Many thanks to Andy Chapman for photo's and information on Harry and Dorothy.

I have in the process of researching my family history found many skeletons in cupboards. In each case I have added the information to this web site warts and all as I have been told that the relatives that I research only deserve the truth.



Harry Dale

Harry Dale.

born 1893 in Tunstall.

married 1920 Civil marriage Stoke.

died after 1924 in Stoke on Trent.

Dorothy Mary Louise Billingsley.

born 1896.

died 1967 in Bradwell.

married x 2.

1933 civil wedding (Stoke Woolstanton).

James Henry Blackburn.

dorothybillingsley

Doris Mary Louise Billingsley

Harry Dale was the son of Henry and Mary Dale and was born in Tunstall in 1883. His father Henry died when Harry was young possibly 1906. The 1911 census shows Harry living in Fenton he is single aged 18 years and working as a coal miner loader.

description of mine loaders job:-

Loaders, inside, bituminous. Shoot or blast coal from veins or beds after it has been undercut by machine miners and then load the coal into cars with coal-loading machines. In some mines they do the timbering; that is, set props or timbers to prevent the falling of slate, stone, and earth into the rooms of the mines; also lay tracks in rooms of mines and keep rooms in good working condition.

Loaders, outside, anthracite. Load coal into railroad cars and refuse into mine cars.

1911 Census records

1911 Census Records Dwelling: 38 Queen St, Fenton, Staffordshire
Name Relation Age Status Occupation Birthplace
Mary Dale Head 50 Widow 0 Tunstall, Staffordshire
Samuel Dale Son 24 Married Coal Miner Loader Tunstall, Staffordshire
Emily Rowe Daughter 22 Married 0 Tunstall, Staffordshire
Florence Dale Daughter 20 Single Castor Tunstall, Staffordshire
Harry Dale Son 18 Single Coal Miner Loader Tunstall, Staffordshire
Clara Dale Daughter 16 Single Lathe Treader Longton, Staffordshire
May Dale Daughter 14 0 Cup Handler Longton, Staffordshire
Ada Dale Daughter 12 0 School Longton, Staffordshire
Harold Dale Son 10 0 School Longton, Staffordshire
Alice Edna Dale Daughter 7 0 School Burslem, Staffordshire
Thomas Rowe Son in law 31 Married Earthenware Dealer Longton, Staffordshire

By 1920 Harry has met and married Dorothy Billingsley and they had three children together all girls.

Harry and Dorothy's children

Norah Dale Born 1920 in Fenton. married Henry Thomas Chapman.
Doris Dale Born 1921 in Fenton . Death 2011 in Stoke.and married Harold Cotton in 1956 ,lived in Northampton until Harold died 2008 then she moved back to Stoke.
Winifred Dale Birth 1924 in Stoke Fenton, Married Jack Jervis in 1949 and had four children Jack died in 1997 Winifred still lives in Stoke.

Norah Dale had three children, two boys and a girl.

Michael H Chapman Born 1943 Stoke. Married Carol Ann Eastwood had three Children Andrew, Dale and Julian.
Anthony J Chapman Born 1947 Northampton Married Kathleen Benton and had Two Children Maxine and Catherine.
Margaret D Chapman Born 1950 Northampton Married twice, Ron Church and had one Child Natalie, then re-married to Peter Church (no relation to her first husband).

There is it appears a family story that Harry died in an accident near Trentham Gardens.

In 1933 Dorothy remarries James Henry Blackburn.

James Henry Blackburn and Dorothy'sChild

James Blackburn born 1935.

BUT

Harry marries Dorothy and they have three children all girls.

For whatever reason Harry has an affair in Blackpool with a woman by the name of Maud Weeks.

Dorothy files for divorce and this is granted, she then remarries Mr James Blackburn and they have a son James Blackburn in 1935 and live happily ever after. Dorothy to save explaining a complicated story it seems suggests to her daughters that their father Harry had died in an accident near Trentham.

But Harry is alive and well in the mid nineteen thirties as he visits his sister Clara in Goldenhill regularly, he may well have been living with a woman who owned a shop that sold shoes. He often brought Clara's daughter (my mum) cheap shoes.

The divorce case has Harry not attending the proceedings, the explanation being that he was in St Edwards, which was a mental hospital in Cheddleton. He was not available a year later, citing the same reason.

Harry may well have been in St Edwards in fact if this reason was given for his absence at the divorce case, then it must surely be true. Why he was in such a place and what he was suffering from we may never know as the records for this hospital are unavailable. The fact that his estranged wife Dorothy fabricated a story about his death is excusable but surely she must have come to an agreement with Harry agreeing that he would not turn up in later years and introduce himself to his daughters who would have believed that he was deceased ?

Staffs BDM or Free BDM have no marriage of H Dale to M Weeks.

There are several entries of marriages on the Staffs BDM that may be Harry's but to date I have not purchased the certificates which would prove if he married again and also I have no date for his death.

norah norahdorothywin

Norah DaleDoris at the front Norah right and Win on the left

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