johndawsonjune1955

With the years i spent on this research i would like to think i got my opinion spot on. Jocker never knew his wife was having an affair with another man locally. She had plans to leave Jocker and go back to America and set up a lodging house again with her new lover. Jocker never knew about her lover. Infact, he never knew she was also planning to go back to America unitl he got a letter from her saying. He replied not to go back by herself. or similar words) Now this put me to this, she was taking the money and he was unaware of this. He didn't need to steel money he was well off and had over £300 in savings. A fortune by todays standards. His wife was to leave him for another man and took this money i believe. Now Jocker said in his letter to her that it would take £30 to set up. Yet over £40 was missing. That might be to get them over, set up and a few bob left. The killing i think were a blessing for her as with Jocker to be hanged it left her to go to America. She did with her new man and the three kids. It never worked out and she returned a few years later, but the kids never returned with her. She landed up in the workhouse. During the murders another winchester was found. Thats two weapons now. Did Jocker do the three killings by himself ? Did he kill Mrs Grice ? Maybe his wife did ? Just remember Jocker said he couldn't remember anything. It was said he looked like a wild man If his wife did kill Mrs Grice, he would not have remembered. He said he could not remember the killings. They were his friend he said, That was only the two policemen mind you, not Mrs Grice Its interesting to review this story and i had my opinions for a few years now. I have met family of Jocker too. He was tried on Sgt Barton only. Not the other two when at court Nothing was mentioned in court of the second weapon. Nothing was done when Joe Potter was told the fire his weapon in the culvery injuring Jocker. A senior police officer saying to a civillian to discharge his weapon on someone. Wrong it was. Just after 1925, when Newcastle Gaol was to be demolished all the bodies of murderers had to be exhumed and special permission granted from the home office. Two coffins were empty on inspection. I guess we all know what happened there. In those days it was common. The remainder were buried under darkness in Jesmond Cemetary in unmarked graves. Not so i say. The murderers did wrong in life and paid the ultimate for it with their lives. But someone had the common decency to carve a cross on a tree where they were buried in the cemetary. That shows you the help i got and how deep i got involved in this. I will never show anyone where they are buried as a part of Jockers family know where it is, as i showed them and i promised never to reveal it to anone else. I left it to them if they wanted any other members of the family to know. BTW, Jockers body was in his coffin. I had some good reliable help and can not reveal my contacts as i promised them. However, with their help i got to do this story and polish it off. I feel for Jocker, i also feel for those that lost their lives on that tragic day and their families as i have met family of all those murdered throughout my research. I still believe he did not recall the murders as he said. Infact in one of his letters to a Mr Fuller of Glebe Road he is writting about going out with his friends to do some fishing and shooting. Now that is a strange thing. It prooves he was in and out of some mental state. That is to me anyway, many may disagree, but i would like to think i am an expert on this story as i have spent years researching. Yes, it was one tragic day in the history of Bedlington and Northumberland, a dark day indeed. 100 years in April and we still talk about it and people are still fascinated by it. You want to see rare pics, and the story as a book to read online go to our website, its a fascinating read. Our webmaster has put it all up and Jockers letters from prison, death certificate, and petition all on line. http://www.sixtownships.org.uk its in our archives at the top of the home page and we are including other murders over the coming weeks and our forum is up and running as of today. Have a look and support your local history groups site on the forum.

Bills mam is a lovely lass. I don't know if shes still alive, but a lovely lass indeed and a keen interest in history of our area. My wife was in the kitchens at Cleasewell Hill and he liked a good helping did Bill. He liked his puddings too. I think he drinks in the Sun Inn, Bedlington, and that was the last time i seen him.

Tony. i got a book on the co-op movement a one from Bedlington, i think its a centenary book. or maybe 50 years, but its inone of my storage boxes. It gives a good insight into the co-op and your spot on with what you quote. There is another interesting book i was reading from the library. ( the peoples store) a fantastic book on the co-op and different areas are in this edition. Superb it is i think i got it from Bedlington Library Tony. If you are interested in the co-op its a must-read

Interesting quote. I worked down the mines for many years. I would like to think it was pitpatic i spoke when underground. I still use the twang as "Gannin te smaal coal" Is this pitmatck or Northumbrian ? I would say its pitmatick or to debate this, is it a mixture of Pitmatic and Northumbrian then ? Either way the two men talkin about grumbling (Te two men taakin aboot grumblin) is pitmatic in my book. But its still good to keep this alive aint it ? How many know what "Gannin te smaal coal" means ? There are many of pitmatic terms i can use and still do, as i can with the spelling. But maybe there could be a slight mixture these days. Either way its good to read and i still believe its pitmatic. Thats without getting into an argument, as i have some very rare stories i can quote from over 120 years back. Rare diaries written in Pitmatic. But (Not red arroond yit) (Ye tell mair lees then a collry pollis) to me are Pitmatic terms. Maggie and i are on about Pitmatic and i quoted a story written in Pitmatic. Howweh man, ya standing there like a broken pair of limbars is another Pitmatik saying Pitmatically written, mind theres a cracking word (Pitmatically) it should be " Ya stanin theere like a pair of broken limmars) So hopefully we can see what Maggie and i are "Taakin abbot) here now. Now, to put it a little more simpler, even using Pitmatic words can be slightly differently spelt. However, getting back, do you think that Pitmatic and Northumbrian may have got mixed a little ? Thats a good question, but Wilma, your Pitmatic is sadly Pitmatic terms. Can you see where i am coming from here now. Mind you Wilma " I hev redd mene a cannch" Maybe just like you. Crallin alang the langwall i had many a middin to work on. But mind you "Many wor lyke a pallis" I hope this clears it up now, and lets get on with (waat) Maggie is askin (aboot) cheers all its a pleasure to be involved on History Hollow and love what i read always and the debates are always interesting.

There is a super DVD called The Giant Steps Out on the Ace of Spades at Stobswood. Can't put my hands on it. However mu uncle alfie worked at the big geordie site, i will see if he hasa anything on it for us , fingers crossed.Hope i find that Ace of Spades, its bugging me now, wonder if i borrowed it out to someone and never got it back ?

That must be the 1950s as the opencast was working that area out.I will link some of the footage of that dragline at work very soon. Cracking old pic that is too Maggie Its nice to see rare pics than the ones that keep doing the rounds these days. However, there all nice to look back on.

Right Tony. Thats interesting to know. Wonder what i can find out about it. Thanks for that.

who wrote that m8 ?

here is the pic of joe craddock. its from the news post leader when he got his award.

Hardly had the clocks announced the fatal hour, when a bell from within the gaol tolled, and the crowd knew. Most of the crowd dispersed, but many remained, and were augmented towards half past eight. No official notification had been given about the execution from within save the tolling, but at 8.32 am the Under Sheriff left in company with Mr. Walter Golding, his chief clerk. The Under Sheriff notified to the press reporters how bravely Amos had met his death, and how expeditiously and well the gruesome task had been carried out. Amos had been hanged he said, precisely at eight o clock. He had been handed over to the executioner at one minute to the hour, and there was practically no distance to walk. At five minutes to nine a form of declaration was hung outside the prison gates by the Under Sheriff and Governor stating, "That sentence of death was this day executed on John Vickers Amos, in His Majesty's Prison at Newcastle on Tyne in our presence.†Accompanying this document was the certificate from the prison surgeon recording that on examination "I found the said John Vickers Amos was dead.†Well thats it for you. However go to the sixtownships website http://www.sixtownships.org.uk Go to our archives / Bedlington and click on the Sun Inn Murder and the whole story with rare photographs and original letters written by Amos, death certificate and more is all for you to view.

Outside the prison a large crowd of people awaited with grim patience the death of Amos. The police arrangements were perfect, as no one was permitted in the lane to the rear of the prison, where at past executions a dull thud had signalled the drawn bolt from the trapdoors. For this time the trapdoors was so muffled that no sound could penetrate the massive walls. Also never had so strict a rule been issued that no one , except those compelled by duty should see the execution. As eight o clock drew near the people were waiting, many of them with watches in their hands for the chimes of the Cathedral clock. A solitary horn at a nearby factory gave the first audible signal. Around the prison a thousand people waited quietly. A second after the horn sounded came the chimes and then the boom of the bell. Amos took his stand on the fatal trapdoor, without any hesitation at all and never spoke, then the final preparations were speedily made. The assistant, Willis, quickly fixed the ankle straps, while Pierrepont, having dexterously passed the white cap over the doomed mans head, adjusted the rope around his neck. The executioner then stepped quickly to one side and suddenly drew the bolt, and the body of Amos then disappeared into the pit below, Amos met his death bravely.

Amos arose early on Tuesday morning, the day of his execution, and was attended by the chaplain, the Rev W T. Lumley, who prayed with him much longer than was customary. For the first time since the death sentence was passed at the Assizes on July 3rd, Amos dressed himself in the clothes in which he was arrested. He had a light breakfast, and spent his last moments in earnest devotion, and when the Under Sheriff, Mr. Percy Corder, presented himself, Amos appeared to be calm and resigned and ready to meet his fate. Thomas W. Pierrepont of Bradford with his assistant, Arthur Willis, of Manchester, who had spent the night at the prison, had taken their places on either side of the corridor leading to the cell of the condemned man. As the warders opened the door and led Amos out they quietly took possession of him and pinioned his arms from behind. In the final procession the chaplain led the way reading the burial service. He was followed by the Under Sheriff, Amos walked without any assistance between two warders, two executioners and the governor of the gaol, Mr Henry John Hellier, with the prison doctor, Dr. W. Hardcastle, bringing up the rear Without any delay, the procession passed along the few feet of corridor, down a step or so, and round an angle of the great building. From here through the open doors of a building resembling a coach house the scaffold could be seen. Close beside the scaffold was the open grave in which Amos was to be buried, adjacent to it was the grave of the last culprit who was hanged at the gaol.

His Lordship continues. Your crime seems to me to have been somewhat aggravated by the additional killing of the two other persons, namely, Police Constable Mussell and Mrs Grice. For the particular crime of which you have been in fact now convicted, the law provides one sentence and one sentence only. His Lordship then passed sentence of death. Amos received the sentence quite calmly and as he left for the cells below he waved his hand to some friends sitting behind. Mr Freedman asked permission for the prisoner's father and brother to have an interview with the condemned man before he was removed, and his Lordship, granted the application. After the sentence of death had been passed on Amos at Newcastle Assizes, he was then to Newcastle gaol. He was then placed in charge of two warders, who remained with him until the next morning. A change of warders then took place. Amos was very quiet in his demeanour, as he had been throughout the period of imprisonment.

His Lordship concluded by saying that a sympathy with the prisoner was, perhaps, a laudable thing, he did not say whether it was or not, but they must not forget after all, the widows and children of all the persons who had been killed. They must not be guided in any way by their sympathy with the prisoner, neither, he suggested, should they be guided by any sympathy with the relations of the men killed. They must not be guided by sympathy, but by commonsense and sense of duty. They must carefully and dispassionately consider the verdict. The jury then retired, and after eight minutes, returned with a verdict of, "Guilty of wilful murder.†Amos was then asked if he had anything to say why sentence of death should not be passed on him, the prisoner replied, "I don't remember anything. They were good friends of mine.†In passing sentence, his Lordship said. Prisoner at the bar you have after careful consideration by the jury, been convicted of a cruel murder of a police sergeant, who appears to have given to his important duties and executed them with much zeal and discretion, as well as courage. Those qualities were certainly exhibited in a very marked degree in the endeavour to do his duty on this day.

The judge in summing up the evidence, said that when they came to consider the circumstances of Sgt Barton's death, it was quite plain that if the prisoner was not insane, the killing of Sgt Barton was a murder. Mr Waugh did not suggest anything of the contrary, but rested the whole of his defence upon the state of mind of the prisoner, by which he sought to evade what was the ordinary presumption of law, that every man was responsible for his own acts, and must be deemed to contemplate the consequences of his own acts. They had to consider whether to be satisfied that he was suffering from a defect of reason so that he did not know what the nature and quality of the act was. Dealing with this point, his Lordship asked whether the jury could accept the statement that the fact, that Mr Irons had told the prisoner in substance that the deposit had been forfeited was such a matter as to unhinge the man's mind to the extent to which the law required it to unhinge. He also pointed out that they had not had the assistance of a medical gentleman to tell them what the effect of the two explosions in America had had upon Amos's mind. The defence had referred to the purposeless of the murders, and the prosecution suggested that the prisoner had determined to shoot Mr Irons, and for that purpose prevented Mrs Amos from taking the gun out of the house. The murder of Mrs Grice, said the commissioner, remained a mystery. While Mr Waugh relied on that as confirmation of the statement made by the prisoner that he in such a state of frenzy and excitement as to not know what he was doing, the prisoner was in a state of control when he allowed Mrs Craggs to depart. He appeared to have lit a cigarette. Did that show that the alleged frenzy and excitement under which it was suggested he was suffering was not of the aggravated character which the prisoner would seek them to believe he was in.

You will have to enlighten me here Tony.Where was it ?

it was 1949 i have only two photocopy pics. not very good, but give you an idea of the crash site.

Pic from 1936

Very true indeed Maggie. You got it spot on. And the Queen Victoria bit is a classic that not many know. We should try and get something put together on Bedlington and the railways. It has always seemed to me that railway historiand have took Bedlington for granted and not recorded enough. We could proove to them we shpuld really be and get our heritage recognised more. We have so many great pionerrs connected to Bedlington. Well said again Maggie.

The Oval shops. 1960s i think. Looks like that anyway.

Here you go Maggie my first installment on a twang we may not hear much of in years to come in this part of the woods. Two Men Talk About Grumbling Duologue On Dark Days & Nights Geordie and Jack drew up their chairs to the fire. It was a cold night and a black one, but there was a cheerful glow in the old pub. The two men had a long established friendship. They also liked to argue and it was a tradition observed by the rest of the company that they should be left alone. As usual Jack opened the battle. "Aa see that sum o' wor big men are taakin about dark days that cum on top o' the dark neets we've got noo, Whaat's the idea Geordie ?†"Wey, Jack, Aa divvent pretend t knaa mair than the next man but Aa've been deein a bit of thinkin aboot things, an Aa think Aa can whaat's in thor minds.†"Oot wiv it then†barked Jack. "Ye see†Geordie went on. "Ye see us, like th' gov'ment expect hell t' be let loose when th' war started. We'd been warned ennuff aboot it afore.†"Oh Aa nivvor believed it,†said Jack. "Ye waddent, but then ye nivvor believe owt till ivorybody else is convinced.†Jack grinned. "Gan on wi th' tale then.†Geordie said: "Blitzkrieg, th Germans call it. It means a lightin' war. Sor o' medicin they guv Poland.†Jack: Aa admit that; but us is not th' Poles.†Geordie: No, but th' enimy paraded thoosan's o' airyplanes, tanks an' a couple million soljers, just t' back Hitlor's threet tiv us if we tried t' put a chock in his game o' gobblin' up little countries.†Jack: "That's aall varry weel, but nowt much has happened on th' land as yit.†No wait a minnit. Aa admit we've had a lot t' dee at see an it's been dune th' reet way, an aal. God bless wor sailor lads.†Geordie: "Aa wasan't ganna contridict. In fact, Aa agree wi' a lot ye've said. But ma point is that people in this toon an aall owe the cuntry are getting t' act as if th' was wass sumthin' that didn't concern thum.†Jack: Aye, but we like a bit grumble, ye knaa.†Geordie: Thor's nee objection wi yor grumbles si lang as thor not serius. We'll hev anuther taak aboot such things as rationin, prices, evacuation an' lots o' uther things people are fond o' complainin' aboot.†Jack: "Aa'll leuk forward t' thum.†Geordie: But for this tyme lets just say whaat Aa started oot t' say. Wor not havin a bad tyme heor at hyem, when ye remembor thor's a war on. Thor's many a family mournin loved one alriddy. That' alone ought t' myek us pull up a bit afore startin' t' grumble. Then wor leeders af aa'll partees say dark days may be comin. Aa think th' meen we must nivvor forget that th' big ordeel hes still t be tackled. Wastin' tyme grumblin' is nee wat t' keep fit t' meet trouble.†Jack: "Whaat yor tryin t' say is that we shud try t' myke th' best o' things.†Geordie: Aye, that's aboot it.†Jack: Not a bad idea, th' way ye put it.â€

My wife was at Westridge and has no pics from school. Very unfortunate. She is Janette Charlton. Can anyone help. She was born in July 1960 Someone may be able to help, fingers crossed.

Its the Doctor Pit around 1967. Got the same pic and exact date too. Will check it out as soon as i finish the Sun Inn murder story. BTW, a good quality pic this is, better than mine. Could i replace mine with this ? Lets know. cheers

Look in the stories and archives. Many Bedlingtonshire stories to read.

Here is a Marley story covered by Sixtownships . Hope it is of use The Life and Times of George Marley of Bedlington Standing up to the waist in water for 13 hours a day and never seeing daylight from one week-end to another. That's an example of the typical mining conditions of over 110 years ago. The memories are from a then 83 year old, Mr. George Marley, of 9a Allgood Terrace, Bedlington. "Bah†he said. "The miners today [1939] are gentlemen. There were no eight hour shifts when I was a lad and I often had to work in flooded places and walk home soaked to the skin.†During his 61 years at the Dr. Pit, Bedlington, this veteran filled the majority of jobs connected with the colliery. He was born in Bedlington in 1856, and started work on the heap at the age of ten. In his working career he broke almost every bone in his body and lost the sight of one eye, but he still thought that that the modern conditions had not brought down the number of accidents within the mines. However, Mr. Marley's chief claim to fame was through his love of music. He possessed a powerful tenor voice and was choirmaster at the Church of Christ for over 60 years. His musical career started at the age of seven when he was one of the first to join a juvenile drum and pipe band founded at Bebside by a popular local musician Mr. Harry Graham. The band used to hold their meetings in an old stable at Bebside and toured the district playing at dances and concerts. While a boy, he joined the choir of the old Free Methodist Church at Bedlington, later to take charge of the choir. He was an accomplished pianist and flutist and had a useful knowledge of orchestration and composition. One of his proudest achievements was recorded in 1937 by his pupil, Miss Spratt of Cambois who secured her L.R.A.M. certificate when only 13 years old. His niece, Miss Nancy Marley, who moved to Australia, had a fine contralto voice. She made numerous tours of the northern concert platforms and even broadcasted several times on B.B.C. She also was an announcer on Australian radio. Mr. Marley had been a Good Templar all his life, and had also been a committee member of the Bedlington Co-operative Society for over 40 years. More stories at our website http://www.sixtownships.org.uk