Jane Ann was the first child of Christopher and Mary Ann Appleby, who was born at Darlington, Durham on 21st September 1848. She married William Atkinson, who was born at Sutton-under-Whitestone Cliff, near Thirsk, Yorkshire. The marriage took place on 7th October, 1866 at the Parish Church, Shildon. They were married by Rev. William Hayton. Jane was nineteen years of age and William twenty-three. William's occupation at the time was shown as a railway fireman. Witnesses to the ceremony were Ralph Robinson Ruder and Mary Isabella Atkinson.(1)

The couple lived at Canvey Hill, New Shildon, where their first daughter Mary Ann (Polly) was born in 1868. They later moved to Otley Street, New Shildon, where their second child, Thomas, was born on 30th December, 1872 and a second son, Arthur, was born on 29th April, 1875. They then moved to St. John's Road, New Shildon, which became the family home. Here Jane gave birth to William, born on 24th February, 1878, Alfred born on 19th July, 1880 and Samuel born c 1882.

William worked for a period thirty-seven years on the Railway and was engaged in working mineral traffic between Shildon and various collieries and shipping centres in the Shildon district. He was in charge of Engine 1288 for a period of twenty years and was a well known figure on the Railways. Ill health caused him to retire at the age of sixty-four years. Jane also kept busy running a shop believed to be a confectioners and bakery.

It is not known at what point the family became Methodist but most likely they began worshipping in a small chapel built in East Street, Shildon, where Jane's mother worshipped. As the years passed it was evident that the small chapel was not big enough and a new one urgently needed. On Saturday 19th August, 1896, the foundation stone and memorial stones of the new church were laid and the church opened for divine service in February, 1878. The church was one of the finest and most commodious buildings of its kind in the district, the seating capacity being 650. Jane was a member of the choir and William was a local preacher and trustee for over fifty years. When Jane was in her sixties she became an invalid and was confined to the house for many years.

In the diamond jubilee booklet printed by St. John's Church, a Rev. James Cotton, who had been a preacher at the church from 1900-1904 and who was paying tributes to parishioners stated that "a person more deserving of mention than any active worker is the invalid mother of the brothers Atkinson. An illness overtook her and prevented her going into open air. She said to me "at first I used to sit by the window and watch the people go past on their way to Chapel but I had to give up for the thought they had the glad privilege while I was deprived of it, was making me rebellious," OS WE QM lit God's saints and all who came near her were conscious of her gracious influences."

 In 1916 William and Jane celebrated their Golden Wedding and the members and congregation honoured the occasion by presenting them with a frames illuminated address which was framed in rosewood. Photographs of William and Jane along with exterior and interior views of the church appeared on the address with a congratulatory message to the couple.

Two years later Jane died of chronic bronchitis on 19th January, 1918 (2) at the age of sixty-nine years and William in 1924 at the age of seventy-nine years.

REFERENCES

• Copy of marriage certificate, General Register, London.
• Copy of death certificate, General Register, London.

Most of the rest of the information was taken from the family scrap book and from letters received from various members of the Atkinson family.

In a letter from Rev. Vincent Ashwin, rector of St. John's Anglican Church, New Shildon, he informed me that St. John's Road Methodist (Primitive) church was pulled down about 1975.

CHILDREN OF WILLIAM AND JANE ANN ATKINSON

1. MARY ANN ATKINSON (POLLY) 1868

First child of William and Jane Ann she was three at the time of 1871 census. For some reason Polly's father thought George Stabler "not good enough" for her, perhaps he was not from the right religious background. Parental consent was refused for their marriage and despite the birth of her first child, Ruth (later Mrs. Brass)her father refused to relent. With the impending arrival of a second child her father agreed to let the wedding go ahead. Despite the difficult start, and their lack of money, the marriage was never regretted by Polly or her daughters. They had two children from the marriage, a son, Harold and a daughter, Doris.

2. TOM ATKINSON 1872

The second child of William and Jane Ann, he was tragically killed between the buffers of a train in his youth.

3. ARTHUR ATKINSON 1874

Third child of William and Jane Ann. He followed his father into the railway industry, becoming the Locomotive Superintendent of the Scarborough depot, where in the holiday season he was responsible for a remarkable complexity of operations involving manning and turn around of a considerable number of engines. In those days the railways had the bulk of the freight and passenger traffic, and at holiday times the excursion train was a feature of the holiday traffic. As a senior official of the North Yorkshire section of the railway system, Arthur was responsible for manning the first experimental buses run on the railway to serve the smaller outlying towns, and as a result at the Railway Centenary in 1924 he rode beside the driver of one such rail bus in the procession from Darlington to Stockton. A photograph in the book by K. Hoole, published by the Yorkshire Dalesman shows him sitting next to the driver.

As a young man in Shildon he followed his father also into preaching and at Scarborough attained prominence in local Methodist affairs holding several of the more senior positions. He was well read though aware of his simple origins. He married another Methodist, 'Lil' Kirsopp. They had two children Norman and Lilian Atkinson.

'Lil' and Arthur's home in Scarborough was a pleasant large Victorian family terraced house in Lonesborough Road, near to the excursion station and the engine sheds beyond. Inevitably the home became a regular meeting place for the Atkinson relatives and a wide circle of friends, who could always be assured of a warm welcome when visiting Scarborough, then known as the "Queen of Watering Places" and one of the more popular resorts in the country, for Arthur and 'Lil' were the kindest and most hospitable of people.

 After the tragic death of their son, Norman, who had been showing all signs of following his uncle into the Methodist Ministry they took a particular interest in their nephew, William John Atkinson as he candidated and trained for the Methodist Ministry. Another candidate for the ministry was connected with the family, Leslie Skinner of York stayed at Lonesborough Road when attending at Scarborough as part of his candidating procedure, his friendship continued and on one visit met his future wife, their niece Sarah Annetta Atkinson.

4. WILLIAM ATKINSON 1878-1950

Fourth child and third son of William and Jane Ann. He was born at New Shildon on 30th January 1878. He followed his father into the railway industry, but started work in the carriage shops, serving his apprenticeship as carpenter and coach fitter, developing a keen eye for fine timbers with considerable skill in using them.

He followed his father and brother as a local preacher, then candidated for the Primitive Methodist ministry at the age of twenty-four, returning to the railway works only for a spell of war service in the World War 1. As was the rule in those days he had to wait until he was ordained at the age of thirty-one before he could marry. Immediately after ordination he married Mary Albina Todd, sister of a Primitive Methodist minister who had been two years ahead of him at Hartley and a teacher. The wedding took place at the Central Methodist Church, Cockton Hill, Bishop Auckland.

William and Albina had two children, Sarah Annetta and William John (Jack). William died on 2nd February 1950.

Obituary - Methodist Recorder February 1950

The Rev. William Atkinson died on February 2nd in the home of his son, the Rev. W. J. Atkinson of the Uttoxeter and Ramsor Circuit. Mr. Atkinson was the son a Methodist Local Preacher and entered the ministry in 1905 from Blaydon-on-Tyne, Co. Durham and received his training at Hartley College. The greater part of his faithful ministry was among the miners of his native country. He understood their problems and difficulties and entered into their lives. He loved them and they loved him in return, writes Rev. J.B.Goodridge. Wherever he ministered congregations and church membership increased as the fruits of his faithful work In the year of Methodist Union he became a General Committee Delegate. (He was Secretary of the Sunderland and District PA) After 37 years of fruitful work he retired in 1942. This retirement was hastened by his wife's serious illness. For five years he cared for her with increasing difficulty and never failing patience. She had been a true helpmate to him in the home and in the church.

During his life as a supernumerary he continued to do all the good that was possible to him. His last services were conducted last summer in one of the circuits in which he had formerly served, Northallerton, when Jubilee Celebrations were taking place. The sympathy of many friends goes to his son and daughter, the wife of the Rev. Leslie Skinner of Manchester.

Leslie Skinner of Manchester.

5. ALFRED ATKINSON 1880

Fifth child of William and Jane Ann he started as a clerk in the railway offices at Shildon but after some years he developed a talent for journalism becoming `correspondent' for local and national newspapers. He did well enough to resign from the railway service to take up journalism, working full time on a freelance basis, covering a wide area of Co.Durham and Teeside. Though paid only for the material actually printed he seemed to do well enough to live comfortably and support his family, but it called for a lively sense of what was news and considerable skill in the presentation of it. He found the work absorbingly interesting and gathered a wide circle of friends and contacts in every walk of life. He was also a Methodist Local Preacher and was for a number of years prominent in local government affairs as Local District Councillor. He had two sons, Kenneth and Alfred John.

6. SAM ATKINSON C1881

Sam was the youngest son of William and Jane Ann. He opted out of the Railway service and became a grocer with the local Co-operative Society. He later became self-employed and built up a steady grocery business. He married and had two children Cecil and Doreen.

 GRANDCHILDREN OF WILLIAM AND JANE ANN ATKINSON

1. LILIAN

First child of Arthur and 'Lil' Atkinson, Lily was stricken with a form of intestinal cancer prior to her departure to study at university, the treatment of which was much less developed than it is now. For several years she remained a semi-invalid putting up a splendid fight for health. She was successful to the point of being able to many a young Anglo-Indian railway engineer and locomotive driver who had come to England for further training and been seconded to her father's depot. Their maniage caused a little scandal in those less liberal days. Vernon and Lilian Roderick were ideally happy together in India, and on his retirement the couple returned to England to live. Following the death of her husband and that of her parents, Lily moved to London to work as a civil servant which in spite of repeated operations she continued to do until her death in her early sixties.

2. NORMAN ATKINSON

He was an attractive boy of considerable promise, a local preacher and he showed all the signs of following his uncle into the Methodist ministry. Unfortunately he developed a form of epilepsy and disappeared while out for a walk across the cliffs.

His body was found at the foot of the cliffs, apparently he had had a fit and fallen over.

3. SARAH ANETTA ATKINSON 1915 - 

`Etta' the first child of William and Albina Atkinson was born at Shiney Row, Penshaw Co.Durham on 31st March 1915, and spent her early years at Easington Houghton-le-Springs and later at Brampton near Northallerton in Yorkshire. She attended Northallerton Grammar School (1925-26), Houghton-le-Springs (1926-29) and West Stanley Secondary School (1929-33) before going to train as a teacher at Southlands College, Wimbleton, London.

She met a young candidate for the Methodist ministry at her uncle's house in Scarborough, Leslie Skinner who she eventually married. When she left college she returned to live with her parents who had moved to Workington in Cumberland, a depressed area in the grip of depression. She worked voluntarily in local schools for several months until she was able to secure her first appointment and begin her career which she continued except for brief gaps when her children were young, until reaching retirement age.

On 23rd July 1941 Etta and Leslie Skinner were married by Rev. William Atkinson, father of the bride, at the Methodist Church, Allendale, Northumberland where her father was now minister. Three children were born of the marriage, Annette Lesley (b.1942), Alistair (b.1947) and Paul William (b.1954) all of whom have issue.

4. WILLIAM ATKINSON 1917 - 

`Jack', the younger child of William and Albina Atkinson was born at Shiney Row, Penshaw,Co.Durham on 11th April, 1917. After a series of schools, including Alderman Wood, Secondary School, Stanley, where he showed his singing ability by singing the lead ghost in "Ruddigore". He matriculated with honours and sat the civil service exam. Jobs were not easy to come by in the depression. He began preaching at an early age, his first sermons being written for him by his father. Feeling a call to the Methodist ministry and against his father's advice he candidated for the ministry but was prevented from entering college by a lack of places. Forced to recandidate he moved to Ashbourne, Derbyshire as a candidating lay pastor. He eventually went to Hartley Victoria College at the age of twenty-four.

Following college, he spent a short probation as Chairman's Assistant at Hill Top, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent. He was welcomed by a local family, who had entertained his future brother-in-law on his student appointments. He started to court their youngest daughter who was still at school. He was ordained early in order to enter war service as a chaplain. Having seen service in West Africa and in England he married Lily Pemberton, now a teacher, on 16th February, 1946 at Clowes Memorial Chapel, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent. After demobilisation, and to fill in time until his first appointment in September 1947, he acted as "senior scripture mistress' at his wife's old school. His work was rewarded by better examination results than previous years. Their first circuit after the war was the Uttoxeter and Ramsor Circuit, from where their son, John Pemberton Atkinson was born. They then moved to the Black Country where their son Philip was born. They returned to Stoke-on-Trent in 1956 to work in Tunstall where, due to the death of his superintendent, Jack became the first minister responsible for all the Tunstall churches, which included the historical ex-Wesleyan Church and Jubilee the Conference Church of Primitive Methodism.

He continued in the Stoke-on-Trent area for his next appointment in order to be able to be Conference Arrangements Secretary for the 1962 Conference held at Queens Hall, Burslem, a mammoth task as the district had not hosted a conference since before Methodist Union 1932. The year was a difficult one, not helped by the sudden death of the district treasurer who left several years accounts in the air. In 1964 they moved to North Manchester where Jack was Superintendent Minister and in 1969 to Northwhich, Cheshire, where he again became Synod Secretary. After six years and some disappointments they moved to the adjacent circuit Winsford where he successfully amalgamated three churches on a new site to the delight and admiration of many people. After so many years of change and turmoil in the church it was a relief to move to the sleepy mid-Devon village for the last station. They retired to Bude in 1982 where they are both active in the church and enjoying the pleasures of a quiet seaside resort.

Their first child, John Pemberton, was born at City General Hospital Stoke-on-Trent on 29th April 1949 while the family home was at Rochester. After a series of primary schools, he was sent to Rydal Preparatory School, followed by Rydal School, both Methodist schools in Colwyin Bay, North Wales. He went to Ashton University in 1967 where he studied for a degree in behavioural sciences. In 1969 he married Lynda Bradshaw at Prestwich Methodist Church, Manchester. His first job on leaving university was a Chief Administrative Officer at Leek College of Further Education.

He continued in that job with promotion to Newcastle-under-Lyme, and Stafford Colleges, until he felt called to the Methodist Ministry and against his father's advice he candidated successfully with Philip his brother, and was sent for training at his father's old college Hartley Victoria. He studied for a B.D. and was ordained, being an older candidate, straight from college, before taking up his first appointment at Newport South Wales in 1884.

John and Lynda have two children, Sarah Lynne and John Paul.

William and lily's younger son, Philip, was born at the Mary Stephen Maternity Home at Stourbridge in Worcestershire on 24th September 1955. He attended Summerbank Primary School, Tunstall, Stock-on-Trent and Park View Primary School, Prestwich, Manchester before following his brother to Rydal. After school he studied for a degree in polymer science and technology at Umist, Manchester, and took up his first job at Mexborough, Doncaster in July 1978.

On 30th September, 1978 he married Denise Mapstone at St. Andrews Methodist Church, Winsford, where he had been choirmaster for twelve months since its opening. They moved to Dunscroft, Doncaster where Philip was made redundant at the beginning of January 1979. He worked for a finance company until feeling the call to the Methodist ministry and despite his father's advice, they moved for two years to Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire to candidate for the ministry while looking after ten churches as a Lay Pastor. He candidated eventually in 1981 with his brother John, who had more recently felt called to the same ministry, and trained at Wesley College, Bristol. They moved in 1984 to his first appointment at Porthleven in Cornwell and he was ordained in 1986 at Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent. Conference being held at the Queen's Hall, Burslem for first time since 1962.

Philip and Denise have four children, Peter William, Emma Jane, Sara Elizabeth, and Laura Anne.

5. KENNETH ATKINSON 1908-1971

First child of Alfred and Adelaide (nee Hodgson), he became a banking official in the Middlesborough and Stockton area, becoming well know A.4 ft bass-baritone soloist of real competence. His first marriage ended in divorce, and when he remarried it was to the conductress of one of the best choirs in Durham and Cleveland. There were no children from either marriage.

6. ALFRED JOHN ATKINSON 1917 - 

Second child of Alfred and Adelaide he trained as a teacher and studied for a degree in Economics. After a short time he switched to working in electronics with Marconi. With the outbreak of World War II he went to sea as a radio and electronics specialist making several hazardous journeys to Murmansk and other arctic ports. After the war Alfred John returned to teaching and became headmaster of a specialist school in Cleveland. He was married to Mary Scott and had a daughter, Margaret.

Some of the Australian relatives may remember Alfred's visit during the War.

7. CECIL ATKINSON

First child of Sam Atkinson - no details are known of him at this stage.

8. DOREEN

Second child of Sam Atkinson - no further details are known of her at this stage.

NEXT PAGE 

Home