William’s Early Life

Ovingham is just over 2 miles in a westerly direction from Wylam on the River Tyne.

Henry and Margaret married in St Mary the Virgin Anglican Church. There was no parish church in Wylam until 1886 – St Oswin.

The Wylam Waggonway was built around 1748 to a five foot gauge and was used to transport coal from Wylam to Lemington (marked on the map by the red arrow) for shipment down the River Tyne. Originally the coal wagons were pulled by horses along the wooden rails. In 1808 the wooden rails were replaced with iron rails. During the period of the the Napoleonic Wars (1799 – 1815), when demand for coal was high, Mr Christopher Blackett, the owner of Wylam Colliery, wanted to improve the transport of coal. In 1812 he asked his Colliery Manager, William Hedley, to build a locomotive. Hedley produced a prototype which went into operation in 1813. By 1815 Hedley’s steam engines were established on the Waggonway pulling eight wagons as against the single wagon originally pulled by a horse.

The red arrow shows Lemington Staith. A typical staith is shown below:

The Bumbler Box is the bridge leading down from Woodcroft Road (1 on the map) to the riverside allotments (2 on map). The name Bumbler Box was given to the old colliery and its spoil heap (now covered by trees) because it was shaped like a beehive. Bumbler Box is a common Northumberland name for a beehive.

Old Hope Pit was known locally as the Chuckee Pit. This pit had been worked periodically during the 18th and 19th centuries, but eventually closed in 1893-4. Old Hope Pit was close to Wylam Rift as shown by the red arrow on this map.

Wylam is significant for its several local railway pioneers, including George Stephenson, Timothy Hackworth and William Hedley, whose work was so important in the early development of railways. George Stephenson was born in Wylam on 9 June 1781 and the centenary of his birth was celebrated in 1881.  There were a series of extensive meetings, rallies and celebrations mainly around Newcastle. It is clear that William remembers these events as he describes the procession.

Margaret Pit, near Heddon, was opened in the late 18^th century and owned by the Bates family of Heddon Hall.

Street House, the cottage where George Stephenson was born on 9th June 1781, sits on the north bank of the River Tyne, about 1km to the east of Wylam and some 14km west of Newcastle upon Tyne. He was the second of six children born to Robert Stephenson senior (1748-1817) and Mabel Carr. When George Stephenson was born there would have been four families living in the cottage of two storeys. The cottage was built around 1750 and is now a Grade II listed building managed by the National Trust.

An article in Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury of 22nd June 1850, provides more information about Isaac Jackson:

Wylam, like many other places of more pretension, has its local “lion,” and a genuine one too, whose career, when fully known, will cause a sensation in many quarters. This person is a pitman named Isaac Jackson, possessed of extraordinary mechanical genius, and singularly unobtrusive and retiring manners. Some years before Stephenson made the “Rocket,” Jackson had drawn plans of a locomotive with nearly all the qualities of that at present in use; and fourteen years afterwards he produced a model weighing 121bs 12 ounces, with four eccentrics, and capable of reversing itself after making fourteen strokes. He has also made time-pieces and eight-day clocks, nearly all of them being on different principles of construction, and a variety of mathematical instruments of singular beauty and accuracy. What adds to the merit of Jackson is, that he is entirely self-taught; from the time of his coming to Wylam, at the age of seven, he has never been at school. His memory and power of calculation seem not more extensive than precise, original, and authentic; his drawings, both of sections and complete pieces of mechanism, would compare with the best draughtsmen in the country; and, what is as wonderful, he is capable of not only designing complicated machinery, but of making all the parts and putting them together. The lathe at which he works, and his tools, all made by himself, are strikingly beautiful specimens of skill and ingenuity. Being employed twelve hours a-day at the pit furnace, and moreover a poor man, his resources and time are but scanty; but his mind is ever active, and his hands constantly at work in fabricating things new and novel. His history, indeed, is a marvelous one, to which we shall afterwards devote some space and attention.

A Wag-at- t-Wa is an uncased clock usually of wood which hangs on a wall with a pendulum hanging free beneath it. Often sold by itinerant pedlars. It appears in this traditional Scottish song.

The Wag at the Wa’
I’ve been hae’in a sociable nicht
W’ my cronies a sociable crew,
Oh I’ve had a drink twa more or less,
And I begin tae suspect that I’m fou!
I’m no very sure where I am,
I’m raither the waur o’ the drappie,
It’s a quarter tae twa, the last bus is awa’,
What does’t matter as lang as I’m happy?

Chorus
She’s watchin the wag at the wa’,
Cronies, I’ll hae tae be leavin’,
My conscience, a quarter tae twa,
And I said I’d be hame at eleeven;
So cronies guid-nicht tae ye aa,
Losh, but I’m sweir tae gae ‘wa,
But Mistress McCann’s waitin up for her man
And she’s watchin the wag at the wa’.

When I meet wi’ they cronies o’ mine,
And we’ve had a drammie or twa,
When the time comes tae pairt, man it gangs tae my hairt,
It’s a thocht tae gang hame through the snaw;
When a pal puts his airm roond my neck,
And implores me tae bide a while langer,
If he prigs wi me sair, ‘It’s the wife’, I declare,
‘I wid stop but for fear o’ her anger.’

Chorus

Meaning of unusual words:
cronies=friends
fou=drunk
drappie=drink
wag at the wa’=a wall clock with a pendulum beneath
Losh=Lord
sweir tae gae ‘wa=unwilling to go away
drammie or twa=drink or two of alcohol
bide=stay
prigs wi me sair=pleads with me vehemently

William and his father were mistaken in thinking it would have been made of metal.

On Pages 3 and 4 of the diary, William describes events surrounding Isaac Jackson and George Stephenson.

This is outlined further in The Tale of the Model Locomotive at Close House

Wylam Hall was built in the 15th century with 18^th-19^th century alterations, now divided into apartments. The drive was used by George Stephenson for early experiments in making steam engines run uphill without rack and pinion.

In 1871 George Clayton and Elizabeth Atkinson were living at Wylam Hall. In 1861 George Clayton Atkinson is described as a Magistrate.

Limestone quarrying has long been an important industry at Houghton but until the early 1980s the town’s most recent industrial history was dominated by coal. It was in the 19th century that Houghton became a significant colliery district. This followed the opening of Houghton Colliery (1823-1981) which was one of the first collieries to mine the coal that lay beneath the magnesian limestone of eastern Durham, where it was previously thought that there wasn’t any coal.

Being on Lambton land, Houghton Colliery, (just north west of Houghton), was opened by Lambton, the Earl of Durham, the year after the rival Hetton Colliery Company’s Hetton Lyons Colliery at Hetton-le-Hole opened to the south. It was at Hetton in 1822, that mining in the previously concealed coalfield of east Durham began.

Source: Houghton-le-Spring History

The clock was made for Robert Stephenson’s father and is still working at the Railway Museum.

William remembers his father saying the clock had been going for 40 years when he saw it. It is unlikely to have been going 40 years if it’s the same clock built for Stephenson’s Locomotive Works.  Perhaps this is another clock? Henry was born in 1855 but is only known to have lived in Wylam from 1875 to 1882.  So when did Henry see it?

Isaac Jackson died on 20 November 1862. He was buried in St Mary’s Churchyard, Ovingham. His memorial is a Grade II listed building.

1877 – The first successful shaft sunk by the KindChaudron System in England was commenced in this year by the Whitburn coal Company at Marsden, and was completed in two years, it having been found impossible to sink it by ordinary methods, although over 12,000 gallons of water were being pumped.

William talks about climbing the Wylam Bridge. The bridge was built in 1876 and is also known locally as Points Bridge, Half-Moon Bridge, Hagg Bank Bridge, Bird Cage Bridge, or The Tin Bridge. It is now a Grade II listed building.

The Lawsons, William’s mother’s family, were from Hagg Bank.

Henry English and family moved to Victoria Road in South Shields. The Ordnance Survey map shows that their house would have been right by the station to the Whitburn and Marsden Collieries.

The sinking of two shafts at Marsden, for the Whitburn Coal Company began in 1874. The sinking of the shafts proved difficult with the inflow of water. The Kind-Chaudron process was used to complete the sinking so that coal production could begin 1882.

Presumably Henry English and his family moved to South Shields in the anticipation of work at the new mine.

William probably attended one of the Colliery schools, a Church of England school such as that at Amble or one of the hundreds of British Schools. William Forster’s Elementary Education Act 1870 made it compulsory for all children aged 5-13 to attend school.

William was clearly not keen on working as a trapper at Ashington Pit.

During 1908 to 1910, discussions took place between representatives of the Transvaal Government and the Transvaal Chamber of Mines. As a result of which an association named the Transvaal Miners’ Phthisis (tuberculosis) Sanatorium was formed. The objectives (amongst others) were to establish an institution for the reception and treatment of miners’ phthisis or any other disease to which miners or other persons employed in mining were particularly subject to. The government donated a piece of ground, about 20 acres in extent and the buildings therein known as Springkell Sanatorium near the Modderfontein Dynamite Factory. The Transvaal Chamber of Mines erected the sanatorium in 1911. The sanatorium was for white miners suffering from phthisis.

Springkell Sanatorium was opened in November 1911 with nominal accommodation for 70 patients. The daily average number of patients for the first few years was between 45 and 50.

Patients of Springkell were encouraged to do gardening and odd jobs like bricklaying, keeping poultry, painting, tailoring and carpentry. A billiard room and bowling green were provided for entertainment.

Source: The Heritage Portal

William’s health has clearly deteriorated further as he enters Springkell Sanatorium in October for what he felt was a short rest. Unfortunately he died on 29 November 1915. His death notice showed that he died at Springkell Sanatorium. William was buried at Burgershoop Cemetery, Krugersdorp.

William started work as Shaft Clerk at Randfontein Central, which would appear to be alternative work which didn’t place William at increased risk of Phthisis.

The Rand Roads Amateur Cycling Club was the premier cycling club in 20th century Johannesburg. The club was established in 1910 with the gold mining magnate, Sir Abe Bailey, elected as its first president. It was modelled on the elite British clubs of the day and was dedicated to the tradition of amateur road time trialling over fixed distances. Throughout its existence up until it was disbanded in the late 20th century, Rand Roads ACC consistently had riders of outstanding ability. Source: South Africa’s Missing Gold: Henry Kaltenbrun and the 1920 Antwerp Olympic Games road race title

William reflects on fact that he is not able to compete at cycling and gave up competitive cycling in 1909 and all cycling in 1912. This must have been hard for a man who, throughout his journal, was keen to emphasise his physical prowess.

This is probably Marie’ sister, Martha’s son Walter Cunningham.

Shimwells was a well-known cycle shop on the corner of Eloff and Pritchard Streets in Johannesburg. Within a few years of Shimwell Brothers opening their bicycle shop in 1897, cycling became something of a craze in Johannesburg.

William buys his first racing which is a James at Shimwells and also trains on his father’s Humber Roadster. It is difficult to say the precise models these were, but were probably like those shown at Humber Roadster.

Enteric is an infection of the small intestine.

This picture shows how the Wanderers Ground looked when William first entered a race. The Wanderers Club History provides a detailed history of the ground.

This photo shows what station looked like when William arrived at Johannesburg Park Station. The station was built in 1896.

Old Park Station has more detail on the history of the station.

Johannesburg was formally established by the Boer government in 1886, after gold was discovered along the Witwatersrand reef.  The town grew quickly from a mining camp of a group of tents. At the time of William’s arrival it was a rough and raw developing town with a recognisable street pattern and buildings. What did Johannesburg look like in 1889? and Johannesburg in 1900 has several photographs from this time.

The 1897 Melville map of Johannesburg shows the layout at the time of Henry and William’s arrival.

William was shocked by the cost of beer. In Durham he could have bought 9 bottles of beer and still had change from the 2 shillings used to buy three glasses in the bar he and his father visited.

This photo provides a good impression of Market Square at this time. Market Square was the heart of the new town.

There was a Cornucopia Bar in Von Brandis Street a few roads south of Park Station so it seems likely they took a room there.  Johannesburg Alphabetical Street Directory 1893 provides a detailed description of the people and types of occupations found a few years before William’s arrival.

The gold mines dominated the landscape and the style of mining was changed rapidly from outcrop surface mining, with shallow incline shafts and the simple crushing of the ore to the deeper level mining.

This is a picture of the mine a few years later.  Discovery of the Gold in 1884 has a good description of the development of the industry.

Slimes dams was a construction method used in gold mines.  Slimes dam construction in the gold mines has a detailed description of the method.

Krugersdorp was a violent, transient mining town during the first decade-and-a-half of its existence, from 1887 to 1899. Geography and the Making of Krugersdorp, 1887 to 1899 has a good description of the settlement  at this time.

Champ d’Or  mine was approximately 24km west of Johannesburg at Krugersdorp. The mine was established in 1890 by French capital. Historically mined for gold and uranium from the late 1890’s to 1960’s.

George and Hay mine was established on the West Rand in 1894 in an area known as The New Basin. This mining area was developed between two and five miles west of Krugersdorp and was part of Randfontein Estates. Further detail about Randfontein Estates can be seen at Spotlight on Randfontein Estates Gold Mining Company (Witwatersrand) Limited, 1889-1989

Stoping is the process of extracting the desired ore or other mineral from an underground mine leaving behind an open space known as a stope.  Stoping is used when the country rock is sufficiently strong not to collapse into the stope, although in most cases artificial support is also supplied. A long hole stoping system for mining  provides more detail on the process.

The term boys was a derogative term for native workers.

The discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand in the Transvaal in 1886 was to draw the attention of the world to Southern Africa. William’s father was probably attracted to travelling to Rhodesia (now known as Zimbabwe) by the possibility of becoming rich through gold mining. Rhodesia was named after Cecil Rhodes whose three main financial interests lay in Kimberley diamonds, Witwatersrand gold, and Southern Rhodesian mines and lands.

Southern Africa in the second half of the 19^th century was characterised by tension between Dutch speaking settler farmers (Boers) and the British Empire. This culminated in the First Boer War, 1880-1881. The result was the independent Transvaal Republic.

The Jameson Raid was conceived by Cecil Rhodes, Premier of the Cape and his co-conspirator and business associate, Alfred Beit. Its purpose was two-fold, to deliver the riches of the Transvaal by precipitating the overthrow of the legitimate Kruger government and ensuring the annexation of the republic to the British Empire.

The raid was led by Leander Starr Jameson. He left on 29 December 1895 and surrendered on 2 January 1896. The results included embarrassment of the British government; the replacement of Cecil Rhodes as premier of the Cape Colony; and the strengthening of Boer dominance of the Transvaal and its gold mines. The raid was a contributory cause of the Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902).

William visits his sister Sarah Ann at Emmaville before travelling to Southern  Africa. Sarah Ann is 19.  By 1901 she is living with her grandfather, William Lawson and her uncle William (Bill) Lawson at Miners Cottage Homes, Ryton. Her given occupation is housekeeper.

Was this a holiday with Jane Laybourn, William’s mother’s sister, or is this his father’s sister Mary Jane, who later emigrated to Southern Africa?

William says he travels on the Union Boat Athenium, but it is more likely to be the Union Boat Athenian.

It is not entirely clear what is the meaning of Sandaur, but possibly it is a sport from the Indian Sub-Continent as shown by this video.
 

Stick-pulling was a contest of sheer strength and endurance and was very popular sport in the 19^th century.

William arrived in Cape Town and immediately left to the rail station. He would have had the briefest views of Cape Town at this time.

William talked about the accommodation on the train saying, ‘it was wooden seats for three of us’.  Does he mean that there were three of them travelling together, i.e. William + two others he knew or does he simply mean a three seater for three strangers?

Does this mean she is travelling back to England? If she is, presumably she is travelling with Willie and Constance. To date it has not been possible find them in passenger lists. On Page 64 William confirmed that his fourth child, John Albert English was born on 14 October 1915. This means that Marie would have been back in South Africa at least by January 1915 when their fourth child, John Albert English, would have been conceived.

William’s mother was buried on 18 Jan 1892, at St Andrew’s Church in Bothal, a village near Morpeth. Curiously, the ceremony was performed not by the vicar or curate of the parish church at Bothal but by D Clarke, curate of Choppington, South East of Morpeth whereas Pegswood is North East of Morpeth (Bothal). Choppington was one of the three big mid-Northumberland collieries.

Seghill  is a village on the Northumberland/Durham border (a boundary village). There are many coal mines here. Presumably William’s reference to ‘drifting in stone’ means a stone drift, which is excavated in rock, such as from the surface down to a coal seam. This means that William might not be actually mining coal.

Ravensworth  is 4 miles south of Newcastle, William describes ‘sinking and rising in stone’. Rising is excavating a shaft upwards from the mine workings. Sinking is the drilling of a round of holes, blasting, removing broken rocks, trimming the shaft to form, placing the sets or concrete in position, preparing to drill next round.

Aunt Meggie was William’s father’s sister Margaret.

Victoria Garesfield Colliery  is situated about 7½ miles  West South West of Newcastle and 6 miles from Wylam, where William was born.

Jane (nee Lawson) was William’s mother’s sister. In the 1891 Census Jane Laybourn was living at Ramsey’s Cottages, Spen, Chopwell.

The Empire Palace Theatre was situated on Newgate Street, Newcastle, and was known locally as simply The Empire. It originally opened as the Empire Variety Theatre on Monday the 1st of December 1890. The Theatre was constructed for the proprietor Farquhar M. Laing by Alex. Pringle of Gateshead, and leased to Thornton and Moss. Mr. (later Sir Edward) H. E. Moss was the founder of the great chain of theatres that bear his name. In 1903 it was completely refurbished by Frank Matcham.

Ward’s Directory of Newcastle-on-Tyne, 1898 has James Cook at the Cannon Inn, The Close. The Close was a road that ran parallel with the River Tyne.

The High Level Bridge was built in 1849. This picture from An Oarsome Exhibition At The Shipley, Gateshead shows a boat race scene which would have been close to the Cannon Inn and would be very similar to that experienced by William. Further information about all the bridges on the River Tyne can be found at: Bridges on the Tyne.

Over Pages 7, 8 and 9 William describes his involvement with rowing on River Tyne.

Leisure and Recreation in a Victorian Mining Community: The Social Economy  gives a very  good description of the development of rowing as a spectator sport in the second half of the 19^th century.

North East Rowing Online  provides detail of the variety of races that took place and some of the well-known rowers.

There have been three Red Heugh Bridges, the first in 1867 was designed by Thomas Bouch. Further information about the bridges can be found at: Red Heugh Bridges

William was clearly not keen on working as a trapper at Ashington Pit. There is more information on William’s work as a trapper in William’s Early Life.  Children were employed as trappers, whose job was to open and close the trapdoors to allow those pulling or pushing the coal corf (A corf is a large basket used for carrying coals or other minerals in a mine).

William probably attended one of the Colliery schools, a Church of England school such as that at Amble or one of the hundreds of British Schools. William Forster’s Elementary Education Act 1870 made it compulsory for all children aged 5-13 to attend school.

Old Ordnance Survey maps of the area have been searched but a farm of this name hasn’t been found.

In the Owens and Cook’s Christmas Handicap Final 1893 G Drummond of Mushroom beat S Maxwell of Walker by three feet.

Bonnie Brave Boat Rowers by Christopher Dodd  is the story of the Newcastle Christmas Handicap, the Scotswood Express and the zenith of rowing from 1850 to 1950 when Tynesiders became national and international champions.

William describes the Xmas handicap as his first and last rowing race. This appears to be due to the fact that he returns to Victoria Garesfield pit. This is about 8 miles from the River Tyne and presumably too far for him to train for rowing.

It is around this time that William’s involvement in cycling develops. Cycling in Victorian Times describes the expansion of cycling in Victorian times.

Kit Graham, Wilf Smith and Tom Smith.  Kit Graham’s son Billy, George Bell, Sid Smith are probably friends and neighbours.

William is also actively walking at this time and clearly is keen to emphasise his physical prowess.

Uncle Bill Lawson is William’s mother’s brother. There are several mentions of both Uncle Bill Lawson and the Wesleyan Church.

Emmaville was an official name for an area largely occupied by miners from the Emma Pit. It was never really a village, just an extension of the village of Crawcrook. The Methodist church William talks about is probably Crawcrook Centenary Methodist Church. Methodism was introduced early in the local area. John Wesley preaching at Low Spen on various occasions, the earliest recorded visit being June 1743.

William purchases a fiddle made by Thomas Craig of Aberdeen.  The violin is still with the family. The inside of the case was notated by William.

Usual footwear for poorer people.  It must have been very heavy footwear for walking.

William probably means the dead straight footpath.

The Anglo Boer War was fought by Britain and her Empire against the Boers.  The British Army was reinforced by volunteer contingents from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Cape Colony and Natal. The Kaffrarian Rifles was made up of volunteers. William signed up with the Kaffrarian Rifles on 19 Oct 1899. The Kaffrarian Rifles were embodied on 18 October 1899 and were to be the garrison of East London.

In September 1899 British forces were concentrating on the borders of South African Republic and the Republic of the Orange Free State. By the time war began nearly all Uitlanders, the mainly British migrant workers in the gold mines, left Transvaal.  William described leaving Transvaal on 1 October 1899 for East London on Page 59 of the diary. South African History Online has a good description of events of this time.

It is not clear in the original text which regiment William signed up for, but we know from attestation papers that William joined Burghersdorp Town Guards and District Mounted Troops and left on 25 Sept 1902. There were some 125 Town Guard units during the Anglo-Boer War.

William was summoned to go to work at the Cornelia Mine. The telegraph is dated 27 January 1904 and he starts work on 30th January 1904. The telegraph also confirms that he was at the Schuller Mines previously.

The Cornelia Mine was just south of the River Vaal. Coal was extracted from this mine. William worked there for 9 months and was living at Vereeniging. The forgotten history of the early days of coal in the Vereeniging area has more information.

William married Mary Sarah Bevington at Mowbray Presbyterian Church in Cape Town.

The Missing Years and Mary Sarah Bevington has further clues about when they met.

Kaffir is a term used to describe a black man. The word was used officially in this way, without derogatory connotations, during the Dutch and British colonial periods until the early twentieth century. By the apartheid era the term had become derogatory.

William sent money to his sister Sarah Ann Shippen (née English) and Mrs Emma Bevington (his mother-in-law) and lent money to his aunt Mrs Mary Jane Whitehead (née English)

SPOTLIGHT on Randfontein Estates Gold Mining Company  describes both South Randfontein and Robinson Randfontein mines approaching full production in 1904.

On Page 60 of the Journal and part of his submission the Phthisis Board William provides extra information – ‘Started at South Randfontein G. M. (Randfontein Central) Timbering. H Oliver Mine Capt. Was sent for to sink Promise shaft’.

William applies for the mine overseer’s certificate which would have resulted in an increased level of responsibility. The state sponsored certificate would only been available to white skilled miners. There was a colour bar which prevented black workers having access to skilled jobs like blasting and hauling as well as supervisory jobs like an overseer.

Mary Sarah English travelled to England with son Henry Bevington English on RMSS Saxon. Information from UK Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960 shows that they arrive in Southampton on 16 September 1905. Presumably they are going to stay with her mother at 77 New Fillebrook Road in Leytonstone.

William sent money and Henry Bevington English’s certificate of registration of birth to Mary Sarah in January. Was the sending of the certificate of registration of birth needed for Henry’s christening? Did she have him baptised before, during or after William’s holiday in England? Where was Henry baptised? So far no record has been found in UK sources available at the moment. It’s unlikely to have taken place in North East England; a more likely location would Leytonstone where they were staying. He booked his trip to England for 5 April. Presumably Mary Sarah remained in England until William joined her in April. This means that William remained alone in Transvaal for nearly 8 months.

Information from UK Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960 shows that he arrived in Southampton on 28 April 1906 and then went to Leytonstone.

Mary Sarah’s parents Henry and Emma Bevington first moved to 77 Fillebrook Road, Leytonstone in 1890. This picture came from a member of William’s family so it is likely that the people in the doorway are relatives. It is possible that it is Marie holding Henry.

Henry died in 1894. Emma remained there until at least 1908, after which she moved to Dawlish Drive, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.

The house is 17 Cranleigh Drive, Leigh on Sea, Essex. This is known because this detail is shown on William’s entry on the roll of individuals awarded The Queen’s South Africa Medal, which was awarded to military personnel who served in the Boer War. Also, after 8 months separation Marie and William would need some privacy. The house in Cranleigh Drive would have been relatively new in 1906 as the road is not shown on Ordnance Survey County Series Essex 1898 1:10560 map.
 

William continues his interest in cycling and describes the local hills, including Bread and Cheese Hill.  William is quite proud about his cycling including his comment that he had, taken down a few of the young bloods around here.

William embarks on several cycling trips including a long journey to the north east of England to see members of his family. It is believed William used a family copy of Paterson’s Roads published in 1808 which focused on the roads and direction of travel, but also included some topographical features and places of interest outside of the necessary towns and coaching inns. He may also have used some Pattison Cyclists Road Maps as well.

William’s cycle trip to North East England has more detail on William’s trip.

William leaves on his own to travel back to Southern Africa on the SS Kenilworth Castle.

It is interesting to speculate why his wife and son didn’t travel back with him. Did she stay behind to help her mother’s move from Leytonstone to Dawlish Drive in Leigh-on-Sea? The move occurred sometime between 1908 and 1911. Did they take a decision that the developing settlements in Transvaal were not an appropriate place to bring up a young child?

The Kloof mine is approximately 60km South west of Johannesburg and 20km from Carltonville on the border of Gauteng and North West  provinces.

On page 60 of the Journal, William states that he had another significant break (5 ½ months) off work from work in 1907. In the Journal here, he describes some of the cycling races he participated in.

Mark Hambourg was a well- known Russian- British concert pianist. In 1906 he made a month long concert visit to South Africa taking his own piano across the veldt.

Muldersdrift is a rural area situated 13 km northeast of Krugersdorp as shown by the aerial photograph below.

There is a clear ridge between Krugersdorp and Muldersdrift and it is most likely to be the climb that William is referring to.

Mynpacht was part of the Randfontein Estates Gold Mining Company

Did he have an asthma attack? Is this the first mention of his subsequent serious breathing problems?

Sterkfontein Farm is shown on this 1900 of the Krugersdorp area. It is about 6 miles from Krugersdorp, close to Sterkfontein Cave Sterkfontein means strong fountain.

Henry died on 23 December 1908 and his Form of Information of Death said he was suffering from heart disease and asthma for the previous year. Was the move to the farm intended to provide work that would put him at less risk than mining. Though the Journal describes his last day underground a month later on 1st October.

In mining terms, hitches are the pockets dug to receive the ends of timbers.

It is Edward VII’s birthday.

Henry English died 23 December 1908 at Sterkfontein Farm.

He was buried at Burgershoop Cemetery. The inscription has in memory of my dear brother. This is from his sister Mary Jane who is also in Transvaal.

This gives the impression that William is managing a farm as well as working in mines?

Professor Yates served in the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) on the British side, Yates returned to England and settled in Manchester. He came back to Johannesburg in 1905 to succeed H.S. Hele-Shaw as professor of mining at the Transvaal Technical Institute.

A brief history can be found at Transvaal University College

Marie and her son Henry arrive back from England. They travelled on the HMSS Durham Castle. From the records available so far this means she and Henry remained in England since 1905.

This entry in the diary is not in William’s handwriting. Presumably it is Marie’s entry. The entry has been crossed out, but it is interesting to speculate what possibly William had done to cause the amusement of Krugersdorp town.

William Ridley English was born in South Africa, but he was baptised in Ovingham, Northumberland on 17 September 1911. On 15 March 1911 in the Journal William records that Marie, Henry and William travel to England and arrived in Southampton on 8 April 1911.

The initial conclusion is that Marie travelled with the two boys to Northumberland for the baptism. But there is no evidence that Marie had any previous contact with William’s family in the North East. Such a visit would probably have been daunting. On Pages 48 and 60 of the Journal William describes starting shiftbossing at Randfontein Central on 5th Feb 1911 and becoming Acting Mine Captain No 9 shaft in 1911. There is no detail for the intervening period. Did he travel to England separately? Did he join Marie, Harry and Willie and travel to the North East. So far there is no documentary evidence, but it is possible.

This is presumably an exchange between Marie and William.

An expression for gossiping or making friendly small talk.

UK Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960 show that Marie, Henry and Willie travelled on HMSS Balmoral Castle  and arrived in Southampton on 8 April 1911.

Marie returns to Southern Africa on 1 March 1912 with only Willie Ridley. We know that Henry Bevington English attended Highfield College in Leigh-on-Sea, but not the exact dates. However, this is probably the journey where he remained in England, living with his Aunt Elizabeth Bevington and grand-mother Emma Bevington at 23 Dawlish Drive in Leigh-on-sea.

Interestingly, there is no mention in William’s diary of Marie and Willie’s return to Southern Africa.

Does this mean that William moved into mine accommodation and rented out their house while the rest of the family travelled to England?

There is a mine named after Piet Reteif, but does this refer to a man called Reteif? Piet Retief (1780–1838) was a prominent Boer leader and Voortrekker pioneer who led farmers out of the Cape Colony to escape British rule during the Great Trek. He negotiated land with Zulu King Dingane but was killed in 1838 along with his party in an act known as the Piet Retief Delegation massacre.

William buys a further two houses, freehold, in Krugersdorp. On Page 62 William confirms that Stand 609 is 53 and 53A Van Wyk Street. What does that tell us about his income at this time? This is a modern day street view of 53 Van Wyk Street

William’s bike probably looked like this model

Constance Mary English is born on 14 March 1913 at 59 Dekker St West Krugersdorp. This would mean that she was conceived in June 1912, which fits with Mary Sarah’s return to Southern Africa from England.

This is the first overt reference by William of his health problems.

Is this a sign that William has moved into mine accommodation again as Marie travels to England?

Vaalbank Farm is shown on this 1900 map of area around Krugersdorp. It is about 18 miles from Krugersdorp.

Under the Native Land Act of 1913, 90% of land was given to white settlers. Has William benefited from this Act? Did he own the farm?

William is clearly in poor health at this time.

The Profits of Death: A Comparative Study of Miners’ Phthisis in Cornwall and the Transvaal, 1876-1918 outlines the health problems associated with mining in the Rand and the compensation schemes implemented.

Since its mining began in 1886, high rates of occupational lung disease, particularly miners’ Phthisis (silicosis and/or pulmonary tuberculosis) have been a feature of the South African gold mining industry. It was estimated at the time that a miner’s life would be reduced by 27 ½ years.

In 1910, the Transvaal Mining Regulations Commission indicated that between 1905-07 phthisis, including miners’ phthisis, accounted for 43.1 per cent of all deaths of white mining males over 20 years of age.

The first major initiatives in the control of phthisis in Southern Africa came from the State. Thus, in a series of Acts between 1912 and 1918 known as the Prior Law, the State laid down the basis for a comprehensive system of compensation for victims of miners’ phthisis. This included The Miners’ Phthisis Board which awarded compensation.

As part of his submission to The Miners’ Phthisis Board, William records all the mines he had worked in during his time in Southern Africa. Certain periods were not part of the calculation, including his time in England in 1906, cycling in 1907 and certain mines that were deemed not to contribute to Phthisis.

During the early 19th Century, rowing offered opportunities for both professional and amateur rowers and at one time there were approximately 20 rowing clubs on the banks of the River Tyne. In 1946, Tyne United Rowing Club was originally founded after several professional rowing clubs in Gateshead merged; these were Empire RC, Hawthorn RC, Gateshead and District RC, Walker RC and Wallsend RC.

William’s use of the word kaffir reflects the racial language of the time. In South Africa, the use of the term kaffir to refer to a black African is a profoundly offensive and inflammatory expression of contemptuous racism that is sufficient grounds for legal action. The term is associated especially with the era of apartheid, when it was commonly used as an offensive racial slur, and its offensiveness has only increased over time. It now ranks as perhaps the most offensive term in South African English. Source: Merriam Webster

William lists on Pages 21, 21 and 22 the engagements the Kaffrarian Rifles were involved in during 1900. Interestingly there is no information for the subsequent period of the Anglo-Boer War.

It is probable that William recorded notes on the engagements and listed them in the Journal at a later date.

William signs the Journal and dates it as 1904, which suggests that he wrote about events retrospectively.

William appears to jot down the address of the Miners’ Phthisis Sanatorium on a empty section of paper. He entered the Sanatorium in 1915, so it appears that this note was written then.

It hasn’t been possible so far to find any details of the cycling at Driehoek.

Earl Grey was an ardent imperialist. He was invited by Cecil Rhodes to join the British South Africa Company. Grey was the link between Rhodes and Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain before and during the Jameson Raid in 1895. He then replaced Sir Leander Starr Jameson, the leader of the raid, as administrator of Rhodesia, thus directly responsible to Cecil Rhodes for conduct of the colony’s business.

This is Mary Jane English, William’s aunt. She married William Whitehead in 1895 in Gateshead. At some point Mary and her husband William moved to South Africa. William died in 1913.

Mrs Bevington is William’s mother in law – Emma Bevington.

See more information on this move in Later Years in the Commentary.

William renews the licences for a number of firearms. It’s not clear in the Journal what these guns are used for and when they were acquired. Are they for sporting activities? Is the possession of firearms in South Africa at this time the norm for developing mining communities? Are they firearms that William used during the Anglo Boer War?

Does this imply that William has a permanent address?

It is difficult to establish whether this was a significant increase or not.

A sluit is a deep, usually dry, ditch produced by the washing of heavy rains in a large natural fissure.

These two are not mentioned elsewhere in the Journal, so it’s not possible to say how well William knew either of them.

William’s journey to England in 1906 is recorded on the Walmer Castle passenger list.

William arrives at Emma Villa where his sister Sarah Ann and husband Joe Shippen live.

The imperial is the beard that William has in the picture on the Home Page. It is a bushy beard and moustache.

This is probably William’s description of what would be racing bike of the times.

This probably means giving someone an unpleasant experience.

Probably means speed past.

Does this imply that William is actively involved in the work at the farm at Sterkfontein?

The influx of people to the newly proclaimed diggings necessitated the proclamation of a Stands Town, Krugersdorp in 1887. The first 200 stands in Krugersdorp were sold on a public auction on 31 October 1887 under a 99-year leasehold. The condition of the leasehold stated that the lessee could own the property for 99 years as long as his payment of stand fees was not in arrears. Further stands became available in later years.

It has not been possible to determine whether William was the first lessee of Stand 253.

A modern day view of 59 Dekker Street. William, Marie and Henry probably moved from mine accommodation.

This was written by Marie. It is interesting to speculate whether she thought William’s purchase of a motor car would be the source of amusement.

Waltham is an American company, the first to manufacture watch parts entirely by machine.  Developed the Railway clock for accurate station timekeeping.  Now collectors items.  We don’t know exactly when William acquired his but this one’s dated 1902.

After an absence of 75 years, Halley’s Comet became visible again in southern Africa in April 1910. Public interest in the event had been heightened by the unexpected and spectacular appearance of another comet in January. Public anxiety relating to Halley’s Comet as a supposed harbinger of disaster was enhanced by the unexpected death of King Edward VII on 6 May, when the comet was at its most prominent. Despite assurances from both professional and amateur astronomers, the anxiety was focussed mainly on the night of 18-19 May, when the earth passed through the comet’s tail. As it turned out, the night passed without incident. Probably the best photographs of Halley’s Comet obtained anywhere during its 1910 return were taken by H.E. Wood, Chief Assistant at the Transvaal Observatory, with the newly installed Franklin-Adams telescope. Wood and Professor W.A. Rudge read papers about the comet at the annual congress of the South African Association for the Advancement of Science that year. The enthusiasm for astronomy resulting from the comet’s return contributed much to the movement to found the Cape Astronomical Association in 1912. South African Journal of Science

Does William’s use of the word home imply that he regards England as his real home and that his period in the mines of South Africa isn’t permanent?

These are props or posts used in the gold mines.

This line drawing shows a very similar scene

The first use of X-rays under clinical conditions was by John Hall-Edwards in Birmingham, England on 11 January 1896. So their use in Johannesburg by this time is a further indication of the speed of development of the town.

On Page 60 of the Journal and part of his submission to the Phthisis Board William provides further information –   ‘Started at Promise shaft, North Witwatersrand (Count de Waru) sinking with boys sunk shaft about 100’ to the 300’ level then started x [cross] cutting and driving with machines. Started the machines 19th May 1905.’

On Page 60 of the Journal William lists the mines he worked at for the Phthisis Board. He provides further information – ‘Started at Lancaster G. M. stoping with machines. Chinese helpers. Was sent for to sink Kloof shaft.’

The little trapper of eight years of age lies quiet in bed. The labours of the preceding day had procured sleep. It is now between two and three in the morning and his mother shakes him, and desires him to rise, and tells him that his father has an hour ago gone off to the pit. Instantly he starts into conscious existence. He turns on his side, rubs his eyes, and gets up and comes to the blazing fire, and puts on his clothes. His coffee, such as it is, stands by the side of the fire, and bread is laid down for him. The fortnight is now well advanced, the money all spent, and butter, bacon, and other luxurious accompaniments of bread, are not to be had at breakfast till next pay-day supply the means. He then fills the tin bottle with coffee, and takes a lump of bread, and sets out for the pit, into which he goes down with the cage. He knows his place of work. It is inside one of the doors called trap-doors, for the purpose of forcing the stream of air which passes in its long many-miled course from the down-shaft to the up-shaft of the pit: but which door must be opened whenever men or boys, with or without carriages, may wish to pass through. He seats himself in a little hole, about the size of a common fireplace, and with the string in his hand, and all his work is to pull that string when he has to open the door, and when man or boy has passed through, then to allow the door to shut of itself. Here it is his duty to sit, and be attentive, and pull his string promptly as anyone approaches. He may not stir above a dozen steps with safety from his charge, lest he should be found neglecting his duty, and suffer for the same. He sits solitary by himself and has no one to talk to him: for in the pit the whole of the people, men and boys, are as busy as if they were in a sea-fight. He however sees every now and again the pullers urging forward their trams through his gate, and derives some consolation from the glimmer of the little candle which is fixed on their trams. For he himself has no light. His hours, except at such times, are passed in total darkness. For the first week of his service in the pit his father had allowed him candles to light one after another, but the expense of three-halfpence a day was so extravagant expenditure out of ten pence, the boy’s daily wages, that his father of course withdrew the allowance the second week, all except one or two candles in the morning, and the week after the allowance was altogether taken away; and now except a neighbour kinder than his father now and then drop him a candle as he passes, the boy has no light of his own. Thus hour after hour passes away, but what are hours to him, seated in darkness, in the bowels of the earth? He knows nothing of the ascending or descending sun. Hunger, however, though silent and unseen, acts upon him and he betakes to his bottle of coffee and slice of bread and if desirous, he may have the luxury of softening it in a portion of the water in the pit, which is brought down for man and beast.

Source: Report of the Royal Commission of Enquiry into Children’s Employment

Information from Page 20 of Hard Rock Mining in South Africa – The Cornish Connection

Listed below are all the references to Henry made in the Journal before Henry’s marriage in 1899.

PAGE 2

Centenary medals of the great Engineer, with his head on one side, and ‘the first engine that ever pulled a passenger train’ on the other, were sold, one of which came into my possession, I suppose through my father; which is still in my possession.

Many stories have been told to me by my father, which were related to him by a Miss Jackson, who was very, very old, and who tidied the reading room for her living; several of which related to George Stevenson in his young days.

W_a_g_-at-t-wa’; [Wag at the wall. Uncased clocks usually of wood sold by itinerant pedlars] well after being oiled a few times with the hair oil it got gummed up, so my father proceeded in the usual way then in vogue, to boil it; but what was his dismay when he lifted off the pan lid, to find many dozens of pieces floating on the top of the water; the whole clock was made of wood, but so cleverly varnished, or lacquered over that the whole thing looked like metal. I remember this clock quite well.
[WILLIAM and his father were mistaken in thinking it would have been made of metal.]

PAGE 4

Jackson also constructed a most wonderful clock, which, from information I received in 1906 from one of the masters at the Wylam School, is still in Wylam Hall, and working. My father saw this clock, which was ^is about the same ^the size of a Grandfather clock; about 1873; it stood on the first landing of the grand staircase of the Hall. He looked through the glass in front, but all he could see was a chain running down one side and up the other; there was no pendulum, and no sound came from the clock; the face was the same as a grandfather clock.

The pointers commenced to move, but no sound came from it, and it has been moving ever since, over 80 years, for I remember my father saying it had been going for 40 years when he saw it.

Jackson. He had almost completed a large model, on a base about six feet by six feet, as near as my father could recollect; when he died.

PAGE 5

My father told me that when he saw the model it was covered carefully with a tarpaulin in the loft above the stables. Mr Atkinson Senior was very careful in the protection of this model. One of the flunkeys moved the cover to let my father see it, but to him it appeared a maze of cylinders, cogwheels, cranks and rods; and, not being a mechanic, he had no knowledge

PAGE 6

We lived at the top end of Victoria Road, close to the Sunderland Road, and my father worked at Whitburn, near to Marsden. He started sinking the famous shaft that was finally sunk by the [blank]* process, as a huge gully was struck that let in large volumes of water from the sea. We stayed here for two years and then moved to Chevington Abbas, a farm, whilst my father worked at Stobswood, a mine on the main line north. ^The winters of 1885 and 86 were terrible, snow being level with the hedges, and railways blocked. We lived here a couple of months and then moved to Stobswood; but only stayed a year all told, and moved to Pegswood. My father worked at Ashington, Pegswood not working at the time.

Ashington as a trapper at one shilling a day. After working a week, I didn’t like the mine, and wanted to leave, but my father said I had looked for the job myself and would now stay there.

PAGE 7

…my best friend my mother died at 40 years of age in 1892 January, she is buried at Bothal. We then moved to Seghill for a year, where we did drifting in stone. Then to Ravensworth in the Co Durham where we did sinking and rising in stone.

An H English travels to South Africa via Teneriffe in December 1892. It is possible this is Henry but there is no mention of it in the Journal. Between 1892 and 1896 when he finally leaves for South Africa there are several other possible sailings by either an H or Mr English. He may have visited more than once.

‘We lived at Gateshead’ suggests Henry is there, however ‘I moved to the Spen’ (1893) may mean that Henry was on his travels.

PAGE 11

In 1895 my father signed on to go to South Africa to the mines in Rhodesia, but before he got away news came of the Jameson Raid into the Transvaal; then comment was rife that these men were being signed on to join Jameson instead of going to the mines. My father said that Earl Grey had something to do with it.

Well early in 1896 he went off to the Transvaal, and early in 1897 he sent for me.

9th May 1896 Mr H English a miner sails from Southampton to the Cape on board the Athenian. To date no sailing in 1897 has been found for WILLIAM although the Journal tells us he sailed from Southampton on the Union Boat Athenium, 22nd February 1897

PAGE 12

1897
I arrived at Johannesburg Park Station on March 17th 1897, glad to get off that train. My father was there to meet me also a friend of his.

as it was then called, and my father called for three English beers; I saw him put six shillings on the counter and didn’t see him take any change back, so asked him the reason why, and he said the three glasses of beer cost two shillings each.

We stayed in Johannesburg at the Cornucopia, for a few days, when my father started work at the George Goch, to sink a shaft, which was partly down, in the centre of an old slimes dam, and then was about 300 feet of sand to go through which was very wet. Well my father warned the Mine Captain that, the length of the setts, which were six feet, ought to be reduced to three feet in this quicksand, otherwise the shaft would collapse, as the sand was simply running away from the back of the timber.
No notice was taken, untill one day a hanging bolt broke and the whole shaft, except the top 20 or 30 feet, twisted round right round, showing that there was nothing at the back of the timber. My father left at once, and we went out to Krugersdorp on the West Rand.
There he started work at Champ D’Or

PAGE 13

1897
to get along with. I received my blasting certificate 18th May and worked here six weeks when my father sent for me to go to at Champ D’Or to work.

There was no railway to Randfontein. I moved to Champ D’Or into a room with my father opposite the Goldsmiths bar, then a tin shanty, and started stoping with boys.

Before this whilst at Champ D’Or my father bought a second hand Humber roadster, on which I used to train, and on which I did some very good times.

PAGE 14

Father was extremely pleased with my riding and the time for the two laps, which he never told me.

PAGE 15

and slackened off as the bell rang for the last lap. I meandered around the track for the last lap, remembering that my father had told me never to look around whilst racing,

My father was wild that I had lost the heat,

PAGE 16

…named Little on scratch. The Driehoek track was banked very steeply at the ends, and my starting point was right on the steepest portion. It was really comical to an onlooker to see my father’s efforts to keep that machine upright but there was no fun for me in my anxiety lest I should fall and spoil the race.

won by half a lap. Pretty nearly all the workmen from Champ D’Or were there that day as my father had told them that nothing

PAGE 17

1898
could beat me in the mile, and as gambling was allowed then, they won lots of money _’You’ve done yourself this time’ he said when I got near enough to him. ’They’ll have you back on scratch just now. ‘Well’, I said, ‘You told me not to look round and I didn’t’. ‘Try and use a little discretion’ he answered. ‘All right’ says I. _

More admonishments re looking around etc. The men who were backing on me were alarmed at the turn of events, and thought that Little might beat me in the run off. (I forgot to say that 1st and 2nd in each heat rode in the final, that is how Little came to be in the final) but my father told them to put their train tickets on me.

PAGE 18

…lead from 50 to 100 yards, and my father seeing I was gaining, told me to ease off a little, and coached me to the end of the race, which I won by 70 yards.

William English’s Journal and his poems are presented in both original and transcribed form. The Journal covers William’s life from 1875 to his death in 1915. Large sections were probably written retrospectively.

The transcribed versions have links and popups which provide further information about locations, events and family that William describes.

The following system was used in transcribing the Journal:

• words typed exactly as they are written in the Journal. This includes capitalisation, abbreviations, names, dates, and even misspelled words.
• every attempt was made to match the format of the original, but this was not possible in all circumstances.
• punctuation is as in the original, even if it is incorrect.
• crossed out text is included.
• words that are difficult to make out are recorded as [illegible].
• clarification of text is recorded in brackets. For example: Jobg [Johannesburg]

The views expressed by William are his and reflect his attitudes and the norms of the time.

My mother was my chief source of information (she had a copy of Willie’s christening at Ovingham in Northumberland – since lost or mislaid) but although she didn’t know a great deal about the Englishes my later discoveries showed how correct her memory had been. For example she remembered a book of poems, now in South Africa, written by Willie’s father to his mother, copies of which are on the website, and she was certain Willie was ‘related to the Whiteheads’ but she didn’t know who they were. Also that Willie was named Ridley after an Uncle (Willie’s Aunt Jane married a William Whitehead and there had been an Uncle Ridley who hadn’t died until the 1950s)

In the same way I scoured old  family books for marginalia hoping to learn something about their owners,  so I investigated everything that had belonged to my father, including his violin.  Having opened the rosin compartment I realised I could pull away the entire lining of the case.  This provided me with one of the most important starting points of my search for my grandfather.  Not only his address at Victoria Garesfield, but the date he was there. This took me within 10 miles of Ovingham.

I began combing the Census Returns then available at the Portugal Street repository of the Public Record Office. I quickly found my grandfather, WILLIAM English, aged 5 in nearby Wylam in 1881, then his father Henry in Tow Law in 1871.

Around this time in the early eighties my life changed and I left London. This put an end to my research. Unfortunately this coincided with my cousin Dorothy English beginning her research into the family. I’m still pretty angry with myself for not responding more positively to her request for help via my mother.

Her letter made it clear she was no further ahead with her research than I was, but since I no longer had access to vital research facilities in London, I wasn’t much help. This of course was years before the internet.

In 1987 or 8 she sent me the photocopied pages of my grandfather’s Journal which I read with growing excitement. With so much primary source material in it I wondered whether it could become a book.

By the time I was back in London in the early nineties I had transcribed 9 or 10 pages but it was hard going and as a teacher I had little time.

The Journal then lay in a drawer for many years, not forgotten but nagging away at the back of my mind, waiting for the time to get to grips with it, until another cousin, Larry Cunningham, a rather more distant cousin than my first cousin Dorothy, wrote requesting information about my father.

Now I was retired with time on my hands, I jumped at the chance to resume working on the Journal. This website is the result. Over forty years after my father’s death, my grandfather’s life as recorded in his Journal can be read by anyone interested.

I hope you enjoy the website as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Hilary Norris
February 2021