BIRTH 26 JAN 1856 • Barnard Castle, Durham, England
DEATH 12 APR 1898 • Durham, United Kingdom
William Lendrem was the eldest son of George Robert Lendrem of Ashfield, Cavan and Jane Wigham of Barnard Castle, Durham. William’s father fled Ireland during the Irish Famine finding work at the mill in Barnard Castle where he met and married the mill owner’s youngest daughter. The couple lived in Bridgegate near the mill and William’s father rose to become foreman. His son, William followed in his father’s footsteps becoming an accomplished carpet weaver. He met Sarah Elizabeth Proctor of Startforth on the other side of the river and the couple married in Barnard Castle on the 23rd November 1879. In 1888 William left Barnard Castle to become a weaver at the mill in Durham. The family lived on 28 Hallgarth Street in Durham and were doing well. Their nearest neighbours were a tailor and a mason just a few doors down from the police superintendent in Durham. By 1890 William’s father George Robert had retired. He stayed with William over Christmas 1891 and New Year 1892. On 24th January, George Robert went for a walk along the river with his grand-daughter Jane. After a time he sent Jane back home and carried on his riverside walk alone. It’s not clear what happened, but George appears to have fallen into the River Wear. His body was not discovered until some months later when he was recovered from the river bank some ten miles downstream at Fatfield near Washington. Life in Hallgarth Street continued. William was highly respected, recognized as a skilled weaver and church stalwart. Then, in 1898 the family’s fortunes changed with William’s unexpected death. William was buried at St Oswalds Church in Durham on 15th April 1898. This must have been a terribly difficult time for the family. For a time, his wife Sarah made ends meet as a confectioner. In 1903 Sarah met and married a miner John William Wadsworth. The family moved to Ushaw Moor just outside Durham beginning a new chapter in their lives. William’s eldest son John William emigrated to Chicago in the US. His sisters Jane, Eva, Maud and the youngest Minnie stayed with their mum. The two youngest sons James and George Robert joined their stepfather as miners in the colliery. Upon the outbreak of war in 1914, the two youngest boys - James and George – enlisted in the Army. And when the US joined the war in 1917 their elder brother John enlisted in the US Army.
28 Hallgarth Street, Durham
St Oswalds Church, Durham
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