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The Dolans of Tyneside
A history of the Dolan family beginning with John Dolan and Martha Feron in the 1830s
The stories of the widespread branches of the Dolan family of Tyneside since the 1830s seem largely lost, bar a few glimpses into the lives of the descendant's that have been documented here. It is hoped that is useful to any brave souls triangulating their own genealogy, perhaps even some linked to this clan.
Gathering family facts
This is a surprisingly difficult thing to do, depending how far you want to go back in history. There is information that you remember personally, information you were told by relatives, and then, often the most interesting of all, there is information that you were not told and that nobody was supposed to hear about!Sadly some living relatives cannot see the point in writing down what is common knowledge in their time. But sadly time soon passes, and so do the very same relatives taking valuable information to their graves. The most frustrating thing of all, is people who are very interested and keen to help and promise to send you information. The post never arrives and that information too goes to the grave with them. In that regard, my special thanks go to Pat Richardson of the Canadian branch and Ann Nicoll of the Australian Dolans for providing a number of precious images that illuminate the stories so well.
So please don't hesitate to send suggestions, additions, questions, pictures, or corrections that illustrate the lives of the people in this story to clive.dalton@gmail.com.
So why the Dolan story?
Compiling the following notes started around 1967 when an Australian relative from Melbourne arrived at our house in Leeds, Yorkshire, UK. She said her name was Ann Nicoll and to sort out how we were related we drew a few lines and names on a bit of paper. The bit of paper started a family tree with a lot of help from other interested relatives since then.The main stimulus for these notes is because the world is now very small and families travel and settle around the world with great ease. The notes are written for those many descendants of the Dolans of Tyneside now all around the world, who may wonder about their relatives and their roots. Youll see that those roots were clearly nurtured in Tyneside coal!
John Dolan and Martha Feron
John Dolan was born in Southern Ireland around 1835. Few facts are known about him and it is very clear that he left his home country and went to Cumberland in North West England to find work. Census information shows a John Dolan (of Irish birth) in a boarding house in Crosscanonby in Cumberland in 1861 - this may or may not be the same person as our relative was married and living 50 miles away by 1857.
John met and married Martha Feron before 1857 in Brampton, Cumberland and they subsequently had nine children. These are listed on the family tree from left to right (note: still in production) in age starting with Sarah and ending with Michael.
- Sarah (b 1857)
- Martin (b 1860)
- Mary
- John (b1865)
- William
- James (b 1870)
- Thomas (b 1872)
- Catherine (Kate) (b1875)
- Michael (b 1876)
John being Irish was a staunch Catholic but Martha was an equally staunch Anglican. As was the practice, the children were all brought up as Catholics and John was buried a Catholic in Cumberland (date unknown).
John Dolans occupation was described on his sons James birth certificate as a hawker and they lived at Bewcastle in Cumberland, in North West England.
It appears that all the children were brought up in Cumberland and as they married and had their own children, they moved to find work on Tyneside in the newly and rapidly-developing Clara Vale coal mines at Crawcrook, about 20 miles west of Newcastle upon Tyne. Some left Britain for foreign shores. This was probably between 1880-1893.
The 1901 census shows a household led by John Dolan (aged 66) and Martha (aged 65) living in the Crawcrook parish, with Bewcastle born sons Thomas and Michael, plus a Martha Ann Dolan (all in their early 20's) at home the evening the census-taker called.
The Durham Mining Museum has very good records of the collieries around Wylam, including Clara Vale colliery - click here to see their excellent website.
A Quikmap of this family's journey and its landmarks has been started and can be viewed here. The picture below shows some Clara Vale landmarks - the river crossing to Wylam (top left); Clara Vale (school in orange, 24 Southview Terrace in yellow); and the village of Crawcrook (blue marker) where the Clara Vale pits were.
The children of John Dolan and Martha Feron
1. Sarah Dolan
Born 18 December 1857 and died age 104 in 1961. Married Tom Herdman and had two children, Andrew and Annie.2. Martin Dolan
Born 17 February 1860. Married Margaret Newton. Had one son John who lived in Dipton in UK. Unmarried. |
| John Dolan of Dipton, c1950s |
3. Mary Dolan
Married William Graham who was born in 1856. They had ten children and these are spread more widely around the world than any other branch of the family. These children are discussed later from Thomas to Kate.4. John Dolan (1865? 1909)
John Dolan married Mary Bendle in Brampton, Cumberland in March 1885 (according to Births, deaths and Marriages register information). They first lived at Brampton where John was a labourer (shown on Mary Elizabeths birth certificate). They must have moved to Clara Vale to work down the pit after about 1892 as the pit opened in 1893.
Mary Bendle was born in 1866 (date taken from her embroidered sampler), although official records show a Mary Bendle born in December 1865 in Brampton (possibly) with a twin brother John Bendle (see Vol 10b 377/382).
John and Mary had nine living children Mary to Margaret (see below).
John Dolan was a smart dapper little man. His cantankerous ways were well know in Clara Vale and he had a running hate campaign with the children who used to call him Old Dolan so he would chase them.
Like many a Geordie pitman, he preferred the pub to the pit, and true to pitman custom, the day his eldest son was old enough to go down the pit, he came up. Here was Isaacs role as the fist to go underground to earn money, as John Dolan spent time on the sick as far as the official record went.
Once free from the drudgery of the pit, he could concentrate on the inherent skills of all Irishmen of dealing, especially in horses. He clearly passed these skills on to his son John who became a noted horse dealer.
He was remembered in Clara Vale for sitting on the doorstep watching the world go by and no doubt planning his next good deal. The doorstep would be a better place than indoors which would be full of bairns, womenfolk and their problems m- many of which would have been created by him!
The most famous part of John Dolans life was in fact his death! Some of his family knew the details but they were certainly not freely discussed. Information was only passed on with deep discretion to a selected few. Lavina and Martha knew the details and passed them on to myself and Mary Smith (Marthas daughter).
John Dolan spent a lot of time horse dealing and inevitably this was done in public houses. On 2 May 1909 he left home in a pony and trap to do some trading and it is presumed he had crossed the river Tyne between Clara Vale and Wylam and gone further afield. What was known was that he left home with a large amount of cash in his pocket, as all deals were done in cash.
He never returned. The police were informed and no doubt foul play was suspected when the pony pulling the trap returned home - without John Dolan. Apparently he was well known in the Wylam pubs for his ability to sponge a pint or two through his Irish gift of the Blarney.
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| TheButcher Shop, Wylam |
After his disappearance (Lavinas account to son Clive), a Gypsy woman called at the house (24 South View, Clara Vale) to tell Mary Dolan that her husband had been drowned and his back was all bruised from boot marks. Also there was no money in his pockets, no rings on his finger and no watch or chain in his waistcoat pockets.
She also said that his body would be found at the dockside in Newcastle. Marthas account to daughter Mary said that the Gypsy woman appeared after he had been found confirming what had happened.
The Gypsys predictions were correct. John Dolans battered body was found on the quayside in Newcastle minus any money, rings or watch and chain on 16 May 1909. He was buried in May 30, 1909 at Greenside.
The police never solved the mystery so his murderer went free. It was presumed that he fell from his trap (under the influence of too much drink) when the pony negotiated the ford across the Tyne on his way back to Clara Vale. Presumably thats what the criminals wanted the police to think.
The family doubtless received embarrassing publicity over the event and especially the part the drink was presumed to have played in the story. And this latter point no doubt strengthened their eternal hate and suspicion of the bottle. This was the reason no doubt why so few of the family members were subsequently told of the event.
But the tragedy that had the greatest financial impact on the family however was Isaacs death from pneumonia later in 1909. He would have been around 20 and earning mens pay down the pit. Christopher (Kit) would be 16 and on lads wages. The financial shock of two funerals in the same year must have been devastating.
Mary Dolan had to face reality as there was no welfare state only the workhouse. She had no alternative but to face hard times with hard work. As more of the men in the family left school and went down the pit, the income would have improved but not the workload.
With more family down the pit, all on different shifts and going out and coming in at all hours of the day and night, it meant the work never stopped. There were meals to provide, bait to put up, baths to be prepared for them in front of the fire, endless washing and clothes to be repaired.
Knitting, darning, patching, cobbling pit boots were all chores taken for granted. Mary Dolan would knit new feet in a pair of socks on a Saturday night ready for night shift on Sunday. She could patch, re-sole and hob nail a pair of pit boots like a professional cobbler.
The girls in the family who were still at school, and before leaving home to go into domestic service, all learned these skills and contributed especially to bringing up the younger family members.
Mary Dolans enterprising spirit rose to running a little shop from her kitchen window. Her daughter Martha when living at Crawcrook around 1918 went home nearly every day to help bake bread and tea-cakes for sale. Any of the family girls who lived near were also involved in helping out.
Mary Dolans business acumen went on to have a wholesale account at Bainbridges store in Newcastle where she bought for resale such things as pit boots, stockings, hoggars (pit short trousers) and work shirts together with bedding and household wares. All were paid for by the customers by installments from their weekly wages.
The family had a field and stables at the end of South View terrace where they kept pigs, poultry and horses that were being traded. The family was brought up in an atmosphere of working and trading for survival, but also one of caring and sharing. An example of this is despite their difficult circumstances, they also brought up a boy called Paddy Conway who they found abandoned in their stables. There is no information on what happened to Paddy, but he was a lucky lad to strike the Dolans.
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Clara Vale School, 1900. Photo from the iSee Gateshead collection. |
5. William Dolan
Married Elizabeth Ruddick and had two children Martha and Mary.Mary married John Holt and had a daughter Winnifred. John Holt worked as a gardener in the South of England on a large estate. After his death Mary and Winnie lived in Wylam.
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| Uncertain: Mary Holt; Elizabeth Dolan?; Winnie?; John Holt?; Will Dolan |
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| Will Dolan, date unknown. |
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| Mary and Winnie Holt, with Martha Nicholson, date unknown. |
Sub-editor's note: this branch of the family can get a little confusing for newcomers, as i) Mary Elizabeth Graham (of the Mary Dolan and William Graham branch) married Joseph Ruddick; and ii) there is another Will Dolan in the next generation - the 6th child of John Dolan and Mary Bendle; and iii) a Mary Elizabeth Whittaker married Thomas Graham of the Mary Dolan and William Graham line . Awaiting expert advice!
6. James Dolan (1870-1949)
(Information provided by the late Margaret Brennan, nee Dolan (daughter of James)James Dolan was born on 5 May 1870 at Kinkreyhill, Bewcastle in Cumberland in England.
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| The settlement of Bewcastle in Durham. It is not known exactly where Kinkreyhill is located. |
James went to Clara Vale school and when he left at age 14 he went down Clara Vale pit. He started as a lad on the surface looking after the pit ponies, unlike all is brothers who went underground.
Through his skills he rose to be head horseman with a staff of six men and responsibility of 100 pit ponies. This was a job that had a great deal of status, and as head horseman was allowed to wear a bowler hat rather than the traditional pitmans helmet.
James was highly thought of by the pit management, and when he told them that he was thinking of emigrating, they let him know in no uncertain terms that they thought he was daft!
James was very religious and just about ran the Church of England in Clara Vale. He was superintendent of the Sunday school and even mowed the lawns. The Bishop of Durham licensed him as a lay reader in 1913.
James married Mary Anne Stobbart and their family expanded to eight children - the details of the family are expanded in their own section below. James was very friendly with Dr Bishop of Wylam who was their family doctor and with his wife not being too well and such a large family, they discussed immigration. Dr Bishop recommended it for the sake of the familys health and suggested either Canada or Australia where Dr Bishop had personal contacts.
James chose Australia, and he left the family behind and set off in 1912 from Clara Vale to the other side of the world with three other local lads. One was Jack Graham (see the Graham story), the other was Bert Cocklain, and the third one is forgotten.
James was asked by the parents of the other young lads to keep an eye on them and make sure they didnt get into trouble on the journey.
Dr Bishop recommended James to a Mr Billy Britain who owned a brick yard at Darra in Queensland which was still operating in 1987. James settled in well and clearly pleased his new boss.
Bill Britain had two sons in the business and when James was given greater responsibility he felt a bit uncomfortable and asked Billy to promote his boys rather than himself.
After James had been in Australia for six months, Mary Anne and the eight children packed up their belongings for what Margaret described a great adventure. The little band of Dolans left Clara Vale for London where they boarded the SS Perthshire bound for Brisbane, Australia. Margaret remembers helping her mother prepare a trunk for the family possessions, painting it and giving it a wood-grain effect with a curry comb. (The SS Perthshire was later sunk during the 1914-18 war).
It was a great adventure for the children but no doubt a nightmare for their mother. She once for example rescued Ellen from the second top rail at the side of the ship!
The family arrived at Darra to a new brick house just across the road from the brick works and was warmly welcomed by the Britains. The sights and sounds of this new land fascinated the eight Geordie bairns who soon became little Aussies. Australia in 1912 was no paradise with many young men away at the war.
In Australia Jamess talents started to blossom and were soon recognised. His interest and experience in first aid in the pit at Clara Vale and his wide veterinary expertise soon became apparent. He had obtained a large 3rd exam medal and 16 bars for first aid at Clare Vale which he wore with great pride on his watch chain.
In 1916 James applied for and was appointed as Superintendent of the Rockhampton Queensland Ambulance Transport Service. He was remembered for bringing about big changes and a plaque on the present day building bears his name. He for example got workers to pay a contribution to the service and this was equaled by their employers. This was a revolutionary concept at that time. While at Rockhampton he also lectured at the local Polytechnic.
The family moved from Queensland to Newcastle in New South Wales in 1921, and during these depression years in Australia, he founded the Newcastle Free Ambulance Transport Brigade. In the recorded opinion of Lord Gowrie and Lord Wakehurst, the service was the finest in the world at that time. James was Superintendent and Secretary of the service from 1921-1936.
While at Newcastle, James was also responsible for the organisation of the Miners Rescue Stations at Cockle Creek. He took an active part in mine rescues and took classes in the use of the newly-developed proto apparatus.
In 1927 he was invited by the Wellington, New Zealand City Council to visit them and advise on the formation of an ambulance service. While in Wellington he attended a rugby match and ran on to the field to attend a knocked-out player. The players first words when he came round were Hello Mr Dolan!
James also lectured at the local Technical College during his years at Newcastle. He also organised a major cancer research campaign in 1926 that raised five thousand pounds.
In 1934 he was awarded the Order of St John of Jerusalem. He was also an active Free Mason and Rotarian. In 1928 he was re-licensed as a lay reader by the Bishop of Newcastle, N.S.W.
In 1940 the family went to live in Dubbo where James was Ambulance Superinendant for a short time and re-organised the station.
During the second world war he coached classes in first aid in Sydney and the Vaucluse area. He had trained and placed in their positions most of the leading Ambulance Superintendents throughout New South Wales. He was one time President of the Superintendents Association and a member of the Board until his death in 1949 in Sydney.
James Dolan was a great humanitarian and his adopted country greatly benefited from his skills. In Australian terms he was a fair dinkum joker high praise indeed.
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| James Dolan, Australia (date unknown) |
See the family tree (to come) for details of the children of James and Mary.
7. Thomas Dolan
Born 1872 - he turns up in the household of his father in Clara Vale in the 1901 census. Married ? Warton and had three children - John, Martha and Henry.8. Kate Dolan
Information provided by Pat Richardson, contactable at pkrich@shaw.ca. Pat is the grand-daughter of Kate Richardson (nee Dolan).Catherine (Kate) Dolan was born 8 April, 1875 in Durham, England. She married George Jenkins Richardson, born 27 September 1867, a Northumberland coal miner. They had four children born in Clara Vale, Northumberland, England. George was a trained first aid attendant as well as a coal miner. Catherine was a midwife. Both were actively involved in the Anglican Church where George was an elder.
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| Catherine (Kate) Richardson nee Dolan in the late 1950s |
A well used Bible has the following inscribed inside the front cover:
WESLEYAN METHODIST CHURCH
Clara Vale,
Ryton on Tyne,
Co. Durham,
ENGLAND.
PRESENTED, together with a fountain pen, to GEORGE JENKINS RICHARDSON by members of his Society Class as a token of their respect on his leaving England for Canada. May 2nd. 1911.
In the spring of 1910, Catherine, George, and the three children set out by ship for the promised land in Canada. George's brother Jack Richardson was a teamster in the coal mines in South Wellington on Vancouver Island off the west coast of Canada and he encouraged his brother to join him.
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| South Wellington, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, early 1900s |
This voyage proved to be quite an experience indeed. Before the ship landed in Quebec, after 10-12 days at sea, families with small children were taken off the ship in black enclosed vans and quarantined on an island in the St. Lawrence River. We are not sure why this happened! Our family was stripped of their clothing, sent through disinfectant showers, and covered in blankets until the clothing was dried. They slept on the floor for the 10 days of their quarantine. All in all a frightening experience for this young family.
Eventually they boarded the ship again and finally disembarked at Quebec City. They then boarded a train bound for the West Coast of British Columbia, arriving in South Wellington on Vancouver Island, 10 June 1910. They soon bought a house in this mining town but within a couple of weeks, even before the trunks were completely unpacked, they were burned out of their home.
Sparks from the train on the railway to the mine burnt out most of the town except for the big dance hall. Buster recalls that the brass candlesticks were thrown down the well and the silver was put in the bathtub and these items were the only possessions saved from the fire.
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| The Hall in South Wellington where the family lived after the big fire |
George and Catherine were fed their meals in the big hall along with the rest of the community with provisions supplied by the government. The three children stayed with friends. Since there were no changes of clothing, the routine was girls go to one side of the lake, boys go to the other side: wash your clothes, hang them on the trees then bathe yourself while your clothes dried.
After about three weeks the family came together again to settle on a piece of land. They were supplied with only two blankets each. George made three beds of fir boughs and they camped under the trees. George then began hewing logs and building a two-bedroom house with a large veranda. They were able to move in before winter. Catherine became very homesick for her family, and in the spring, she was given money by her brother Jim to return home to England for about a three-week visit with her family in Clara Vale.
In 1911, George was able to get work in the Morden coalmine in South Wellington. He was also the First Aid Attendant and taught first aid classes. Both Catherine and George had their 'A' first aid certificates. By this time they had their own garden and were able to grow much of their own food.
After the coal miners' strike from 1912 - 1914, George went north up the Island to Cumberland to stay with his cousin George and Ruth Richardson. During this time there was no cash income, only produce in trade for midwife duties by Catherine in South Wellington.
The eldest girl, Carrie, had started school in England then continued her schooling in South Wellington until it was time to go to high school. As the mining slacked off in South Wellington and Carrie needed to go to high school, the family moved 80 miles north to Cumberland in 1917. George got a job in No 4 mine in Cumberland and they were able to rent a colliery house.
There was a bad Spanish influenza epidemic in Canada in 1918-1919 and the Cumberland school was converted to a hospital. Catherine was the chief cook in this hospital.
George was quite a handyman and was able to gain further income by cobbling shoes in his cellar. After he retired from mining, he became a night watchman for the Village of Cumberland for about two years until he got a $50 a month pension. He had a heart attack at age 62 and died in Cumberland on 25 August 1945 at age 77.
Catherine returned to England by herself for a visit in 1920 or 1921, travelling by train and ship - quite an adventure travelling alone in those days. Buster and Carrie went back to the homeland for a visit by train and ship in July 1927. When only one day out of the St. Lawrence River, their ship the 'Montcalm' hit an iceberg in dense fog. The ship was up on a ledge of the ice for three hours. The resulting damage to the rudder caused them to be three days late arriving in England. Their parents returned again to England in 1934 to visit their family in the north of England.
Catherine was a staunch and tireless worker for the Anglican church. She was President of the Women's Auxiliary for seven years.
In Cumberland, about 1925, they bought a five-bedroom house for $3000. Catherine ran this as a boarding house for about 15 years in the 1940's and early 1950's. By 1937, Catherine became a semi-invalid and Buster and her husband Bill moved in to the big house so that Buster could help her mother. In her later years, Catherine was known as 'Gramma' to all the kids in town and to many of her grandchildren's friends and was well revered. She suffered a three-year illness, mostly confined to her bed before she died in Cumberland 21 March 1967, in her 92nd year.
9. Michael Dolan
Michael also turns up on the 1901 census living in the family home as a 25 year old with his father and mother at Clara Vale in Northumberland. That would put his year of birth as 1876 - and the census shows his place of birth as Bewcastle in Cumberland.
Married Elizabeth Armstrong and went to Australia. Had two children Martha and Mary. There appeared to be no liaison between the family of Mick and James in Australia, as none of the children of James (eg Margaret Brennan) knew of their cousins. Margaret had vague memories where Micks family had settled in Australia.
The children of Mary Dolan and William Graham
At some stage the Grahams moved to Tyneside to work in the coal mines at Clara Vale along with the Dolans. Mary Dolan (daughter of James Dolan and Martha Feron) married William Graham, and they had ten children from Thomas (oldest) to Kate (youngest) who spread widely across the world.1. Thomas Graham (1892-1960)
(Information provided by May G Smith, 48 Dalton Road, Milford, Conn, USA 06460. May was the daughter of Thomas Graham).Thomas was born in 1892, probably at Bewcastle, Cumberland in UK. He married Elizabeth Jane Whittaker in about 1904 and had three children all born in UK. These were Mary Elizabeth born in 1905, May born in 1908 and Gladys born in 1910 who died in 1912.
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| This photo was labelled 'Lizzie Graham in England'. Is this possibly Thomas's wife and two of the daughters? This seems unlikely as the large photo format, and Lizzie's apparent age don't add up. It is more likely to be Mary Elizabeth Graham (married name Ruddick) in the 1950s. TBC. |
Thomas went to America on his own in 1910 in search of work that he found in the iron foundries. He then saved money to pay for his family to join him and on the 13 September 1913, his wife Elizabeth and daughters Mary and May sailed past the Statue of Liberty to arrive in New York.
Daughter Martha was born in the USA and died age two years. Later a son Thomas died age six months. The family was nearly broken by doctors bills and funeral expenses. A son Victor is recorded no information available.
At one time Thomas Graham had a tavern which tragically burned down causing him to start all over again. He visited Tyneside in 1953 and 1954. He died in 1960.
2. John Graham (1884-1967)
(Information provided by Helen Hickmont, 26 Selbourne Avenue, Richmond, Nelson, New Zealand.)John (Jack) was born in Bewcastle, Cumberland, United Kingdom on 2 July 1884. After leaving school (presumably at Clara Vale), he went down the pit at age 14. He worked underground until he emigrated to New Zealand in 1912. He traveled to Australia with James Dolan and then continued his journey as an immigrant to New Zealand on his own.
Jack got work in the coal mines at Puponga near Nelson, but in 1915 he enlisted with the New Zealand Engineers who set sail for Egypt to join the Great War. He served in Egypt until 1916 when he was sent to France until the end of hostilities in 1918. Jack is on the right in the photo below with his two brothers.
Jacks army service number was 6/3026. He reached the rank of sergeant and was awarded the 1914-18 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1920, and the 1914-18 Victory medal.
After the war Jack continued his work in the Puponga mines. On December 8 he married Margaret Lillian Walker in Puponga. Their three daughters, Helen, Martha and Dorothy were all born in Collingwood, near Nelson.
When the Puponga mine closed, Jack worked in the Mangarakau mine until he retired in 1946. For some years he was voluntary caretaker of the camping ground at Collingwood. In 1967 Jack and Margaret died within thirteen hours of each other. They were buried in Collingwood after a joint funeral.
John Graham's First Aid bookWhen John Graham of Number 7 West Row, Clara Vale, Ryton on Tyne left for Puponga in New Zealand in 1911, he took his little book "First Aid To The Injured" with him. Every pitman knew the importance of first aid, so it's not hard to imagine that John would have thought it and his knowledge useful in New Zealand too.
The book is the ninth edition, revised in 1901 with a print run of 330, 00 to 380, 000. The author is James Cantlie, M.A., M.B., F.R.C.S. and the price was one shilling or one shilling and two pence by post. It could be obtained from St. John's Gate, Clerkenwell, London, EC.
In the front the Patron of "The Grand Priory of the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England" was His Most Gracious Majesty King Edward VII.
The book was clearly part of a "Syllabus of Instruction" made up of five lectures. Lecture 5 was split into
separate parts for males (containing lifting advice) and females (containing advice on removal of clothes and preparation for surgeon).The back of the book contains extensive details of first aid equipment and their prices. A paraffin lamp cost five and six shillings, a large ambulance first aid hamper cost one pound, eleven shillings and sixpence, and a roller bandage machine cost half a crown. If you were an officer or member of the St John's Brigade you could buy a "swagger stick" made of ebonised cane with silver mounts for one shilling!
John's first aid knowledge would have been of great value in his days in the trenches in France when he left to fight for New Zealand in 1914.
3. William Graham (1887-1929)
Born and lived in Clara Vale and worked down the pit. Married Sally Waugh. No children. No information.| James Graham (British Navy); William Graham (just signed up); and Jack Graham (NZ Army) in WW1 |
4. Mary Elizabeth Graham (1889-1977)
Born at Clara Vale and later lived at Crawcrook, UK. Married Joseph Ruddick. No children. No information. |
| Joseph and Mary Elizabeth in 1955 at Brampton, during visit by Daphne Richardson. |
5. Sally Graham (1892-1937)
Born in Clara Vale, and after leaving school at age 14 she went into domestic service. She married Robert Stephenson, a painter and decorator and they lived in Stocksfield. They had two children, Mary and Norman.6. James Graham (1894-1975)
Born in Clare Vale and on leaving school went down the pit. He married Mary Mordue and they had five children, John, William, Violet, Martha and May.7. Martha Graham (1897-1969)
Born in Clara Vale. She was unmarried. No information.8. Joseph Graham (1899-1976)
Joseph (Joss) was born in Clara Vale and when he left school at age 14 went down the pit. But he had picked up the family wander lust and his brother George nominated him for an immigrants reduced-rate passage to New Zealand to work as a coal miner.Brother George and wife Maggie also sent money to pay his expenses. He arrived in New Zealand in 1927 and lived with George and Maggie until he built his own small cottage. He got a job in the Puponga mine where he worked till he retired in 1964.
Joss was a bachelor who liked a drink and he became well known as a character in the area, mainly through the care he gave to two retired pit ponies that he kept around his cottage in Puponga. He became a regular stopping-off spot for tourists in the area. He died in 1976 aged 77.
9. George Graham (1900-1972)
George was the youngest son of the Graham family and was born at Clara Vale. After school in Clara Vale he broke with tradition and didnt go down the pit. He worked at the Meadow Dairy where his mother wanted him to stay. The pull of the pit and no doubt the better pay and his mates was too great, and he joined his father on the fans providing air for those below.He went below ground as a hewer in 1926 when he was nominated by his elder brother John for an immigrants reduced-rate passage to New Zealand.
Before coming to New Zealand he married Margaret (Maggie) Graham and they arrived with one son John aged 3 years. Their elder son William was born in New Zealand. The family came to Puponga near Nelson when George worked in the local mine. They were called pits in Clara Vale but mines in New Zealand a name change only as the life underground was equally as hard.
The family stayed at Nelson until 1935 when work grew short. They moved to Huntly in the North Island where George worked until her retired in 1965. He died in 1972 aged 72. Maggie lived in their small mine-owned cottage with free coal for many years after Georges death, moving into a local rest home a few years before her death in 1993.
10. Kate Graham (1901-1984)
Kate was the youngest Graham family member, born and schooled at Clara Vale. She married a pitman called Teddy Bird and they had one daughter, Clara born in 1931 and named after the village. |
| Taken at Brampton in 1955 when Daphne Richardson of the Canadian branch visited the Dolan home country. From left to right: Joe Ruddick; Dick Jordan; Mary Elizabeth Ruddick; Mary Holt; Will Dolan; Daphne Richardson; Katie Bird; Clara Jordan (nee Bird); Winnie Holt. |
Teddy Bird had a tragic death in a pit accident in 1945 when a lump of coal fell down the shaft and hit him on the head. This shook the Clara Vale and wider community as Teddy was a highly respected member of the Prudhoe Gleemen choir. His deep bass singing down the pit cheered many a weary miner. The family got no compensation.
Clara Jordan (nee Bird) contact 15 Woodside Way, Ryton, Tyne and Weir, NE 403n6, UK.
The children of John Dolan and Mary Bendle
1. Isaac (Dolan) (1885/6? 1909)
Mary Bendle must have had a son Isaac before she married John Dolan, though this fact was not spoken of by the legitimate children. Some of them probably never knew Isaac or the details of his birth. Isaac was certainly spoken of by the older sisters, as he was much loved and saved the family from hardship by his earnings down the pit. His early death from pneumonia in 1909 was terrible blow to the family.Isaac must have been born about 1885 or 1886 when Mary would have been 19-20. It is not known if John Dolan was Isaacs father but he was certainly Mary Bendles son.
2. Mary Elizabeth (1887-1969)
(Information from Mary Ayton (nee Winning), 20 Scotland Way, Horsforth, Leeds, Yorkshire, UK)Mary was born in Brampton in Cumberland, UK on 2 May, 1887. She was the eldest daughter and went to school in Clara Vale when the family moved there to find work in the pit. After leaving school, unlike the other girls of the family and village, she didnt go into domestic service but started a dressmaking apprenticeship. This was a sound move as the whole extended family benefited from her skills right up to her final years.
She made clothes, she altered clothes, and she taught family members of all ages the skills of her trade. She had very high professional standards and she expected everyone else to meet these. Her sharp professional eyes missed nothing from drooping hems to nephews dirty ears or poor efforts at school.
Her dressmaking was a life-saver in the early years of the family at Clara Vale, especially after her fathers untimely death in 1912. The ability of the family girls to make do and mend would have been under her eagle eye to aid survival till the lads were old enough to earn wages. The heavy wear and tear on pit clothes provided plenty of opportunity to practice these skills especially darning and patching for anyone willing to learn. But there was no choice you had to learn!
On 5 October 1912, Mary married Hugh McKechnie Winning at Ryton Wesley and Methodist chapel. Hugh was a steelworker at Spencers of Newburn on the Tyne, and was made redundant when the works closed in the 1930 depression.
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| Hugh Winning with his nephew (the baby Clive Dalton) c1935 |
Hugh took a job as a traveler for confectionery with his brother Archie but didnt enjoy the work. Mary bore the brunt of hard times and again turned to dressmaking, took on an agency for Spirella corsets, as well as taking a couple of school teachers as boarders.
Mary and Hugh has three children, Robert, Mary and Margaret (Peggy), and in 1925 moved into a hardware shop in Lemington-on-Tyne. Their first shop was in Algernon road from where they moved to another shop in Rokeby street in 1928.
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| Clive Dalton with cousins Mary and Peggy Winning c1949 |
Through hard work, especially during the war years and the blitz on Tyneside industries, they turned it into a very successful business. They were aided greatly by the efforts of the family, especially after Hughs death in 1943.
Robert served his time as a plumber and had a successful business attached to the shop. He did wartime service in the RAF. Mary worked in the shop full time, and did service with the Womens Land Army during the war. Peggy did part-time shop work and had full-time secretarial job at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle before moving into banking in Newcastle.
Mary Elizabeth carried on her business until her retirement in 1954 when she moved to Wylam living next to her sister Maggie. She died in 1969 aged 82.
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| Mary, Vinnie and Mary in Bellingham |
Mary had a matriarchal role in the family, not just because of being the eldest. It was because of her strength of personality and her very high standards. She was simultaneously loved, feared and respected by everyone. To we younger ones she had only one standard we had to aim for. It was called your very best or ten out of ten!
3. Christopher (Kit) Dolan (1890-1949)
Kit was born at Clara Vale and went down the pit after leaving school. In his spare time he helped his brother John with his horses.He married Mary Eltringham and they had four children, Mary, John, Ethel and Robert. Kit died in 1949 aged 59.
There was very little contact between the girls of the family and Kit so very little is known of his life or of his children.
4. Martha Dolan (1892-1975)
Martha was born at Brampton, Cumberland, UK on 16 May 1892. When she left school at Clara Vale aged 14 she went into domestic service with the Stowell family at Wylam. She started as under-cook. Later she went as full-cook to Dr Andrew Smith at Ryton-on-Tyne where she worked until she married William (Billy) Smith on 6 October 1917. Martha was aged 25.After their marriage Martha and Billy lived at Crawcrook (Billy working in the pit) until 1928 when they moved to jointly-manage the Highlander Inn at Winlaton. They had two daughters Mary and Christine and were at the Highlander for 34 years, retiring in 1962 to a small cottage opposite the pub. Billy was 77 and Martha 70.
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| Martha and Billy Smith, Chrissy Smith, Will Dolan, Daphne Richardson, Mary Holt at the Highlander Inn |
Marthas heart of gold was widely recognised by the entire family, especially among the nieces and nephews who she spoiled terribly. Auntie Marthas was the place to go for a holiday, especially during the war. Being down in the dark dank cellar with Uncle Bill measuring the barrels with his brass rod was really exciting. The cellar doubled as an air-raid shelter with a unique odour.
Martha had contacts for un-rationed food that Hitler knew nothing about and could not cut off! He must have had suspicions though as a stray bomb fell in Winlaton and narrowly missed the Highlander and the family.
Some of us believe this bomb was Hitlers fatal mistake as Marthas son-in-law Reg Wannop (married to Chrissie) was in the Coldstream Guards in Germany closing in on Hitler at the time, and he alone brought about the final end to hostilities! Bombing our Auntie Martha was Hitlers greatest error of the war. Pity is no historian believes us!
Martha and Billy having a pub posed some interesting dilemmas for some of the family especially with their upbringing of the hate and fear of the demon drink! So how could you visit Martha and not be seen entering a pub? The answer was the side door and hope that you didnt have to stay on the step too long ringing the bell! You never entered through the bar!
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| The infamous Highlander |
5. John Dolan (1896-1950)
Details from Noreen Fisher (nee Dolan), Unit 125, Richards Close, Arthur Street, Grafton, 2460, NSW, Australia.John Dolan, born at Clara Vale went down the pit like all the other local lads at age 14. There he worked until a knee problem made him look for other options. He married Lottie Tulip about 1917 and moved to Prudhoe where he started dealing mainly in horses, but anything that would turn into a gold sovereign.
They had the two children Noreen and Keith who were both accomplished horse riders. Noreen married an Australian serving in Europe during the war, and after the war settled in Australia. Keith remained in Prudhoe where he had an electrical business.
John started his business with five pounds and his well-recognised business (dealing) skills were soon widely recognised and envied. He was a cash man finding gold sovereigns very handy to trade with. As a result the tax man had problems with John Dolan and now and again he had to put some money into the bank!
It was said he could charm the birds out of the trees, especially if he had a buyer waiting. But his specialty was horses and his fame was recognised throughout the four northern counties of England.
His business included contracts to provide horses, carts, men for collieries, forestry work and other local industries. He also provided horses for riding schools and farmers.
John had an exceptional mathematical ability despite his minimal schooling. He used to give quotes for quite complex projects out of his head and on the spot. His word was his bond and this was well appreciated especially in the hazardous business of buying and selling horses. He stressed to his daughter Noreen that you must have courage in business.
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| John Dolan, some time after World War 2 in Scotland. A keen horseman, he participated in races that took place on the main streets just after dawn. |
John Dolans business flourished in the 1939-45 war period and by this time his wife had her won business that too was run from their Prudhoe home. John was a victim of bronchial asthma doubtless a result of coal dust from his short time below ground. His health deteriorated and he died in 1950.
6. William James Dolan (1897-1978)
Willie was born at Clara Vale on 3 April 1897 and after leaving school at age 14 went down the Clara Vale pit. There he worked until 1937 when at age 40 he had to give up work because of ill health. He was just another victim of coal dust and damp.On 25 April, 1918 he volunteered for military service and served in France until hostilities ended later that year. He always made a joke of his reluctance to be a soldier. Each year on the anniversary of his enlistment he went to see Martha at the Highlander Inn in Winlaton and got drunk. He reckoned the Germans gave up because they all drowned in his tears.
Willie was another Dolan with a great love of horses and he also helped brother John at with his horse-dealing business. Willie had skills in buying and selling anything. He once bought a pair of brass candle sticks at Mary Chapmans (nee Smith) shop for four shillings and eleven pence. He then dirtied them, covered them in finger marks and wrapped them in old newspaper. He went to the pub across the road and sold them as antiques for 25 shillings.
Willie regularly attended the famous horse fairs at Appelby, Brough and Yarm in northern England and St Boswells in Scotland. He and brother John were well-known figures and Willie traveled to these events in a horse-drawn caravan.
He didnt prevent one poor deal though at Appelby fair. A dapple grey pony was bought for Noreen and after getting it home and a wet night it lost its dapples!
Willie married Annie Wilson and they had one son Mathew, and two daughters Lavina and Hazel.
7. Lavina Dolan (1899-1977)
Lavina (Vinnie) was born at Clara Vale on 30 May 1899, and after leaving school at age 14 went into domestic service with the Clayton family at the Chesters near Humshaugh. She started services as housemaid and rose to head housemaid, leaving in 1926 to marry a Humshaugh man, Henry William Dalton. The wedding took place at Greenside Methodist church on 2 August 1926. |
| Vinnie and Henry Dalton, 1954 |
They moved to Bellingham and lived at 6 Noble Street while Harry worked on the North British railway as a guard and later a signalman. Vinnie had a son Geoffrey then twin daughters who died at birth. Late she had a son Clive.
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| Bellingham Station - Harry Dalton and Jack Barrass |
Vinnie was very active in village and Church of England affairs, her favourite charity being the Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children (RSPCC). She worked at many domestic jobs in the village to supplement the family income and to pay for the education of her family.
She was skilled at needlework, taught her by elder sister Mary. She died in 1977 aged 78.
8. Wilfred Dolan (1901-1984)
(Details from Neil Dolan, 16 Burramine Road, Glen Waverly, Victoria 3150, Australia)Wilf was born at Clara Vale on 7 July, 1901. He left school at age 14 and followed the other family members down Clara Vale pit. The pit was in full swing at the time and was hungry for labour as industry on Tyneside expanded. In 1933 Wilf married Rhoda Mary Bell who came from Greenside. They had two sons born in Clara Vale, Neil and John.
Wilf spent 50 years down Clara Vale pit that opened in 1890 and closed when he came up from his last shift in 1965. Many pitmen threw their lamps down the shaft as a parting gift and celebration of freedom.
Apart from a lifetime of guaranteed work and income, Clara Vale pit gave Wilf along with countless others a legacy of coal dust. His official medical assessment was a 70% restriction of his lung capacity. This was made up of 40% pneumoconiosis and 30% emphysema and bronchitis.
It wasnt until 1979 when the National Health Service was established in UK that mobile chest X-rays went around the pits to discover the damage caused by dust and dampness. For many like Wilf Dolan it was far too late.
After the 1939-45 war, compensation was awarded on a limited basis, but it was not until the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) took the National Coal Board to the High Court that much happened. Wilf along with some of his pit marras (mates) was summoned to appear in the Leeds high court prior to which he had made a sworn statement of the working conditions underground to the NUM lawyers.
The court established that miners such as Wilf were the relics of an industrial system which not only had neglected them, but had denied them natural justice. An out-of-court settlement was agreed on but sadly they could not give these miners new lungs! For Wilf this amounted to a disablement benefit of 37.80 pounds a week plus 8 pounds/week hardship allowance which was really a heating supplement.
After retirement Wilf and Rhoda went to Australia to join their sons who had settled in Melbourne. The drier air of Australia made Wilfs last years a little easier and he enjoyed the sun of which he had seen precious little in the bowels of the Tyneside earth. He died on 14 May 1984 in Melbourne.
| Wilf's son John Dolan, with Chrissy Wannop, Peggy Winning, Geoff Dalton, Matty Dolan, Jack Dolan |
9. Thomas Dolan ( 1904-1972)
Thomas was born at Clara Vale and went to school there. He too went down the pit on leaving school but at some stage left home. There was never anyone in the family who talked about this certainly not among the older ones who must have known some details.There was very little if any contact until late in his life when he wrote to Martha and Lavina. He had been in London working for British Oxygen. He rarely visited his native Tyneside and died in London. We do not know if he was ever married or associated with anyone. He had a landlady in London thats all we know.
10. Margaret Dolan (1907-1988)
Maggie was born at Clara Vale and after leaving school at 14 she went into domestic service as a nanny to the Fergusons of Wylam. She later moved with the family to Tynemouth. After this she went home to help out for a few years and then went to nanny for six children for Dr Saccho at Crawcrook.She spent a short time at home again until her marriage to Stanley Henderson of Wylam-on-Tyne, where he and his father had the local garage and electrical business. They had one daughter Angela born in 1937.
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| Maggie, Vinnie, Angela and the twins |
Maggie worked hard all her life to support her family. For many years she worked at the Wylam convalescent home of the Royal Victoria Hospital in Newcastle. She died in 1988.
The children of James Dolan and Mary Ann Stobbart
1. Anne Dolan (1897-)
Anne Dolan was the eldest of the family born at Clara Vale. She went to the local school and soon after leaving at age 14 went to Australia. In Australia she married William Muller and they had five children, George, Marjorie, Raymond, Maureen, and Georgina.2. Margaret Jane Dolan (1899 1991)
Margaret was born at Clara Vale on 4 April 1899. She went to Clara Vale school and was 13 when the family left for Australia. Her first job after leaving school was as a telephonist at the Central Queensland meat works where no doubt she would have to change her Tyneside accent quickly to be understood by the locals.From 1918-1920 Margaret trained as a nurse. She also attended business college and spent some time in an office. In 1923 the family moved to Newcastle in New South Wales and she was appointed to the NSW Education Department where she worked until 1929 when she married Paul Brennan who was the Principal of the business college she attended.
After joining the State Education Service in 1923, Margaret was retrenched (made redundant) because she was a woman and had a husband who earned more than five pounds a week. These were the depression years that bit hard in Australia.
Paul later became Accountancy Instructor with the International Correspondence School in Sydney. Paul and Margaret were divorced in 1937. They had no children.
After a few weeks of boredom, Margaret saw an advertisement for a Business College Manager. The owner came to see her to discuss her application. She was greatly surprised, as there were queues of people looking for jobs in those days. The owner wanted to take up an appointment in Fiji so Margaret took the job as Principal and owner of the National Business College. She had bought the complete college a true Dolan done deal.
Margaret was there till she retired in 1972 when she visited relatives in Clara Vale to revive old memories, and encourage young family members to come to Australia as a great country for the adventurous!
During her retirement she was active in many fields such as secretary and executive of the Wollstroncraft, Crows Nest branch of the Red Cross. She had been a member for 47 years. She helped her sister May with the Castle Leap Geriatric Hospital.
She handed in her driving license after 40 years at the wheel. The Department of Transport wrote I would like to take this opportunity of congratulating you on your excellent driving record and your contribution to road safety during the many years you have held a license in this state.
Margaret has always shown a special interest in the family and its history, and without her knowledge of the Australian branch of the Dolan history would not have been written. It was striking how she was so like Mary Elizabeth Dolan in looks and mannerisms and the high standards she demanded. The Dolan genes had certainly established themselves in Australia.
| May Harris, Margaret Brennan, Evelyn Cherry and Elizabeth Nicoll, Australia 1979 |
3. George Dolan (1901-1917)
George was born at Clara Vale where he went to school until the family left for Australia in 1912. He continued his schooling in Australia but died age 16.4. Ethel Dolan (1902-1947)
Ethel and her sister Ellen were twins born at Clara Vale in 1902. She went to School at Clara Vale and finished her education on Australia. She married Albert Roberts and they had two children William and Beryl.5. Ellen Dolan (1902-1961)
Ellen was born at Clara Vale where she started school to be completed in Australia after the family move. After leaving school she trained to be a stenographer and became secretary to the Chief Engineer at the Newcastle (NSW) steel works.She late went into broadcasting and did a morning session on 2KA Newcastle. Ellen married Henry Soper in 1923 and they had one son Henry (Hal). When her husband became the mayor of Stockton, Ellen was the youngest mayoress in NSW.
Ellen was a keen worker for the Anglican church and died in 1961 aged 59.
6. James Albert Dolan (1904?)
Born at Clara Vale but died in childhood. No information.7. Evelyn Dolan (1904-)
Evelyn was born at Clara Vale and did her early school there before completing it in Australia when the family moved to Queensland.She worked as a member of Margarets Business College staff in charge of copying. Margaret described Evelyn as a perfectionist. She was an accomplished water colour artist and had a shawl in the Royal Easter Show showcase of excellence.
Evelyn married Robert Cherry in 1926 and they had two sons John and William.
8. Elizabeth Dolan (1910-)
Elizabeth was born in Clara Vale on 16 September 1910 and was the youngest child in the family when they took off for Australia in 1912. After completing school she trained as a nurse and married William Nicoll. They had three children, Peter, Barbara and Ann.9. William Dolan (1915-1932)
William was the first family member to be born in Australia, three years after their arrival at Darra in Queensland. He went to the local school but died of osteomyelitis after a simple bump on his arm at age 17.10. May Dolan (1919-)
May was the youngest member of the family, born at Rockhampton in Queensland in 1919. After doing well at school she trained as a nurse and worked in local hospitals. May married Frank Reitano in 1949 and they had one daughter Jan. They were divorced in 1960.For many years May was the owner and matron of the Castle Leap Geriatric Nursing Home in Sydney. She was a founding member of the Australasian Association of Geriatric Nursing Care and was a Past President.
The children of Kate Dolan and George Richardson
Kate and George Stephenson had four children, Annie, Caroline, Catherine (Katy or Buster) and John.1. Annie
The first child was Annie born 20 January 1898. She lived only 14 months. |
| Memorial for Martha Annie Richardson |
2. Caroline (Carrie)
Caroline was the second born (8 August 1901) to Catherine and George Richardson. Carrie as she was known, went to Normal School in Victoria in 1920 to train as a teacher. While still a high school student herself she had been tutoring Japanese adults in the use of the English language. These lessons were given in her home. She taught grades one and two in the Cumberland Elementary school for 17 years.Carrie married Edward (Ted) Surtees, a local coal miner on 1 July 1939. She continued teaching in an ungraded school in nearby Happy Valley. At one time she taught kindergarten in her basement and continued to teach English to the adult Japanese workers at the nearby Royston saw mill.
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| Ted Surtees, John Surtees, Catherine Dolan and Carrie Surtees |
At Christmas time in 1948 Carrie and Ted adopted their only child, John Edward who was born 22 January 1942. In 1951 the family moved to Vernon, B.C. where Ted continued working in the insurance business. In 1953 the family moved on to Halfmoon Bay where Carrie returned to her teaching which she loved and Ted continued with his insurance business.
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| Carrie and Ted Surtees |
Carrie retired from teaching in 1968 at 67 years of age. She was an excellent teacher whom everyone loved and from whom anyone could learn! She was a charter member of the Order of Eastern Star in Cumberland and continued her membership in Sechelt. She served as President of the L.A. to the Sechelt Legion and was a member of the Senior Citizens Association there. Carrie and Ted lived in retirement in Halfmoon Bay until Carrie passed away after a short illness ( a stroke) on 7 December 1987 at age 86.
Carrie will always be remembered for her incredible sense of humour and her ability to entertain all ages with her jokes and stories.
3. Catherine (Katy or Buster)
Catherine was born on May 22 1905 at Clara Vale in UK. She moved with her family to Canada at age five and took all her education in Cumberland, B.C. She graduated from high school in 1923. At age 18 she went to Victoria to Jubilee Hospital to train as a nurse and it was here that she acquired the nickname buster as she broke so many things! |
| Buster Gray, 1987 |
After 30 months of training, she had worked so hard that she had to withdraw from the program under doctors orders. She returned home and did private nursing in Cumberland hospital and for individual patients in their homes.
Next she took private lessons in hair dressing from Madam Friers in Victoria. She returned to do hairdressing in the family home until she married at age 23 on June 9, 1928.
Catherine married William (Bill) Henry Gray, a Happy Valley logger/coal miner, and they lived in a little house around the corner from her family on Courtenay road. They built a house on Windermere Avenue, close her parents in 1935. They had two daughters Elizabeth (Betty) Joan born 19 August 1930, and Nola Lynne born 11 October 1938.
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| William Gray (left) and others (unknown) |
Buster was an active member of many community organisations. She was president of the Anglican Church Guild, local captain of the Girl Guides of Canada during WW 2. President of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No 28 Ladies Auxiliary, and also active in the Old Age Pensioners Association No 51. She was a regular bingo and cribbage player with these groups.
Buster was very handy with her sewing machine, altering garments for many friends. She was keen on needlework and knitting, supplying the Anglican Church with many articles for their bazaars. As her mother before her, Buster could always be counted on for help in any situation a true neighbour. She was fiercely proud of Cumberland, and particularly about civic affairs.
Buster had a very positive attitude and a keen sense of humour. She was very entertaining with her jokes and stories. She was well respected in the town. She provided much of Kate Dolans and the Richardson family history and remembered and was interested in all her relatives.
She particularly remembers meeting Margaret Brennan from Australia, and even though she was frightened of flying, she had to visit the north of England to meet with some of her relatives and visit her birthplace at Clara Vale.
Buster remained mentally alert and feisty until the day she died on 12 July 1995 after enjoying a wonderful 90th birthday party highlighted by a march past her house by a number of pipe bands.
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| William Gray in the Canadian Ski Troop |
4. John George Richardson
John was the only son of Katherine and George Richardson was born 13 October 1907, in Clara Vale, Durham, England. He immigrated to Canada with his parents and two older sisters, settling in South Wellington near Nanaimo British Columbia in the spring of 1910. In 1917 they moved up the Island to Cumberland.John started school in South Wellington in 1913 and continued on in Cumberland Elementary and High School until grade ten. He didn't much like school so he quit, much to the dismay of his parents. He found work in Johnny Cameron's garage for a while, then he worked in Minto for John Stalker as an electrician's assistant. Next, he worked in Bill Symons' Butcher Shop. In 1934 he worked on a farm in Tomkins, Saskatchewan. That year he won $250.00 in the purple heart lottery in Nanaimo so he bought a motorcycle and became notorious for his antics on this bike.
In 1936 he married Daphne Dakeyne Cannon, the local domestic science teacher in the high school. The next year he went logging with his brother-in-law Bill and Sandy Gray on Quadra Island, then in Sooke until in June 1938. The logging show went broke and as John had cashed his last pay cheque Saturday, only to learn two days later that the cheque bounced, he had to pay back the money. The situation produced a financial hardship in that by now, daughter Patricia Katharine and son David George Dakeyne had arrived on the scene.
Fortunately, John's parents helped them out financially. Never one to be idle, John did a variety of odd jobs over the next four years. He dug a garden for a neighbour, caught a swarm of bees, worked at the Royston logging boom camp, the Cumberland Electric as an electrician, and then became the waterworks manager for Cumberland. He was certainly not shy about taking any type of work.
On 11 September 1942 he joined the Royal Canadian Navy and was stationed at Esquimalt near Victoria, in the electrical department until VE Day in May 1945. He was transferred to North Vancouver and was about to be sent overseas to Japan when VJ Day was declared in August. He was discharged as a CPO on 26 September 1945.
He established his own oil burner business and ran it from 1945 to 1947. He then returned to work for Cumberland Electric, which later became BC Hydro, as a lineman, first aid attendant, and ground foreman before retiring in 1967. Like his father before him, John obtained his AAA Industrial First Aid Certificate and the St. John's First Aid medallion and many labels.
In the spring of 1947, John began building a 2100 square foot four bedroom house next to the little two bedrooms one they occupied from 1937 on 1 1/3 acres in Royston. He did most of the work himself and the family moved in in January, 1949. The house was not completely finished and John worked on it tirelessly until he got it just right.
John suffered a heart attack in July 1965 which slowed him down a bit, but he still had lots of things to do. He was a very clever man who would often invent or manufacture things when he couldn't find some part for some machine or appliance he was repairing. He was the favorite handyman for many of his friends and relatives.
After he retired, he enjoyed helping Matt Brown build a new house in Royston. Shortly thereafter, he and Cecil Harper established Dew Brite Products Ltd. which manufactured a varied line of liquid soap and window cleaning products - all biodegradable -an important fact in the early 1970's. "Gentle Dew" was a great product which this little Company of four delivered from Victoria to Port Alberni to Campbell River.
John designed and built virtually all the machinery used in mixing, blending and bottling the firm's products. He was able to re-cycle both bottles and cartons at some of his commercial accounts -ahead of his time as re-cycling goes. By 1975, he was basically on his own making the product, packaging it and, along with Daphne, delivering it. Eventually, it became too difficult a job for these retirees and the business was sold.
John had a great sense of humor and was a great entertainer at parties, often doing recitations of Tyneside stories of his birthplace in the Geordie accent. Many a party was held in the large living room of their Royston home where on the cork tiled floor they danced well into the next morning - often having two or more squares for square dancing. Twelve of these "Royston Roisterers" embarked by train across Canada in September to Expo '67 in Montreal. It was reported they had a wonderful time.
John and Daphne enjoyed many trips overseas. In the summer of 1955 they flew via New York to England for a five week holiday where they met many of John's relatives in Durham and Northumberland. They also visited Daphne's father's birthplace Darley Dale, Derbyshire. They returned from this trip on the Cunnard ship the SS Franconia. In 1960 they returned to England by air with Pat to revisit relatives and also took a three-week coach tour of continental Europe.
In 1972 they and Eileen Gibson spent six months from April to September in Europe. They were two months in London, three months in Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire, and the remainder in Scandinavia and Spain. In January 1965, John, Daphne and Pat went for a three months holiday in New Zealand and Australia where they met more of John's hospitable relatives, then on to Southeast Asia.
John was involved in a number of service organizations in the Comox Valley. He was a volunteer with the Cumberland fire department until 1936. Prior to joining the Navy, he served with the Air Raid Patrol for four years. He belonged to the Masonic Lodge 26 of Cumberland (Grand Master in the early 1950's), the Cyrus Chapter of the Royal Arch, Hiram Lodge, the Gizeh Temple of the Shrine and the Cumberland Legion No 28 all for many years.
He was chairman of the Royston Water Improvement District from 1956-1966 and was the long time chairman of the Courtenay Fire Protection District with a special interest in procuring fire hydrants. In 1949 he and Daphne became charter members of the Royston Community Club where he was very active on the renovations and building committee of the old Royston Machine Shop that become the Community Hall.
On 24 October 1975, John suffered a brain aneurysm and underwent lengthy surgery in Vancouver. He was transferred to Comox Hospital on New Year's Eve that year and after another month recovering in hospital, he finally arrived home. He recovered enough to go back to his hobby of making wooden bowls, working in his shop in the basement. In July, 1981 he took a fall at the Cumberland Extended Care Unit after only a couple of weeks there, and remained in a coma until he died peacefully 30 June 1982, in Comox Hospital.
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