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James Atkinson                                 1893 - 1954
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.
Marian Brough                                   1892 - 1978
Marian was born on 20 November 1892, the eldest daughter of William Brough and his second wife Esther Kirby. She died in Hatlepool on 16 February 1978.
They had only one child:
  Eric Newton Born 23 Jul 1928   West Hartlepool Married Muriel Hay Ross

Birth of Parents
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
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

Marriage
15 Oct 1919
James Atkinson
Marian Brough
  West Hartlepool, County Durham
Father: Thomas Atkinson, Deceased
Father: William Brough

Children
Eric Newton "Ricky" Atkinson b: 23 Jul 1928     West Hartlepool
son of James Atkinson and Marion, late Brough

Death
James Atkinson Died 20 Nov 1954   buried 23 Nov 1954           West Hartlepool, County Durham


Death
Marian (Brough) Atkinson Died 16 Feb 1978             Hartlepool


SPECIAL THANKS  to a current direct Atkinson descendant of James and Margaret Atkinson for the details provided above.