Full Circle: A Family History by Sheila Carter. (click on the small thumbs below to view)
My first recollection of visiting Wardley was as a young girl of around twelve or thirteen. I came with my grandmother, Elizabeth Jane Davis, to visit her sister Eliza Simpson, wife of Harry Simpson, at their home in Waggonway Street. I loved to listen to them talking about their childhood, but what I didn't particularly look forward to was the "Cow Heel" which we had for supper, to this day I couldn't eat anything like that. After the death of my grandmother in 1955 I never visited them at Waggonway Street again.
I was born and brought up in Felling in Ell Dene Crescent where I lived with my parents Vera and Eddie Davis and my grandparents George and Elizabeth Davis. In 1963, I came to live in Wardley with my husband Ron and children Stephen and Valerie in 6 Joyce Villas which were then prefabs and is now the site of Joyce Close which is sheltered accommodation and bungalows. We have remained in Wardley ever since, moving from the prefab in 1967 to our present home in Keir Hardie Avenue. My son still lives in Wardley although my daughter married and moved to Jarrow.
In 1980 my parents who were still living in Ell Dene Crescent came to live in a bungalow in Moat Gardens. My father talked about having moved back to his "Roots". I didn't realise the significance of this until just recently when I started researching my family history.
I then discovered that my grandfather, George Edmund Davis (my father's father) was actually born in 12 Second Street, Wardley, on 2nd May 1883, he was the son of Thomas and Agnes Davis. He had an elder brother, William Davis, who was later to become the Wardley Chapel organist. William was born at Easington in 1879. A sister, Agnes Ada May, was born in 12 Second Street in June 1898.
I then traced my great grandparents, Thomas and Agnes Davis, the parents of William, George Edmund and their sister May. I discovered that Thomas Davis originated from Crindal in Dorset. Thomas was born on February 28th 1853. He was the son of George Davis and Dorcas Brewer. George was a farmer, as was his father who was also named Thomas. Thomas Davis came to the North East and settled for a time in Seaham Colliery where he became a miner. He met and married his wife Agnes Watson. They were married in Easington Register office on the 20th July 1878. Thomas was aged 25, his wife 22. After the birth of their first son William they came to live in Wardley Colliery where Thomas continued his work as a miner. On the 1881 census I found Thomas and Agnes with their son William living in 4 Double Row West, Wardley and Thomas was working as a colliery horsekeeper. On the 1891 census Thomas, Agnes and their two sons, William and George Edmund (my grandfather) were living in 37 Second Street, Wardley, also living with them was a boarder named Robert Clark from Auckland who was also a miner. On the 1901 census, the family was living in 15 Third Street, where now both the sons were working as Stonemen in the colliery alongside their father. I also discovered on the 1881 census that Thomas's in-laws, William Watson and his wife Agnes, had also moved from Seaham Harbour to Wardley Colliery. They were found to be living in 14 Reservoir Street with their two sons and two daughters. William aged 23 and his brother Joseph aged 19 were both coal miners. The two daughters, Mary aged 21 was a dressmaker and her sister Jane aged 17 was a domestic servant. Also living with them was a boarder named Laurence Welsh who was a coal miner from Sunderland. I could imagine the house must have been rather cramped.
In 1891, the family, or what was left of it, was living in 22 Second Street. The only people there were William aged 61 who was still a coal miner and his wife Agnes aged 60. The sons appear to have moved on. The daughter Jane, who was now aged 27, was described as a widow. Her married name then was Sharp. There was also a boarder living with them by the name of John Stephenson who was also a miner but originated from Nottinghamshire.
It would appear that indeed my father had been correct about coming back to his roots. It would seem that I had one set of great grandparents, one set of great great grandparents, along with numerous great Aunts and Uncles, living in Wardley in those far off days of the 1880's onwards. My grandfather, George Edmund Davis, moved out of Wardley when he married Elizabeth Jane Short in 1906, who at that time resided at Bill Quay. Grandfather's brother William, never seemed to have moved away from Wardley, he also married someone named Elizabeth. To my knowledge, they never had any family. He later went on to become the organist for the Chapel and I believe the choirmaster, a duty which he fulfilled for some forty years. They both died in Wardley Colliery and are buried at Heworth cemetery as are my grandparents George and Elizabeth, and also Thomas and Agnes (their parents and my great grandparents). On the grave of William is a flower urn with the inscription "To our beloved organist". All my family seemed to have been Chapel orientated. I have in my possession a bible given to my grandmother on the occasion of her marriage, thanking her for work done in the Chapel at Bill Quay.
Thomas and Agnes moved from Wardley to Felling where they both died. They were living in Major Terrace at the time of their deaths. Agnes died first on Oct 27th 1936 aged 79 years. Thomas died March 25th 1940 aged 87. The daughter Mary (my great Aunt) lived with them but never married. After the deaths of her parents she emigrated to Australia in 1948 and died sometime in the 1960's.
When I first came to Wardley to live I felt something of a stranger. However, after having researched my family I felt as though I too had come back to my roots thus bringing it full circle.