John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1883

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1882

Major Duncan Stubbs' diary entry for 2 October 1914

Friday 2nd October

A lovely day.  Madge went to Tynemouth to spend the day by herself she can’t bear to meet people.  Poor thing.  I saw her off at the Station, returned and went out with the battery until 12 then came back had lunch and caught the 2.17 train to Middlesbrough. 

Gerald [Cochrane] had wired offering the car and he met me at Middlesbrough and we drove to the Box where we had tea and drove down to the Church at 5 pm.  My father, Mother, Kathy, Averil and Peggy were there and I joined them sitting in the Pennyman pew.  The porch was draped with the white ensign, also the pulpit and desk and a laurel wreath suspended.  The church was full of people.  Mr Kemm and Mr Lace took the service, there was a portion of the burial service, 3 hymns and the National Anthem at the end.  A very nice service indeed.  I spoke to many people afterwards but there were very many whom I did not see. 

Mr Nelson very kindly drove my people over and Mr Storr brought Jock from Darlington.  A party came from Guisbro in a brake and several of our old servants were there.  Everyone loved our little Duncan and they are very touched at his death.  Neither the choir nor bellringers would accept payment so I thanked them all, Metcalfe the leader of the ringers said, “That is the very least we could do Sir”. 

Hughes wired that he would catch the train arriving Newcastle at 8 pm, so Gerald sent the car back to Guisbro during the service for Katharine and took her to the Box, after the service G and I went to the Box and met Katharine.  We looked at the puppies and saw several of the Nunthorpe people then had dinner and K and I caught the 7.2 for Newcastle where we arrived at 8.40. 

I had asked Hedley to look after Hughes and my man [illeg.] met the train with a note from Hedley saying that he had taken Hughes to Tilley’s and would stay there until I arrived. 

K and I went to Tilley’s where we found Hughes having dinner with Hedley and Teddy Harris.  Hughes looked pale and rather nervous as though shaken by the terrible experience, they soon finished their dinner and he and K and I took a taxi to 84 St Georges Terrace, K went to bed and Madge and I talked to Hughes until nearly midnight.  He spoke so nicely of Duncan and found some difficulty in speaking sometimes.  He said Duncan was extraordinarily quick and capable, able to pick up things in a day or less that an ordinary person would take a week over, he was known and liked by all the men and was quite capable of managing his battery of 12 pr guns entirely by himself.  Hughes could leave him alone in charge of the battery and at the foretop, Duncan’s station, knowing the work would be done properly.  He said it was impossible for Duncan to tell a lie and that he was a long way the most capable of the midshipmen.  Duncan had never mentioned to Hughes that he had passed out top from Osborne and Hughes did not know it until I told him, but D had often talked about us and Nunthorpe to him.  Duncan and the gunner Mr Shrubsole [Shrubsall] were great friends and took the watch together, Hughes wanted to change Duncan’s watch for some reason but Mr Shrubsole would not hear of it, he liked to hear Duncan talk at night and would not have any other midshipman with him.  Hughes said that when he was in his hammock he could hear the two talking on watch and Duncan’s laugh could be heard all over the ship.  Duncan had been perfectly happy at sea the whole time, was never sick and always cheerful, the night before the disaster Hughes had spent a long time with Duncan and said he was in splendid spirits.  The Captain (Drummond) sent a message to us to say that he was very pleased with Duncan on the ship, which said Hughes was great praise from the Captain who hardly ever gave praise to anyone. 

The whole disaster seems to have been a series of frightfully unlucky events.  The day before the sea was so rough that the destroyers could not keep with the cruisers, consequently in the morning the ships were going dead slow waiting for the destroyers, then a submarine happened by chance or by information from spies to be in the exact spot at the right moment.  Hughes himself thinks there was only one submarine but says other officers think there were more.  Lt Noyes wrote to say that one of his marines told him that Duncan and another midshipman tried to save a drowning marine and that they had both been pulled down and although the other boy was saved Duncan never came up again.  This is being investigated Hughes thinks it quite likely, also that it was Duncan who was the boy described by a seaman as being the coolest he had ever seen, talking about the new chief and other subjects to a man near him  -

Ever since the War began these cruisers had been engaged in patrolling the North Sea off the German coast preventing mine laying the only time when they were withdrawn for a few days the Germans came out and laid mines.  Also they had taken marines to Ostend when fighting was expected there, Duncan begging Hughes to let him go with the landing party, and they were with the fleet in the Heligoland action close in but the fight did not come their way and they could not see much for the mist, but they were all ready and could hear the firing quite distinctly and they brought the destroyers back after the fight. 

After talking until midnight Hughes came with me to the camp and slept in my tent. 

Gerald Cochrane was a family friend and relation of Madge Stubbs.  He lived at The Box, near Nunthorpe station.
Kathy was Major Stubbs' sister.

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1881

Major Duncan Stubbs' diary entry for 1 October 1914

Thursday 1 October

… A letter from Lt Hughes’ father saying that his son had been called up to the enquiry at Chatham on the loss of the cruisers & would probably not be able to get to the service but he might come north on Friday.  I met Madge in the afternoon, she had enjoyed her stay at Alnmouth & was very unhappy at coming back here & very disappointed that Hughes cannot come.

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1880

This diary has interleaved (blue) blotting paper - which means more pages ...

Major Duncan Stubbs' diary entry for 30 September 1914

Wednesday 30 September
… Madge is coming back tomorrow [from Alnmouth] to see Lt Hughes who hopes to come here and go with me to the service on Friday.  It is most kind of him to come all this way and we are looking forward to seeing him immensely …

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1879

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1878

Major Duncan Stubbs' diary entry for 28 September 1914

Monday 28 Sept
I returned in the evening to Camp.  Mr Kitchen very kindly asked Madge to stay, which she was glad to do as she liked the place so much, so I left her there for a few days.  A memorial service is to be held at Ormesby on Friday at 5pm.

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1877

Major Duncan Stubbs' diary entry for 27 September 1914

Sunday 27 Sept 
A letter from Lieut Hughes, our dear boy behaved like a hero, going down below to wake a boy (Riley) who had not been wakened by the explosion, when the ship was

Memorial to Herbert Riley, RNC Dartmouth

heeling over and likely to go at any moment.  Lt Hughes spoke most highly of our boy and how he liked him, a delightful letter, but he could not give any definite news of the end.  It must be presumed without doubt that our boy could not hold out long enough.  They were rescued in that part about 2 hours after the Cressy sank.  Duncan got safely to the Cressy and was in her sick bay when she was struck, after that he was on a plank for a long time in the water but no one knows what happened at the end.  I got Mr Dixon, one of the masters at Peter’s school to make me a number of copies of the letter and sent it to my most intimate friends. 

Letters are pouring in, we have had over 100.  We talked to such a nice coastguard, he was once on the Cressy training.  Jock  came over from Darlington and Peter came to lunch and tea.

Herbert Riley did not survive the sinking of the Aboukir, Hogue and Cressy 

Jock Richardson (1895-1915) was Averil's eldest son.  He died of meningitis in camp a few months later.  He and Duncan are commemorated on a plaque in St Nicholas' Church, Guisborough

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1876

There is no diary for 1875 ...

Major Duncan Stubbs' diary entry for 26 September 1914

Saturday 26 Sept 
Averil had to leave, Peggy being ill with a bad cold, Katharine and she went to Guisbro on Thursday.  Madge and I spent the day together.  She likes the place and is feeling better.  We went by train with Averil on her return journey to Warkworth and Madge and I walked back from there.  Miss de la Chemette [?] the Matron is most kind we had Peter to several meals during our stay, he is a dear little fellow.

Peggy Richardson was Averil's daughter. 
Katharine was the nine year old daughter of Major Stubbs and his wife Madge

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1874

 (Next year's calendar is pasted into the front cover, as you can see from the photograph above)

Major Duncan Stubbs' diary entry for 25 September 1914

Friday 25 Sept 
Averil, Madge and I went to Alnmouth a delightful little place very small and pretty, and we spent the afternoon quietly there.

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1873

Major Duncan Stubbs' diary entry for 24 September 1914

Thursday 24 Sept 
Another terrible day.  I don’t know how we got through it.  Many letters from friends but awful.  We arranged to go to Alnmouth over the weekend, Averil doing this through the matron of Peter’s school there.

Peter Richardson (1903-52) was the son of Averil, Madge Stubbs' sister, and her husband Willie Richardson of Guisborough

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1872

 No entries until February - and you can see why they were busy from the photograph below

Major Duncan Stubbs' diary entry for 23 September 1914

Wednesday 23rd September
I went up to the Camp and during the morning a telegram from the Admiralty announced that they deeply regretted our dear boy was not in the list of saved.  I returned and broke it to dear Madge and Katharine – I can hardly write of the next few days. 

I wired the Admiralty to ask Lieut Hughes the gunnery Lieutenant of whom Duncan had so often spoken to communicate with, I also wired Meakin, Willie and Dr Mackinlay asking him to tell them at Trafalgar Terrace, and I asked Averil to come, which she did at once and her presence helped poor Madge very greatly.  Everybody is most kind, the general telling me to take what leave I wanted.  Mrs Wilson wired her sympathy and that her boy was saved.

Lieutenant John Bernard Hughes was the son of Canon Walter Octavius Marsh Hughes of Tarporley, Cheshire.  He was born in 1888 in Houghton-le-Spring; his father must have been clergyman there at the time.
 
Mr Meakin was headmaster of Pembroke Lodge, the school that Duncan and his brother Hugh had attended on the South Coast.
 
Willie Richardson was a solicitor in Guisborough, husband of Madge Stubbs' sister Averil
 
Dr Mackinlay, family friend (grandfather of the late J L Mackinlay of Pinchinthorpe Hall and Simonstone Hall, Hawes.)
 
Trafalgar Terrace was the home of Major Stubbs' parents
 
Alistair Wilson was one of the 4 midshipmen of the Aboukir to survive.  He was posted to HMS Vanguard a month later and was killed on 9 July 1917 when one of her magazines overheated and blew up.  His head, found miles from the scene, was the only identifiable body part of any crew member to be recovered.

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1871

Local solicitors and World War One

The Record of Service of Solicitors & Articled Clerks with His Majesty's Forces, 1914-9 contains a list of lawyers who served during the First World War.

It isn't complete.  This can be seen from the fact that it does not include George William Wynne Barnley of the Royal Garrison Artillery.  He was one of the local solicitors to win the Military Cross (four more are listed below).

George William Wynne Barnley was the son of George Edward Barnley, solicitor, and his wife Emily.  The elder Mr George Barnley was born in Teignmouth, Devon; the younger was born in Middlesbrough in 1883.  The 1911 Census finds the family living in Danby. 

Edinburgh Gazette, 26 September 1918
Capt. (A./Maj.) George William Wynne Barnley, M.C., R.G.A.
For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in command of his battery.  By his untiring energy and skilful arrangements the battery occupied many positions during the retreat, and was brought out of very difficult situations without the loss of guns, stores or transport.  It never failed to answer all calls made for maintenance of fire in support of infantry.
(M.C. gazetted 3rd June, 1918) 

Northumbrian Heavy Battery RGA - GWW Barnley is 2nd from left

This story was told with great affection by those who knew him: 
George Barnley suffered from a slight stammer.  On one occasion he led his men forward with the cry, "F-f-follow m-me, men!" and disappeared into a water-filled crater, from where he could be heard to shout, "D-don't b-bloody well f-follow me here!"

The loss of HMS Aboukir, Hogue & Cressy

Major T D H Stubbs was stationed in Newcastle with his Battery, with his family in lodgings in Jesmond.

From his diary:

Tuesday 22nd September 1914

I had been out with the Battery on the moor, and I wrote several postcards, one to my mother another to Lucas I remember, in both of which I told how our little Duncan had been getting on.  Madge, Hugh, Peggy, Katharine came on to the moor while we were drilling, it was a lovely day and we were all so jolly and happy, little did we think that our dear Duncan had that morning given his life for his country when the Aboukir, Cressy and Hogue were torpedoed in the North Sea off Holland. 

I went down to 84 St Georges Square about 5pm to take Madge and Katharine out for a walk, as I entered the gate Mr Bell, the owner of the house, had a newspaper in his hand which he shewed to Mrs Grieg, he was very white and looked much distressed when he saw me.  I guessed in a moment, he asked me to go into the house and then asked the name of the ship our boy was on.  I told him.  He shewed me the paper in which the stop press news stated in a couple of lines that the Aboukir had been struck by a torpedo.  Nothing further.  I wired the Admiralty for news and he very kindly took the telegram.  I then went out having left Madge writing a letter without telling her until I could get more certain news. 

I met Grieg and we got another paper which published an official report that the three vessels had been struck and that a considerable number had been saved and lists would be published as soon as possible.  We arranged not to tell Madge anything about it for the moment and to keep newspapers from her.  I returned to camp and waited for news.  While in the Mess tent Mr Bell came to say that Madge had received a telegram from Averil asking whether we had news and consequently she knew that the Aboukir was lost.  I immediately returned to St Georges Terrace to be with her. 

I wired Mrs Wilson the mother of one of the other boys asking if she had news and stayed that night at St Georges Terrace.  Neither of us slept and the suspense was too terrible, Mrs Wilson wired about 1.30 am to say she had no news yet.

Madge was his wife.  Hugh and Katharine were his children, aged thirteen and nine.  Peggy Richardson of Guisborough was the eighteen-year-old daughter of Madge's sister Averil.  Lucas was a fellow solicitor in the firm of Lucas, Hutchinson & Meek.

HMS Aboukir was hit by a torpedo fired by the U9 submarine under the command of Otto Weddigen at 6.20 am on 22 September 1914.  HMS Hogue was hit at 6.55am and HMS Cressy at 7.20am.

Duncan was fifteen years old.  He was senior midshipman on board HMS Aboukir and when the ship began to sink he went below to rouse another midshipman who had not been awakened by the explosion.  He and the other boys swam from the Aboukir and while in the water he and Midshipman Kit Wykeham-Musgrave tried to save a drowning marine, holding him up for a considerable time.  They reached the Cressy and got on board.  They were swaddled in blankets and drinking cocoa when she was hit.  They took to the water again.  Duncan was a strong swimmer.  He was last seen with another boy taking the oar to which they were clinging to go to the help of a seaman who was beginning to sink.  They were drawn under with the drowning man.
 
The loss of the cruisers is being remembered today at the Historic Dockyard Chatham.  Of the men and boys who lost their lives 1,264 were from the Chatham Port Division.

When the Last Post is played by buglers of the Royal Marines 1,459 poppy petals will fall, each petal commemorating a life lost.

For more, see the website of the Live Bait Squadron

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1870

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1869

John Richard Stubbs' diaries for 1868

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1867

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1866

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1865

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1864

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1863

Names & places mentioned by John Stubbs in his 1862 diary

 I post this in case it's of any use to readers, either to identify people mentioned in the diary or to look for particular names ... it's a bit scrappy, I'm afraid ...

Adelphi Theatre, London
Alice – his youngest sister [Boroughbridge]
Appleton, Sarah [Boroughbridge]
Appleton, the Misses  [Boroughbridge]
Archbishop of York
Argyle Rooms, London
Armstrong

Bains/Baines, Nellie [at Redcar]
Baldrey [Boroughbridge]
Baltic Tavern
Barracks, the
Barroby, Miss [Dishforth – relations of Stubbs]
Bath Terrace, Redcar (No. 4)
Beaumont, D  [Boroughbridge]
Beaumont, Miss, of Knaresborough 
Bell, Aunt – his mother's sister [Boroughbridge]

Transcription of John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1862

This transcription is the first result of the new transcription team.  In this case Ian Pearce did most of the work; I transcribed the Boroughbridge entries, deciphered some of John's more difficult handwriting and added more annotations.  I'm posting it now, before the team really starts work, because it's one of the most interesting diaries.  

On the one hand, it's full of significant names.  It's clear that during 1861, the year of the missing diary, John had met many of the men who would form Middlesbrough, that "Infant Hercules".  In fact he was present in 1862 when Gladstone famously used the phrase to describe the new town.

And on the other hand, there is his visit to London.  In 1860 John had enjoyed London life in the company of other students.  This time he is two years older, a professional man, and out on the town with ironmasters – young men who, like himself, had come to Middlesbrough to make their fortunes.  Prepare for the seamy side of Victorian London ...

At the time of the 1861 Census, John was lodging with bricklayer Thomas Johnston and his wife Emma at No. 31 Sussex Street, Middlesbrough.

Wednesday 1 January   
I rode Joe's mare to Heaton House for my pipe case which I had left there.  I only saw Charley.  I met Marianne and turned back with her.  Joe dined with us at the Bridge Foot.  I was about house in the afternoon.  I left by six o'clock train for Middlesbrough.  Met Jno Peacock and Griffin at Northallerton Station, we came home together.  I went with Muller to the Club and had a game at billiards.
[Charley – the son of Charles Francis George Clark of Heaton House, Ellinthorp.  Marianne was the daughter.  Muller – Charles Muller.  JRS acted for him in obtaining naturalisation]

Thursday 2 January   
At the office all day.  Had tea with Elgee then went to the Club, from there I went home with Dixon and had supper.  Stayed till about twelve then went home to bed.
[Mr J F Elgee was Manager of Backhouse's Bank.  "The Club" is assumed to mean The Cleveland Club.  In the C20 this was situated in Cleveland Street.   Raylton Dixon (1838-1901), future shipbuilding magnate, was the same age as John but from a very different background.  His Draft Bill of Costs ledger shows that John acted for Backhouse & Dixon in December 1861]

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1862

 

Settlement on the marriage of Richard Walls and Anne Raper, 1737

This is the settlement made on 26 July 1737 for the marriage of Richard Walls, yeoman of Milby, and Anne Raper, daughter of John Raper, yeoman of Langthorpe.  It was made between Richard Walls (1) and John Raper of Langthorpe and Richard Raper, yeoman of Norton Conyers (2), and the witnesses were William Leadley and Sam Lunn.

Details of Richard Walls and Anne Raper are to be found in The Genealogical History of the family of the late Bishop Stubbs on p47.  Anne's mother's Will can be found on pp 299-300.

John Richard Stubbs goes to Middlesbrough, February 1861

John Stubbs' Manifold Letter Writer contains the carbons of letters written between 1860 and 1871.  

He began in mid-August 1860 by looking for a post, writing in reply to various advertisements and placing an advertisement himself in the Law Times:

A Gentleman recently admitted wishes to pass a year or two in an office of Good General Practice either in Town or Country.  Improvement being more an object than remuneration. 

Address  J.R.S care of Messrs Waterlow & Sons Law Stationers 24 & 25 Birchin Lane London

No satisfactory job offers were forthcoming, and by early 1861 he had taken a bold decision.  He wrote on 14 February to a friend in London:

Boroughbridge
14 Feby 1861

My dear Sharpe
    I have been so strongly recommended to try Middlesbro’ that I have taken an Office there & am going next week.  I can only leave it if I find anything better turns up.  I have got an introduction to Mr Crosby the County Court Registrar at Stockton & to Mr Brewster the principal Solicitor in Middlesbro who received me in a very friendly way & I hope to get a few more introductions to some of the leading people in the neighbourhood.  If you can do me any good I shall feel greatly obliged & now I am going to give you a great deal of trouble but if you will undertake for me you will save me a journey to Town & that is to select a library for me  I enclose a List of Books which I shall want & if you can improve upon it please do so & I need not say let me have the latest editions.  Butterworths sent me a Circular in which they say they send books Carriage free & allow 10 per lb but I fancy it ought to be 20 pr lb discount.  If you will ascertain the cost of the books I will send you the Cash & I should not like the parcel to be sent off until next Wednesday or Thursday when it can be addressed to me at Middlesbro' as I hope to be there next Thursday.  Should you ever come my way I shall be exceedingly glad to see you.  I shall only be 6 miles from the Watering Place Redcar -
I am My dear Sharpe
Yours very truly
J R Stubbs

J A Sharpe Esqre

Luckily, the carbon for this letter is quite dark - some are very hard to read.  He attached a List of Books:

Some work on preparing Abstracts
Archbolds Landlord & Tenant
Chitty on Contracts
Brooms County Court Practise
Okes Magisterial Synopsis
Sugdens Vendors & Purchasers
Stephens Lush’s Common Law Practise
Stephens Com. Law Procedure Act 23 & 24 Vic c 126
Allnutts Wills
Hughes’ Conveyancing
Rouses Practical Man
Lawyers Companion for 1861 edited by H. Moore Esqre
Jarmans Precedents for Wills
Roscoes Nisi Prius
Addison on Torts
A Work on Solrs General Costs
Kains Cash Journal        Kains Ledger Journal  ruled for carrying out Kains System    
Law Journal Reports for 1860 unbound if you can get them as I have 5 yrs previously to 1860 unbound

Unfortunately, his diary for 1861 has not survived.  So disappointing for Middlesbrough historians!