Middle Rainton Part 2

A Memory of Middle Rainton.

enjoyed a drink (bottled Guinness) at both “The Travellers’” and “The Tavern” almost daily throughout his life. In fact he is still remembered for his love of dominoes. To this day if someone plays double 3, the call is “Matty Wilson” as he would always play this first if he had it. He also dealt in the demolition, and scrap metal.
There is a strange story here; Kate Wilson had taken in two destitute men, brothers Joe and Adam, and given them a room at the back of her house where they lived for many years for free. Adam did wood carving. Adam died, after some years, and later, when both of my grandparents had died, Joe committed suicide in what we then called The Nicholson’s pond. I see on the maps it is now called Joe’s pond
My mother, Ann (Nancy), also lived with great gran and worked in the munitions factory at Aycliff. My father, Frederick Harvey, was at that time with the BEF in France. He escaped 18 days after Dunkirk, went to Tubruk, and then on to serve with Wingate’s Chindits in Burma.

John Wilson (Baity), an ex minor from the Adventure pit who joined the Army in 1914, 11th Batt; DLI 3-10828, was killed at the Battle of the Somme on 2nd September 1916. His name appears on the war memorial in West Rainton and also on a brass plaque in the porch of St Michael’s RC church in Houghton-le-Spring along with other fallen lads. Another brother, John Wilson (Baity), was a miner at the Adventure pit before the First World War. He was nicknamed Baity for the amount of sandwiches - bait - he took to work down the pit. John joined the 11th Battalion Durham Light Infantry after war was declared. In 1915 the battalion spent time in the front line in France, following which John was allowed home leave. When the time came to go back to France, he caught the correct train from Durham station but, unfortunately, the engine broke down somewhere and he had to be found a place on another train. This delay caused him to miss his ship back to France and his connections there. By the time he returned two days late, the battalion had gone back into the front line. He was brought before an officer, who told him he could be tried for desertion from the front, punishable by death or accept field punishment number one there and then without representation. He chose this punishment, which involved him doing hard labour and being tied to the wheel of a field gun for up to two hours a day – but for how many days I do not know.
John was killed on 2nd September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. I recall being told that my Great Gran was devastated at the news of his death and she always wanted to know what had happened to him since his body was never found after a trench burial. When she went shopping in Sunderland she would ask ex DLI soldiers if they had met him and how he died. One day, by chance, someone said “yes, I was there; he was shot in the stomach, and died slowly without any medical help, and was crying for his mother when he died”. Although this caused her distress at least it gave some closure. John Wilson’s name is on the monument at Thiepval; on the war memorial in West Rainton and also on a brass plaque in the porch of St Michael’s RC church in Houghton-le-Spring along with other fallen lads.

My Uncle Billy, for his part, was what would now be called a General Dealer. He collected scrap and the like, kept pigs, hens etc and made a living as best he could. He lived just across the street from us, with Liza has wife, in No; 28, next door to Geordie in 27. And when work was done would enjoy a pint in The Foresters Arms.

---

---