1875
The writer
William English, was born at Wylam -on-Tyne Co[unty] Northumberland, England on the 29th day of December 1875 .
My father was Henry English, born at Taw Law, Co[ounty] Durham. England
and my mother was Margaret English, born Lawson, born at [Durham, Greenside]
Their marriage took place at [27th February 1875 at St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church, Ovingham ]
I am the eldest ^and only son, having one sister only, Sarah Ann born September 29th 1878.
I was born in the old square at the north end of Old Wylam Bridge. The house was the first one west side of the passage leading down under the old brick archway to the ford over the Tyne, above the bridge. The old arch was still standing in 1906 but the square of houses was demolished. I believe an old wagon way passed over this archway from a coal mine further up the Tyne, beside the Bumbler Box, a few houses close to the river, half a mile further up.
I remember the coal trucks from the Chuckey and I believe the name of another mine was Bate's, used to be pulled over the old bridge to Wylam station on the south side of the Tyne, this work was done by horses. This must have been before the new railway line was laid up the north side of the Tyne from Scotswood, the first of which I remember was the celebration of ^George Stevenson's Centenary day yet, strange to say, I remember the large iron bridge over the Tyne, connecting up the new line to the main line, just above High Wylam, in my earliest recollections.
Shortly after my birth we moved to High Wylam, to a short street of Old fashioned red tiled houses, with their backs to the Wylam British School and facing the Tyne. Our house was the east end one.
