Catherine Routledge married Matthew Spark in Aspatria on January 21st 1903. He was born in Coxhoe, County Durham in 1876, but his family all moved to Harriston while he was very young. The 1881 census shows him as one of five children; father John was a coke burner.
After their marriage, Catherine and Matthew lived with her widowed mother Elizabeth at 12 Harriston, Aspatria. They had two children, Marjorie born in 1903 and James Routledge Spark born in 1908. They are all there together in the 1911 census as well as Catherine’s younger brother William, who works in the mine with Matthew (both are coal hewers*).
Matthew enrolled in the 5th Battalion Kings Own Border Regiment. It is recorded that he was first recruited into the volunteer force in 1898; full-time occupation is a collier, employed by Mr Harris (the owner of the Aspatria Brayton Domain Colliery). Matthew’s army records list his distinguishing features as a tattoo on his left forearm, of a “female figure and two flags”.
His decorations list includes a medal for active service in the Transvaal in South Africa during 1901 (known as the Second Boer War). From XXX onwards he attended annual training camps including some in Wales and Yorkshire.
He was promoted in 1906 to the rank of sergeant. In 1910 he was awarded the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal, which was awarded to enlisted men of the Territorial Force for 12 years service. He was awarded the 1914 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal, and finally the Distinguished Service Medal was awarded in January 1916.
[information 6/1/2010]: Joan used to visit a pub in Aspatria as a child, to see “Uncle Jim” which was Jim Spark, in fact her father James Forster’s cousin. Joan also remembers Uncle Matt (Matthew Spark), who won the medal, and there was a big plaque commemorating his medal. Her father used to tell the story of how Matt got the medal, in the trenches he had saved the lives of dozens of men after he noticed a bird falling unconscious nearby, and recognising the signs of poisonous gas. He quickly instructed everyone to lower their heads as close to the ground or water as possible, and so avoiding the worst of the gas. He of course had learnt this during his experience in the mines, seeing birds used for this purpose.
He was sent to France in October 1914, not to return until March 1916.
His discharge in 1916 names him as “acting CQMS M Spark”. (CQMS in the British Army is the Company Quartermaster Sergeant, a non-commissioned officer in a company who is in charge of supplies).
His army pension records show that he was discharged and pensioned due to chronic rheumatism at the age of 40, in 1916. He continued to be part of the reserves.
It states that he was in the French trenches during the winters of 1914 and 1915, and was “constantly wet. Rheumatism in shoulders, thighs and feet. At times his ankle joints swell. Result of active service, exposure. Permanent. 75% debilitating.”
The army medical records are quite detailed and he continued to be assessed on a regular basis for several years. His condition seems to improve over time, amongst other comments it mentions that “Teeth defective and deficient – a pre-war condition. No swelling or creaking in any of joints” and “symptoms entirely subjective” and by 1920 it says that “the board considers that alcohol is a factor” and he was now only 5% debilitated, and all joints were normal.
Matthew Spark died on 27th January 1953 at the age of 76, and is buried in St Kentigern’s cemetery in Aspatria quite near the main door. Catherine died the following year on 29th July 1954.
Matthew and Catherine’s son James Routledge Spark was the witness and best man at the wedding of Sarah Elizabeth Routledge’s son James Forster to Irene Elizabeth Blain in 1932 (Jim Spark was the cousin of James Forster).
Jim Spark is listed in the 1954 directory living at 28 St Mungo’s Park, and died in May 1990 aged 82.
Marjorie Spark married Thomas Holden in early 1938, and died in 1976.
The listing compiled for the 1954 Cumberland Directory shows Matthew Spark’s address as 89 King Street Aspatria, also at this address is a Thomas Holden – so it can be presumed that Matthew lived with his daughter and son-in-law prior to his death.
Showing posts with label Miner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miner. Show all posts
Routledge at Harriston
The official death index for Apr-Jun 1897 Wigton lists James Routledge age 60, as does the very fine black granite gravestone in St Kentigern’s churchyard in Aspatria, which records the death of James Routledge of Harriston aged 60 on 12th June 1897.
On the Durham Mining Museum website, they list information from lots of other mines, in particular mining disasters or deaths. They have a record for a James Routledge aged 65, being killed by a fall of coal on 12th June 1897.
The incident is recorded as follows:
Brayton Domain Number 3, Cumberland
Routledge, James, 12 Jun 1897, aged 65, Hewer*, This accident occurred by a fall of coal and following band coming on to him. He had evidently just started to kirve when the coal, which was overhanging a little, came away from a "slip." There was plenty of timber in the place had he chosen to set a sprag [Inspection made & inquest attended]
The two occurrences of this very precise date seem far too much like a coincidence and so it must be presumed to be the same person.
[NB Most census returns during his life mean that an estimate of his age at death is anything from 61 to 63 years.]
Her father’s death could have been one reason why Sarah Elizabeth Routledge had to leave Aspatria to find work in Carlisle, while her widowed mother and two younger siblings Catherine and William stayed at home in Harriston.
J Pattinson, chemist of King Street, Aspatria, photographed daily life both above and below ground at the Brayton Domain Colliery. Some of these images were produced as a series of postcards. Quite a few show images of “hewers” and a couple of them even show reserve soldiers in mining attire versus uniforms.
[It is possible that this J Pattinson is a relative of Alan Pattinson who married James Forster’s cousin Sallie Taylor (his family was from Aspatria) ]
*In 1892 a hewer was described as follows:
The hewer is the actual coal-digger. Whether the seam is so thin that he can hardly creep into it on hands and knees, or whether it be thick enough for him to stand upright, he is the responsible workman who loosens the coal from the bed. The hewers are divided into "fore-shift" and "back-shift" men. The former usually work from four in the morning till ten, and the latter from ten till four. Each man works one week in the fore-shift and one week in the back-shift, alternately. Every man in the fore-shift marks "3" on his door. This is the sign for the "caller" to wake him at that hour. When roused by that important functionary he gets up and dresses in his pit clothes, which consist of a loose jacket, vest, and knee breeches, all made of thick white flannel; long stockings, strong shoes, and a close fitting, thick leather cap. He then takes a piece of bread and water, or a cup of coffee, but never a full meal. Many prefer to go to work fasting. With a tin bottle full of cold water or tea, a piece of bread, which is called his bait, his Davy lamp, and "baccy-box," he says good-bye to his wife and speeds off to work. Placing himself in the cage, he is lowered to the bottom of the shaft, where he lights his lamp and proceeds "in by," to a place appointed to meet the deputy. This official examines each man's lamp, and, if found safe, returns it locked to the owner. Each man then finding from the deputy that his place is right, proceeds onwards to his cavel, his picks in one hand, and his lamp in the other. He travels thus a distance varying from 100 to 600 yards. Sometimes the roof under which he has to pass is not more than three feet high. To progress in this space the feet are kept wide apart, the body is bent at right angles with the hips, the head is held well down, and the face is turned forward. Arrived at his place he undresses and begins by hewing out about fifteen inches of the lower part of the coal. He thus undermines it, and the process is called kirving. The same is done up the sides. This is called nicking. The coal thus hewn is called small coal, and that remaining between the kirve and the nicks is the jud or top, which is either displaced by driving in wedges, or is blasted down with gunpowder. It then becomes the roundy. The hewer fills his tubs, and continues thus alternately hewing and filling.
[a sprag is a wooden pit prop, a cavel is his working location]
photo of John Routledge at No.5 pit Harriston (probably James Routledge's son)
On the Durham Mining Museum website, they list information from lots of other mines, in particular mining disasters or deaths. They have a record for a James Routledge aged 65, being killed by a fall of coal on 12th June 1897.
The incident is recorded as follows:
Brayton Domain Number 3, Cumberland
Routledge, James, 12 Jun 1897, aged 65, Hewer*, This accident occurred by a fall of coal and following band coming on to him. He had evidently just started to kirve when the coal, which was overhanging a little, came away from a "slip." There was plenty of timber in the place had he chosen to set a sprag [Inspection made & inquest attended]
The two occurrences of this very precise date seem far too much like a coincidence and so it must be presumed to be the same person.
[NB Most census returns during his life mean that an estimate of his age at death is anything from 61 to 63 years.]
Her father’s death could have been one reason why Sarah Elizabeth Routledge had to leave Aspatria to find work in Carlisle, while her widowed mother and two younger siblings Catherine and William stayed at home in Harriston.
J Pattinson, chemist of King Street, Aspatria, photographed daily life both above and below ground at the Brayton Domain Colliery. Some of these images were produced as a series of postcards. Quite a few show images of “hewers” and a couple of them even show reserve soldiers in mining attire versus uniforms.
[It is possible that this J Pattinson is a relative of Alan Pattinson who married James Forster’s cousin Sallie Taylor (his family was from Aspatria) ]
*In 1892 a hewer was described as follows:
The hewer is the actual coal-digger. Whether the seam is so thin that he can hardly creep into it on hands and knees, or whether it be thick enough for him to stand upright, he is the responsible workman who loosens the coal from the bed. The hewers are divided into "fore-shift" and "back-shift" men. The former usually work from four in the morning till ten, and the latter from ten till four. Each man works one week in the fore-shift and one week in the back-shift, alternately. Every man in the fore-shift marks "3" on his door. This is the sign for the "caller" to wake him at that hour. When roused by that important functionary he gets up and dresses in his pit clothes, which consist of a loose jacket, vest, and knee breeches, all made of thick white flannel; long stockings, strong shoes, and a close fitting, thick leather cap. He then takes a piece of bread and water, or a cup of coffee, but never a full meal. Many prefer to go to work fasting. With a tin bottle full of cold water or tea, a piece of bread, which is called his bait, his Davy lamp, and "baccy-box," he says good-bye to his wife and speeds off to work. Placing himself in the cage, he is lowered to the bottom of the shaft, where he lights his lamp and proceeds "in by," to a place appointed to meet the deputy. This official examines each man's lamp, and, if found safe, returns it locked to the owner. Each man then finding from the deputy that his place is right, proceeds onwards to his cavel, his picks in one hand, and his lamp in the other. He travels thus a distance varying from 100 to 600 yards. Sometimes the roof under which he has to pass is not more than three feet high. To progress in this space the feet are kept wide apart, the body is bent at right angles with the hips, the head is held well down, and the face is turned forward. Arrived at his place he undresses and begins by hewing out about fifteen inches of the lower part of the coal. He thus undermines it, and the process is called kirving. The same is done up the sides. This is called nicking. The coal thus hewn is called small coal, and that remaining between the kirve and the nicks is the jud or top, which is either displaced by driving in wedges, or is blasted down with gunpowder. It then becomes the roundy. The hewer fills his tubs, and continues thus alternately hewing and filling.
[a sprag is a wooden pit prop, a cavel is his working location]
photo of John Routledge at No.5 pit Harriston (probably James Routledge's son)
