margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell

[Michael Dixon]

 Gail,

 Although in an earlier era he would have worked below ground, but he met his death on the surface, in the pit yard or pithead. His father in 1901 also worked on the surface - a Banksman ( on "Bank" meant the surface)

 Michael Dixon

[gailio]

very interesting - had to google banksman earlier to find out what it meant! henry's father orginally came from essex his father had been an agricultural labourer, so i wonder how he came to be so many miles from there in Ashington. his father in law was also a coalminer by the name of Robertson who lived in and around tweedmouth, so that was 3 generations of coaminers! As my partner said  i am a coalminers great great grandaughter! Will have to research what the conditions were like. The maps of Ashington are fantastic i would not like to have lived in row 10 or 11

[CaroleW]

Just for info and to save any duplication of efforts - I have exchanged pm's with Gail and given her 1871 info on Joseph Algar and 1861/1871 on Catherine Robertson

[winston]

Hi

Just to say there is a WW1 Pension record for your man E H Mcconnell.  If you dont have access to A******y then I could send them on to you if you send me a Personal Message and within it include your email addy

Wendy

[Michael Dixon]

 Adding to what Wendy found on his WW1 record, his WW1 Medal Record card is registered under the name of Howard Edmund McConnell.

From Wendy's pension papers, I notice he reached the rank of WO11
( Warrant Officer class 2) a Sergeant Major.

MD

[gailio]

Thanks Wendy and Michael - all these new facts to take in, Keeping my brain active if anything!
Gail

[Michael Dixon]

 Gail,

Also consider the fact that although all those deep dark holes in the ground were dangerous, they provided employment, attracting folk from all over
( Irish famines, harvest failures in East Anglia etc...) Browsing censuses in Northumberland and County Durham will show all the in-comers.

Trivia Angle on Ashington
A silly doggerel of yesteryear went something like this...

 "We're going to Ashington tomorrow"      Response  " Hurrah"
" But there are no buses"                                "               " Boo"
"so we'll go by train"         H
" But there is only one pub in Ashington"    B
" But there are 29 drinking clubs"                H
" But there are no barmen                            B
" Only buxom barmaids"                                H
"But they don't serve beer in pints"                          B
" They serve it in buckets  "                               H

and so on.

The "one pub" story or fact was supposedly connected to the local "Lord of the Manor" , the Duke of Portland, refusing to grant alcohol licenses, to protect his own ventures ( The first page on Ashington in the Northumberland Communities site alludes to this)

MD

[gailio]

Great information Wendy  - Thanks again- have read through everything cropped and enlarged!! the only thing i want to query, if anyone can help, is that my ggrandfather was hospitalised in ?? woodhall spa - does anyone have any info on it and is it in lincolnshire?
gail

[KennyJ]

Gail,

I came across your enquiry by accident today and thought you might like a little more information on how your Algar ancestors came to be in Ashington. One of your other contacts mentioned that poor harvests caused Essex agricultural labourers to migrate to other places where they could get work. That is certainly the case. Migration of this sort had been going on in Essex from the 1830's. Changes in the Poor Law encouraged parishes and others to promote the migration of surplus labourers rather than bear the cost of providing for them in the workhouses. By the 1870's migration was a popular movement. The newly formed National Agricultural Labourers Union and non-conformist preachers, both increasingly influential in Essex, supported it. A 'lock-out' in 1874, when farmers refused to employ labourers demanding a pay increase, caused distress and discontent to spread and led to a surge of outward migration from the mid 1870's onwards. I think your ancestor was caught up in this movement, as was one of mine.

Your Algar ancestor family lived in Hatfield Peverel, as did one of mine - the Everett's (or Everet). The Everett's moved to Bothal Demesne (Ashington) sometime between late 1874 and early 1875. The 1881 Census for Bothal shows several families, including Algar and Everett, that had migrated from Essex.

The research I've done so far suggests that a small group of four or five families moved together from Hatfield to Bothal. My guess is that they travelled as a group on a coal boat that was returning to the north-east after unloading at Heybridge Basin near Maldon. Coal companies had agents who would tour the East Anglian villages recruiting workers. Living conditions in East Anglia were dire and the offer of plentiful work and a house to go with the job, plus free passage to the coalfield must have been pretty persuasive at the time.

The Foxearth & District Local History Society (www.foxearth.org.uk) has published a couple good of articles that cover this subject. They are 'The Song of the Emigrant Ship' and 'The Charismatic Charles Jay' and they can be read or downloaded from the website.

Hope this helps.

kennyJ