Alan Earnshaw [e.1.6.7.3]

Alan Earnshaw was the third child of Frederick Earnshaw & Mary Emily Stainsby born May 10th, 1917 at 25 Leechmere Rd, Grangetown & christened May 29th at St Aidan’s, Grangetown; died 1996, Sunderland

Alan left school at age 14 to join Uncle Joe Willey at his farm in Ryhope. The intent was for Alan to become a farmer. The farm was begun by Uncle Joe after the 1914-18 war, when discharged soldiers could obtain a government grant to purchase farms. As he served as a gunner in the war he qualified and rented land from Ryhope Asylum board. By the 1930s the land Uncle Joe rented was needed by the hospital authority and farming had become uneconomical. Joe was forced to sell up the farm and Alan returned home to become an apprentice joiner at Thompsons timber yard.

Alan – June 1938 - aged 21

Alan was conscripted to join the RAF and served from 1940-45 in Egypt. It was during this time that he met his future wife Jennie who was in the WRAF in Cairo. On demob he qualified as a builder and began his own building firm in Cleadon. He married Jennie Puffet (born August 28th, 1920, Cleadon, the youngest daughter of Mr & Mrs William Puffet) on August 28th, 1946 at All Saints Church, Cleadon Village. They lived in East Boldon/Cleadon and had 2 children – a daughter Pamela Mary and a son Michael.

Alan died in Oct-December,1996, aged 79, his death being registered at South Shields.

Jean died on August 5th, 2006, aged 85 at Cleadon, Sunderland & was cremated at Sunderland Crematorium on August 11th, 2006.

The children of Alan Earnshaw and Jean Puffet were:

e.1.6.7.3.1 Pamela Mary Earnshaw born Sunderland, christened Grangetown
e.1.6.7.3.2 Michael Earnshaw born Cleadon, christened Cleadon