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GRANDFATHER JOSEPH HENRY TROTTER
JHT is our common grandfather ancestor. He was born 17 September 1895, the youngest of eleven children born to Robert Trotter and Elizabeth (nee Winward). He was born in John St, Newfield (Pelton Fell), Co Durham. Joseph went to Pelton First School, enjoyed football and writing poetry. He left school at 14 years of age and was employed by the Pelton Colliery Company as a putter and driver from 20 September 1909 to 14 May 1915.
He served with the army in the Great War, 15 May 1915 – 9 February 1919 as a driver with the Royal Field Artillery, Divisional Ammunition Column. He was in France for most of this time and was gassed at the Battle of the Somme, after which he was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal. He was discharged due to demobilisation. His character certificate describes him as honest, sober, hard working and a good man with horses.
On returning home to Pelton he was re-employed as a putter and surface worker but suffered from ill health and had poor attendance. His mother asked if the colliery company could give him a more suitable position considering his health and legend has it that he obtained a ‘cushy’ job because of this. He also appealed to the Ministry of Pensions for assistance and in 1920 was awarded a pension of 40 shillings per week in respect of bronchitis (previously diagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis) attributed by the medical authorities to his service during the war. His pension was reduced in 1924 to 7s-6d for a final period of 52 weeks, followed by an annual gratuity of £10.
JHT married Ethel May Best, 13 September 1919 at St Cuthbert’s Catholic Church, Chester le Street. They had three children, Joseph Henry, Iris May, born 9/4/1924 and Maureen Mavis.
The great depression and general strike followed and in 1928 Joseph uprooted his young family to find work at the new South Yorkshire coalfields. The children and all the family’s belongings were piled onto a horse drawn cart and driven south down the old A1.
JHT settled his family in Rossington, near Doncaster. He worked underground at the colliery where he suffered a near fatal accident and was laid off sick for some time. In 1940 he applied for the post of caretaker at Rossington Welfare Hall and grounds. He received a good character reference from the Mines Superintendent in which it said Joseph became very efficient working on ‘park and gardens’ while employed at Pelton Fell. It remains unsure as to whether Joseph was successful in his job application but in 1944 he commenced duties with Rossington Parish Council as Curator at the new cemetery. His duties included preparing and looking after the cemetery gardens, grave digging, assisting post mortems and making entries in the burial register and other paperwork. His starting gross wage was £3 – 10s per week and free tenancy at the cemetery lodge during his employment.
Legend has it that Granddad JHT would have preferred to stay in Rossington after retirement but in 1960 returned with Nanna Ethel to Pelton, renting a property at 25 Orchard St where he died in 1961. And so their journey had come full circle. Granddad’s return to Pelton was short lived and at his graveside, Nanna threw dust onto his coffin and said ‘Ta-ra Mate!’ That’s what they were…mates in a long journey that took them through two world wars, emancipation for women, hard work, poverty, joy and pain.
ROBERT TROTTER III born 1845
Great Grandfather Robert Trotter was born in Elswick, Northumberland on All Souls Day, 2 November 1845. He was the son of Robert Trotter II and Mary, nee Dixon. His family moved to Kibblesworth before the 1851 census and when he was 8 years old began work at Marley Hill Colliery, Co Durham. His father died around the same time and Robert 3 became the family breadwinner. The family is documented as dependent on charity from Lord Ravensworth and Sir Robert Greenwell. Robert’s family seem to be unsettled at this time but eventually made their permanent home in Pelton Fell. He is recorded in the 1871 census for Pelton Fell as head of household living with his two younger sisters, Margaret and Mary and brother John. His mother Mary and brother Lancelot disappear from the picture during the 1860s and it is probable that they died during this time, though record of their deaths and burials have not as yet been found.
The Pelton area offered a healthier life-style with better housing and modern pits. In 1873, the Newcastle Chronicle ran a series of articles on Co Durham villages. The village of Pelton Fell was described as…
a jumble of houses, pits, and outbuildings in apple pie order, with surrounding countryside so fresh as to be a bonus to the village and a pleasant place to live.
Relationships between employer and miners were favourable and they were affectionately termed, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. One local coal owner, Lord Dunsany, provided domestic gas supply at nine pence per fortnight in winter and six pence per fortnight in summer. Previously, the colliery and miners came to an agreement to establish a school district in Pelton Fell for only a few pence per week from each miner. This school district was in operation from 1862, several years before state education was introduced.
Robert III never received formal education and was illiterate, making his mark (X) on his church marriage entry. It had been his responsibility to provide for his mother and siblings and there would have been no time for school. However, some of his siblings are recorded as scholars in the 1861 census when they lived in Kibblesworth, Lamesley. Although it would seem his mother encouraged her children to study, Robert missed out, in order to provide for his family.
On 6 June 1871, Robert III married Elizabeth Winward at Pelton, Holy Trinity Church. Interestingly, Robert III gave his age as 23 instead of 25 and Elizabeth who was 18, gave her age as 21. Elizabeth was Roman Catholic of part Irish descent, born in Bangalore, India in December 1852. Elizabeth was the daughter of the publican at the Newfield Inn and legend has it that Robert III pulled the first pint there.
Surprisingly, Robert III visited America twice, in 1871 and 1881, though it is not known why. During this time, his in-laws looked after his wife and young children. Robert’s life was quite eventful, besides fathering eleven children in the space of twenty-three years he was responsible for saving the life of a young lad named Henry Porter who was in danger of drowning in a pit flood. As a reward for his bravery, men employed at West Pelton Pit presented him with a marble clock.
Robert III witnessed great improvements in the mines and no doubt shared the hope and excitement of the formation of the Durham Miners’ Association. He experienced the introduction of bank holidays, train excursions and the joy of the Miners’ Galas.
In his later years Robert became fond of ‘a bet’ and found that soap leaves, a favourite cosmetic of his daughter Teresa were ideal for writing bets on. The highly perfumed betting slips became the talk of Pelton Fell and Teresa found out what had become of her missing soap leaves – much to her indignation.
Robert had a dry sense of humour and was a lover of story telling and his remarkable life which took him from trapper boy to Deputy Overman, his large family, his adventures overseas and his witness of the great changes in the mines during his lifetime must have given him many stories to tell.
Robert III worked in the pits for 67years before retiring on a pension granted to him by the Pelton Colliery Co. He died on Friday 13th February, 1925 aged 79 years and was buried with his late wife Elizabeth in Pelton churchyard.
Epitaph: When the day of toil is done, when the race of life is won. Father, grant thy wearied one, rest forever more.
Children of Robert Trotter III
George William Trotter, born 17 April 1872, Black House Inn, Urpeth Lane Ends.
John Winward Trotter, born 20 Sep 1873, Newfield Inn
Mary Ellen Trotter, born 6 August 1875, Newfield Inn
Eliza Trotter, born 4 Sep 1878, North Row, Newfield, married Andrew McGorrigan
Lancelot Trotter, born 10 Nov 1880, North Row, Newfield, died Oct 1967
Robert Trotter, born 30 Dec 1883, Louisa Tce, Chester-le-Street, died from war wounds in France 21 Jan 1918
Florence E Trotter, born 18 Nov 1885, Howlett, Pelton Fell, married George Shepherd
Ethelreda Trotter, born 24 May 1888, William St, Newfield
James Trotter, born 3 Dec 1890, William St, Newfield
Theresa Trotter, born 19 Jan 1893, William St, Newfield, married William Burnip
Joseph Trotter, born 17 Sep 1895, John St, Newfield, married Ethel May Best, died 1961
1901 CENSUS 23 JOHN STREET PELTON FELL RG13/4699
NAME
Robert Trotter
Elizabeth Trotter
Lancelot Trotter
Robert Trotter
Eliza Trotter
Florence Trotter
Teresa Trotter
Joseph Trotter
1871 CENSUS
NAME
Robert Trotter
John Trotter
Margaret Trotter
Mary H
ROBERT TROTTER II
Robert II was born 6 June 1819 at Low Elswick and his baptism record is listed in the parish registers of St John, Westgate, Newcastle. He was the son of Robert Trotter I and Ann, nee Dickinson.
Robert II would have witnessed the first attempts by miners’ unions to improve working conditions and the defeat met by those unions time and time again. He was a bonded employee, long after Wilberforce had successfully brought an end to the slave trade.
He married Mary Dixon 5 Feb 1842 and surprisingly, was able to sign his name in the parish register of St John. It is a childlike scrawl compared to Mary’s signature, which is neat and legible. Mary was a minor and Robert was of full age at the time of their wedding. Mary’s background is not known, other than she was born in Scotland and her father was a Carrier but from research it becomes obvious that she was educated to some degree and encouraged her children in education too. It’s remarkable that a woman of her class and of that time could write so well. Was it a Methodist influence?
Elswick had become overcrowded with industry and lost its rural setting. Robert II took his young family to Kibblesworth but far from settling there, a decent living was difficult to find and hardship beset the family. Robert II died around 1854 and his burial is recorded in Whickham parish records. He is described as a pitman from Marley Hill.
This tragic death left his wife widowed with four young children and another on the way. She would not have been turned out of her colliery home because she had two sons of working age, Robert III and John… even at the tender ages of 8 and 6. Surely this must have been cruel consolation. They were now classed as the ‘deserving poor’ with one foot outside of the workhouse. As deserving poor they would have received money from the poor law union or parish relief. They also received items from the Greenwell and Ravensworth charities. Widow Mary Trotter’s name appears on various lists as recipient of such items as sheets, garments and soup. These lists are part of the Lamesley parish records held at Durham Record Office.
The family stayed together and are found on census returns for 1851 and 1861. Was it the impoverished life that caused Mary and her son Lancelot to die too soon? Mary has always struck me as a champion amongst women; facing terrible ordeals she managed to keep her family together and encouraged their education. Lancelot, age 10 is noted as a scholar in 1861, when one would have expected him to be working. This is remarkable for such an impoverished family. There is such a story here that it begs to be told but we will probably never know the details.
1851 Census
NAME
Robert Trotter
Mary Trotter
Robert Trotter
John Trotter
Lancelot Trotter
1861 Census
NAME
Mary Trotter
Robert Trotter
John Trotter
Lancelot Trotter
Margaret Trotter
Mary H Trotter
None of the children of Robert II and Mary have been found in Church of England or non-conformist baptism registers. Not all Methodist registers have survived.
ROBERT TROTTER I
Robert I having died before 1841 does not appear on any census returns. Accurately tracing his baptism (the official record of birth prior to 1837) has been difficult. The International Genealogical Index is the most comprehensive listing of baptisms prior to the mid nineteenth century but caution is needed to correctly identify ancestors. Trotter is a common surname and while helpful genealogical research tools can be used there remains that itching doubt that questions the validity of claiming previous generations as our own. So with tentative steps into the eighteenth century I found two choices.
First of all I will explain some of the problems in searching old records. Baptisms are not necessarily an indication of time or year of birth. Late baptisms were not uncommon. Some families had several children baptised at the same time with no record of their individual ages being made. The death of a sibling often meant that a later sibling was given the same name. Considering all this, is it surprising that arithmetic does not add up every time? The Latin word ‘circa’ is a good cover up when an exact date or year isn’t known. It means ‘about’. Other old records such as burial registers are only as accurate as the person offering information. I am convinced that many of the working class and paupers had no real idea of their age and it is unrealistic to expect that their husbands, wives or children knew either. The 1841 census recorded ages of those over the age of 15 to the nearest five, e.g. someone aged 23 would have been recorded as age 25 and someone aged 22 would be recorded as 20 years of age.
Robert II was born in Elswick. We know this from the 1851 census. St John was the parish church for Elswick. A search through the baptism registers finds Robert II baptised 6 June 1819, son of Robert I and Ann. Other children of Robert I and Ann include Thomas and Lancelot baptised 16 January 1815, Elizabeth, baptised 14 Sep 1817, Jane baptised 4 April 1822 and John baptised July 1824.
The 1841 census for Low Elswick records Robert II and John as sons of Hannah who was a widow and head of the household. Two other children are recorded. They are Hannah aged 8 and Rebecca aged 10. Another sibling, Lancelot age 25 was by this time married and lived a couple of doors away with his wife Mary.
As is always the case, answers in genealogy generate more questions. Who is Hannah and where is Robert? Is this the right family? Further research found the burial record of Ann Trotter in St John Parish registers, the subsequent marriage of Robert to Hannah McPherson in Jesmond and baptisms of Ann, 9 May 1830, Rebecca, 27 Sep 1931 and Hannah at Newcastle, St John. The burials of Robert I his son Thomas and daughter Jane are in the Westgate Cemetery burial registers. The jigsaw pieces fit. This is the right family.
At this time, Elswick was being swallowed up by industry and overcrowding in Newcastle spilled out into the suburbs. With no proper sanitation, working class areas turned into fever districts. A drought in 1831 resulted in drinking water to be pumped directly out of the river Tyne resulting in a cholera epidemic. Robert I died of cholera in 1832 and his daughter Jane died of worm fever. All the remaining family, except Lancelot escaped the filth and savage conditions of Elswick by taking employment at Kibblesworth.
Newcastle, St John church registers record the marriage of Robert I and his wife Ann Dickinson, 4 April 1813 but no ages are given other than of ‘full age’, which means 21 or over. A simple subtraction suggests Robert I was born circa 1790. It was the custom to name the eldest son after its paternal grandfather but Robert I appears to have twin sons, Thomas and Lancelot. Can we be sure Thomas was the eldest? Would Robert I ‘s father be Thomas or Lancelot? It was also common to carry traditional family names from one generation to the next, so we can expect to find siblings with the same names in each generation.
A search for Robert Trotter I in the IGI, baptised around 1790 and within a 15 mile radius of Newcastle produced two results.
Robert, son of Thomas Trotter and Jane Murray/Morrow born 23 February 1786 at Earsdon, Northumberland.
Robert, son of Lancelot Trotter and Rebecca Hall, born 5 Dec 1790 at Tanfield, Co Durham.
The Northumberland result also finds siblings with several common names:
Ann, Thomas, Michael, Joseph, Jane, Elizabeth and Margaret, whereas the Durham result has no siblings recorded in the IGI.
The names Lancelot and John are flies in the ointment. They have featured in three generations of our Trotter ancestors. There are no Lancelot Trotters in the IGI for Northumberland, yet they are numerous in Co. Durham. The name John Trotter is found in great numbers in both counties during the eighteenth century but I have found no link of either name to our nineteenth century ancestry,
Conclusion
It would be so easy to claim the Earsdon Trotters as our own but where did the name Lancelot come from? In desperation I checked the IGI again and found an entry for Hannah, daughter of Lancelot Dickinson and Jane, baptised 1778 at Lamplugh, Cumberland, an iron-mining district. There are many Lancelot Dickinsons listed in the IGI. Was our first Lancelot Trotter named after his maternal grandfather? Was his mother Ann really Hannah, daughter of Lancelot? I feel at this point I am clutching at straws and while the Earsdon Trotters look the most promising line to take, I still need to find that missing link. Hopefully the Trotter story so far, will prompt others to expand their own unique story and maybe delve deeper into the eighteenth century. If so, I wish them good luck!
© Carolyn Durkin 2009
RESEARCH SOURCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
International Genealogical Index
Census Returns
Parish registers of St John, Newcastle
Registers of Jesmond Parish Church
Registers of Pelton Parish Church
Westgate Cemetery Registers, Tyne & Wear Archives Service
Lamesley parish records, Durham Record Office and TWAS in microform
Newcastle Newspapers, Newcastle Central Library
The Pit Children by Eric Forster
Pitmen, Preachers and Politics by Robert Moore
Joseph Henry Trotter jnr
Family Archives
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