The Turnbull family men were almost all miners, living in Bedlington, Cambois, Shiremoor and Newbiggin by the Sea. Success in tracing the line before 1800 has been limited. Mining was certainly a dangerous form of employment as was discovered through a serious injury to one ancestor who died aged 41 following a mining accident injury sustained nine years previously.
Great Grandfather, John Turnbull, was one of the many who died in World War 1. He was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. A trip to France to find his grave was a moving experience.
The Turnbull family together. With parents, John and Janet, are children George, Henry, John, William, Ernie, Percy and Elizabeth. It is estimated that this was taken early in 1915.
We have been very fortunate to recently acquire letters and cards relating to Jack and his brother Dode during their military service. From those and the war diaries, we have written a short booklet about Jack. Please do get in touch if you are interested. There is small cost to cover printing and postage.
Jack’s surviving siblings were:
George (Dode) - married Bessie Slater
Margaret Allen - married Ralph Shiel
Jane Ann - married William John Allison
Elizabeth - married James Dowie Short
This is certainly a well known surname in Northumberland and Durham. You can find a long list of baptisms and burials on one of our other websites.
It has been fascinating to discover through local newspapers, that Jack had two uncles who owned a coal mine named Lee Colliery. What should have been a positive move for this mining family was to result in disaster in the year 1880.
