Who the devil is George Todd we hear you ask! Norman Patton can tell you in his own words: ”George Todd traveled to North Skelton with his parents and several brothers from Rillington near Malton around 1870. They took up residence at No 17, Richard Street, North Skelton and, of course, found work in the local pit. This can all be verified by examining the 1891 census for Skelton. George’s dad had been a platelayer; probably connected with the new railway construction and George himself had an unsurprising affinity with horses which helped him to find his first job at the pit as a horse driver.” In the picture, George is about 40 years old and it can be seen from the writing on the cart that he is a Coal Merchant operating his own business out of 20 Sandringham Street, in Scarborough. He was by then married and had a daughter who would be about 8 years old. The picture was taken in 1900 and the lad is Lawrence Todd, George’s nephew, who would have been holidaying with his Aunt and Uncle George. In the 1901 census, Lawrence aged 9 years is living at 17 Richard Street with his other uncle and his grandmother. Lawrence eventually began work in the North Skelton mine and eventually became the ”Check weigh man”, Union man and subsequently a Skelton Town Councillor. Sadly, George’s wife died young and possibly in childbirth. George struggled with his business and young daughter and soon returned to Cleveland and back to the pit!” Those of you who know the Archive well enough know that it has a passion for Family History and one of the axioms we keep preaching is that Family History must tell a story. The Archive was taken by this photograph (which has been made younger only by removing some of the browning that age causes) and by Norman’s storyline. So we make no apologies for reproducing it in full – it gives a fascinating insight into a beautiful photograph! Norman Patton also tells us ”I now believe this picture to have been taken in Wykeham Street in Scarborough.”
Many thanks to Norman Patton for the story and the update.
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