Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'

Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'
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How do a couples meet and then marry This is a bit long winded

Posted by Allan C. on 8/9/2025, 9:35 pm

First Ann & I.

I went with George Hinds to a Xmas dance at High Lane Row Methodist Church in 1959.

Met and danced with Ann and then walked her home.

I cannot for the life of me think why did I not ask her out then.

It maybe because I lived at the far end of Hebburn ( Crawley Ave.) and she in Byron Ave. Not exactly the girl next door.

To be honest I was a very shy lad ( I think) so maybe that’s part of it. At the time I was up to my eyes with college in Newcastle both day release and one evening lecture,

However I passed my driving test in January 1960 and a few months later Dad bought me my first car.

After I got the car Ann came to Palmers for an interview and then started in the Dockyard offices.

So I gave her a lift home and our courting started around then and we married in 1965.

My parents. This is guesswork but probably near the mark.

Both Mum. And Dad worked in Reyrolle’s. Dad was a wireman building electrical panels and other switchgear. Mum was a typist or secretary.

Both loved dancing and maybe met at Reyrolle’s Doo.
However I think it could be because of Reyrolle’s tennis club of which I have a group photo but Dad not on it, I assume that he could have been away playing football for local teams or for Bolton Wanderers as an amateur professional.

They married in June 1939.

My Campbell Grandparents. Granddad Allan was a plate marker in Leslie’s and was in the Royal Engineers 1904 to 1908. He lived in Hood street then Ellison St. Hebburn Quay.

One of the reasons for joining the Royal Engineers was that he then got what he called a paid holiday! No doubt used the Drill Hall on Ellison St.

Grandmother Annie Morris lived in St. Rollox St. and worked in the Dry Saltery of the Co- Op in Pelaw.

My Dad’s sisters husband Alan talked a lot with Grandfather as they lived about 150 yards away from My G/Pts.

Alan wrote a lot of grandad’s stories and gave them to me.

It appears that Grandad was with the Sappers at Branspeth Castle and met up with Annie who was on a works trip to Branspeth.
G/D a 6’6” man and Annie close to 6’ about and ginger headed.

They courted for 5 years 1907 to 1911 when they married. G/F ‘s workmates presented him with a brass VC saying Long Service!

My Campbell Great Grandparents Allan Campbell and Margaret Fletcher. Allan had a difficult upbringing, his father m a boilermaker died when he was about 8 years old in 1865. That being in Govan.

His mother Mary then remarried and the second husband didn’t live long and she married again. She had moved from Govan to Glasgow and finally to Paisley.

The family of 2 boys and 2 girls. Split up, the boys stayed together and worked in the same shipyard in Paisley as Platers or boilermakers. The girls , never found where they went after the 1871 Census.

Margaret Fletcher, born in Kilsyth and moved around a lot as her father was a pit shanker. He seemed to work sinking pit shafts across the area to the North of Glasgow and ended up in Airdrie.

How did Allan and Margaret meet?

My best guess is as follows. Allan was the best man to one of his workmates in the shipyards in Paisley. He signed the marriage Certificate of a Robert Christie to Agnes Fletcher in 1881. Agnes had a younger sister Margaret.

Maybe Allan and Margaret had met before the wedding , which would be more than likely when Robert and Agnes were courting.

Allan and Margaret married on the 31st. December 1884 in Paisley Town Hall.

They were in Hebburn by 1886 when my Grandfather was born.

I think that they followed Robert and Agnes down to Hebburn as they had moved down and had children in Hebburn before 1886.

As regards my mothers side I have not as yet tried to see what I could discover.

Sorry to be a bit long winded but it’s good to write it down. I had the information about Allan and Margaret for some years but just never put it together till about 4 weeks ago.

.Allan C.

Re: How do a couples meet and then marry This is a bit long winded

Posted by Malcolm on 8/9/2025, 10:22 pm, in reply to "How do a couples meet and then marry This is a bit long winded"

Allan C, you've clearly a passion for your Tree.

Interesting that you have a curiosity for the personal detail of your family. Love it!

Often, Family Trees, when recounted, can be a long list of names/dates/event etc...rather dry...

Was always MY intent, on researching my tree, to dig into the individual, and circumstances of individuals, which you have clearly done.

And you've shown what can be done, with clearly a LOT of time, and research.

Thanks for sharing.

Re: How do a couples meet and then marry This is a bit long winded

Posted by Mac Hardy on 9/9/2025, 11:07 am, in reply to "Re: How do a couples meet and then marry This is a bit long winded"

Met my wife Pat when I was working as a ‘Pop’ boy with the Platers in Hawthorne Leslies, she worked in the time office and passed our work bench every day, when I turned 16 started to serve my apprenticeship and she used to sort out the time cards, my mates quickly started to sing”Lipstick on your time cards” we married in 1962 following my time in the Merchant Navy, have 4 wonderful children and 8 great grandchildren, sadly she passed away on Friday, 13th December last year, miss her so very much, a wonderful wife and mother!

For Mac Hardy

Posted by Norman on 9/9/2025, 11:55 am, in reply to "Re: How do a couples meet and then marry This is a bit long winded"

Hi Malcolm,
What a nightmare losing your wonderful wife Pat just before Xmas 2024.Life is so cruel.
If you are ever lonely you know you are always welcome to call round for a coffee and a chat.

Re: For Mac Hardy

Posted by Mac Hardy on 10/9/2025, 11:51 am, in reply to "For Mac Hardy"

Thank you so much for the thoughts and kind offer, had to have my pet dog put to sleep 2 weeks before I lost my wife. Fortunately I have a wonderful family and have managed to get another dog who is great company and gets me out of the house for walks. Still hard but getting easier.

Re: For Mac Hardy

Posted by Norman on 10/9/2025, 1:02 pm, in reply to "Re: For Mac Hardy"

It's good to hear your lovely family are around and are there to look after you when needed Malcolm.
Take care.

For Mac Hardy

Posted by Allan C. on 9/9/2025, 3:05 pm, in reply to "Re: How do a couples meet and then marry This is a bit long winded"

Sorry for the loss of your wife. A hard thing to bare but we must keep on going for your children and friends as well as yourself.

No one can advise you what to do but to keep occupied is possibly the thing to do.

My condolences Allan C.

Re: For Mac Hardy

Posted by Mac Hardy on 11/9/2025, 7:48 pm, in reply to "For Mac Hardy"

Thanks to all for their kind remarks, fortunately I have a caring family and just recently managed to get another dog who is great company for me and gets me out of the house on frequent walks, still finding it emotionally difficult but hopefully time will help.

For Malcolm

Posted by Allan C. on 9/9/2025, 11:27 am, in reply to "Re: How do a couples meet and then marry This is a bit long winded"

It probably started by being taken up to Iveraray at least twice between 1955 and 1960. Dad got his first car in 1954/55.

He always said that we were Campbell’s of Argyle.

In 1980 Dad gave my Grandfather Campbell’s Wooden Box which contained loads of Photos going back to the 1880’s or earlier.

In 1980 we moved into our new house, a 4 bedroom one so I took over the smallest as my office and got dial up internet.

That’s when I really got started on Family History research.

As Ann’s parents came from Scotland we would visit those of the family still about.

Holidays usually Scotland and visited the Scotland Record office off Princes St.multiple times and local library wherever we were.

Glasgow Main library about 4x.

I shudder to think of the amount of money spent so that I could do research.

However when these Family History website started the floodgates opened. I use Ancestry, Scotlandpeople, Familysearch plus others if they are free Findmypast is very expensive to use.

All my research into my family pales into insignificance compared to Ann’s. It’s sort of mind boggling to a researcher.

Ann’s G G G/M worked in the Tower of London in 1841, a servant to 3 independent ladies. Household 15. In household 14 lived the Keeper of the Keys to HM. Jewel house.

She married a few months later a Private in the Scots Guards who on that Census was at St. James’s Palace.

Their 2 sons went into the 63rd and one went to Nova Scotia the other to Glasgow, Co. Cork where Ann’s Grandmother was born and the family then went to India with the 2 UZ Born and 4 others followed all born on Bengal area . Those all died over there as did their father.

What was left of the family ended up in Perth, Scotland

There is a lot more to it both before 1841 and after they got to Scotland. Ann’s grandmother I call the name change Queen.

She changed her name quite a lot and even more so when enumerators made the Census documents. She had about 14 variations of name over Census, marriage, birth and death certificates. Then she got lost. She remarried in 1941 under two other names not her own but I knew them.

At this point in time I am still trying to find where the devil she was at the time of the 1921 Census.

Two others, sisters of my Great Grandfather missing after the 1871 Census. Must have spend will over a 100 hours trying to find them.

I just love the Hunt of research but very few people have the time or inclination to do that type of research.

Allan C.

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