of its use. The famous clock was moved to Wylam Hall, and there it remains, a monument of ^the ingenuity of a man, who, had he received the correct training, would have produced, we know not what.
Thus, through cruel circumstances, do wonderful brains go to the grave without being tapped of their wonderful resources.
I had many escapades in Wylam, from being rescued floating on my back down the Tyne, to climbing to the top of the large [popup_anything id=”1902″]above Wylam; untill I was about 7 years of age, when we moved to South Shields.
1882 South Shields
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] [popup_anything id=”1900″]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 [popup_anything id=”2339″]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.
Feb 1889
My father worked at Ashington, Pegswood not working at the time.
I went to [popup_anything id=”2337″]untill I was thirteen years of age, and then started work at Ashington as a [popup_anything id=”2336″]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. Well that fixed my destiny, but I know I should never have been a miner.
Well at fourteen years of age, I started work at Pegswood which had just opened up after being idle thirteen years.