Joseph Watkinson is my Great Grandfather, my paternal Grandmother’s father.  He married Mary Rodgers on 3 October 1860 and they had twelve children.  Amy (born 14 February 1861), Mary Maria (born 2 November 1862), Bertha (born 6 April 1865), William (born 10 June 1866), Joseph (born 21 August 1868), Harriet (born 15 February 1871), John (born 27 March 1873), Herbert (born 27 March 1875), Edgar (born 7 March 1877), Annie (born 6 February 1880) my grandmother, Thomas (born 31 January 1883) and Ann (born 21August 1889).

Joseph was born in Wollaton, Nottingham on 19 August 1842 the youngest child of Henry Watkinson and Amy Paling.  Sadly his mother Amy died when Joseph was only three and his obituary records that his oldest sister, Ann who was only nine herself when her mother died, looked after her younger siblings following her mother’s death.

The census return in 1851 reveals that Joseph was living with his father and two younger siblings, Mary and William, at Wollaton Hall.  By this time his father’s occupation is recorded as a Farm Labourer.  It is possible that by this time Joseph and his family were living in a tied property on the estate of Wollaton Hall which was occupied because of his father’s work.  Joseph’s older sister, Ann, was by the time of this census living with Mr Crescent Jeffs and his wife Mrs Frances Jeffs as their servant at 24 Long Row, Radford in Nottinghamshire. 

By the time of the 1861 census Joseph and Mary were married and living at Cinder Hill, Basford, Nottinghamshire.  Their first child Amy is just two months old, although her name on the 1861 census is recorded as Emma.  At this time Joseph’s occupation is recorded as a Coal Miner. Married in Nottingham, the family moved to Barnsley in South Yorkshire by 1865 where the ten younger children were born and in the next census of 1871 we still have Joseph as a Coal Miner but now living at 102 Pilley Colliery, Wortley.  Also in the census are his wife Mary and four of their six children born by this time, Amy, Maria, William and one month old Harriet.  Joseph, aged 2, was with his aunt and uncle Martha & George Slater at Wellington Street, Whittington, Chesterfield, Derbyshire.  Martha was Mary’s younger sister.  Bertha died in the first few weeks of her life.

Fifty years after the following event, this is an extract from an article in the local Barnsley newspaper:

Exactly 50 years ago, Mr Joseph Watkinson, of Pilley, was awarded the Royal Humane Society’s medal for saving two youths from drowning.  The two boys, Joseph Yeardley and Shadrach Illsby, both of Wharncliffe Silkstone were sporting on the frozen brickworks pond.  Venturing too far both were immersed in deep water.  Several people attempted to rescue the lads and ran to neighbouring houses for ropes and ladders.  One man, Enoch Meades, ran past Mr Watkinson’s house shouting for a rope.  Mr Watkinson had just returned from the pit and immediately ran to the pond, jumped into the ice-cold water, and rescued the boys.  He says he will never forget the despairing look on the face of the second boy to be saved when he was taking the first one out.  The boys recovered in a few days.

In 1879 Joseph was awarded the Royal Humane Society Bronze Medal for saving two youths from drowning (Royal Humane Society case reference 20835-1880).

Mr Watkinson is still alive, in his 88th year, hale and hearty.  Residing with his daughter, Mrs Carter at Sheffield Road, Birdwell, he can be seen every day, wet or fine, taking a walk with a vigorous stride that puts many a younger man to shame.  He was born at Wollaton, near Nottingham on Lord Middleton’s estate.  For a time he was a gardener’s apprentice, but left at the age of 14 to work in a coal mine, eventually settling at Wharncliffe Silkstone, 61 years ago.  He held the position of deputy there for about 40 years.  Mr Watkinson has ten children living, the youngest being 49 and 90 grandchildren and great grandchildren.  Nearly all his life he has been a non-smoker and teetotaller and was a Sunday School teacher and superintendent for over 66 years.  Always a keen lover of his garden, he still cultivates nearly 1000 square yards.  Mr Watkinson attributes his health and longevity to early rising and retiring, plain living and plenty of rational exercise. 

By the time we come to the next census in 1881 another four children have been born and the census records the parents living with eight of their ten children.  Helpful aunt and uncle Martha and George Slater this time have Harriet with them, still at Wellington Street, but Harriet is recorded as fourteen when she was only ten.  By this time Joseph has been promoted and is now recorded as Overman in Coal Pit.  Three of his children are also working – Maria as a dressmaker, William as a Horse Driver in Coal Pit and Joseph as a Lamp Cleaner Colliery.  The family have also moved house to 11 Pilley Colliery.

By the time of the 1891 census Joseph and Mary are recorded as living with seven of their children.  By this time Joseph’s occupation is again recorded as a Coal Miner.  The three children who are now working are William, also a Coal Miner and incorrectly recorded as being aged 35 when he was actually 25, John, also a Coal Miner, and Herbert, a horse driver.  Again the family had moved house and were now living at 27 Sheffield Road.

In the first census of the twentieth century Joseph and Mary only have two children living with them, Annie Ethel and Tom.  They have moved again to 63 Sheffield Road and Joseph is now a Colliery Deputy Below Ground.  Tom is also working in Coal mining as a Coal Hewer Trammer Below Ground.  Despite the reduced numbers the family now have a servant Martha Ann Mayor living with them.

Other members of the family are not far away with Edgar and his wife Harriet Wroe living with her parents at 65 Sheffield Road, Herbert and his wife Ann Eliza Bucklow living with her parents at 61 Sheffield Road and Amy Watkinson living with her husband Tom Wroe at 75 Sheffield Road.

In the final census currently available, 1911, Joseph was living with Annie Ethel and Thomas Thompson, my grandparents, with yet another move to 115 Sheffield Road.  The picture shows Joseph and Mary at Thomas & Annie’s wedding on 11 August 1906.  By the time of the 1911 census two of Annie and Thomas’ s children are born, William and Nellie, Joseph’s wife, Mary had died in 1909 and the house is also occupied by a boarder, Emma Wilkinson, a widow, and her daughter Elsie.

Two later photographs of Joseph feature him with other members of the family.  The photograph of four generations shows Joseph with his son Herbert, born in 1875, his grandson Harold, born in 1899, and his great grandson Bryan, born around 1922.    The second family group, taken in about 1930, shows Joseph with Annie and Thomas and their seven surviving children Amy, Bill, Nellie, Joseph, Ann, Wilfred and Emma.

The second family group, taken in about 1930, shows Joseph with Annie and Thomas and their seven surviving children Amy, William, Nellie, Joseph, Ann, Wilfred and Emma..Emma always related a story of a time when grandad (Joseph) came to see them in South Wales, when he was still living in Barnsley.  Emma went back to Barnsley with him to see some of her cousins and while she was there grandad bought her a new coat.  Having three older sisters from whom she could inherit clothes, a new coat was something she always remembered.

Joseph died on 5th November 1931 at 227 Sheffield Road, Birdwell, Worsborough, Barnsley and there was an extensive record of his life and funeral in the local paper.   

Mr Joseph Watkinson, who was probably the best known resident in Birdwell, died at 227, Sheffield Road, on Thursday. Mr Watkinson, who was 89 years of age, had enjoyed the honour of being the oldest resident for only a few weeks, the previous oldest being Mrs Matthewman, who (as reported in these columns) passed away recently at the age of 92 years.

Although Mr Watkinson had lived in the Birdwell area since 1868, he was not a native of these parts, but was born on the 19th August 1842, at Wollaton.  Along with two sisters and a brother, he was left motherless at the age of 2 years, the elder sister, Mary having to bring them up.  The younger sister, Ann,  became  a schoolmistress, although she never attended school herself, being taught by some educated person in the district.  she died however at the age of 36.

Mr Watkinson attended school for a few months only, but had studied and read so diligently that he was considered one of the best Biblical scholars in the district. His maternal grandfather was a Dutchman, who came over from Holland to lay some Dutch gardens at Wollaston Hall. Other members of the family were dyke builders in Holland, and came over to drain the warp lands in Lincolnshire. His father was the village cobbler.

Mr Watkinson commenced work down a coal mine at the age of 14. He came to reside at Wharncliffe Silkstone after obtaining work at the Colliery on November 2nd 1868, and remained in the employ of the Colliery Company for over 40 years, mostly as a deputy, retiring in 1910.

Mr Watkinson was awarded the Royal Humane Society’s medal in respect of an act of bravery in December 1879. (At this point the obituary recorded the details of the event, as above).

He went to live at Birdwell in 1891. He was a non-smoker and teetotaller, and was a Sunday School teacher and Superintendent for over 66 years. A keen gardener, he cultivated for many years about a thousand square yards.

The funeral took place on Sunday, the service being conducted by Rev C W Limb and Mr J A Taylor in the Birdwell U.M. Church. Mr Taylor referred to the life of Mr Watkinson as being the finest example of a Christian life he had known. The coffin was afterwards laid to rest at Worsbro’ Cemetery.

Mr Watkinson married in 1860 Mary Rodgers, of a Leicester family, and the couple lived at New Whittington for a short while before coming to Wharncliffe Silkstone. They had six sons and four daughters. Mrs Watkinson died in 1909. There are 41 grandchildren, 43 great grandchildren, and one great great grandchild.