Website updated 1 February 2016

Website updated and includes many new narratives and source references.  My dear friend Tony gave me some more information to take some of our branches back a generation - Thanks Tony

I received an email offering some information on Martha Hewitt, we worked on this, found some more and the result can be found on the website - Thanks Tim

Several previously locked entries on 1939 National Register have been unlocked.  The information on these has been updated on website.  Roll on mid February when the is information is free within my Find My Past subscription - whoopee.

Hoping you find something interesting that sparks you into writing to me, sending me a photograph or just telling me a story

Look forward to hearing from you

Website updated 1 January 2016

The website was updated on 1 January 2016.  Just getting used to typing 2016!!

Happy New Year to all

Over the past 12 months much has happened, the major perhaps being extra primary sources becoming available on the internet. 

1939 National Register has been published - Although all names on all pages have been scanned, large black lines appear over many names obscuring the information where Find my past believe the person may still be alive.  These lines are gradually being removed where proof has been found that the person has now died.  I provided my mother's death certificate and much information allowing her record to be revealed.  However as I did not know where my father might have been as I guessed he was in London in digs it took FMP longer despite all the information I sent for them to reveal where he was.  I am now delighted both my parents appear in the index and are visible.  I am told FMP remove more black lines each Friday as they discover more deaths and the record of their birth date shows them to be 100 years and 1 day old.  Sadly to find these changes incurs a fair amount of work but hey ho, anything worth having is always worth the effort.  All records that I have found are now updated and the information IS complete on the website.

Improvements, well I hope you consider them to be improvements to the website have been the inclusion of dropdown lists on menu, lists of those men included on the website who fell during WW1.  If you discover anyone I missed please let me know.

My beloved Excise men records from the minute books are now complete.  Now to find out what other records are available.

Many extra photographs are now available, do keep sending them please.  Remember to send pictures of living people as well.  They will NOT be included on the website yet but stored on my personal database.  As they say:Today is tomorrows history.

The website contains information on 22,278 people, however my personal data contains information on 31,796.

Using my facebook pages I was delighted to wish a very happy birthday to Anthony Greathead who became 100 years old in December.  You will not find him on the website as I am delighted to say he is still very much alive, and long may he live.  He is the 4th Greathead that I am aware of who reached this splendid age.


I have managed to updated the website every month with information gleaned form many primary sources and provided by my many contacts.  I always try to check what people tell me by adding other sources, but give credit to my contact in the first instance.  Sometimes it is not possible to check everything, so if you find any errors or omissions please do contact me.

I could go on forever but .......  Please contact me during 2016 with more information on YOUR twig, branch whether it be with current or older information.  I love hearing from YOU, even if it is just for a chat.

Something I may have to think about seriously is the software I use to keep all this information.  Sadly it is no longer supported so I will eventually have to move to another program.  This will no doubt cause me much pain and a I will be depending on YOU to highlight anything that goes wrong during the transition.  I am holding off for as long as possible as other programs add functions to their software to enable more data to be transferred easily and correctly.  I will then have to decide which program to move to and when.

Many happy returns - 100 years old

The Northern Echo reported on Wednesday 16 December 2015

A MINER who started down a County Durham pit at the age of 14 is celebrating his 100th birthday today (Wednesday, December 16).

Born and bred in Trimdon Colliery, Anthony Greathead spent almost half a century as a pitman - taking voluntary redundancy only to make way for younger lads at a time when the mines were closing.

The father-of-three started out in 1929 after leaving school as a teenager and worked at Deafhill Colliery before moving to Trimdon Grange Colliery.

Following the closure of the Trimdon Grange pit, Mr Greathead spent three years on the area salvage team, reclaiming support and machinery for the then National Coal Board.

"When I look back one might say it's with a rose-tinted romance," said Mr Greathead. "It was dark but it was a good life because everybody knew they had to work for a living.

"There was nothing easy about it - just something which, if you were prepared to do and try, you were alright.

"It didn't do you any harm really and you thought you'd had it rough because the job wasn't very pleasant some times.

"There were good times and rough times. In the pit you were all mates."

As part of his working life in 1960, Mr Greathead took on the role of finance secretary for Trimdon Grange Miners' Lodge where he stayed in office for eight years - completing quarterly accounts with the help of his late wife Jane Ann.

He was also a delegate for Trimdon Village Working Man's Club.

After his retirement, Mr Greathead, who now lives in Trimdon Village, dedicated his time to gardening and writing.

But during the past six years, following a stroke, the grandfather-of-three has focused on the latter and keeps a daily journal where he analyses the news alongside newspaper cut outs and writes hymns, poems and songs.

His daughter Anne Robson, who lives in Canada, said: "He has amazing handwriting from the first word to the last and still has a thirst for knowledge.

"We are so proud of how he has kept his mind so busy and his sense of humour well developed."

National Union of Mineworkers general secretary for the North East area, Davie Hopper, congratulated Mr Greathead on his 'milestone' age.

"In my time I've never known a miner get to that age," he said. "It's pretty unique because of the conditions that they worked in.

"It was a very difficult job where accidents and fatalities were fairly regular.

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"It's a great achievement and he must have had a strong constitution, it's remarkable."

The last deep coal mine in the country, Kellingley Colliery, in North Yorkshire, will close on Friday. 

 

Many Congratulations Anthony, and I hope you had a fantastic birthday

Website updated 1 December 2015

Updated the Greathead website today. Lots of information from 1939 National Register. Not the actual address as i cannot afford to get these yet. If anyone has paid for a sheet with a Greathead family do consider sharing please

Website updated 1 November 2015

Website updated again lots of entries on people who had to sadly spend some of their time in the workhouse, more details on our Excise men and much more....

Looking forward to getting some information from the 1939 Register, but not going to spend money on it yet, need to make sure good investment.  If anyone does pay for a household related to Greathead do please share.