William Speed Pallister was the fifth child of Ralph Speed Pallister & Eleanor McCree born at Longbenton in 1843 & christened December 22nd, 1843 at Holy Trinity, Wingate Grange, Easington.
In 1851 the family were living at Castle Eden, Monk Hesleden, Co Durham. At home were brothers Ralph, Robert & sister Sarah.
In 1861 William was still living at home at Cargills Court, Wingate Grange Colliery, Co Durham. William, & brothers Robert & Ralph were all coal miners. Also at home were sister Sarah & brother John (10).
William married Mary Bellwood in April-June 1867 at Sunderland. Mary was born Jan-March 1843 at Danby Wiske, Yorks, the daughter of Mary & John Bellwood. At the time of the 1861 census Mary was at home with her parents at Dawdon, Seaham where her father was a carrier.
In 1871 William & Mary were living at Railway Row, Shotton, Easington where he was a coal miner. They had 4 children – Ann (7), Eleanor (4), Sarah (2) & Ralph S (10 months). Since Ann was born several years before their marriage she is likely to be the illegitimate daughter of Mary, & indeed there is a record of Ann Bellwood being born in 1863 in Durham East (includes Seaham).
By 1881 they had moved to 1 Whitley Row, Earsdon, Whitley, Northumberland. William was still working as a miner & children at home were Sarah, Ralph, William (8), John (6), Mary H (4), Ann (2) & Isabella (6 months). Living with them was Mary’s widowed mother, Mary Bellwood (referred to as Mary Pallister in census), aged 71.
In 1888 William was summoned for having assaulted an 8 year old boy named Edward James Bell at Hartley. William stated that he was employed on the night shift & went to bed in the afternoon. For some time the boys had been in the habit of playing cricket near his house, disturbing his sleep & breaking his windows. He had frequently complained to the colliery owners. William said he had merely taken the ball from the boy, but was fined 1 shilling and 7 shillings & sixpence costs. Apparently William’s wife, Mary, also became involved in the controversy as she was also summoned with having assaulted Mrs Mary Bell & there was a cross summons charge by Mary against Mary Bell! The case was dismissed. (Shields Daily Gazette, August 13th, 1888.)
In 1891 William & Mary were living at 26 Melton Terrace, New Hartley, Seaton Delavel, Tynemouth. Like their father Ralph, William & John were all coal miners. Also at home were Mary, Ann, Isabella & new arrivals Robert (8), Jane (6) & Ada (3). Daughter Sarah (22) was also with them at the time of the census with her husband James Buck, a 23 year old coal miner.
The family had moved again by 1901, they were now at 1 North View, Wallbottle, Tyneside. William was now described as a coal miner chargeman below ground & son William was a colliery banksman. John was working as a crane driver at the steel works, Ann was a dressmaker with her own account working at home, & Robert was a railway, set rider. Also at home were Isabella, Jane & Ada.
William died on November 22nd, 1909, aged 65, his death being registered at Castle Ward (includes Wallbottle).
In 1911 widowed Mary, listed as Mary Bellwood Pallister in the census, was living with her son John Speed & daughter Ada at 16 Swinburn Terrace, Dipton, Tanfield, Lanchester. John was now working as a rolleyway man in the coal mine. A ‘rolleyway man' looked after the horse roads underground to enable the coal tubs to moved as quickly as possible.
Daughter Sarah & husband James Buck (43), a rolleyway man, were living at 32 Long Row, New Hartley, Seaton Delaval with their 5 children in 1911 – William Pallister Buck (19), a baker at the Coop, Mary Hannah (16), a general domestic, Ann Isabell (11), Rumford George (5) & Norman Leslie (2). Sadly son William Pallister Buck was killed during WW1. He died of wounds on October 24th, 1918 whilst serving as 2nd Lieutenant with the Northumberland Fusiliers. He is buried at the Awoingt British Cemetery, Awoingt, Departement de Nord, Nord-pas-de-Calais, France.
Mary died, aged 85, in Jan-March 1928, her death being registered at Lanchester.
Son John Speed was living with his sister Ada & her husband Philip Bolam in 1939 in Stanley & was noted as incapacitated. John decided to marry in his 70s! He married widow Matilda Jane Newbould in Jan-March 1947 in north west Durham. Sadly John died the next year on February 13th, 1948 at 21 Spencer St, Consett, Co Durham. Adminstration of his will was granted to widow Matilda & John’s brother Robert Bellwood Pallister & his effects were £2,657.0s.1d. Matilda was born November 19th, 1878 at Leadgate & lived until the end of 1973!
Daughter Sarah & husband James Buck were living at 51 Seaburn View, Seaton Valley, Northumberland in 1939 & James was still a rolleyway man at the colliery.
The children of William Speed Pallister & Mary Bellwood were:
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.1 Ann (Bellwood) Pallister born 1863 at Seaham; died Jan-March 1874 at Tynemouth
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.2 Eleanor (Ellen) Pallister born March 4th, 1867 at Shotton, & christened May
10th, 1868 at St Paul’s, Ryhope, Co Durham
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.3 Sarah Pallister born December 21st, 1868 at Easington; died Oct-December 1947 in Northumberland South
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.4 Ralph
Speed Pallister born April-June 1870 at Easington; died August 1913 at Newburn, Northumberland
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.5 William
Speed Pallister born February 13th, 1873 at South Shields; died June 1st, 1952 at Gresham House, Park Terrace, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.6 John Speed Pallister born February 26th, 1875 at Tynemouth; died February 13th, 1948 at 21 Spencer St, Consett, & buried February 14th, 1948 at Blackhill Cemetery, Consett, Co. Durham
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.7 Mary Hannah Pallister born June 30th, 1876 at Earsdon, Northumberland
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.8 Ann Pallister born April-June 1878 at Earsdon, Northumberland
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.9 Isabella Pallister born September 14th, 1880 at Earsdon, Northumberland
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.10 Robert Bellwood Pallister born July 8th, 1882 at Gosforth,
Northumberland; died November 18th, 1959 at North Shields, Northumberland
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.11 Jane Pallister born June 29th, 1884 at Seghill, Northumberland
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.12 Ada Pallister born May 23rd, 1888 at Seghill, Northumberland; died December 18th, 1968 in Durham