Catalogue

Thomas and Alice Mary Hutchinson (information supplied by family)
Thomas Hutchinson was born in 1856 in Benwell, Northumberland. In 1861, he was at school and lived at 3 Scotswood Road, Newcastle upon Tyne with his father, Henry, a mechanical engineer at an ordnance works, mother Susan, and five siblings. [The ordnance works is likely to be Armstrong Whitworth]

In 1871, the family lived in Foreman Road (sic?) in Newcastle and Thomas was working as a commercial clerk, probably at the same engineering works as his father. In 1881, Henry was a foreman at the works while Thomas, now 25, was still living at home and employed as a clerk.

In April/May/June 1888, aged 33, Thomas married Alice Mary Simmons, 13 or 14 years his junior, in Halstead, Surrey. She was born in Greenwich, then part of Kent. It is possible that Thomas met Alice Mary while he was in London on business. We know from the 1893 grave deeds that he was 'Secretary to the Whessoe Foundry Company'. We also know that by 1922 the company had offices in London and Darlington so Thomas may have been involved in the expansion of the business (see below). He may of course have simply been visiting the area when they met.

Thomas and Alice Mary's first child, a daughter named Ethel, was born soon after the marriage, or possibly before. The 1891 census lists her as 'Ethel M', aged 3, and born in Nunhead, Surrey. The BMD website shows no such birth but an Ethel M Hutchinson was born in Newcastle in July/August/September 1887 and an Ethel Hutchinson was born in Darlington in April/May/June 1889. A Hutchinson family note says that Ethel Mary was born in 1887.

In 1891 Thomas and Alice Mary were living with their two infant daughters in Greenwich; the census describes Thomas as a mechanical engineer. The younger daughter, Elsie, died aged 3 in January/February/March 1893. Thomas bought his grave plot 79/H/YY in Darlington West cemetery on 2 August 1893 at the relatively early age of 37; it seems likely that it was for Elsie. Two more of his children are buried in the same plot (see Appendix 2). The grave deeds show that he was back in Darlington, presumably with his family, at this date.

Alice Mary Simmons was the eldest child of Charles Simmons, a plumber, and his wife Mary. She was born on 16 September 1868 and in 1881, aged 12, she was at school and living with her parents, grandmother and five siblings in Greenwich. As above, she married Thomas Hutchinson in April/May/June 1888; she was 19 years old at the time.

Thomas had a successful career. In 1901, the family were living in Darlington with Thomas described in the census as 'Secretary to foundry & C.E. Engineering Company'. Further research would show whether this means he was Company Secretary. There were six more children and the household included Mary Ridley, a domestic servant aged 18. Ten years later, the family was at 52 Elton Parade, Darlington, with six children living at home and a nurse to look after the latest (and last) baby, Mabel Elizabeth, who was born on 1 July 1910. Alice Mary Hutchinson bore 12 children between 1887/8 and 1910, of whom Thomas died when less than six months old, Elsie aged 3, and Hugh aged 14. All three are buried in grave plot 79/H/YY (see Appendix 2). One daughter, Muriel Edith, lived to the age of 99.

Thomas died in 1929. The handwritten note on the reverse of grave deed D/X 2207/1/2 gives the date 26 March. This deed, for grave plot 168/Q/7Q, show that it was bought by Alice Mary Hutchinson, widow, on 2 May 1929, so we can assume that she bought it for her husband. As shown in Appendix 2, they are both buried in this plot, together with their eldest daughter Ethel Mary.

Alice Mary Hutchinson was living in Commondale, halfway between Darlington and Whitby, when she bought grave plot 168/Q/7Q, but was back in Darlington when she bought plot 164/Q/7W on 2 June 1932. This purchase appears to have been prompted by the death of her brother-in-law, Henry Hutchinson, in that year. As shown in Appendix 2, he is buried there along with four of Thomas and Alice Mary's daughters, one son-in-law, and one grandson.

The 1939 register lists her living in Darlington on private means. She died in Darlington on 23 May 1948 leaving effects valued at £3142 7s. 4d. One of her executors was her youngest daughter Mabel Elizabeth Crosling. The probate record describes her as a single woman; she had divorced her husband William Crosling in 1939.

Appendix 1: The Whessoe Foundry
The Whessoe Foundry Co. Ltd originated as the Hope Town Foundry in Darlington in about 1790. The works built many of the earliest locomotives. The limited liability company was established in 1881 (which fits nicely with Thomas's later visit to London) and in 1920 became the Whessoe Foundry and Engineering Company with offices in London and Darlington. In 1922, it had more than 900 employees. If, as seems likely, Thomas was Company Secretary, he would have been heavily involved in this development.
See D/Whes

Appendix 2: Further family information
The persons named in the hand-written notes on the reverse of the documents are as follows.

D/X 2207/1/1
Three of Thomas and Alice Mary's children who died before reaching adulthood
Elsie Alice, b.1889, d.1893
Hugh Herbert, b.1891, d.1905
Thomas Edgar, b.1901, d.1901

D/X 2207/1/2
Thomas Hutchinson - as above
Alice Mary Hutchinson - as above
Ethel Mary Ferguson - their eldest daughter; married Norman Ferguson

D/X 2207/1/3
Henry Hutchinson - Thomas's elder brother
Percy Slater - Thomas and Alice Mary's son-in-law
Dorothy Slater - Thomas and Alice Mary's daughter
Herbert Slater - son of Percy and Dorothy Slater
Winifred Maud Hutchinson - Thomas and Alice Mary's daughter; she had married Charles Bygate but was buried in her maiden name
Mabel Elizabeth Crosling - Thomas and Alice Mary's daughter
Muriel Ethel Hunt - Thomas and Alice Mary's daughter; she had married Ralph Hunt