Wedding of George Henry Armitage (1898-1936)

The photo below was taken at the wedding of George Henry Armitage (1898-1936) to Elsie Joyce Atkins (1897-1977) at Kennington Parish Church, Lambeth on August 19^th 1926. George was a brother of my grandmother Emma Ivall nee Armitage.

I believe the people in the photo to be

Front row, left to right : Gertrude Ellen Bull nee Armitage (George’s sister) aged 37, George Henry Armitage aged 28, Elsie Joyce Atkins aged 29, James Atkins (Elsie’s father) aged 60, Maria Atkins (Elsie’s mother), aged 56.

Behind, left to right : unknown man, Alfred John Armitage ? (George’s brother) aged 33, George William Ivall (George’s brother-in-law) aged 45, Dorothy ? (Elsie’s sister) aged 30, William Frederick Armitage ? (George’s brother) aged 42, Louie ? (Elsie’s sister) aged 28, Emma Ivall nee Armitage (George’s sister) aged 43, Florence Edith Ivall nee Armitage (George’s sister) aged 39.

Elsie Joyce Atkins was known as Joyce. Her parents were James Atkins (1865-1937) and Maria Atkins nee Davis (1869-1948). They had three daughters, Dorothy Leslie (born 1896), Elsie Joyce (b 1897) and Louie (b 1898). In 1911, James was a commercial traveller for a paper merchant. The family were living at 106 Ivydale Road, Nunhead, Camberwell when Elsie was baptised in 1897 and James was still living there in 1937 when he died. George’s parents are not in the photo as both had died by 1926.

Stanley Thomas Armitage (1925-94), British Rail clerk

Stanley Thomas Armitage was a son of Alfred John Armitage (1893-1957) who was a brother of my grandmother Emma Armitage (1883-1970).

On 18 April 1925, Stanley was born at 102 City Rd in Holborn, the youngest of the six children (five boys and one girl) of Alfred John and Ethel Emily Armitage. The family were living at 19 Sandbrook Rd, Stoke Newington, North London in 1925. Alfred was a railway guard.

Stanley grew up in Stoke Newington before joining the RAF during the Second World War and becoming a navigator. He received a commendation whilst with them. Stanley was posted to Indonesia where he met a local woman, Mildred Rose (known as Rosie) Rodrigues (b1920). They married in 1946 in Batavia (now called Djakarta).

Rose and Stanley 

He returned to England with his wife. They lived with Stanley’s parents at 17 Sandbrook Road, Stoke Newington. The 1947 to 53 electoral registers list Alfred and Ethel, Leonard (one of Stanley’s brothers) and his wife Ivy, Stanley and his wife Rose at number 17. Stanley and Rose had moved out by 1955. In 1956 and 1958 they were living at 61 Manor Road, Stoke Newington. They had a son and two daughters. Stanley worked as a British Rail ticket office clerk. His marriage ended in divorce.

Stanley later met Barbara Violet Aldred (born Ager in 1935), who was also divorced. In 1967 they had a son, who was born at No 2 Railway Cottages, Thurrock, Essex. They were married in 1969 in Thurrock. Soon afterwards they moved to Worthing in Sussex firstly at 9 Chatham Road and then 51 Brougham Road. In 1974 Stanley and Barbara had a daughter. In 1983 the family moved to 136 King Edward Avenue in Worthing. Stanley was still working for British Rail but was now one of the most senior clerks, covering stations from Three Bridges to Portsmouth.

Stanley and Barbara Armitage

In 1984 Stanley took early retirement (aged 59) and he, Barbara and their daughter moved to Norwich. This is where Barbara came from and her mother (Violet Ager) lived. Stanley had a few jobs after retirement, working as a cashier in the local filling station and delivering new cars around the country for Trimoco (Vauxhall). He was diagnosed with emphysema in the early 90s and Stanley’s health deteriorated. He died in 1994 aged 68 at Norwich General Hospital. Stanley was cremated and his ashes are kept at Norwich Crematorium. Barbara died in 1999 aged 64.

William Frederick Armitage (1884-1940), warehouseman

William was a younger brother of my grandmother Emma Ivall nee Armitage. I have little information on his life and would be grateful if anyone can tell me more.

William was born on 9 July 1884 in Islington, a child of Robert Melton Armitage (1846-1910) and his wife Ellen Armitage nee Pinnuck (1855-1913), who married in 1876. They had twelve children, of whom five died young. William was the third of the seven children who survived to become adults.

In 1885 the family were living at 34 Hatley Road, Islington (a modest two storey house that still exists). This is the address given in the parish record of St Anne, Poole’s Park (a nearby church which was demolished in 1965) when William was baptized on 25 Mar 1885. His father’s occupation was given as milk carrier. William’s brother’s Robert (born 1881) and sister Emma (born 1883) were baptized on the same day. The family moved to 3 Shakespeare Road, Stoke Newington in about 1888, when William was four. The 1891 census shows Robert Armitage (aged 45, a milk carrier), Ellen (35), Robert (9), Emma (7), William (6), Florence (3), Gertrude (2) and Percy (5 months) living at 3 Shakespeare Road,  Stoke Newington (in North London).

William joined the Royal Field Artillery on 3 July 1900. His attestation form shows that he stated his age to be 18 years and 3 months. His previous occupation was milkman. He was 5 feet 4½  inches tall and weighed 118 pounds. The Second Boer War had begun on 11 October 1899 and William was probably influenced by the national mood of patriotic fervour to sign up and fight for Queen and Country. There was an Armitage family tradition of service in the artillery. William’s father, his brother Robert, his uncles William and Edward and cousins Henry, Robert and John all spent time in the army. William was actually not quite 16 when he joined. It was quite common for boys who were not yet 18 to overstate their age when they joined up, although not normally by as much as William did. His true date of birth was somehow discovered and William was discharged from the army on 23 May 1901 because he had misstated his age.

Emma Armitage (William’s sister) married in 1906. I have tentatively identified William in a family photo taken at the wedding.

On December 25^th 1907 William married Elizabeth Louisa Paxman at St Matthias Chruch, Stoke Newington. The marriage register shows that he was a bachelor aged 23, a warehouseman living at 70 Shakespeare Road, Stoke Newington (where his family had moved to in 1893) and that his bride was a spinster aged 26, a daughter of Harry Paxman, a labourer. Elizabeth was actually aged 30 – she was born in 1877 in Suffolk. They went on to have two children, Nellie Louisa, born in 1909 and Gladys Florence (known as Patricia) born in 1915.

The 1911 census records William, aged 26, a warehouseman in the fruit trade living at 28 Poynter Road, Bush Hill Park, Enfield with his wife Elizabeth and daughter Nellie. Electoral registers show William living at 14 Leighton Road, Enfield in 1915.

I have looked for evidence that William fought in World War One. He was aged 31 when conscription to the armed services was introduced early in 1916 and so would have been called up (unless he had a reserved occupation). The medal rolls show that several men called William Armitage fought in the army, but there is no entry for a William F Armitage. I cannot find an army record for William, although only about 40% of army records have survived. Without further information I cannot tell whether he fought in World War One or not.

Electoral registers show that William had moved to 15 Fifth Avenue, Enfield by 1918, when he is shown at this address with his wife. 

The 1921 census shows William (aged 36), Elizabeth (39), Nellie (12) and Gladys (5) Armitage living in 4 rooms at 15 Fifth Avenue. William was a warehouseman working for Graham & Co Ltd, dried and green fruit merchants, at 3 George Lane, Eastcheap. 

Electoral registers list William and his family at 15 Fifth Avenue until 1936. William’s eldest daughter Nellie married George Smith in 1931. His other daughter Gladys married James Noel Swannell in 1936.

The national register compiled in 1939 shows William, an office porter, and Elizabeth living at 48 Percival Road, Enfield.

William died in 1940 aged 56 in Edmonton (this registration district includes Enfield). His wife remarried in 1946, to Walter Simmons. She died later that year aged 68 (the death records give her age as 63).

Alfred George Armitage (1918-91), signalman and station master

Alfred George Armitage was a son of Alfred John Armitage (1893-1957) who was a brother of my grandmother Emma Ivall nee Armitage (1883-1970).

Alfred was born on 16 March 1918 in Brentford, the second of six children (five boys and one girl who died aged 1) born to Alfred John Armitage and his wife Ethel Emily. Their other children were Leslie John (1915-86), Leonard Frank (1920-2004), Robert Melton (1920-93), Betty M (1922-24) and Stanley Thomas (1925-94). Electoral registers show the family living at 19 Sandbrook Road, Stoke Newington (North London) in 1919 and 1925 In 1926, Alfred’s family moved to 207 Samuel Lewis Trust Buildings, Dalston Lane, Hackney. They lived at number 207 until 1934, when they moved to number 202.

In 1938, Alfred married Vivian Violet Wills. They were both aged 20. The 1939 Register shows the couple living at 5 Lansdown Drive, Hackney. Alfred had joined the London Midland and Scottish Railway in 1938 and was working as signalman when he enlisted voluntarily in the Army soon after the outbreak of World War 2 in 1939. He served in Military Transportation units at home and abroad.

It seems that Alfred and Violet's marriage had ended by 1946, as Alfred married Edith Daphne Katherine (known as Kay) Babington in Staines that year. Their first child (a son) was born 1947 in Thanet. They later moved to Watford where two more children (a son and a daughter) were born in 1949 and 51.

Alfred returned to work on the railways in 1947. After a period of training in several signal boxes he was appointed District Relief Signalman Class 1 in February 1950. A Relief Signalman would take over from the normal signalman if he was not available for work.  

On 8^th October 1952 there was a major train crash at Harrow and Wealdstone Station. Alfred started work in the Harrow No 1 signal box at 6am that day. It was foggy but had begun to clear by 8am. Alfred switched the points to allow a local train travelling from Tring to Euston to stop at Harrow and Wealdstone station. At 8.19am, whilst the local train was in the station, it was struck heavily at the rear by an express train from Perth moving at 50-60 mph. The resulting wreckage spread across the tracks and was hit by another express train at 60 mph. 112 people died in the crash and 157 had injuries that required hospital treatment.

The Ministry of Transport appointed an Inspector to conduct a public inquiry to establish the reason for crash. Newspapers reported on the inquiry.

From Yorkshire Post 16 October 1952

The Inspector in his report dated 12 June 1953, stated in the conclusions

“Generally, Armitage appeared to be an able relief signalman who was thoroughly conversant with the working at Harrow, and his record is very good. I can find no evidence to show that he failed in any way to comply with the regulations in his signalling of the local and Perth trains, and the state of shock in which he was found should not be held against him. In view of his temperament, which was described as sensitive – and I had the same impression at my Inquiry – I can well understand his reaction to the disaster which had taken place under his eyes…..I consider, therefore, that he should be exonerated from all responsibility for the accident.”

The report concluded that the accident was caused by the Perth train not stopping at danger signals, as it should have done (the driver of this train was killed in the crash).

Another one of my relations, Daniel Durnford Ivall, who was Assistant Chief Officer in the Middlesex Fire Brigade, played a leading role in the rescue following the Harrow Train Crash and was awarded an OBE in 1953 for his work.

Alfred could not face working as a signalman after the crash and he became a station master at Cromford in the Peak District. His fourth child (a son) was born in 1960 at Bakewell, Derbyshire. Alfred later became a station master at Harlington near Luton.

Reorganisation within BR led to the abolition of station masters at local stations. Around this time Alfred left the railway and became a pub landlord at the Red Lion in Dunstable. He later became a school caretaker. He died 1991 in Luton aged 73.

Ellen Armitage nee Pinnuck (1855-1913)

This attractive lady is my great grandmother Ellen Armitage nee Pinnuck,  presumably with one of her sons. The date of the photo is not known but I would guess it is about 1900. If so, the child could be her youngest son George Henry Armitage (1898-1936).

Ellen was born on 25 November 1855 in Enfield, a village about 12 miles north of London. She was the second of six children (three girls and three boys) born to William Ambrose Pinnuck (1822-77) and his wife Frances Eleanor nee Brown (1823-1910). William was an agricultural labourer. In 1876 Ellen married Robert Melton Armitage (born in 1846). The article on Robert gives information on their lives together and his suicide in 1910. They had seven children (three girls and four boys) that survived into adulthood. Ellen died on 12 May 1913 aged 57 in Hackney and is buried in Abney Park cemetery.

David Pinnuck (1837-1922) and Edward George Pinnuck (1843-1927), immigrants to Australia

David and Edward Pinnuck were sons of George Pinnuck (1808-58), who was a brother of my ancestor James Pinnuck (b1799). The following article is based on information from Lee Ross, who lives in Australia and is a descendant of Edward Pinnuck.

David and Edward came to Australia as Assisted Immigrants. The 'Netherby', a 900-ton sailing ship owned by the Black Ball Line, left London in April 1866 bound for Brisbane, 32,000 km away. There were 452 passengers and 50 crew. Among the passengers were Edward Pinnuck (23, single), David Pinnuck (aged 28), his wife Elizabeth (24) and their two sons, Albert (4) and David (2), all from Enfield in Middlesex. The ‘Netherby’ was an old ship but the weather remained fine for the whole journey to Fremantle. It was a well run ship with no brawls and no epidemics of typhoid or dysentery. This was due to the directions of Captain Owens, Second Officer Parry and a fine surgeon superintendent.

To prevent boredom on the ship and the long distance the captain ordered that a journal be written up and the passengers themselves could contribute articles of interest. The captain and medical officer would in turn keep the ship informed of all that happened on board, but were quite firm they would not tolerate petty grievances being aired in the journal. The journal of the voyage presently held in the vaults of the LaTrobe Library in Melbourne makes interesting reading. A few grievances understandably crept into the journal. This was to be expected when one considers that live pigs, fowls, sheep and other animals had the run of the small ship as well as 500 humans, for food rations kept better on hoof in those days unless all meat was salted. So on the crowded decks and narrow companionways up and down stairways, on stairs leading to the bridge there were too many people trying for a few inches of space. Animal droppings and the wet swaying decks tended to make the moving around the ship dangerous. However, tempers remained calm and any differences were settled by the captain before any fights started. To keep the passengers busy, the captain urged them to keep their cabins clean and tidy. Most of them did so, if only to fill in time and cut the chaos of living in such cramped conditions. One wonders how everyone dined on board or even found the room to lie down to sleep. Two small children died of illness and were buried at sea but there were also two births.

The ‘Netherby’ was said to be as good as a ‘Clipper’ which was the latest American sailing ship of that period, with speeds up to 20 knots. ‘Netherby’ had passed six other ships (some ships took six months for the journey to Australia), and in four months was in sight of land of the migrants’ choice. The ship was supposed to take a route to the south of Tasmania but Captain Owens decided to pass through Bass Strait (between Victoria and Tasmania) instead. The ship had encountered extremely rough weather earlier in the voyage that had seen the steerage passengers confined below decks for 14 consecutive days. In taking this route, Owens hoped to avoid further rough weather and ease the burden on the passengers. On July 14, 1866, the ‘Netherby’ was nearing the entrance to Bass Strait. Freakish weather conditions and thick fog at 7:30pm on this day prevented observation being taken on the crude instruments used at the time. To the dismay of the captain the ‘Netherby’ struck rocks on the western shore of King Island (about 100 km NW of Tasmania) near the southern tip on a treacherous outlying reef not in the captains reckoning. It must have been a shock to the diligent captain, having safely passed through the Great Australian Bight and the tricky southern Victorian coastline where many ships had been wrecked with all on board lost. Being in July, night had set in by this time and a high surf had risen. The breakers were so high and the rocks so numerous and rugged it was impossible to take a line to shore. The ship was taking in water fast. The crew took provisions from the lower hold and saved about 10 bags of bread and some bags of flour. The women and children behaved most patiently during this night of suspense. By this time a gale had blown up and rain began to fall and the sails were in shreds. One of the lifeboats was dashed to pieces nearly pinning one of the crew. With much difficulty, under the command of Mr. Jones, the chief officer, another attempt was made to carry a line to shore in a lifeboat, a distance of 300 yards of jagged rocks. They eventually succeed and the rope was fastened to the rocks and hove taut on board, the sea breaking furiously on the shore, which was lined with rocks. On July 15, 1866 at 8am a start was made to land passengers, women and children first, with sailors stationed on the rope ladders. Apparently a boat was hauled backwards and forwards on the rope. The boats kept passing back and forth with a dozen passengers in each, Mr. Parry in command of one boat and Mr. Jones the other. By 3 pm that day all passengers were safely ashore. It was a miracle that no lives were lost, including a Mrs. Cubbin, a pregnant mother who gave birth to a daughter that day on King Island. The lifeboats were nearly swamped by overcrowding but on the whole, passengers behaved very well and waited their turn, with patience and courage. It is interesting, from the captain’s notes, that the saloon passengers, both ladies and gents, refused to leave the ship until all the others were safely ashore.

It was decided next morning, July 16, after a well earned rest, to dispatch a party overland to the Cape Wickham lighthouse on the north of the island, to send for help by telegraphy as was thought to exist there. They did not know it was a walk of 35 miles from the wreck. The party consisted of Mr. Parry, a second officer, one of the crew and a party of volunteers. They started off at 7am with a small supply of bread and any food that could be spared. The people of the wreck left behind were able to save 18 casks of flour and six bags of bread and much of the passengers’ luggage, a tricky business as the sea was very rough. Eight guards were appointed to keep watch on the food to prevent pilfering. Shelters had been made from branches and tablecloths and sails - anything that could be found. Daily rations were ½ lb flour, a little oatmeal, and ¼ lb salt meat to an adult male with ½ lb flour and a biscuit extra to women and children.

Meanwhile, two of the party going for help gave in and returned to the wreck, the rest kept going with little food and some wallabies they had caught. Reaching the lighthouse on Thursday, Mr. Parry discovered there was no telegraph and found that rescue lay only in taking a boat to Melbourne. At the lighthouse was only a 24ft whaleboat, needing six men to the oars. The chances of making Melbourne seemed so remote that one refused to go which left Mr. Parry and three others to face high winds and rough seas and it is incredible the four reached land near Barwon Heads (on the Australian mainland) a distance of 80km from King Island, on Friday evening, and with luck still with them, met a surveying party who gave them assistance. Mr. Parry was able to borrow a horse and ride the distance of 26 miles to Geelong and after sending news of the wreck to the Chief Secretary in Melbourne, Mr. Parry proceeded to Melbourne by train. On July 20, Captain Owens, with the sailmaker and four sailors, set out on the long walk to the lighthouse to see if Mr. Parry and his crew had even reached the lighthouse and were overjoyed to find they had and had gone for help.

In Melbourne, the Government ship ‘Victoria’ was with all haste provisioned and sent to the wreck with Mr. Parry directing them. At the same time, the Harbourmaster at Williamstown got news of the wrecked ship and set out in his steamship "Paros", with clothing and provisions, and both ships arrived at the scene of the wreck within an hour of each other on July 23 and what a sight for the 500 hungry and shivering people. The two Pinnuck brothers and all other passengers were brought to Melbourne housed in the Exhibition Building, then in the process of being built. A testimonial fund was organized for the destitute people and they were supplied with clothing and other goods. Many of these people liked what they saw in Victoria and those to stay included David and Edward Pinnuck, who proceeded to the Ballarat region where they remained for some years.

David Pinnuck’s youngest child was born in Trentham in 1873, making a family of three boys and two girls. David moved to Broken Hill in 1886 with his family and died there in 1922 aged 84. His two sons, who were in the wreck, moved back to Victoria in 1895 to Strathmerton (about 200km north of Melbourne) and their families still live there.

Edward Pinnuck moved to Shepparton, Victoria (about 150 km north of Melbourne) in 1873 and was one of the first to select land when it became available. He later moved to Strathmerton where he continued farming until 1925, when he retired. He died there in 1927 at the age of 84. From a first marriage (to Henrietta Ball) there were two sons and two daughters. From a second marriage (to Agnes Felstead), two sons and a daughter. The original home built by Edward Pinnuck on land selected in 1873 in Shepparton still stands. Built of red gum timber over 100 years ago, it is situated four miles east of Shepparton on the Old Dookie Rd and is still lived in.

Further information on the wreck of the Netherby can be found at http://netherby.homestead.com

Robert Melton Armitage (1920-1993), train driver

Robert Melton Armitage was a son of Alfred John Armitage (1893-1957) who was a brother of my grandmother Emma Armitage (1883-1970). This profile is based on information from his son.

Alfred John and Ethel Emily Armitage had six children, five boys and a girl (who died aged 1). Robert was one of twins (the other was Leonard Frank Armitage) born on 30 January 1920 in Hackney, North London. He had two elder brothers and one younger. Alfred was a railway guard, based at Broad Street London. Electoral registers show the family living at 19 Sandbrook Road, Stoke Newington (North London) in 1919 and 1925 but they had moved elsewhere by 1928.

Robert grew up and went to school in Stoke Newington before joining the London, Midland & Scottish Railway in December 1936 as an Engine Cleaner at Kentish Town shed on the Midland line of that Railway company. He had become a 'passed cleaner' (certified to act as Fireman as required), when the Second World War began. He applied to join the army, but wasn't released due to his job. During the war he was appointed Fireman at Kentish Town, and by the end of the war had become a 'passed Fireman' (certified to act as Driver when required).

 On 7th August 1948 Robert married Eileen Gladys Grizzell. He had met her through a railway social gathering, as her father, Alfred Richard (always known as 'Dick'), was a wheelwright in the Road Motors division at Kentish Town. They lived at 29 Homefield Road, Edgware, with Eileen's parents to begin with, inheriting the house after 'Dick' Grizzell (died 1949), and Rhoda Amelia (nee Perks, died 1955) had both passed away. Robert and Eileen had a son in 1954.

After the war promotion was slow, as people returned to the railway service from the Armed Forces. Robert was finally promoted to Driver in 1958, still at Kentish Town. He covered a wide variety of routes over the former Midland lines, working to Leicester, Derby, Nottingham, Manchester, Sheffield, and Leeds. He also worked over the former London, Tilbury and Southend line to Barking, Tilbury, and Southend. His penultimate steam turn was in 1963, on a special rail tour working to Burton-on-Trent, with locomotive 35003 'Royal Mail', a class 8 Southern Pacific loco, not normally seen on the Midland. Between 1960 and 1966 he also drove the then new 'Midland Pullman' Diesel train between London and Manchester. While learning the new diesel locos a lot of these trips were worked over the now long closed Bedford to Northampton line.

In 1963 Kentish Town steam shed closed, and Robert transferred with most of the staff to Cambridge Street Diesel Depot, which had been opened just outside St. Pancras. His final steam driving turn took place in 1965 when he worked a diverted Dover-Manchester service between Cricklewood and Derby with standard class 5 loco no.73066.

In 1969 he became a Driver Instructor, although this was mainly on an 'as required' basis, with his normal driving duties when not instructing. In 1977 he became a full time Locomotive Inspector, which mainly involved taking others on Rules Exams, and riding with Drivers as part of their 'practical assessments', along with other special investigations and 'rides' when required. By 1979 he had been allocated a 'Divisional' role, whereby he undertook similar work on the 'North Western' lines from Euston, as well as his home territory on the Midland routes. Throughout his railway career he was always known as Bob Armitage.

In 1984 Robert retired aged 64 after 48 years service. He still resided at 29 Homefield Road with Eileen, and spent a lot of time enjoying his hobby of gardening (he had at one time owned an allotment next to Montrose Park). In 1991 he was diagnosed with cancer of the bowel. He had several operations and it was thought that he would recover, but the cancer spread, and he died at home with his family on 5th September 1993. He was cremated, and his ashes scattered at Holders Hill Cemetery London NW7.