John Speed was the third child of Joseph Speed & Elizabeth Dodds christened December 20th, 1837 at Hetton-le-Hole, Co Durham.
In 1841 John’s parents, his brother & 2 sisters were living at Easington Lane, Hetton-le-Hole where his father was a coal miner.
John was listed as a scholar in 1851 when he was living at Brick Garth, Hetton-le-Hole with his parents.
John was still living at home in 1861 at Brick Garth & was now working as a cabinetmaker.
John married Jane Hall [ha.3] on October 31st, 1865 at the Parish Church, Sunderland.
At the time of the marriage John was a cabinet maker & both gave their
residence as 27 High St, Sunderland. Sunderland. Jane was born 1842 at South Hetton, & christened September 3rd, 1843 at Easington, Co Durham, the daughter of Margaret Slack & John Hall, a coal miner.
In 1871 John & Jane were living at Wheatley Hill, Wingate, Co Durham & John was described as a joiner. They had 2 sons – John (5) & Joseph (3).
The family had moved to 29 Durham Row, Framwellgate Moor, Co Durham by 1881 & John was now a joiner at the coal mine. As well as sons John, a labourer at the coal mine, & Joseph, a scholar, they now had 4 more sons – Robert (10), William (7), Frederick (4) & Alfred (4 months).
John & Jane were still at Durham Row in 1891 & John continued to be a joiner. At home were Joseph, a colliery screen man, Robert, a coal miner, William, a putter at the colliery, Frederick, a tailor, Alfred, a scholar, & Henry (7).
The family continued to live at Durham Row by 1901 & John was now described as a cabinet maker & newsagent working at home. Six sons continued to live at home – Joseph, master over belt boys at the colliery, Robert, coal miner shifter, James (William), a coal miner hewer, Frederick, a bricklayer, Alfred, a cabinet maker & Henry, a carman.
John died in July-September 1906 in Durham.
In 1911 widowed Jane was living at 48 Durham Row with 4 of her sons. Joseph was now a lamp lighter, Robert was a stoneman miner, William continued to be a coal hewer & Frederick was a mason or bricklayer. The census states that Jane had had 7 children, all being alive, & interestingly the return was completed by a W E Hindson on behalf of Jane.
Son Alfred had married Elizabeth Richardson from Framwellgate Moor in 1906. In 1911 Alfred & Elizabeth were living at Front St, Framwellgate Moore where Alfred was a joiner & cabinet maker, & they had a son John & a daughter Doris.
Jane died at 48 Durham Row in 1912 & was buried on October 24th at St Cuthbert’s, Durham.
Son Frederick served with the Royal Engineers in WW1 & at this time he gave the name & address of his next of kin as brother John living at Blackhall Rocks, Co Durham. Frederick received severe wounds in 1917 & was invalided to India. .In 1921 Frederick married Isabel Richardson but sadly he died in 1933. The 1939 census shows widowed Isabel living at Front St, Framwellgate Moor.
Son Henry also enlisted during WW1 with the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry. On enlisting he also gave as his next of kin his older brother John & details of his family. He had married Alice Bignall in Southampton in 1916 & had a son Robert Henry born that year.
Son Robert appears not to have married & at the time of the 1939 register he is still working as a stoneman at the colliery & living in Easington with the Scott family.
The children of John Speed & Jane Hall were:
sp.1.6.1.5.2.3.1 John Speed born February 14th, 1866 Easington Lane, Hetton-le-Hole, Co Durham
sp.1.6.1.5.2.3.2 Joseph Speed born April-June 1868 in Houghton-le-Spring; died September 1939 & buried at Ropery Lane Cemetery, Chester-le-Street
sp.1.6.1.5.2.3.3 Robert Speed born May 27th, 1871 in Wheatley Hill, Co Durham
sp.1.6.1.5.2.3.4 James William Speed born February 26th, 1874 & christened March 15th, 1874 in Durham; died August 18th, 1957 at the General Hospital Chester-le-Street, Co Durham
sp.1.6.1.5.2.3.5 Frederick Speed christened February 11th, 1877 in Croxdale, Co Durham; died at Front St, Framwellgate Moor & buried March 9th, 1933 at St Cuthbert’s Durham
sp.1.6.1.5.2.3.6 Alfred Speed born January 21st, 1881 in Durham; died at Lund Avenue, Framwellgate Moor & buried October 10th, 1955 at St Cuthbert’s, Durham
sp.1.6.1.5.2.3.7 Henry Speed born November 7th, 1883 in Durham; died April-June 1964 in North Durham