Hello John,

Thank you for the speedy reply, the photographs that I am most interested in are the one of Vickers Street in 1911 and of Wood Street 1911, I can accept attachments.

As my father, George Albert Ayton, was born in Grangetown in 1919 and I visited on a regular basis as a boy and still do on occasion (not that there's much to see of old Grangetown) I am interested in that part of the country. I was born in South Shields, my father joined the Royal Scots in WWII (he thought that it might be safer bet than the Green Howards) and was billeted in South Shields where he met my mother.

I am also researching my family history and briefly, my greatgrandfather came to Teesside from Gissing, Norfolk. He settled at Warrenby and married a girl at Christ Church Coatham, her name was Charlotte Tann, also from Norfolk. She had a son at the time by the name of Edward. Edward died (aged 24) as a result of injuries sustained at Warrenby Ironworks in 1895, when a number of boilers exploded.

My grandfather, George William Ayton, married Maggie Buxton in 1904 and they settled in Vickers Street, Grangetown by 1909. Maggie's parents were George James Buxton (an ironstone miner at Eston) and Elizabeth Mary Buxton (nee Easton and one time caretaker of St. Matthew's Church) of 119 Wood Street, Grangetown. I have many more details which I can pass on if they are of interest.
I attach a photograph of my grandfather taken after WWI in a band (he is the one in the front with the big drum). Someone may recognise one of the faces.

Thank you again, I am delighted to have come across your web-site, keep up the good work.

Regards,
George Ayton

See photo in WWI Section - Ed

Hello John,
Thank you for the photographs, they are priceless to me. The photograph that I attached yesterday was, so I was always told, taken in Grangetown. I know that my grandfather lost an eye and sustained other injuries during the course of WWI. However I think that the photograph was taken later, I will attach another photgraph of him taken in 1914 and you will see what the war did. I notice that my grandfather is wearing a different cap-badge from the rest, I'm sure his is a Green Howards badge.

For the record he and my grandmother had 11 children, 9 survived into adulthood, they were; Benjamin Ayton (Ben), Edward James Ayton (Jim), Edith Mary (Edie), Alice (Lal), Marie Roze (Marie), Robert William (Rob), George Albert (George), Betty, and the sole survivor Victoria (Vicki).

Ben and Jim were on a radio show in the 1930's in an accordian band. Betty emigrated to Australia in 1966 - her married name was Brackpool. Marie married William Barber. My father George and his brother Robert were in St. Matthews church choir when they were boys. Rob married Alma Ash who still lives in Eston and would be an asset to your site, as she has a sharp mind and a clear memory.

Victoria, who lives in Eston married Arthur Hind, all of the above had children, so I have a few cousins in the area.

As a stranger to Grangetown the things that struck me were, the smell from the works, and the hollow sound of the cobbles as I walked along Vickers Street. Also the other strange practice of getting a trolleybus (tram) to North Ormesby in order to come back again on a United bus to get to Redcar.

Thanks once again.
Regards
George.

As an addendum to George's story about the Warrenby explosion - Sheila Barker supplies this memorial card of that tragedy - which George was very pleased to see for the first time.
I noticed also that an Edward Dooley is mentioned on the card - a name which occurs in Grangetown Baptismal Records - I wonder if he also was a Grangetown lad?