Mary Jane Speed was the fourth child of Robert Speed & Christiana Farish (Price) born June 22nd, 1864 at Springwell Terrace, Hetton-le-Hole, Co Durham.
Mary Jane, her 2 sisters & 2 brothers & her parents were living at Brick Garth, Hetton-le-Hole in 1871 where her father was a coal miner.
The family were still living at Brick Garth in 1881 & Mary Jane was now working as a general servant.
Mary Jane married William Fairless in 1885 in Houghton-le-Spring. William was born at Haswell & christened November 25th, 1859 at South Hetton, Co Durham, the son of Mary Ann Fairless.
In 1891 Mary Jane & William were living at Foster St, Haswell, South Hetton with their 2 sons, Ernest (2) & Robert S (7 months). William was a coal miner.
By 1901 William & Mary Jane had moved to 1 Gothay St, Wingate, Co Durham & William was described as a coal miner hewer. Ernest & Robert were scholars as were their brothers Ralph (8) & James (6). There were 2 younger children, Christiana (3) & William (1).
Son Ernest married Amelia Benton in 1910 in Easington & in 1911 they were living in Wheatley Hill with 1 month old son Robert William Speed Fairless. Ernest was working as a stone man in the coal mine.
The family were living at 7 York St, Wheatley Hill, Co Durham by 1911 & William was now a stoneman in the coal mine. Family at home were Ralph, a coal trimmer underground, James, an incline breaker in coal mine, Christiana & William, both at school & new addition Aaron (4). It was noted on the census that Mary Jane had had 8 children, 7 of whom were still living.
Son Robert Speed married Annetta Rutherford in 1919 in Easington. In 1939 they were living at Thirteenth St, Horden with a daughter Annetta. Robert was a stoneman at the coal mine.
Son Ralph who was serving with the Royal Army Service Corps was accidentally killed on February 20th, 1921 & was buried at the Haidar Pasha Cemetry, Istanbul, Turkey.
Son James & wife Mary E (nee Harrison) who married in 1918 were living in Jarrow in 1939 with a daughter Vera. James was a colliery overman. Living nearby was his brother Winston Fairless, a colliery screener. He was living with sister Christiana who had married Albert Alderton, a deputy overman, in 1921 & their family.
In 1929 Winston had a serious accident while working as a screen boy. His foot was crushed and as a result it was amputated. Winston married Hilda Bowes in 1943.
Son William married May I McDonald in 1926 & in 1939 they were living in Wingate where William was a stoneman at the colliery.
William, aged 78, died in November 1937 at 1 Aged Miners Cottages, Wheatley Hill, Co Durham. The Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail of November 11th carried an obituary that stated that William was the head of a well-known Wheatley Hill family. He retired in 1925 after working at the colliery for 37 years. Widowed Mary Jane was one of the mourners.
Mary Jane was living alone at 13 Aged Miners Homes, Easington at the time of the 1939 register.
There is a death for Mary Jane Fairless in April-June 1946 in East Durham.
The children of Mary Jane Speed & William Fairless were:
sp.1.6.1.5.2.2.4.1 Robert Speed Fairless born Oct-December 1886 at Houghton-le-Spring; died May 29th & buried June 1st, 1890 at South Hetton
sp.1.6.1.5.2.2.4.2 Ernest Fairless born September 19th, 1888 at Easington; died 1969 in Sunderland
sp.1.6.1.5.2.2.4.3 Robert Speed Fairless born August 13th, 1890 & christened October 5th, 1890 at South Hetton; died April-June 1941 in Durham south east
sp.1.6.1.5.2.2.4.4 Ralph Fairless born July-September 1892 at Haswell; died February 20th, 1921 in Istanbul, Turkey
sp.1.6.1.5.2.2.4.5 James Fairless born January 27th, 1895 at Haswell
sp.1.6.1.5.2.2.4.6 Christiana Fairless born September 8th, 1897 at Haswell; died Jan-March 1994 in Durham East
sp.1.6.1.5.2.2.4.7 William Fairless born May 3rd, 1900 at Haswell
sp.1.6.1.5.2.2.4.8 Aaron Fairless born July-September at Wheatley Hill; died November 27th, 1913 & buried at Wheatley Hill Cemetery
sp.1.6.1.5.2.2.4.9 Winston Fairless born January 21st, 1912 at Easington; died January 15th 1988 at 25 Aged Miners Homes, Wheatley Hill