SKELTON - IN - CLEVELAND IN HISTORY

William Bunning.

Just wanted to say that I love the site. My grandfather, William Bunning, was the gamekeeper in Skelton. I remember going to visit him, when I was small. He lived at the Poultry House, Skelton. [Barns Farm, Guisborough Road]. He was a Norfolk man, born in 1890 at East Lexham. He married Alice Sophia Floyd, who was born in Eynsham, Oxfordshire and they lived in that area for some time, as his eldest son, my father, was born in Wytham Oxon in 1924. He must have moved to Skelton in 1925 as the second son, Georgie, was born there. My memories are going to the cottage and having tea there surrounded by "dead" animals. My grandmother skinning a rabbit on the table and dead pheasants hung up! Used to scare me senseless when I was little! William Bunning spent the rest of his life at the Poultry House and died there in 1970. His wife, Alice, following him in 1973.

My dad was William (Bill) Bunning too. He was an avid Middlesbrough and Yorkshire Cricket fan. He joined the army in 1942 (aged 18) and spent most of his younger life in service. He spent two years during the war with the Royal Artillery and at the time of D Day, June 1944, was transferred to the York and Lancaster Regiment. He came out for a short time at the end of the war and then re-enlisted and served another 12 years with the Yorks and Lancs. The second son Georgie married Madge Fawcett in 1952 at Skelton Church in a double wedding with his sister Doris, who married Ken Stainthorpe. There was another daughter Dora, who married someone by the name of Dowey in 1946. I have lost contact now with all my relatives in the Skelton area. Well done and thanks for bringing back some memories. BARBARA SHAW.

Alvin Mohun, died in the War, 2nd July 1916.

[At the census of 1901 George Mohun, age 42, a platelayer in the Ironstone mines, and his wife Isobel, aged 41 were living at 9 Boosbeck Rd. They had 4 sons - Alvin, aged 18, a Grocer's assistant, Gordon, aged 17, a bricklayer's labourer, Ethelwald aged 13 and Francis aged 9. They also had 4 daughters - Florrie aged 15, Lillian aged 7, Annie aged 3 and Ruth aged 2.] The following information is provided by Lillian's daughter, SHEILA BOCKING of Woodford Green, Essex. Congratulations on a very interesting (and nostalgic) web site. Family legend has it that my great uncle Joe Harker and his partner built Harker and Cleveland Street. It is also said that he went off to Canada after that with his partners wife. Well, he certainly went to Canada! My grandmother and grandfather (Isobel and George Harker Mohun) moved into 9,Boosbeck Road before the 1901 census. My great grandfather, John Harker, from Carlin How, a night overman at the local pit, moved in with them. I'm not sure why my grandfather changed his name to Harker-Mohun (there must be a story there somewhere! All of my Uncles, Alvin, Gordon, Frank and Eth were in the war. Both Uncle Alvin and Uncle Frank died in the war. Uncle Frank is not on the memorial. He was a Quaker and worked at the front as an ambulance man. I believe Frank died of pneumonia.

Francis [Frank] Mohun.

[The FAU, "Friends Ambulance Unit", was formed from men who were pacifists. When conscription was enacted those who did not want to go to war, because it contradicted their belief, were often give a hard time. By authority and the society they lived in. Patriotism, nationalism were all and some of these people were imprisoned. Many like Francis [Frank] Mohun chose to face the horrors of the War without a gun and still serve. They wore uniform, but only to distinguish them from the enemy.] Uncle Gordon was gassed. He came back to live in Charltons. Uncle Eth married and lived in Wirrel. Uncle Alvin was in the Black Watch. I have a picture of him in his dress uniform. [Sheila kindly sent the photographs shown here. Alvin was part of a machine gun team in the Black Watch and was later transferred to the Machine Gun Corps, Which was not even formed until 1915. Some more details about this can be seen on Alvin's memorial - Page 1918 to 1919. The Photographer is Pitchforth, Milton St, Saltburn. N Yorks.] I know my grandmother always grieved for them. They were the studious two of the four brothers and as she was herself very well read I think she had perhaps the greater bond with them.

Uncle Alvin had worked for Pumphries (who were Quakers) and they wanted him to stay out of the army, but I expect the pressure was on to join up. So he went into the Black Watch (my grandmother's grandfather was from Scotland there may be a link there.) My grandma kept his uniform. The kilt was yards and yards of material and I would take it out and look at it on occasions She would talk about him and of course about the war which didn't end all wars and never would have done. She had been a pupil at her aunt's school and it would be there that she learned about the Quakers. The four brothers met up once at a base camp in France. Uncle Gordon had been gassed and was working as a cook. Uncles Alvin and Frank were going back to the Front. Uncle Eth was going for treatment as he had a pierced eardrum caused by a shell landing close to his trench Gordon "found" four bottles of whisky, gave one to each of his brothers and had one to celebrate their reunion. As both Frank and Alvin were non-drinkers, he recommended that they used them to clean out wounds (its a good antiseptic) and used for numbing the pain. He then shared his fourth bottle around the camp and poured the rest in the stew. (typical Gordon, I think).