Eric the Nicky-Nack Grandad

Eric Winston Armitage
We used to call him Nicky-Nack Grandad because of the name of the pub (since renamed to The Daleside Inn) at the junction when we travelled up to visit.


Here's an early photo of Eric, very proudly posing in his First Car
(aged 4, around 1929). His 12-year-old brother (Doug) got a newspaper job to save up and buy this pedal car for him - so that he could strengthen his legs! He has a vivid memory of screeching out of his front garden and (on two wheels) onto the pavement!



Here's a well-viewed photo of the day Eric came back to his parent's house after a spell staying with Mrs Evans (family friend).
Shows (L to R): Mrs Evans, younger brother Phillip, Eric, and Marian Armitage.


Then a tinted photo of him as as older lad!








And on the right: a snapshot of Eric fixing a bike, next to Lizzie Sennett's wash-house.






Eric looking casual


These 2 pics of Eric show him in his wedding suit, 1946. He spent the last of his clothing coupons to get that suit!







Below is the wedding invitation.

Here's a photo from the wedding reception at The Bridge Hotel, Croxdale (now renamed). The owners had managed to scare up some Ham sandwiches for the occasion - and just look at that cake. It was made & decorated by Mary's friend.

Remember, this was 1946, food rationing was still a hardship.



Family guests at the wedding;
Philip Armitage, Winnie Carr, Austin Sennett, Eric & Mary Armitage, Lizzie & James Sennett, Mrs Armitage, and an Aunty (possibly Mrs A's sister in law?)






A rather unclear picture - again taken at the wedding reception.



Their Honeymoon, at the Imperial Hotel Newcastle [a first stay in a hotel for both of them] was supposed to be a week but it became only 4 days, as both had to get a lift to Blackpool to go to Eric's new work contract there. Eric worked as an engineer.

They settled in Tudhoe Village, eventually building their own house.
Here's Eric with the first of his four children, looking very dapper.

Here they both are - with Tina - and then on the right, all four of Eric & Mary's children.






Back to the more modern day..
Eric and his wife were heavily involved in the organising of the Tudhoe village show, which was a village event in the second weekend of September. It was a popular produce show, but I also remember a section for the art & craft of local children. It was held in a giant marquee on the village Green, tolerably near to the Green Tree Pub. It folded not long after the sudden death of one of the tiny committee, after continuous shows ever since 1847. Delightfully, it has recently been resurrected and (floods permitting) seems to be enjoying some success.

Eric's wider family
Grandad remembers his family details as {they've been augmented a little by some details from Aunt Dorothy's records}:

Father Germaine Leo Armitage, born 1875 - died 1948 in Mablethorpe, and
Mother Marian Foster, 11 years younger than Leo (died 1977). Their children:
Leo Godfrey, born 1910 {known as Godfrey}
Dorothy Mary, born 1914, died 1995.
Douglas Guiver, born ~ 1917, died 1973 in Wolverhampton.
Eric Winston, born 1925.
Philip Desmond, born 1927-died 1969 in Bristol.

The photo below is of Germaine Leo Armitage (or Leo G. Armitage as he was known by then) - it was taken at his house - in the late forties? I get the impression he was camera-shy! Written on the back of this image is "Caught you in the end Dad, love Mary" - perhaps taken by his daughter-in-law, Mary Armitage, when she was visiting to show off her first child. The note is a little spooky, as he died soon after that. More later about Leo, and see another post about Leo's schooling.


The photo below of my Great-Grandma Marian Armitage is also a rare one. She is seen here in Mablethorpe, dandling her grandchild, Tina.




and another here:





Aunty Dorothy Mochan (nee Armitage) and Gran A - in other words, my Grandad's sister and his mother. They are visiting Tudhoe Village, and the car is Eric's.




Leo and Marian Armitage were married and settled in Thorne (King St) where they were doing well, until the years of the Depression, when the business came to an end. The family struggled on - moving to Alford (near Thorne, but in Lincolnshire) for a while to live & work with Walter's younger brother Ewart Armitage - and then settling in the tourist town of Mablethorpe where Leo found work to be very seasonal. (More links about Mablethorpe here, and old photos here and here.)

Ewart Armitage did rather well in Alford, Lincolnshire. He had married a local lass in ??1913. His business empire there included the cinema.  He employed many of the Armitage family - see below to hear about Dorothy's work. My Grandad also recalls that one of his brothers was charged with operating the engine which supplied electrical power for the cinema & several local houses.

The Probate Registry tells us that Ewart Armitage died at 11 Field Rd, Thorne on the 5th of December 1940, though he was still a resident of Alford (West St.). His estate was under £3500, and his widow was Dora Armitage.

Leo Armitage died in 1948, aged approximately 73.
Marian Armitage (Senior) lived with many different members of her family from after she was widowed until 1973 (the year her brother Doug died). She then lived with her daughter Dorothy in Lincoln, till she died in 1977.

Eric's sister Dorothy Mary Armitage
After schooling in Thorne & Goole Grammar, Dorothy Armitage moved to Alford with her parents. There she worked in Uncle Ewart's business empire, working in his office and in the cinema ticket office at night.  Dorothy was a nurse for many years; first at Doncaster Infirmary, then West Park Hospital in Epsom & then in Lincoln Hospital. Dorothy married Denis Joseph Mochan in 1941. He was born 1911 in Kirkintilloch, son of an Iron Moulder. They met & married in Epsom, whilst he was a nurse working in the Royal Army Medical Corps. They had three boys in Louth and then moved to Lincoln where they had another son. (Sadly one of the 4 sons died recently). Denis Joseph Mochan died in 1979, and was buried just the day after one of his Grandson's was christened.

Denis Joseph Mochan
Many Thanks are due to one of Dorothy & Denis' sons, Mike - he has kindly dug out and passed on lots of useful info, certificates, and photos. I'm grateful for his input & interest.

Eric's brothers, Godfrey, Douglas and Phillip.













Here are photos of Eric's wife Mary Armitage, little Tina, with Eric's brothers Godfrey & Philip. We see Godfrey Armitage on the left-hand photo and on the right-hand photo, we see Philip Armitage.


Next up - an earlier photo of Eric and Doug Armitage - 1946.
Eric was very fond of his elder brother Doug.








Here are Phillip (note Paras badges) and Douglas, holding Tina.




(Same day?) Here are three of the brothers with their Mum: (L to R) Eric, Douglas, Marian, Phillip





1901 National Census, Thorne

• The family of Eric's father Leo can be seen on the 1901 National Census, confirming some of the details known to the family, but providing many new ones! Germaine Leo is seen as a 25 year old, suggesting his DOB is ~1876 {we now know it's 1875}. His name has been recorded/transcribed as 'German L.', and he was born at Deepcar, Yorkshire (which is near Chapeltown).
  

In 1901 My Grandad's Grandad was the head of the household, in King St., St. Nicholas parish, Thorne, Yorkshire:
Walter Armitage, 52, born Thorne, an Engineer & engine maker,
Clara, 50, born Ponders End, Middlesex,
German L, 25, born Deepcar {= Germaine Leo, known as Leo}
Walter G, 21, born Thorne
Eward, 13, born Thorne {= Ewart}
also a visitor, Florence Freeman, 23, born Middlesex.

Family records have the address as 37, King St. Thorne. Certificates kept in the family also confirm many details for us. Thanks again to Mike for passing this to me.
We have Germaine Leo's Birth cert: -

Name given as German Leo (but later in his marriage certificate it is Germaine Leo, and his son confirmed he signed himself as Leo G. Armitage.)
Born 19th December 1875 at Henholmes, Hunshelf {see the industry section in that page for a reference to a John Armitage's tile & brickworks. It is near Deepcar}.
Name of father - Walter Armitage.
Rank or Profession of Father - Manager at a Brickworks (he would have been around 26 then!)
Name of mother - Clara Armitage formerly Guiver.

So our Walter seems to have gone into some family business running the Brickworks near Chapeltown. By 1901, he has his own engineering business.
What kind of engines did Walter make & mend in 1901? Not trains/ steam engines, but there was a lot of work on stationary engines, and traction engines, too. {Grandad remembers a cramped ride on a traction engine to deliver it, at the stately speed of 4 mph!} The foundry etc was all to be found in the back yard of the house at King St.
I haven't found any references to the 'business', or what they were known as - presumed Armitage & Sons, Thorne, if any. That turned up no results on Google, though.

Also Granddad had memories of a brewery over the road - Darley's Brewery. Also a mention in the page linked here, or lots of photos here.

Photos of Thorne 
- St Nicholas church.
- Schools
- Windmills
- King St, here and here, and here is number 42.


Granddad remembers that his Granddad Walter passed the engineering business on to Leo (Walter's son), and also remembered his Uncles Walter & Ewart. He doesn't remember the ladies in his family very well, though!

Walter Armitage died in 1904.
The Probate Registry tells us about the estate of Walter Armitage, who died on Dec 30th, 1903 whilst at King St., Thorne. His widow was named as Clara Armitage, and his estate was proved at approx £1500.

The new release of Census data - 1911

Now in Thorne, we see a new generation of Armitages. Our Leo Armitage is listed as an Engineer, with his new young wife Marian (nee Foster, aged 24). The census records confirm that they were married in 1909, and that they have a baby son, Leo Godfrey (aged 1). Sadly, the name Germaine Leo has caused a problem for the transcription process yet again - now he is recorded as Germaine Iso (male, aged 35). Good grief! A salutory lesson for when it comes to thinking of names for your own children. Mind you - there is only one of him which makes him easier to find in a list, unlike Walter Armitage; hundreds!

We also find records of Leo's brother Walter G. Armitage (recorded now in full as Walter Guiver Armitage - so he'd been given his mother's maiden name). He is aged 32 in 1911, and I don't find a record of any wife or children in the household.

Do please shout at me if there's anything wrong, the mistakes are all mine. Also whisper if you want me to add anything.
Next time, I shall take you further back in time with our magical digital Tardis!

Armitage Shanks??
You may have been wondering if we have any links with the famous Armitage Shanks company. Sadly, no - that company was based in the Staffordshire town of Armitage, hence the name. {loved the Armitage Shanks Prize Bowl for Mornington Crescent winner in that link, by the way!}

There are some other famous Armitages (list here on Wikipedia):

• Poet, Simon Armitage
• Winner of the George Cross and the George Medal (WW II bomb disposal), Robert Selby Armitage
• Soap actor, Peter Armitage - seen here as the Dad, in an old ad you'll remember.