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James was born on 10 May 1893, the second son of Thomas Atkinson and Margaret Shields Mitchell.
Newly arrived from Scotland, James was sent to school in Hartlepool wearing a kilt! This resulted in unmerciful teasing and frequent truancy. He ran away to sea as soon as he could find a captain willing to sign him on. He rounded Cape Horn in one of the last sailing vessels to make that perilous voyage, and took part in rescue operations in San Francisco after an earthquake around 1912. He and his shipmates were anchored in San Francisco Bay, and were brought ashore to assist after large sections of the city were destroyed.
During WW1, he was a member of the Merchant Marine, in convoys to Archangel and Murmansk in Northern Russia. He later enlisted in the Royal Navy and served on HMS Pembroke in both the Atlantic and Mediterranean war zones. He had several citations for gallantry, but was badly wounded |
in the Dardinelles which effectively ended his naval career. He married Marion Brough on 15 October 1919.
Like many of his contemporaries, he spent long periods out of work during the thirties, but did work on building the Transporter Bridge in Middlesbrough. He was eventually employed by the LNER Railway as a Harbour Gateman.
James recognized the value of a specialized knowledge of First Aid in the workplace, and his expertise was frequently demanded. There are several men who could not have survived without his prompt and professional attention. He loved his garden, and grew grapes in his small greenhouse, a minor miracle in the Hartlepool climate! He was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus in 1954, but in spite of several radiation treatments, died at age 61 at his home on Chatham Road, West Hartlepool. |
| Eric Newton | Born 23 Jul 1928 | West Hartlepool | Married Muriel Hay Ross |
| James Atkinson |
b: 10 May 1893 c: 7 Jan 1896 Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland son of Thomas Atkinson and Margaret, late Mitchell |
| Marian Brough |
b: 20 Nov 1892 Hartlepool, County Durham daughter of William Brough and Esther Kirby |
| 1901 Census | RG13-4637 | 1 April 1901 | West Hartlepool, County Durham | ||
| Middleton Road | |||||
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William Brough Esther (Wife) Margaret S. William Herbert Marian Esther Jane D. Emma V. C. Sarah J. F. |
Age 55 Age 39 Age 20 Age 11 Age 10 Age 8 Age 7 Age 5 Age 3 Age 1 M |
Ironsmith |
Hartlepool Norton Middleton in Stranton West Hartlepool West Hartlepool West Hartlepool West Hartlepool West Hartlepool West Hartlepool West Hartlepool |
Durham Durham Durham Durham Durham Durham Durham Durham Durham Durham |
abt 1845 abt 1861 abt 1880 abt 1889 abt 1890 abt 1892 abt 1893 abt 1895 abt 1897 abt 1901 |
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15 Oct 1919 James Atkinson Marian Brough |
West Hartlepool, County Durham Father: Thomas Atkinson, Deceased Father: William Brough |
| Eric Newton "Ricky" Atkinson |
b: 23 Jul 1928 West Hartlepool son of James Atkinson and Marion, late Brough |
| James Atkinson | Died 20 Nov 1954 buried 23 Nov 1954 West Hartlepool, County Durham |
| Marian (Brough) Atkinson | Died 16 Feb 1978 Hartlepool |