World War One Archives - Page 35 of 53 - Northumberland Archives

War Hero Dies in Colliery Accident – 1929

08/03/201808/10/2015 by Northumberland Archives

Sgt. William Kay served throughout the First World War, only to be killed by a fall of stone at Woodhorn Colliery on 13th May 1929. William had been employed at Woodhorn Colliery as a Hewer – a miner who loosens rock and minerals in a mine – and died as a result of injuries sustained following a fall of stone. He has been working at the colliery for 18 weeks and left a widow aged 23, a daughter aged 2 and a son who was 1. His average weekly wage, including his allowances was £2. 4s & 11d.

According to his gravestone he had served with the 7th Battalion of Northumberland Fusiliers T.F. [Territorial Force]. Interestingly his grave stone records his rank as Sgt. yet he worked in the collieries at the time of his death. This is very unusual – we have not seen this before. We have all seen programmes on TV where retired officers retain the title of their rank after leaving the Army. Examples of this include Captain Hastings in Poirot, Captain Peacock in Are you Being Served or the Major from Fawlty Towers! So why was he buried as Sergt? The entry in the burial register of St Bartholomew’s, Newbiggin by the Sea [ref – EP 21/17] just states William, there is no rank mentioned?
Could it be that being a ‘Sergeant’ meant a lot to William and this could be the reason the family decided to add his rank to the headstone, as a mark of respect. Certainly he must have been well respected by his unit and the people of Newbiggin by the Sea as his funeral was well attended. You can see a number of military personnel lining the route into the churchyard heads bowed as he passes as well as uniformed poll-bearers. [See images below.]
Was such a funeral common at this time? Has anyone come across any other local funerals like this one after the First World War?
We know he was born and schooled in County Durham from information on the 1911 census. His occupation on the marriage entry in the parish records states ‘Miner’ living in Newbiggin, when he married Lilian Price at Woodhorn church in 1925. The register records that William’s father and his wife’s father were also coalminers. The couple had three children, two whilst they probably shared a home with the Price family (in Sutherland Avenue, Newbiggin-By-The-Sea – the address where Lilian was living when she married).
William and Lilian appear to have moved out to Downie’s Buildings by the birth of their third child (a few doors from where Lilian and her family had lived in 1911), which would probably have been poor accommodation in comparison to Sutherland Avenue.
Their first son was only a few months old when he died and not long after William’s death his second son Kenneth died [8th September 1929]. Kenneth is mentioned on his father’s headstone. The burial register records Sgt. Kay living in the Bungalows (huts) at Newbiggin, but his wife and child’s records both before and after his death quote Downie’s Buildings as place of residence.
A small article relating to his inquest was located in the Blyth News & Ashington Post on 16th May 1929.
‘’The Inquest opened and adjourned on William Kay aged 30, of 7 Bungalow, Newbiggin who died on 13th following injuries in Woodhorn Pit. The man’s father Daniel Kay of 1 Northumberland Avenue, Newbiggin said his son had been employed in the mines for all, but 7 years of his life when he served in the Army.’’

These images were supplied by the Newbiggin by the Sea Genealogy Project and show the military funeral of William and buglers playing the last post by his graveside.

We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Newbiggin by the Sea Genealogy Project and Paul Ternent Volunteer Manager for Northumberland At War for writing this blog.

This Week in World War One, 1 October 1915

08/03/201802/10/2015 by Northumberland Archives

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 1 OCTOBER 1915

THE SCREMERSTON FLOCK DISPERSION

A NOTABLE SALE

On Friday, Messrs John Swan and Sons sold at Heatherytops Farm, Berwick, the noted flock of Border Leicester sheep, which have been got together in recent years by the Scremerston Coal Company. The sale was rendered necessary by the fact that the three farms – Heathery Tops, Oxford Farm, and Sandbank – which the Company presently occupy in the neighbourhood of their mining operations, are to be given up, and the further fact, that Mr J. Evelyn Carr, the managing director of the Company is presently with the forces in France. Mr Carr, very pluckily, shortly after war was declared, joined the ranks of the London Scottish, and spent a considerable time of last winter in the trenches. He got twice wounded early in the year, and was home for a considerable time recuperating. Immediately he got better, the old martial spirit revived, and he is again on the other side of the Channel, fighting for his country – this time in the commissioned ranks of the Sherwood Foresters. Everyone admires his plucky action and high public spirit, but in the circumstances it was necessary that his home responsibilities should be considerably curtailed. While he will retain his active association with the colliery, it was considered desirable to give up the farms, which like the colliery are all on the estate of the Greenwich Hospital (practically the Admiralty), and to dispose of the pure-bred sheep. The decision has been received with a good deal of regret in the district, for Mr Carr and the Company have proved not only excellent neighbours, but have done not a little to promote the cause of pure-stock breeding in their northern corner of Northumberland.

SHIP ASHORE NEAR THE LONGSTONE

On Saturday morning, during foggy weather, the Leith steamer Britannia went ashore on the Crumstane Rock, near the Longstone, Farne Islands. The Seahouses lifeboat went out to her assistance, but the crew did not leave the vessel. Lloyd’s Seahouses agent telegraphed on Monday that the Britannia had been abandoned. The vessel is expected to become a total wreck. The crew landed in their own boats and proceeded to Berwick. The Britannia is one of the Leith-Hull line of trading steamers, the managers of which are Messers Currie and Co., Leith. She was bound from Newcastle to Leith with a general cargo. The vessel became a total wreck and disappeared on Sunday evening.

Farne Islands as seen from Seahouses. Tony Hisgett, Birmingham - Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License. — Farne Islands as seen from Seahouses. Tony Hisgett, Birmingham – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License.

DAMAGE TO ROADS BY RAIN

It was reported that Holy Island had been visited with a downfall of rain so heavy in character that considerable damage was caused, especially to the roads. These were quite washed out. The road material lying ready to be applied would help matters a little. It was proposed to apply this season if possible 60 tons 1½ inches machine tarred stones, and the Surveyor stated that a future report would be submitted as to the method of their repair and maintenance.

Early 1900s photograph of Castle Street, Holy Island. © Berwick Record Office - BRO 0426-1072. — Early 1900s photograph of Castle Street, Holy Island. © Berwick Record Office – BRO 0426-1072.

The Surveyor explained that at present everything was being taken to the Island by means of carts as they did not wish to run any risks owing to the war. The rain did great damage, lasting 2½ hours. The roads which were not in very good condition before were badly washed out. At a future date when things were more normal he would be pleased to propound a scheme to the Council for the better maintenance of the roads.

The Surveyor’s suggestion was agreed to.

BURGLARS ENTER TWEEDMOUTH INN

About 3 a.m. on Monday the King’s Arms Inn, West End, Tweedmouth, occupied by Mrs Norris, were burglarously entered. The marauders obtained entrance by breaking a pane of glass in one of the downstairs windows, releasing the catch, and raising the bottom half of the frame. Five large bottles of whisky were stolen and about 8s worth of coppers. Not content with this the intruders obtained a pint glass and had a drink of rum and left the rum cask running. The prints of bare feet were plainly discernable on the seats below the window pointing to the fact that the robbery was not a drunken spree, but one which had been prepared. Two soldiers and a woman were seen in the vicinity of the house about midnight, and we understand two soldiers, who are in custody at the Barracks, are under suspicion.

Early 1900s photograph, looking towards the West End, Tweedmouth from the Berwick Bridge (Old Bridge). Unknown photographer.

This Week in World War One, 24 September 1915

08/03/201825/09/2015 by Northumberland Archives

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 24 SEPTEMBER 1915

HINTS FOR THE HOME

Here is a good recipe for potted meat. Stew 1lb of stewing beef until tender. Pass this through a mincing machine. Season with salt and pepper, and work in also about 2oz of butter. Press the mixture into potted meat jars, and cover with melted butter.

Above a WW1 advert for potted meat and fish paste, both are still popular today!

When putting on kid gloves, always begin by buttoning the second button, then, when buttoned to the top, you can easily fasten the first button without tearing the kid. Never remove the glove by pulling the fingers, but by drawing the part covering the wrist over the hand.

When the hands are very dirty, use potato instead of soap. This will remove the dirt more quickly, and soften the skin at the same time.

When cut bread and butter is left over from meals, place it with a serviette which has been dipped in cold water. Place the food in a cool place and it will keep quite fresh and moist.

To prevent the juice from boiling over in a fruit tart, sprinkle the fruit with cornflower.

Never throw away your candle ends. Place these in a bag, and you will find them useful for ironing day. If the iron is occasionally passed over the bag, it will give the article a beautiful gloss.

THE PLAYHOUSE

Good programmes still continue to be submitted at the “Playhouse.” This week an excellent vaudeville turn is seen in “Stowe Brothers,” who present a novel acrobatic act. “Ashes” was the bioscopic feature during the first part of the week, while, commencing on Thursday, the feature will be “A Woman’s Triumph.” The latter is a fine film with a beautiful and impassioned story from the works of Sir Walter Scott. The feature films for next week’s programme are particularly good. At the beginning of the week the star film will be “The Link in the Chain,” a tense drama in three parts. The story is woven round the theft of a necklace. The charge is laid on an innocent man, who suffers imprisonment while his friends toil incessantly to prove his innocence, and they eventually do so to the undoing of the unscrupulous and the righting of the innocent. Commencing on Thursday next the feature will be “Temptation.” an intensely dramatic photo-play in three parts. The synopsis, which is a lengthy one, could not receive justice here owing to lack of space, but suffice it to say that it is a story of strong passions, full of sensations and thrills. Interest is held throughout because of its realism. “Harmon,” the dancing musician is the turn for next week. For further particulars see advertisement on front page.

RABBITS AS FOOD

Attention has been called to the value of the rabbit as an article of food during the present high prices of meat. Land owners and farmers, who have a sufficiency of hands left, should see to it and keep the adjacent towns as liberally supplied as possible, and meet the needs of the poorer inhabitants. The cutting of the harvest has tended to make the supply more liberal, but in Berwick on Saturday it was not equal to the demand, prices ranging from 1s 4d to 1s 10d per pair.

The above photograph is of Halliwells Butchers, Selkirk, Scotland, with a string of rabbits hanging outside, a rare sight these days! © William Stafford – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic License.

RECRUITING MEETING AT WOOLER

About a 100 of the 6^th Northumberland Fusiliers including the Band arrived at Wooler on Monday afternoon on their recruiting tour. They were encamped on Turvelaws haugh for the night. In the evening a meeting was held in the Archbold Hall at which Mr Noel Villiers of Weetwood presided. Addresses were delivered by the Chairman, Sergt.-Major Walsh, Rev. Lothian Gray of Sprott, Dunbar, and colonel Napier. As a number of meetings have already been held here, both Wooler and district having responded well to the call, recruits were invited to come forward, but apparently without result. A dance took place after the meeting to music supplied by the band. An officer’s wife expressed her disgust at seeing so many young men in civilian clothes dancing saying she felt ashamed of them.

+ More