Great Aunt of
W.P. 'Bill' Richardson
The third daughter of
David Gilliland and his wife Elizabeth (nee McCollough), Mary Ellen was
born in the second quarter of 1875 at Whitelee, Crook
and Billy Row, Co. Durham.
The 1881 cenus recorded her as age 6 and she was a
scholar. The family lived at Grahamsley, Crook and Billy
Row and with two sisters and five brothers as well as
her parents there probably was always a lot going on.
In 1891 the family were recorded at Gladstone Terrace,
Crook and Billy Row. Mary Ellen was 16, no longer at
school but had no occupation listed. She would have
helped in the house with the cleaning, cooking and
washing, of which there would have been a lot with three
pitmen in the house.
On 14th January 1899, at the age of 24, Mary
Ellen Gilliland married John Moordaff Cape, a 22 year
old miner. Their marriage took place at the Crook
Primitive Methodist Chapel. The announcement of their
marriage was printed in the Northern Echo on Monday 16th
January and it said that the best man was Mr Gilliland
and the bridesmaid was Miss Ward.
At the end of that year, Mary Ellen and John had their
first child, Hilda. Sadly, like a lot of babies at that
time, she died just a few months later.
The 1901 census recorded Mary Ellen, age 26 and her
husband John age 24 living at Front Street ( Ridley's
Buildings) in Crook and Billy Row. John's occupation was
listed as Coal Miner ( Hewer) and it says he was born in
Tow Law.
Not long after the 1901 census they had another little
girl, Annie who happily thrived. She was followed by
Elsie in 1904, sadly she too died less than a year old.
William was born in 1907 and more sadness for the family
as he too died when he was a few months old. Katie was the
next baby, born in 1909, and like her older sister Annie
she too thrived.
In 1911, the census showed the family at Front Street,
Sunniside, Co. Durham. Mary Ellen was 36 and her husband
John was 34. He was listed as a hewer in the mine. The
census recorded that they had been married for twelve
years and had five children, only two of whom were still
living. Their two surviving children were Annie (10) and
Katie (2).
Mary Ellen's husband, John, died on 25th May 1938, he
was 61 years old.
Mary Ellen died on the 16th December 1961, she was 86
years old. Her funeral service was held at Sedgefield
Methodist Church on Wednesday 20th December 1961,
followed by cremation at Durham Crematorium. |
