Mr Geddes

Grandfather and family moved to area from Scotland. Father was in army in India. Uncles went into steel works. Taking lunches in to relatives there, separate places set up as had been accidents. Moved to Lumley - slates for homework. Lanchester school, was not well educated because teachers only had time for middle class children. Escaping classroom. Composition competition: drew plough. Work on the farm as a teenager. Lanchester workhouse. Some local characters, beggars, farm worker who hoarded money in a chest while alive. First day down the pit, rats ate lunch. Work as a hewer. Dispute about a seam, got taken to court of referees at Gateshead for leaving early. Won the case but union wouldn’t help, so left pits. Briefly worked in fish and chip shop in Manchester then moved back and started farming. Low price of meat. Wife's illness, died at 32.

Location: Lumley, Lanchester
County: Durham
AUD1992-44

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