Hartley Widow

[Gen List Lass]

The Hartley Disaster was before the NCOMPA records started (compensation)

However there are books, at Woodhorn, listing Orphans & Widows receiving benefits.

Your widow might appear on those.

Gen in NBL England

[Malcommon]

Hi Liz,
When I was a kid I lived in Holywell village and there was a family who lived Two doors along from us who were called Jaques, he was a Deputy Overman at the Fenwick Colliery at East Holywell which was actually 1 mile due south of Holywell village. His Name was George Jaques,

when I was about nine ( 1956 ) I fell on a broken bottle and badly gashed the inside of my left knee, it was a gaping wound a bit like a codfishes mouth and I was panicking and my mother and father were panicking but along came George Jaques and cleaned it and dressed it until a doctor could come a few hours later to stitch me up!, that was the first time in my life I was stitched up but I have to say I have been stitched up many times since then,

George was an ardent Sunderland fan and used to be depressed for days if they lost.

My uncle was walking home one Saturday evening and met George coming the other way and casually said  "Hello George, how did they get on today"?.

Only to get a very sharp " Mind your own bloody business" in response to his question.

Malcolm.
 

[fred111]

The fund for the Hartley widows and orphans reached a staggering £80,000, with even Queen Victoria donating. (I have no idea what that would be in today's money.)

The widows were given 7s a week, and the varying amounts depending on how many children she had - 10/6d for a widow with 1 child, 13/6 for a widow with 2, 15/6 for a widow with 3, 17/6 for a widow with 4, & 19/6 for a widow with 5. The children received their allowances until the girls were 15 & the boys 12. Widows were given £20 on remarriage.

I loved your reminiscence about George. I don't think he was from Winship's immediate family, he isn't on my tree, but he could be a more distant cousin. Malcolm.

Liz

[Radcliff]

Hartley records

Widow,
Elizabeth Jaques,
Long Row ,
3 children
birth dates
Isabella November 25th 1858
Ann July 13th 1859
Elizabeth,October 25th,it states 1861 as birth year
I tracked her payments up untill 1864,then I had to leave as an unexpected incident occured at home,
she is number 133 in the index,
I had intended to go through the New  Hartley Schools admission records
So if anyone is going to Woodhorn and has a spare minute or two ,
this is the reference ,
NRO/488/A/18

[fred111]

That's so good of you to take the time.
I find it fascinating when we have an insight into our ancestor's lives, it's not about gathering a list of names, it's about how they lived. (Everyone says to me - how far have you got back? - but there's so much more to it.)
I think the people like yourself who selflessly take time to look up records for complete strangers are wonderful.
Thank you
Liz

[fred111]

It would be interesting to find out when the payments stopped.
Elizabeth married Thomas Legg in 1865.
If the payments to the children continued, we might find out who took them in.
I have been through the records again, they don't show up on the 1871 Census. Whoever took them may have changed their name.
Liz

[Radcliff]

Family history to me isnt about how far we can go back ,or about claims to royalty
its social history and learning of our ancestors struggles,and how they over came such hard times,
every time I do a look up for someone,I learn,my knowledge of Northumberland was non existent untill a few years ago,but with thehelp of Rootschatters  I now know enough to get around,well I still get lost now and again,
So I come back,
and I will look up those school records the next time I am in Woodhorn,
I tend to sit on table 4 ,if you ever get there yourself,

[fred111]

I couldn't agree more. It's the social history that counts.
I can't get to Woodhorn. Unfortunately I'm now paraplegic, (not long out of hospital) and the trip I had planned to come north again and look up all the places where I now know my ancestors lived - has had to shelved indefinitely. I say to my daughter that we come from strong stock. But being in a wheelchair makes incedible restrictions to everything I do. I take my hat off to you and others who do look ups.
I'm so glad of the Bishops Transcripts. I've found out a lot from them. One day, let's hope all the records will be on line and widely available.
In the meantime, I'll have to leave Elizabeth & Winship's 3 daughters & just hope that one day someone will turn something up.
Liz

[Gen List Lass]

I checked Radcliffs reference today at Woodhorn, it was the school admissions book.

She claimed for 3 children until April 29th 1864 when she was getting £1   11s weekly – that is when the records finish until 1868, there is a gap in the records.

I looked at quite a few records but to cut to the chase, 2 of her daughters died, I don't know which. This seemed to be in the period between 1864-8 but it was not clear as records had been updated but the update not dated, if you see what I mean.

Here is what I found anyway


NRO488/A/5
Names and payments from 1868-72      No Jacques whatsoever mentioned.

NRO488/A/6
List of sufferers 1862-1903      Nothing about any JACQUES/Jacks

Statement of the sufferers by the Hartley Colliery Accident 1861 (list of widows and children)
Jacques Eliz is crossed out with no further info

Statement of the sufferers by the Hartley Colliery Accident 1862
JACQUES Elizth.      Widow   3 children   decrease of 2 children   1 children remaining      widow married children dead (the latter notes might have been made later???)

NRO/488/A/18   Admissions & withdrawals at New Hartley School
(1862-1869) opened May 1862 & passed to the colliery owners in Jan 1870

Isabella Jacques   index no: 97      1862   June 2nd   age 5      of Long Row   parents occupation: orphan   no entry under withdrawal   child unable to sign at admission

Annie Jacks (!)   index no: 267  (no: 266 was Ralph Legge)   admitted 1865  May 8th   of Long Row   orphan   no further information
Elisabeth Jacks   index no: 268   admitted 1865  May 8th   of Long Row   orphan   no further information


NRO488/A02
Index to names of sufferers 1862 updated to 1872
Elizabeth Jacques   widow
Isabella   “   daughter   age 3 at accident   birthday Nov 25th 1858
Ann      “      “   age 2   “   “   “      Jul 13th 1859
Elizabeth   “   “      age 1   “   “   “   Oct 25th 1861

All names crossed out with no reasons given

There are other documents which could pin down the exact death of the daughters but they run over quite a few folders in different reference numbers.
The deaths could be ascertained from FreeBMD and then from burial registers.

It was quite depressing seeing how many children on the school register had "Fathers Occupation: orphan" beside their names, I presume they meant the father was dead not the mother also, as many widows claimed relief..... but this school had been set up for the relief of the disasters children.

Gen in NBL England