East Cleveland Image Archive

Hope and prosper band is their full name and it says 1903 the date it was taken. Thanks go again to Eric Johnson.

It tells on the photo where it was taken but I don’t know when do you?
(another one from Eric Johnson thank you)

Owen sent us this set of photos of people from New Skelton.  He guesses that they were taken in the late 1920s to mid 1930s, and were linked to the Methodist Chapel that stood below William Street.  He believes that the photos were taken on outings, probably organised by Miss Tippett who was a stalwart of the chapel.  He recognises a few people from his Sunday School days, but they were much younger when these pictures were taken.  He went to school with some of their children.

This happy group are pictured on a local beach.

Back row:  Miss Tippett, ??, ??, Mrs.Speck, Mrs.Yates, Mrs.Fowler

Middle row:  ??, ??, ??, ??, Mrs.Ethel Green, Mrs. Codling

Front row:  Ellen Rooks, ??, ??, ??, ??

This photograph was most likely taken on the same outing as the previous one.  Many of the same people are also in this picture.  It looks like Kettleness in the background on the right.

Back row:  ??, ??, ??, Mrs.Speck, Mrs.Yates, Mrs.Fowler

Middle row:  ??, Miss Tippett,  ??, Mrs.Green, Mrs.Codling, ??

Front row:  ??, ??, ??, ??, ??

Owen thinks this photograph of the group’s outing on a sunny day was taken near Guisborough, but isn’t sure where.

Standing at the back:  ??, ??

Back row:  ??, Mrs. Codling, Mrs. Green, Mrs. Speck, ??, ??

Front row:  ??, ??, Elsie Johnson, Ellen Rooks, ??

Foreground:  ??

Thanks to Owen Rooks for the photos and information.

(photo courtesy of Derick Pearson.)

Do you remember the picture of the little boy on the cart in an earlier post? This is him all grown up! I’ll let Norman tell the story in his own words:
”This is a ”Holiday Snap” of Lawrence and Mary Todd. It was taken in Paignton in 1948!

After their marriage they live in Richard Street then William Street, North Skelton, before moving to a new bungalow, Auld Reekie, in Saltburn Lane. Lawrence worked at North Skelton Mine throughout his working life until it closed. (I think in the 50’s). He became the Check Weigh man, which I think is synonymous with being the local Union Representative? Later in his life he took an active interest in local politics and was an elected councillor. Lawrence died in 1957 and his wife in 1967 aged 65 and 71 respectively.”

Yes, I know Paignton is nowhere near Loftus – but North Skelton is!  Anyway I like the angle Norman is taking with these photos – keep watching!

Who the devil is George Todd I hear you ask!  Well I’ll let Norman Patton tell you in his own words -

”George Todd travelled to North Skelton with his parents and several brothers from Rillington near Malton around 1870. They took up residence at No 17, Richard Street and, of course, found work in the local pit. This can all be verified by examining the 1891 census for Skelton. George’s dad had been a platelayer, probably connected with the new railway construction, and George himself had an unsurprising affinity with horses which helped him to find his first job at the pit as a horse driver.

In the picture, George is about 40 years old and it can be seen from the writing on the cart that he is a Coal Merchant operating his own business out of 20 Sandringham Street in Scarborough. He is also married and has a daughter who would be about 8 years old. The picture was taken in 1900 and the lad is Lawrence Todd, George’s nephew, who would have been holidaying with his Aunt and Uncle George. In the 1901 census, Lawrence aged 9 is living at 17 Richard Street with his other uncle and his grandmother.

Lawrence eventually began work in the North Skelton mine and eventually became the ”Check weigh man”, Union man and subsequently a Skelton Town Councillor.

Sadly, George’s wife died young and possibly in childbirth. George struggled with his business and young daughter and soon returned to Cleveland and back to the pit!”

Those of you who know me well enough know that I have a passion for Family History and one of the axioms I keep preaching is that Family History must tell a story.  I was taken by this photograph (which I have made younger only by removing some of the browning that age causes) and by Norman’s storyline.  So I make no apologies for reproducing it in full – it gives a fascinating insight into a beautiful photograph!  Has anybody else got a localish photograph with a story to tell?  If you can’t tell the story yourself, tell me and I’ll weave the story round the image for you.  Comments please!