John Wilkinson    Family Tree 

Joseph Knox 1886-1979 Maternal Grandfather Here   lies   a   tale.   Before   I   start   I   would   like   to   thank   Susan   McBride   who   provided   me   with the   information   which   allows   me   to   tell   it.   Joseph   Knox   was   born   on   6   April   1887,   son   of John   William   Kelly   Blaney   and   his   wife   Sarah   Jane   (nee   Davison)   at   The   Queens   Head Yard,   Alnwick.   He   was   one   of   eight   children.   The   explanation   for   the   name   change   is given   below.      He   worked   in   several   pubs   in   Alnwick   before   starting   work   at   Shilbottle Colliery   where   he   worked   on   the   overland   transportation   system   between   the   colliery   and Alnwick.    He    was    married    twice,    firstly    to    Florence    Hudson    with    whom    he    had    two daughters,   Sarah   (Born   1914)   and   Lilian   (Born   1917).   Sarah   died   in   infancy   but   Lilian married   George   Hills   and   they   had   two   children,   Kenneth   and   Richard.   Following   The death   of   Florence   in   1920,   he   married   Catherine   Wade,   my   maternal   grandmother,   in 1922.    They    had    four    children,    Vivian,    my    mother    born    in    1923,    Joseph    born    1925, Kenneth born 1927 and Ronald born 1933. One   of   the   pubs   he   worked   at   was   the   George   Inn   in   Alnwick,   locally   known   as   the   Dirty Bottles.   When   Edward   the   Seventh   visited   Alnwick   in   1906,   Joe   placed   several   old   bottles in   the   window   and   then   covered   them   with   cobwebs   from   the   cellar   to   make   it   look   as   if the   bottles   had   been   there   for   a   lot   of   years.   He   was   a   very   keen   amateur   photographer. He   built   his   own   enlarger   from   an   old   bellows   camera,   powdered   milk   tin   and   assorted pieces   of   wood.   He   used   this   in   a   darkened   kitchen   to   develop   his   photographs.   He   told me   once   that   he   wished   he   had   taken   up   an   offer   of   a   job   at   the   Newcastle   Evening Chronicle   to   join   their   photographic   team.   Another   of   his   quotes   is   that   he   had   taken photographs   all   over   the   country,   from   Durham   to   Berwick.   In   later   life   he   enjoyed   a   pint and   a   game   of   bingo   at   Shilbottle   Working   Mens   Club.   He   had   his   regular   table   and woe   betide   anyone   who   sat   in   his   chair.   He   also   used   to   carry   a   walking   stick   which he   hid   in   a   hedge   before   going   into   the   club.   This   was   not   to   help   him   walk   but   was for    protection    against    dogs    which    he    had    a    phobia    about.    He    was    also    a    fine harmonica   player   and   would   sometimes   get   up   on   the   stage   at   the   club   and   play. He   had   a   miniature   mouth   organ   which   he   could   also   play   very   well.   We   brought him   and   his   wife   Catherine   down   to   Castle   Gresley   one   time   for   a   break   and   to show   them   where   we   lived.   We   took   them   to   Alton   Towers   to   see   the   gardens   (Pre theme   park   days).   He   was   amazed   to   see   green   fields   and   rural   countryside   as   he thought that the midlands were totally built up areas. Whats in a name This   is   the   information   given   to   me   by   Susan   McBride.   This   means   that   Joseph Knox   should   have   been   Joseph   Blaney.   He   is   reported   to   have   said   to   his   family   on several   occasions   that   he   should   have   been   a   Blaney,   which   goes   some   way   to confirming what Susan has found out. John   Knox,   his   father,   born   1862,   was   actually   born   John   William   Kelley   Blaney,   I have   his   birth   certificate.   Also   he   died   as   John   William   Kelley   Blaney   on   26th September   1943   in   Northumberland.   No   father   was   named   on   his   birth   certificate but   I   am   sure   his   father   was   John   Kelley,   born   1838.   John   Blaney   was   known   as John   Knox   from   1882   until   the   day   he   died.   He   also   appears   as   John   Knox   in   the 1871   Census,   living   with   his   grandmother.   His   mother   was   called   Ellen   Blaney, maiden   name   Knox.   She   married   James   Blaney   in   Newcastle   in   1855   but   came back   to   Alnwick   in   1861,   with   young   son   William   Brown   Blaney,   as   a   widow.   She had   two   sons,   the   other   being   Thomas   Knox   Blaney   but   his   birth   certificate   named John Kelley as the father.