Canny lass

Derek Johnstone 1946 - 2022 It is with a great deal of sadness that I recently learned of the passing away of a valued member of this forum. Derek Johnstone, better known to us as ’Rigger’, is no longer with us. I first met Derek when he and I entered class JR1 at Westridge Secondary Modern School in Bedlington about 1959. I remember him there as a rather quiet, well mannered and very intelligent teenager who was very well liked and respected by pupils and teachers alike. He was a good classmate and I can’t remember Derek ever being in trouble for misbehaviour of any kind. I have particularly fond personal memories of being helped by Derek when struggling with the intricacies and mysteries of ’tech drawing’ which in my naivety I’d chosen to embark upon instead of needlework. He had the patience of a saint. It wasn’t just in the academic subjects he made his mark, Derek, a keen sportsman played football for the school team and went on to devote many hours of his time in training and matches with Bedlington Juniors where he was goalkeeper (pictured below in the scchool team, top row, 3rd from left). He became a keen golfer in later years, so his love of sport had clearly remained with him. After leaving school Derek became an electrician working first in his native Bedlington, at the Doctor Pit, before moving to the coalfields of Yorkshire then South Africa before returning to the UK to take up the very responsible position of overseeing safety in the Aberdeen Offshore Oil Industry. He remained in Aberdeen until his death. Derek was a family man. His marriage to New Delaval girl, Patricia (Pat) Brown, gave him three lovely sons: Kristian, Julian and Graeme. Tragically, Pat died very young leaving Derek to shoulder not only his grief but also that of the children and the responsibility for their upbringing. He seems to have done a remarkable job with Kristian now living and working in Dubai, Graeme living and working in Thailand (seemingly having followed in his father’s footseps in the offshore industry) and Julian living and working in Belfast. Derek did remarry but, sadly, once again a caring role was suddenly thrust upon him when his second wife, Irean, developed Alzheimers disease. After many, many years my path crossed again with Derek’s when he became ’Rigger’ a member of this forum. Rigger was not a frequent visitor but his posts were always informative and interesting, sharing valuable knowledge of people and places in and around Bedlington. Helpful as ever, he’d never forgotten his Bedlingtonian roots. Even in other areas of the Internet, Derek has left an an enormous legacy to anyone having have roots in Bedlington. His work ’Bedlington Soldiers Who Died in the Great War: Summaries of the brave soldiers from Bedlington and the surrounding area who did not return from the 1914 – 1918 War’ is a one-man masterpiece. (http://www.newmp.org.uk/memimages//05.%20Enlistment%20Project%20Compiled%20Version.pdf) It is, I’m sure, the result of years of patient research and writing on his part paying homage to the brave men of Bedlington who gave their lives in the Great War. I also know that this work was a tribute to his grandfather whom he loved and admired. It is not just an essay, it is a work of academic standard well worth a read and a valuable source of information to those, like myself, researching family history. Last year, Derek was diagnosed with an aggressive and inoperable brain cancer to which he succumbed after only five months. He died in November 2022 aged 76 years. His person has been described to me by his life-long friend David Cowans as ”a friendly boy and a nice man” who ”had a positive manner and a genuine, easy-going charm”. I cannot other than agree. Thank you for your contribution. Rest in Peace Rigger. Thank you to Derek’s brother Ray, David Cowans, and Glynis Lynn who have provided me with information and photos.

Hi Heather, welcome to the forum. Nesbitt has been a fairly common name in Bedlington, Netherton and Cramlington. It's popped up often during my research. Can you say anything more about Thomas: date of birth or parents names are always a good start. Do you know his place of birth or his occupation?

Even more late .. but hpe it was a happy one for all of you!

That's not a bad suggestion, Tony. Thanks.

.... tanker?

That could be an interesting rummage in the deep, dark cellars of the English language in particular and of Bedlington history in general! Challenge accepted!!

Now you're giving your age away!

.... and it looks like she's a very good one! Looks almost too good to eat! Am I missing something about Newcastle Utd?

This is more exciting than Dallas and Falcon Crest put together! (Yes, I know, I'm giving my age away there!)

Thanks HPW! I've still got a few gaps to fill on the Hedley tree so I'll be having a look at Eddie and Phil to see what i can find out.

There's hope yet, then?

Such a pity - no roots in Cramlington or Bebside. Hope you didn't mind me asking. ... and welcome to the forum.

Hello @SouthernGeordie, I'm always interested in the name Hedley. I don't suppose you have any roots in Cramlington or Bebside?

Thank heavens for that bit of good news! I know it can be tough when your nearest and dearest is in ill-health but don'y forget to make time for yourself. It's important.

Well, that went downhill at a fair rate of knots! It's just 6 months since they were shouting about the first material being delivered and now it's all over.

Can you just confirm that you got my message with 2 pages of info? I have conflicting info here and in messages, both sent 1 hour ago.

Perhaps we are talking about two different things! I'm talking about the messaging service on this site, not e-mail. It's the top of this page you should be looking at. let me know if you don't find it and i'll see if one of our members can help you.

Top of the page, right hand corner you will see a small, black bell and a black envelope. Click on the envelope and a list of your messages will appear. Click on my message to open it. Once opened, you can click on the two attached pages I've sent you.

I should mention, that the info on page 2 relates directly to Mary Ann Giles, but the rest is common to all mentioned on page 1.

@Linray I've sent you the information I mentioned earlier.

Hi again @Linray, I'm afraid I don't have the census return from 1921 for your father, only a transcript of it as I access the 1921 census through a friend. I'll send the transcript to you but it also contains a few of my 'scribbles'. From info gleaned from my friend, your grandmother, Jane Isabella, seems to have married (Lavery, living Stakeford) and in 1921 has one daughter, Daisy. She thinks that Mary (full name Mary Alice Cropp Giles) was adopted by a couple in Blyth, surname Francis. 'Cropp' is probably the father's name just as Forster is the father's name in the Giles family. This was very common practice. You will see on the 1921 census transcript that even Mary Ann Giles has had a name added - Cavagin - and this is probably her father's name. This should give you a few streets to go down in your search. I'll scan the 21 transcript and get it off to you some time today.

Hi @Linray If you go back to the posts of July last year you'll find that I researched Forster Giles for you then and found what I believed may be the family you were looking for in Bebside Furnace. There was no ”Forster Giles” in the 1911 census but the head of the household, a widower, and his 17 year old son both had the surname Giles. Living in the same dwelling was Isabella Forster, widow, housekeeper to the afore mentioned. There were also 6 ”boarders” ranging in age from 3 to 16. The two oldest borders also had the surname Giles and I presumed these to be Isabella’s children. The remaining 4 boarders aged 3 to 12 also had the surname Giles but had been given the middle name Forster. I presumed then, rightly or wrongly, that these were the result of ’extra- curricular’ housekeeping duties – a not uncommon practice at the time, if surnames in the area are anything to go by. The 21 census is indeed available and there I can see that family has moved to Bedlington Station and is recorded as living at at 27 B(ack) Clayton Street, Bedlington (Station). The head of the household in 1911, Robert Forster, for whom Isabella Giles was a housekeeper, is not there. He may have died or Isabella may have moved. Isabella, now the head of the household, is still recorded as a widow, but it may be that she is now a widow for the second time ,if she had married Robert Forster in the intervening 10 years. Of the six ”boarders” in 1911, the oldest girl, now about 26 years is not recorded and neither is the oldest boy, now about 22 years old. They may be married or working away from home which was common. The remaining four, all single and now aged 14, 15, 16 and 24 are resident and their relationship to Isabella now becomes clear as all are recorded as sons and daughters of Isabella, which suggests my theory on paternity may just be correct. There is also an addition to the family which will certainly be of interest to you - Forster Giles, born Bebside, aged 5 years is recorded as Isabella’s grandson. He bears the surname Giles, having Forster as a first name. He may be the illegitimate son of Mary Ann Giles, 24, still single, living with her mother and working as a brick maker ath the Bedlington Station brickworks. He may also be the legitimate son of any of Isabella’s sons visiting his grandmother, Hope this helps.

There are many ways to skin a cat! My OH, the first one, has taken off his hat and is bowing reverently to a fellow Aberlour admirer!

Fantastic photos. Don't think I've seen any of them before!