilkinson was the 2nd
child of John Wilkinson (1792-1880) and Sara Wraith
(1791-1877). She was baptised 18 Jan 1818 at St
Mary's Church, Heworth (info from Heworth BMDs
1813-1839).
Robert Potts was christened 13
Feb 1820 at St Cuthberts, Carlisle the son of John
and Mary Potts - like his father he was a Tailor.
In 1841 census Robert is living
with his mother Mary at All Saints, Newcastle. His
two sisters Ann and Elizabeth are Drapers.
Robert Potts and Dorothy married
at St Hildas 4 July 1843, both signed the marriage
certificate. There were no children to this
marriage, and they are recorded in the 1851, 1861
and 1871 census living at Alliance Villa, Heworth.
Slaters Directory 1855 shows
Robert listed as a Tailor, Felling.
From further searches into this
family - the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was built on
the High Street at Heworth in 1833. In 1864 new
premises were opened in Coldwell Lane and the
previous chapel was sold in 1865 to “Merchant
Tailor Robert Potts”. We think this is where
Robert Potts carried out his Tailor business.
By the 1881 census Robert is 61
years old and a widower, a retired draper, living
Alliance Villa, Crow Hall Lane, Heworth.
Rest of the above headstone:
Elizabeth B Potts - more information
In 1885 Robert Potts (aged 65
years!) married Elizabeth Barnes (sic) Pusey at
South Shields. I traced Elizabeth back through all
the censuses. Robert Potts was Elizabeth's fourth
husband – her other husbands and brief history:
Elizabeth was born Elizabeth
Baines Harvey, and she married firstly Thomas Henry
Lackenby in 1845 at Sunderland. He must have died as
in 1855 Elizabeth Baines Lackenley/Lackenby (on
Ancestry marriage index) married Thomas Magog at
Sunderland, their youngest child was Thomas Septimus
Magog (as on headstone above) who was born 1864
Sunderland. Ten children are recorded from the
marriage of Elizabeth Harvey and Thomas Magog.
Elizabeth’s husband Thomas Magog died in 1880,
Sunderland aged 60. Elizabeth Baines Magog then
married Robert Pusey in 1883 at Gateshead, Robert
died just over a year later at Gateshead, aged 60.
Elizabeth Barnes (sic) Pusey married Robert Potts in
1885 at South Shields. A rundown of the marriages of
Elizabeth and looking at all the censuses shows that
first Elizabeth married a courier, then a shoemaker
and then a tailor. (Robert Pusey as far as I can
gather was a coal miner, and had never married
before he met Elizabeth). He shows up in all the
censuses as unmarried and living with his mother.
Also in one census he was an unemployed miner.
After Robert Potts died I did
further searches. The 1891census shows Elizabeth
Potts as a Widow, Head, Draper, her age is 64, bn
Sunderland, and the census shows her at High
Street, Heworth, Felling. So I assume that in the
1891 census she was working at the time of the
census at Robert Potts business. Did she still live
at Alliance Villa – I am not sure. Tracing through
the censuses of Robert Potts and Dorothy his 1st
wife, I know that Robert was very close to his
nieces from his wife’s sister – Elizabeth Wilkinson
who married Andrew Swap. One of Elizabeth
Wilkinson’s daughters who married Lionel Winship in
1874 - their 2nd child was named Robert
Potts Winship.. I am hoping to visit Durham RO soon
to see if I can find the Will of Robert Potts to see
who he left his property/money to.
Child 3
Elizabeth Wilkinson
Elizabeth Wilkinson the 3rd
child of John Wilkinson and Sarah Wraith was
baptised 7 March 1820 at Heworth, Durham. Elizabeth
married Andrew Swap on 12 Feb 1848. Andrew Swap was
a Master Mariner, his father was James Swap a coach
maker. Elizabeth’s father is named as John
Wilkinson, a Master Mariner on the marriage cert.
They were married by Licence by Hugh Nanney.
Following Elizabeth and her husband through the
censuses after she married Andrew Swap. In the 1851
census, it tells us that Elizabeth Swap is living
with her mother, Sarah Wilkinson and they are both
living at Holly Hill, Heworth - both Elizabeth Swap
and her mother Sarah Wilkinson say that their
husbands are Master Mariners, and as both the
husbands of both Sarah Wilkinson and also her
daughter Elizabeth Wilkinson who married Andrew Swap
do not show up on the census we assume both men are
at sea (searches for both husbands have drawn a
blank). By the 1861 census Elizabeth Swap is living
at Alliance Villa, Heworth and next door to her
mother Sarah Wilkinson and her father John
Wilkinson. In this census she is calling herself a
“Ship Captains Wife” and has 5 children. Again her
husband Andrew Swap does not show up in the census,
so we assume again he was at sea.
By the 1871 census two of
Elizabeth’s children are living with Robert Potts
and his wife Dorothy at Alliance Villa, Heworth
(note Dorothy Potts is the sister of Elizabeth –
having married Robert Potts in 1843 at South
Shields). Looking up deaths for Andrew Swap there
is a possible death in 1861. Elizabeth Swap (nee
Wilkinson) then married Robert Smith in 1870 at
Gateshead. Robert Smith was born Scotland, and a
house painter and he was previously married as he
has a son John who was 19 years old who is also a
house painter. The family are living at 75 High
Street, Heworth in 1871. By 1881 census Elizabeth
Smith (previously Swap, nee Wilkinson) is at the
home of Robert Potts (Robert Potts married
Elizabeth’s sister, Dorothy – Dorothy by this time
is deceased). As follows: Robert Potts, 61,
widower, a retired draper living Crow Hall Lane,
Alliance Villa, also showing Elizabeth Smith, sister
in law, married 60 years, bn Heworth. Also there
are some of the Swap daughters.
The children of Elizabeth
Wilkinson and Andrew Swap were :
1.
Elizabeth Swap who was bn 1850, who married
Lionel Winship,
2.
Dorothy Sarah bn 1853, who married John
Thompson,
3.
Eleanor Swap was born 1855, and she married
William Goodacre,
4.
Andrew Swap was bn 1856 and married Elizabeth
Craig.
5.
Margaret Ann who was born 1859. She did not
marry but I have traced her through several censuses
– with difficulty as follows:
1891 census for Margaret Ann is
under the name of Schwappe, she was in the 1881
census as niece and with her mother Elizabeth who
was now under the surname of Smith as she married
Robert Smith in 1870.
Margaret Ann is living in 1891
census at Harlepool as a certified sick nurse with
the Irvine family and also there are on the census
pages, visitors - Ella Thompson and Grace Thompson.
Grace and Ella are the children of Margaret Ann’s
sister Dorothy Sarah who married John Thompson.
They must have been visiting their Auntie at the
time of the census. Margaret is under the name of
Margaret Schwappe, and is 32 years old, bn South
Shields.
1901 census, Margaret is now
living at Ebor House, Haworth, Keighley, Yorks. The
census shows her as Head, and a Hospital Nursing
Sister, however she has given her age as 36 years
(should be 42), bn South Shields. She is still
single.
Margaret next shows up in the New
York Passenger Lists 1820-1957, on Ancestry.
Arrival date 10.6.1921, she sailed on the Aquitania
and arrived on this date at New York. The sheet
says she was 60 year years old, which would give her
estimated birth as 1861 (she was born 1859), and her
birth location was South Shields. Details as
follows:
Margaret A Schwappe (under
Schweppe on Ancestry Index), 60 years and 4 months,
Female, single, occupation Matron, English, last
address Wallsend. Name and address of relative -
Mrs Thompson, sister, 18 Grasmere Street, Gateshead
on Tyne. Final destination NJ, Cape May.
I would think that Margaret took
the passage over there to visit other members of
her family as two of her sisters emigrated in the
1880s to the US.
Some of the family emigrated as
follows:
Elizabeth Swap who was bn 1850
married Lionel Winship, in 1874 at Gateshead. In
the 1881 census the family are living at High
Street, Heworth, Lionel is a Master Butcher. The
1881 census shows they have children Cyril William
who is 1 year old, Elizabeth is 6, Lionel Wilson is
3 and Robert Potts Winship is 5. By the 1910 census
the family were living at Lackawanna, Covington,
Pennsylvania – as follows:
I could not find them in any
other censuses but found them next in 1910 US
census, they had emigrated in 1882 to Lackawanna,
Covington, Pensylvania. Lionel is 60 and a Farmer,
Elizabeth is also 60, and children Elizabeth 34
daughter bn England, Robert son 34, single, bn
England, Lionel W 32, son single, bn England, Sydney
21 bn Pensylvania, Dora 19, bn Pensylvania, and
Goldwin A Winship, bn Pensylvania 17 years. Cyril
their other son shows up in 1900 US Census as a
boarder and Ag Lab with the Andrews Family, in West
Abington, Lackawanna, Pennsylvania. It says on the
the US census sheet that there were 10 children and
9 still surviving.
The second family to emigrate
were: Eleanor Swap who married William Goodacre.
The 1881 census shows Eleanor married to William and
the family are living at 31 Adolphus Street, Dawdon,
Durham, registration District Easington. William
26, is a Plumber bn Felling Shore, Eleanor 26 bn
South Shields, Andrew 1 year bn Seaham, John 6 years
bn Felling Shore, and William 3 years bn South
Shields. I can't find the family after this but did
find William Goodacre on New York Passenger Lists,
date of arrival 8 Aug 1883, from Liverpool to New
York, Ship Abyssinia, birth 1855, a Plumber, so it
seems that the family must have emigrated to New
York. I have found a few possibles for Eleanor in
1900 and 1910 in the US censuses, she is now a
widow. I still have to check out further.
Child 4
John Wilkinson
John Wilkinson was baptised
14.12.1821 at Heworth, from looking up parish
records, he died 1.2.1822 at Felling Shore, aged 7
weeks.
Child 5
John Wilkinson
Baptism for John 1.6.1823, father
John Wilkinson and mother Sarah from Heworth baps
1813-1839. John married Jane Redhead 1846 at South
Shields. In the 1851 census I found John bn Heworth
as a Shipwright, he is living at Heworth Lane with
his wife Jane, and 3 children Eleanor 2 years,
George 4 years, and John 3 months old. Living
virtually next door to them is Jane Redhead’s
brother Robert and his wife and one small child. By
the 1861 census I can’t seem to find either Jane or
John in any census. There is a possibility that as
John is a Shipwright that he could be away at sea at
the time. However I cannot find his wife Jane
either, but I did find one of their daughters
Eleanor living as a house servant and 12 years old
with George Redhead 28 years and Mary Redhead who is
60 years old, both born Jarrow and they were Grocers
in Heworth. George Redhead was Jane Wilkinson (nee
Redhead) brother, and Mary Redhead is Jane’s mother
as they show up in the 1841 census before Jane
married John Wilkinson.
Child 6
Sarah Wilkinson
Sarah was baptised 7.8.1825,
father John Wilkinson, mother Sarah, at Heworth
(Baps 1813-1839).
Sarah married Robert Rennison
Peters who was born 1823 North Shields, he was a
Shipwright, they married South Shields in 1844.
Robert Rennison Peters and Sarah
Wilkinson
(You have headstone Peters 1852)
Robert Rennison and Sarah Peters
(nee Wilkinson) had 9 children.
1.
John Peters, bn 1845, died 20 April 1852
2.
Robert Rennison Peters, bn 1847, he died 3
Jul 1922 at Felling. He married Rachel Ruddick at
Gateshead in 1868. Robert was a blacksmith
3.
William Peters, bn 1850. William was a
Joiner and he married Annie Fairweather in 1881.
4.
Sarah Jane Peters 1853-1855.
5.
John Wilkinson Peters, bn 1856. John
Wilkinson Peters died 7 Feb 1917 at Felling. He was
a Joiner and married Louisa Murray (1860-1936).
6.
George Wraith Peters, bn 1859, he died 2 Oct
1878 at Felling.
7.
Sarah Jane Peters bn 1862 and died 9 Aug 1869
at Felling
8.
Thomas Peters bn 1866 at Felling, he was a
Shoe Repairer. In 1901 census Thomas is living with
his brother William at 11 South Street, Heworth and
is 39 years and single.
9.
Andrew Swap Peters was bn 1868 and died 5 Apr
1887.
Robert Rennison Peters was a Ship
Carpenter, and born North Shields. In the 1861
census the family are living at Drummond Row,
Heworth. The 1871 census shows the family living at
Crowhall Lane and next door to Sarah’s mother and
father John and Sarah Wilkinson. Robert is a
Shipwright in this census. By 1881 the family are
living at High Felling Board Schools, which is next
to Stephensons Terrace and Bog House Farm Cottages.
Robert is now the Caretaker of the School. In the
1891 census the family are living at 1 South Street,
Felling. Robert is again a Shipwright and is now 68
years old, Sarah his wife is 65. Thomas Peters their
son is 25 and single and a Fruiterer Green; William
their son is 41 years old and a widower, and also
there is Ethel J Peters grand daughter 4 years,
Florence M Peters, 9 years, granddaughter, and Sarah
H Peters, (not sure of age but think under 1 year).
These are the children of William Peters.
Interestingly living next door is their son John
Wilkinson Peters bn 1856 as follows:
John Peters 34, Joiner, Louisa
31, wife, children John G 10, Sarah J 4, and Amy S 2
years, all bn Felling. Also there Charles Murray,
brother in law to Head (so brother of Louisa who is
married to John Peters), Joiner, and Thomas Murray,
brother in law, worker in shipyard, also bn Felling.
Child 7
– William Wilkinson
On back of headstone of above
John Wilkinson and Sarah Wraith headstone:
In
memory of William husband of Margaret Harle
Wilkinson and son of John Wilkinson died April 8th
1915 aged 88 years. Death divides until the dawn
break. Also Robert Harle Wilkinson son of the above
and for 63 years husband of Ann, died December 24th
1955, aged 85 years.
William Wilkinson was baptised 16
Apr 1827 at Heworth. His occupation was a Joiner,
and he died 8 Apr 1915.
He married Margaret Harle on 4
Mar 1849 Tynemouth by Banns – witnesses William
Little and Joseph Nordue (parish clerk). Margaret
Harle was the daughter of Robert Harle a Corver,
they were married by John Armstrong. Both signed
the marriage cert. The 1851 census shows William as
24 years and a house carpenter and Margaret his wife
is 23. They are living next door to William
Wilkinson’s sister Dorothy who is now married to
Robert Potts (see above). In the 1861 census
William and his wife are living at Brandling Place,
Heworth and have four children. By 1871 they are
living at 6 & 7 Splitcross Lane, Heworth. In the
1881 census the family are living at 47 Prince Const
Lane, Heworth, and two of their children are still
living with them. By 1891 census Margaret and
William are living at 104 Cuthbert Street, Hebburn,
all the children have left home. William and
Margaret show up in the 1901 census again living at
Hebburn. William shows up in Topography and
Directory of Northumberland 1855, William Wilkinson,
Joiner and Provision Dealer, Low Felling. He also
is mentioned in Slaters Directory 1855 and a Grocery
and Provision Dealer, Low Felling.
William Wilkinson and Margaret
Harle had the following children:
1.
Catherine Wilkinson who was bn 1850 Felling,
and married John Morris
2.
John Wilkinson bn 1852 Heworth, Felling, who
married Hannah Millican (note she was bn Dobson and
illigitimate daughter of Phoebe Dobson as follows:
Birth for Hannah Millican Sep Qtr, 1856, Hexham,
index 10b, 199. I have the birth cert of Hannah
Registration District Hexham, 3 Sep 1856, Back
Street, Hexham, Hannah girl, Name and surname of
father left blank, mother Phoebe Millican, Informant
X The mark of Phoebe Millican, mother, lodging at
Back Street, Hexham registered 15 Sep 1856.
3.
Sarah Wilkinson bn 1854 Felling, who married
Henry Wallace
4.
Mary Ann Wilkinson , bn 1857 Felling, who
married Charles William Johnston
5.
Margaret Wilkinson bn 1862, Felling
6.
Robert Harle Wilkinson bn 1866 Felling, who
married Ann Brabban.
Not wanting to go into too much
detail here with the above family, although I have
researched all the children, but moving forward –
child no 2 John Wilkinson who married
Hannah Dobson, and his sister Sarah Wilkinson
who married Henry Wallace. Soon after John
Wilkinson married Hannah he went to America with his
sister Sarah Wilkinson and her husband Henry
Wallace. He (John Wilkinson) promised his wife
Hannah that when he came back from the US that he
would build a house for Hannah. In the meantime
Hannah had her first and only child from her
marriage with John – Thomas William who was born
1879. So John and his sister and brother in law
went to the US – I would think about the 1880s.
They show up in the US census as follows:
1880 USA census shows John
Wilkinson living with Henry Wallace and Sarah
Wallace, his wife, and their children Hannah and
Sarah J at Chicago, Cook, Illinois. John is down as
a Carpenter and Henry is a Brick Mason. Sarah
Wallace is John Wilkinson's sister who married Henry
Wallace.
I have not as yet found the
passenger records of John Wilkinson and Henry and
his family, showing the date when they sailed to
USA. The census showing them in USA was taken on
the 2nd June 1880, so I would think that John and
Henry and his family went out to the USA in either
1879 or 1880.
Back in the UK and looking at
the 1881 census for Hannah – John’s wife, it shows
Hannah as 24 years old, bn Hexham, and also Hannah's
mother Phoebe Dobson, a widow of 51 years old, bn
Alston. Hannah's son Thomas W, is 1 year old. The
family are living at 11 Church Street, Heworth. John
is at that time in the USA.
By the 1891 census all the family
are living together again, so John Wilkinson is back
from the USA - this census shows the family living
at Willow Cottage (incidentally that is where my
husband was born) - if you look under notes of
Hannah Dobson in 1871 census before she married John
Wilkinson, you can understand how they would meet,
she was living with her mother in Stephenson Lane!
John Wilkinson is now back from
the USA Head, 39 years old, Hannah is 34 years old,
Thomas W their son is now 11 years old, and Phoebe
(under Dobson and not Millican) Dobson who is
Hannah's mother is again living with them and is 61
years old. I have photographs of Willow Cottage.
After John Wilkinson came back
from the US, he built the house as he promised his
wife, and also with his brother in law started up a
building and joinery business. They had an
extremely successful business after they came back
from the US. John built a lot of properties in
Felling and the Gateshead area including the Police
Station at Felling. He also built the house where
my husband was born Willow Cottage, Wallis Street,
Felling and I have photographs of the property. The
1894 Whellans Directory of Durham, page 983,
Wilkinson Jno Joiner, (Wallace & Wilkinson, Wallace
Street). Felling Mechanics' Institute, Coldwell
Lane was opened on 22nd September, 1892. The
building had two storeys and faced with roughly
dressed sandstone. The cost was about £1300. The
architect was JH Miller and the contractors were
Messrs Wallace & Wilkinson. Also Windy Nook
Methodist New Connection Chapel (Ebenezer) - 120
yards of land was purchased at a cost of £25 1s 6d
plus solicitors fees of £1 11s and the foundation
stone of the extension laid on Saturday 4th April
1903. The builder was Mr J Wilkinson of Felling who
submitted the lowest tender of £58, Benjamin Arkless
a Trustee submitted the most expensive at £99 10s
6d. It is also believed that he built the Isolation
Hospital, which is now part of the Queen Elizabeth
Hospital, Gateshead., and also a lot of houses. The
Wilkinson Builders were well known and respected
builders and built a lot of properties.
1901 census shows John Wilkinson
as now being 48 years old, a Builder and Employer,
he is running his own business and employing men in
that business. Hannah his wife is 44 years old,
Thomas W is 21 years old and a Joiner, bn Heworth
and again Phoebe Dobson, mother in law is there,
widow, bn Alston, now 71 years old. Again the
family are living at Willow Cottage, Heworth. I
understand also that the old Isolation Hospital, now
part of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital was also built
by John Wilkinson. Willow Cottage had a huge
garden, and all the joinery workshops were in
buildings at the back of the property.
The business passed on to his son
Thomas William after his father John died, as
follows:
Unfortunately Thomas William
Wilkinson's business eventually went bankrupt.
From London Gazette 27 May 1932.
WILKINSON, Thomas William, Wallis
Street, Felling on Tyne, in the county of Durham,
BUILDER AND CONTRACTOR.
Court NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
No of Matter 62 of 1928.
Nature of Order made - Discharge
granted subject to his consenting to judgement being
entered against him for £100.
Grounds named in Order for
refusing an absolute Order of Discharge - Proofs of
Facts mentioned in Section 26, sub-section 3 (A, B
and C) Bankrupt Act 1914, as amended by Section 1 of
the Bankruptcy (Amendment) Act 1926.
From
London Gazette 22 March 1932
WILKINSON Thomas William, Wallis
Street, Felling in the county of Durham
BUILDER AND CONTRACTOR.
Court NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
No of matter - 62 of 1928
Day Fixed for Hearing April 20,
1932 10am
Place The Court House, 56
Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne.
A sad ending to a thriving
business, but as with a lot of thriving businesses
before WW1 and WW2, not surprising!
