The Winstanleys of the Hartlepool Headland

Ancestors of John Seymour Winstanley (1897 – 1967)

John Seymour Winstanley with Wife Laurena and Eldest Son Ronald

Researched and written by his Grand-daughter Elaine Laurena Bell (2012)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 - FIRST IMPRESSIONS ...... 4

CHAPTER 2 - MISLEADING ...... 5

CHAPTER 3 - PERCY STANLEY ...... 7

CHAPTER 4 - MISSING ...... 8

CHAPTER 5 - MEASLES...... 9

CHAPTER 6 - THE BIBLE ...... 11

CHAPTER 7 - NORTHGATE ...... 14

CHAPTER 8 - COUNCILLOR AND ALDERMAN ...... 18

CHAPTER 9 - ST HILDA’S CHURCH ...... 23

CHAPTER10 - CATHERINE SEYMOUR ...... 25

CHAPTER 11 - THE FINAL PROOF ...... 10

CHAPTER 12 - A BOX OF TREASURES ...... 26 Appendix 1: Letters ...... 29 Appendix 2: Other Documentation ...... 38

A collection of ageing, tea-coloured letters and folded birth, marriage and death certificates. Kept safely bundled up together for a lifetime, almost forgotten. Echoes from long dead and distant relatives. These letters provide a snapshot in time of my Winstanley ancestors over 100 years ago, and are the key to tracing back further to reveal events of the past .

CHAPTER 1 – FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I would imagine that my Grandmother Laurena was the one who kept all of the household papers and documents filed away. These letters belonged to her mother-in-law Florence who was the recipient of most of them, and written at a time before Laurena was born. I am grateful that she kept them safe. It took time to understand the thread of each letter and to identify precisely who the sender and recipient in each was, in essence they speak of welcoming a long lost son home and of embracing into the family his hitherto unknown wife and family. (See Appendix).

Dear Sister, We are all pleased to know we have a new sister and to think for so long we did not know. We were all so pleased and surprised to see our long lost brother. Mother got a terrible shock she didn’t know him, he

has so altered, but of course its such a long time since we saw him, and the little ones is the greatest treat of all.....

The family from Hartlepool were clearly pleased to reconnect with their son and brother after what seems like a very long absence. One of the ‘little ones’ referred to in this letter was my Grandfather John Seymour who was aged three at the time. After reading the letters repeatedly it became clear that the long lost son and brother was my Grandfathers Father Robert, this letter had been written by Roberts younger sister Alice to his wife Florence welcoming her to the family even though she had been married to him for six years already.

CHAPTER 2 - MISLEADING

Clearly at some point and for some reason, Robert made a journey from Sheffield where he worked as a blacksmith to Hartlepool to be re-united with his family. It seems that his wife and family stayed at home whilst he made this visit. Home at this time for my Grandfather John Seymour, his siblings and parents lived at 14 Furnace Hill in Sheffield. (Fig 1)

Figure 1 - Furnace Hill, Sheffield, Circa 1900

The Census of 1901 however was confusing, there was no Winstanley family listed, but there was a family of Stanley’s all with the correct forenames, various cross-checks have proved that this is indeed the correct family, surprisingly the Census shows that my Grandfather also had a sister called Alice that none of John’s family seem to have known about.

Fig 2: Extract from 1901 Census

A cross-check of the Census from ten years earlier also showed a childless couple Robert and Florence Stanley. My mother remembers her father John Seymour telling her about the house on Furnace Hill. It had a steep staircase, people used to come to the house to play musical

instruments and sing, John and his brother Percy amused themselves during these times by throwing a tailors dummy down the stairs onto the people below.

Fig 3: Extract of 1891 Census

So clearly Robert and Florence had called themselves Stanley’s for at least ten years from one Census to the next. It can also be seen that although Robert and Florence claim to be married, their marriage certificate proves that they were not married until 3 years after this Census was taken. They had misled the enumerator twice on this Census night.

It may go some way in explaining these lies to learn that their first child Percy was born in 1891, the year of the Census and therefore three years before they Figure 4 - Back of Houses on Furnace Hill were married. I remember Laurena my Grandmother telling me the popular story that Robert had been so drunk when he went to register the birth of his first son that he slurred his words and couldn’t pronounce the name Winstanley properly so Percy ended up with the surname of Stanley.

I ordered Percy’s birth certificate from the General Records Office to find out if this story could be true. The birth certificate gives the name of the person who has registered the birth, the ‘notifier’. Upon opening the envelope I was surprised to see that Florence was the person who had registered Percy and who had given the surname as Stanley.

The facts show that the family consistently used the name of Stanley, only after Percy had been born and after Robert and Florence had been married did they begin to name their subsequent children with the Winstanley surname. The fact that Florence officially registered her first born son with an incorrect surname, a lie that she knew the child would have to bear for the rest of its life, is mystifying to me. For me it questions whether Florence was even aware that the name Stanley was false. It also indicates that at some point a ‘conversation’ must have been had which put the correct surname Winstanley back on official record from that point. What would motivate you to change your surname? Did someone make up the story about Robert being drunk in order to explain the discrepancy to the children in the future? It looked like the plan worked, but irritatingly we’ll probably never know the reason for it.

CHAPTER 3 - PERCY STANLEY

As Percy and John grew up and married they saw less of each other, visiting only occasionally with their families. John’s daughter Irene remembers playing in their back garden with her Cousins and their chickens. That is all we had of Percy, not a single photograph or anything else to trace him with.

Out of interest I posted a couple of things on local discussion forums just to see if anyone had known the Stanley family, in particular Percy. Months later I was contacted by Kirsten Swift, Percy’s Great Grand-daughter. Kirsten had been researching her family tree and had found that she couldn’t trace any further back than Percy. Of course having a surname different to his parents had put a block on her research.

We spent a lovely afternoon discussing the family and I was able to give Kirsten all of the information she needed to fill in the gaps on Percy and she shared all of the information she had gathered about Percy. Percy had clearly kept his surname and it carried on being passed to his ten children and down to successive generations.

Fig - Alice daughter of Percy and Fanny

Many months later however another distant relative contacted me with a picture of Percy and Fanny. It has been digitised and heavily enhanced but at least we have an image of him now. Is it fair to mention that my Grandma Laurena used to refer to Percy’s wife as ‘Fat Ass Fanny’? I mention this not to be cruel but as an example of the wicked sense of humour my Grandma had. I also defend myself by trying to record everything that is remembered of these generations of the Winstanleys and their relatives. She never held back did Laurena Winstanley, once remarking at a wedding that she couldn’t hear and ‘should have brought my knitting’. As a child I remember watching the surrounding family shaking their shoulders and trying to stifle their laughter.

CHAPTER 4 - MISSING

The bundle of letters reveal that Florence and the children had received a warm welcome from their in-laws in Stockton and Hartlepool, in addition to the cycling mad Alice, two other sisters Ada and Jinny had also written to Florence to extend their friendship. Three months later however, in July 1901 the tone had changed and Jinny wrote the following letter to Florence.

We know nothing about him we are all very sorry for you it was very wrong of him to leave you in the manner he did. Da and Ma were very much put about in the way Robert has acted.

There are no further explanations in any of the documents about the reasons for Robert’s disappearance. However a happier letter to Florence written by Robert’s sister Alice ten months later congratulates Florence on the birth of baby Lily Maria. This was a second sister to John Seymour that his descendants were not aware of.

The letters end at this point in 1902, the shutter closes on the personal stories within this generation of the family at that time.

The bundle of documents include a marriage certificate from 1921 which records the marriage of Florence (a widow) to John Lynaugh. Florence died in 1948 in Sheffield’s Fir Vale Infirmary. At the age of 76 she had been suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. My Mother remembers that she constantly carried around and played with dollies, however the golliwog she had was never allowed to sit with the other dollies. Florence was buried in the Roman Catholic section of Shiregreen Cemetery along with her second husband John.

It was unclear from the documents when and how Robert had died and what had happened to Florence and the family between 1902 and her re-marriage in 1921. I began research to try to fill in these missing details.

CHAPTER 5 - RESEARCH

In researching the family I have relied heavily on the internet for my factual information. For months I had tried to find out about Roberts death, what had happened to him and when? How long after his death did Florence marry her second husband? It was one late winter evening while trying to answer these questions that I came across two names in a burial register from 1903.

WINSTANLEY, Alice (Child, age 3). Died at 3ct Queens Row; Buried on August 22, 1903 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 17691, Section CC of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield. Parent or Next of Kin if Available: ~. Remarks: .

WINSTANLEY, Lily Maria (Child, age 17 mo). Died at 3ct Queens Row; Buried on August 22, 1903 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 17691, Section CC of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield. Parent or Next of Kin if Available: ~. Remarks: .

Two children aged three and eighteen months, the same ages as my two babies who were tucked up in bed asleep. Alice and Lily-Maria buried on the same day in the same grave at City Road Cemetery, Sheffield. The names and dates matched, these were the two daughters of Robert and Florence. For many more months I put my research on one side being afraid to uncover the reason for their deaths. It was probable that no-one else in the family was aware of these two children even being born, so in order to record their existence and stories I applied for their death certificates.

On the 18th August 1903 Alice, aged 3 years died of measles, the next day on the 19th August, Lily-Maria, 17 months old died of convulsions.

I went to City Road Cemetery to find where Alice and Lily-Maria were buried. (see appendix), they are in a marginal, unmarked grave, with 27 other souls, mostly young children.

Further research within the burial records found the most probable entry for Robert Winstanley, it read:

WINSTANLEY, Robert (Blacksmith, age 43).

Died at: Found drowned in canal; Buried on May 23, 1905 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 17726, Section CC1 of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield. When the death certificate arrived, it stated that Robert had been found drowned in the Sheffield Canal near Blast Lane on the 19th May, his inquest was held by the Coroner on the 22nd May, and the cause of death written on the death certificate (fig 10) was ‘Committed suicide by drowning himself in the canal during temporary insanity’. A valuable source of proof that this

was the correct Robert would have been the Coroner’s Report, however the Coroner’s office was bombed during the Second World War and the inquest records from that time went up in smoke.

A year later I browsed through the archived Sheffield Newspapers from around this time hoping to find a mention of a body being found in the canal. I was shocked that this article had been printed in the newspaper.

Robert was buried in a marginal grave along with around 30 stillborn or neonatal babies, no grave marker had ever existed. Florence had lost her two daughters in 1903 and two years later her husband. Percy would have been 13 years old when his father died, and John only 8.

CHAPTER 6 - FAMILY BIBLE

I started trying to pull together a view of Roberts family from the information provided in the letters and from the various Census records. During this time I was contacted by Joanne from Hartlepool who also had a Robert Winstanley in her family tree, I had contacted her to find out if she was familiar with the names of the people in the letters, Robert, Jinny, Alice, John Seymour and Ada. She replied to confirm that she was Ada’s Great Granddaughter and told me lots of information about the family, in particular she told me that she had the family bible that belonged to John Seymour Winstanley (1841) and that all his children’s birthdays were written on the inside of it. I was now able to draw up this part of the tree.

I asked if I could take a photograph of the entries in the Bible. Joanne replied and asked me if I would like to take ownership of it. How kind of her to give it to me to take care of, an old raggy lump of a thing it is but so precious. Inside bears the signature of the ancestor John Seymour Winstanley (1841).

Fig 11: Inscription in the Bible The front cover was carefully turned, on the inside it revealed a handwritten series of entries, the name and date of birth of each child carefully written in fountain pen. The inscription on the inside cover indicates that John owned it from the age of nineteen.

John Seymour Winstanley (1841) married Alice Stewart (1846)

John Henry William Lillie Jane Ada Robert Isabella Alice Edward Seymour Stewart Stewart Maria Francis Mary 1866 1867 1869 1871 1873 1876 1878 1880 1885 1887 Married Florence Drury 1870

John Lily Percy Alice Seymour Maria 1892 1897 1900 1901 Married Married Fanny Laurena Cooper Reaney 1901

Irene Ronald Derrick Seymour 1927 1930 1940

Violet Alice Ivy George Percy Colin Irene Lily Kenneth Joyce 1914 1916 1920 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1935

Fig 12: The Record of Birthdays The Bible had been passed down the family of John’s youngest daughter Ada, and the tradition of writing in the names of the family continued.

CHAPTER 7 - THE NORTH EAST

John Seymour was the eldest son of Robert Winstanley and Isabella Fettis. In the 1851 Census John is seen at the age of 11 living with his parents and elder sister at number 52 Northgate Street. Ten years later he was living with his Uncle and family in Easington and working as a draper. John possibly met his future wife Alice during this period since she was born in Easington. After they were married they lived at number 29 Northgate (fig 14) opposite where Fig 13: Northgate John had lived with his parents in 1851.

The 1871 Census shows John Seymour and Alice living at 29 Northgate with their first child Robert. Their second son John Seymour had died at the age of 1 when the family was living in Guisborough Street.

This large house is built on Northgate, on the Hartlepool Headland. This was where the family were living during the Census of 1871.

John and Alice can be traced through the Census records. In 1881 the family had increased to seven children and they had moved to Tynemouth, North Shields, where John was the licensee of a pub called The Granby Inn.

Fig 14: 29 Northgate, Pictured in 2009

For many months I had tried to find a photograph or any reference to The Granby Inn, but it seemed that it had been knocked down many years ago. Eventually I contacted the local archives who were able to provide me with two photographs of the Granby Inn.

The site of the pub was a short walk from the archives, so I was able to stand on the site and look at the view that the family would have seen every day.

Fig 15: The Granby Inn, pre 1950 Fig 16: Site of Granby Inn, taken 2009 The view to the left of the Granby pub was straight out of the Estuary and to the sea, the small low-water lighthouse in the centre of this picture and the harbour walls are unchanged.

Fig 17: View out to sea from the Tyne

The Census of 1891 shows that during the next ten years the family had moved to Francis Street in Stockton, John was now 50 years old and working as a General Labourer, Alice was now 45 years. Jane and Ada the youngest two daughters had joined the family in the last ten years, Ada only 3 at the time of the Census. Their eldest son Robert was by now living in Sheffield with Florence.

It was when the family were living on Francis Street in Stockton that most of the surviving letters were written to Florence and Robert in 1901.

One letter forwarded to Florence was particularly happy, it enclosed a letter written by John’s youngest son Edward in 1901 and sent from South Africa during the time of the Second Boer War.

Very Good News Dear Sister, “We are in Orders for home and are at x awaiting the Relief by the 5th Royal Irish Rifles” we expect them here in about 7 days time and then we are bound straight for Cape Horn for to Embark for Home and by the time that you receive this we will be well on our way probably on the water...

Fig 19: Letter from Edward Winstanley

In 1901 John and Alice were still living in Stockton with their children, Harry, Lilly, Jane and Ada. The three eldest never married and eventually lived together into their old age. The 1911 Census finds the family living in West Fig 20: 1911 Census Hartlepool. John Seymour Winstanley died in 1917.

100 YEARS OLD TOMORROW – WEST HARTLEPOOL RESIDENT The oldest resident of the Hartlepools Mrs Alice Winstanley of 11 Coleridge Avenue, West Hartlepool will be 100 tomorrow. Although she is blind and bedridden Mrs Winstanley is a cheerful and intelligent old lady who takes a lively interest in everyday affairs. Her birthday cake, made by her daughters, weighs 18lb and is studded with 100 sugar almonds. “I shall be glad if you will say how much I appreciate all the good wishes I have already received” she told a Mail reporter. Mrs Winstanley lives with her two unmarried daughters Lillie (67) and Jane (61). Of a family of ten, three other daughters and a son survive – Mrs Isabella Davison (74), Mr Henry S Winstanley (73), Mrs Alice Goodchild (69), and Mrs Ada Tudge (58). Thus the aggregate age of Mrs Winstanleys five daughters and one son is 402 years.

MARRIED AT HARTLEPOOL A native of Hetton-le-Hole, Mrs Winstanley has lived in the Hartlepools since she was 16 and at 20 she was married at St Hildas Church, Hartlepool by the Rev Robert Taylor. Her husband who was five years her senior died 29 years ago. Throughout life Mrs Winstanleys main concern has been her home and she is especially proud of her 13 grandchildren and three great grandchildren in whose welfare she takes a keen interest. “This gracious old lady has many reminiscences of her early life at Hartlepool, which she remembers as a very much busier and more prosperous place than it is today. There was poverty and distress in those far-away days, however, and one notable character whom she recalls was Paddy Page, who was evidently a philanthropist of the best type and regularly distributed free rations of bread to the poor of the town. And of course Mrs Winstanley has seen West Hartlepool grow from a village into an industrial centre, and many are the stories and characters she can remember of the towns early years.” Fig 21: Newspaper article and photo of Alice Winstanley © 2010, Elaine Bell

CHAPTER 8 - BURGESSES

The Archives in Hartlepool contained the Parish Records for St Hilda’s Church; they contain records for the baptism, marriage and burials of many Winstanley’s. These revealed more of John Seymour’s family.

Elizabeth Margaret John Robert Mary Robert William 1796 1799 1800 1803 1804 1805 1807 Married Isabella Fettis (1813)

Maria Isabella Robert (1837 – 1860) (1842 – 1846) (1846 – 1848)

Johns father was Robert Winstanley (b1805) he was a builder and is included in some of the local historical books which listed the tradesmen of the borough. Robert married Isabella Fettis and they had four children. Their youngest daughter Maria died at the age of 23.

Roberts brother John (b1800) and their mother Catherine were burgesses of Hartlepool, that is, private residents who were afforded the right to vote. John’s occupation during this census of xxxx? Was ‘proprietor of houses’. Robert also appeared on the voters list because he owned properties, both of which his son John Seymour and wife Alice have lived.

Fig 24: Private Residents

It appeared that the family were prominent members of the community. Then while searching on Google Books I began to find references about John Winstanley who was an Alderman of

Extract from the book ‘Remarkable Events with Biographical Notices – T Fordyce, 1867’

September 30 1841. The ancient corporation of Hartlepool, which had been for some time in a dormant state, with its fine property open to the aggressions of the unprincipled, was restored to life and vigour, her majesty the Queen having been pleased to grant a charter under the great seal for its re-incorporation. This charter was brought down from London on the above day, by Mr. Toase, the London solicitor to the corporation, and was read before the committee that night, when it was found that William Vollum esq., was appointed mayor, and Messrs. H. S. Shearman, W. G. Vollum, Johnson Worthy, John Winstanley, Cuthbert Sharp, William Manners, George Sheraton, Thomas Powell, Stephen Horner, Christopher Davison, Joseph Mellanby, and Thomas Bell, Chief Burgesses.

January 6 1851. The first election of Councillors for the borough of Hartlepool took place, in accordance with the provisions of the new charter. There were twenty-seven candidates, and much excitement prevailed throughout the day. The following gentlemen were declared elected : S. Robinson, 472 ; Robert Hunter, 304 ; Thomas Robson, 302 ; John Todd, 287 ; C. Davison, 280 ; John Mowbray, 278; R. Brewis, 272; R. E. Button, 269 ; R. Winstanley, 267.

January 14th 1851, Stephen Robinson, esq., was elected mayor, J. P. Denton, W. Gordon, C. Davison, and J. Winstanley Aldermen, and Thomas Belk town clerk.

Hartlepool and Robert Winstanley who was elected a Councillor. They appeared to be involved with the towns ‘Charter of Incorporation’. I began to see if this was the brothers John (1800) and Robert (1805).

I contacted the Archives at Hartlepool to ask if they had any information about Robert and John Winstanley and about the Charter of Incorporation. The librarian handed me an old council minute book (fig 25) and insisted that I had to be extremely careful. I sat down at the table and began to look through.

This was the minute book which recorded the activity and progress of the Committee charged with the task of gaining the Charter of Incorporation for Hartlepool. It contained handwritten minutes of every meeting, written in fountain pen and in a formal style. I got one or two photographs of the book before the librarian insisted that even though I wasn’t using a flash I should not be taking photographs of it. I didn’t comment when she then forced it wide open and squashed it under the photocopier.

Fig 25: The Council Minute Book Within the book are a set of minutes from February 1840 which recorded a meeting Chaired by John Winstanley. There underneath the notes to confirm that they were a correct record of the © 2010, Elaine Bell

meeting was John’s signature. I was holding the same book that my Great Great Great Uncle had signed 170 years ago.

Fig 26: The signature of J Winstanley in the minute book. The last meeting of the Committee, recorded that the Charter of Incorporation was granted to the Town. The Charter signed by the Queen was brought to the town and read out during a special meeting of the Committee. The Charter appointed John as Alderman of Hartlepool and Robert Winstanley a Councillor. Hartlepool still has five Aldermen’s Medals as part of their regalia; it is entirely possible that one of these, along with the Alderman’s robe was worn by John.

The History of Hartlepool compiled from Various Authentic Sources from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time 1844.

Fig 27: Alderman’s Medal

CHAPTER 9: ST HILDA’S CHURCH

St Hilda’s is a very old Church ‘Among the knights who came with William the Conqueror in 1066 was Robert de Brus. His son married Agnes, the daughter of the Lord of the Manor at Hart, thus starting a connection with Hartlepool which lasted for many generations. It is generally believed that St Hilda's was built by the grandson of Robert and Agnes, Robert de Brus IV - hence the Bruce Chapel and Tomb’ http://www.hartlepool-sthilda.org.uk – April 2010. The photograph of St Hilda’s below was taken by a local photographer called John Winstanley. (Not a relation!) He was aware of our branch of the Winstanleys and had told me to look in the graveyard at St Hilda’s.

Fig 30: St Hilda’s (J Winstanley)

Outside the graveyard isn’t too large and the remaining gravestone are widely spaced out. It didn’t take long to find the graves that John Winstanley from Hartlepool had told me about. (fig 32). The inscription on the grave on the right in Fig 32 reads:

Sacred to the Memory of Isabella Winstanley the beloved wife of Robert Winstanley who died January 20th 1854 aged 41 years, also of Robert Fettis Winstanley their infant son who died October 3rd 1848, also Isabella their daughter who died May 7th 1846 aged 4 years, also Maria their daughter who died July 23rd 1860 aged 25 years, also Robert Winstanley who died July 19th 1870 aged 65 years. Greatly Respected.

This is the grave of Robert Winstanley the Builder and Councillor and his wife Isabella, along with three of their children. These were my Great Great Great Grandparents.

I then glanced at the grave to the side, almost two thirds of the inscription was missing, the stone having eroded away over time, but this is what I could make out:

Fig 32: The Three Winstanley Graves

This is the grave of John ANLEY Winstanley, the Chief Burgess and Alderman. The local Family History STRATE Society copied down the inscriptions HARTLEPOOLE on the gravestones 25 years ago. I am waiting for their transcription HIS NATIVITY And I hope that this stone was not FAITHFUL DISCHARGE as badly eroded then as it is now. OFFICES

AND PAROCHIAL DEPARTED

THIS LIFE, GREATLY RESPECTED.

Fig 33: Illustration of Centre Grave

To the left of this is another Winstanley grave, the inscription reads:

Sacred to the Memory of Elizabeth Winstanley who died January 20th 1807 aged 70 years, also of Robert Winstanley her Grandson who died in infancy. also William Winstanley son who died of Cholera the ? day of August 1832 aged ? years, also Catherine wife of the above who died Nov 29th 1865 aged 97 years.

This then is William and Catherine my Great Great Great Great Grandparents, they were married in St Hildas Church, and all of their children had been baptized at the font inside. I had found the parish records of all the baptisms earlier that day in the library and had also discovered in the record of their marriage that Catherine’s maiden name had been Seymour. Finally! I had found the origin of the name Seymour which had been passed down from generation to generation.

Within the Parish Records is proof of William Winstanley’s occupation (fig 34) he is recorded as being a Customs Officer.

Fig 34: Index from Parish Record

There was also in this same grave Elizabeth Winstanley, the mother of William, and therefore my Great Great Great Great Great Grandmother who had died 203 years ago.

th Fig 35: Parish Record Index for St Hilda’s, Nov 27 1796.

CHAPTER 10: CATHERINE SEYMOUR

Catherine Seymour was baptized at St Thomas, Anglican Church in Stockton on 22 August 1769, she was recorded as the daughter of John Seymour (bricklayer) & Margaret Seymour (nee Johnson). John and Margaret had been married in the same church one year earlier. But it is interesting to find another John Seymour going back a generation into the Seymour family, a name which has appeared so regularly throughout the generations since. I think I have found his baptism record which notes his father as Ralph Seymour, however further investigation is required to confirm. © 2010, Elaine Bell

I also found from the burial record of Elizabeth Winstanley at St. Hilda's, that she had been married to John Winstanley who had been a servant. I have not been able to discover any further information about John.

CHAPTER 12: A BOX OF TREASURES

THE CHARTER OF INCORPORATION FOR HARTLEPOOL SEEMED TO HAVE NO OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHIC OR NEWSPAPER RECORD, IT WAS IRRITATING BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY CHANCE I WOULD HAVE TO SEE AN IMAGE OF ONE OF THE WINSTANLEY FAMILY IN THE 1800’S. AS A FINAL ATTEMPT I CONTACTED THE MUSEUM OF HARTLEPOOL TO SEE IF THEY HAD ANYTHING ‘WINSTANLEY’ TO HELP ME.

An email arrived from Jean- Philippe of the museum, indeed they had some papers and letters relating to the Winstanley family. They also had a small portrait of a man who, (according to the donator) was a Winstanley, the museum suspected that this was more than likely John Winstanley given his status within the town at the time. A trip to Hartlepool was hurriedly arranged, myself Kirsten and Joanne were to meet up to view the portrait which was now on temporary display at the entrance to the museum of Hartlepool. We would also be able to have a look through the Winstanley file to see if there was anything relevant to our search.

We went along to the museum offices and were presented with a large box filled with various papers. It included the details of the will of John Winstanley, various letters from America to Alice Stewart from her brother William, the front and back cover of the Stewart family bible and inventories of building work done by Robert Winstanley for Cuthbert Sharp. (All shown in the appendix).

With the Portrait: Elaine Bell (John S Winstanley Born 1897 Grand-daughter, Lauren Bell (front), Kirsten Swift (Percy Winstanley Born 1892, G Grandaughter), Rowena Ward (Ada Winstanley Born 1887, G Grandaughter)

A second trip to Hartlepool was required to digitally scan all of the documents in the archive to allow a fuller picture of the lives of these ancestors to be understood and to add them to this Appendix.

Complete Family Tree as of June 2010. Ralph Seymour 8

John Elizabeth John Margaret Winstanley ? Seymour Johnson 7 c1737 1737 c1733 c1730

William Catherine Winstanley Seymour 6 1767 1768

5 Robert Elizabeth Margaret John Robert Mary Winstanley William 1796 1799 1800 1803 1804 1805 1807 Married Isabella Fettis (1813)

4 Maria Isabella Robert (1837 – 1860) (1842 – 1846) (1846 – 1848)

Appendix 1

Scans of all of the documents found at 7 Owlings Road, Sheffield.

1.1 4th May 1901 – Letter to Robert from his sister Alice.

1.2 23rd May 1901 – Letter to Robert and Florence from Ada

1.3 25th May 1901 - Letter to Robert from John Seymour Winstanley (Snr)

1.4 8th July 1901 – Letter to Florence from Jane.

1.5 24thMay 1901 – Letter to Florence from Alice

1.6 3rd May 1901 – Letter to Florence from Alice.

71.7 29th April 1901 – Letter to Alice from Edward.

Appendix 2: Other Documentation

2.1 Laurena Reaney Birth Certificate.

2.2 Laurena Reaney & John S Winstanley Marriage Certificate.

2.3 Laurena Reaney Death Certificate.

2.4 John S Winstanley Birth Certificate.

2.5 John S Winstanley Death Certificate.

2.6 John S Winstanley Injury Notification.

2.7 Florence Drury Birth Certificate.

2.8 Robert Winstanley and Florence Drury Marriage Certificate.

2.8 Florence Winstanley and John Lynaugh Marriage Certificate.

2.9 Florence Lynaugh Burial Information.

2.9 Alice Winstanley Death Certificate.

2.10 Lily Maria Winstanley Death Certificate

2.10 Percy Stanley Birth Certificate.

Robert Winstanley (1866) Grave – Plot 17726

Alice & Lily Maria Winstanley Grave – Plot 17691