I googled Queenie Pinn who was a distant cousin of mine, and got a hit on this website!
I believe my grandfather (who was orphaned as a child) lived with or under the care of the Pinn family in the early 1900s. If any living descendant of hers knew more about the Pinn family I would love to be in touch!

What a find your website is - fantastic amount of information.
I found it when searching the village of Gretton which is where my Tee-Boon line originates from. Imagine how thrilled I was to find my family on your tree. I am from the line of Thomas Boon (Person ID120295) who is my 3 x Great Grandfather my 2 x Great Grandfather was his son William Tee Boon and my 1 x Great Grandfather was his son Robert. Thank you for the additional snippets of information I found on your charts.

Hi,
My book, A Challenger's Song, is due to be published on 9 December. I drew heavily on Joe Matkin's letters. My great grandfather was a stoker on Joe's ship, HMS Challenger. I'd very much like to contact the Matkin family. Could any readers help me?

Thanks, Philip Pearson

Frederick George Matkin had only one son with Lucy Ellen Platt, Frederick. The sentence " A second son, Charles William, was born in 1925." is incorrect. There were two daughters though Lucy Mary Stone born 1918 (died Mission Viejo, California) and Dorothea Bugslag born 2020 (died 1981 Victoria, BC Canada) Frederick George also had 2 sons with Sylvia (Scott) William and Robert.

Thank you, Janet. Duly noted and the text of the article edited

Hi, I am studying a degree in Art (at the age of 70) and am living at the above address. I am trying to find out who lived in my house for a project we are in the process of doing. I wonder if you can help. Thanks, Lyn
I was very interested in your article.
I look forwarded to hearing from you please.

Brilliant site for research. My mother gave me some old family photos and I started doing some investigating into her family tree - Tilleys from East Langton. Even found my grandfather's brother's grandson in Australia who came over to visit us but so far they are the only ones I've found. And I found quite a few skeletons in the cupboard from my grandad Jack Tilley in Algiers during the war quite a shock. Please keep up the good work and I will be a regular visitor to your brilliant site

I am James Francis Mash's great granddaughter and have the date of his death and of his children. I would love to share with you. I am very interested in knowing more about my history in England. as his granddaughter my mother who is 95...
thank you. Trish

More info on grandmother. Harriet Mary Mears nee Maskel ( I think her letter home would have the last name Maskel). But it was written to her sister Clara which could have been her married name. Clara was married to uncle Engol or Ingol so Maskel could have been his name. My aunt Clara grew up in Cottingham. They had a small holding which I visited when I was seven. They lived in a lovely cottage with leaded windows and a pear vine growing up the front of this house. House burned down in the late 1950. Probably in newspaper.

Hi,

I am the current custodian of Stanley Cottage in Preston village. It is notoriously difficult to find but it is nestled behind North Road and North View.

I'm told that the original rugby club stood right beside the cottage.

I would love to discover more about the cottage and its past. If anyone has information or photographs, I'd be delighted to see them or receive any other snippets of the history.

Thank you in anticipation, Ben.

(I did find the property listed in the 1939 Register for England and Wales with the address Back North Terrace (Stanley Cottage) but most unhelpful the property appears to have been empty! You could put in a request to the Land Registry and they may be able to give you a history of previous occupancy. They have an extensive presence online - Ed)

You mention a blacksmiths. Is this the cottage now known as Stanley Cottage in the back lane behind North Road.

We cannot give you a definite answer to this question, although probably not. Google Maps suggests Stanley Cottage is on Walton Avenue to the north of Front Street.

Kelly's Directory of Northumberland, 1914 (which includes North Shields) lists on page 714 under Trades a blacksmith George Swan living at No. 2 Rosebery Avenue, Preston Village which is almost certainly the address to which our author was referring.

[The question refers to the article in the BLUE pages at: LIFE IN PRESTON VILLAGE 1931 - 1948.. - Ed]