These are two photographs of a plumbing class, and what we presume to be their handiwork, held in Stockton in 1923/24. They were discovered by the father of the contributor and are thought to have come from a house in either Varo Terrace or Alliance Street.
We have a name associated with the photographs, which is J R Plowman. Information we have about him is that he served with the Reserve Cyclist Battn. of the Dorset Regiment and was at sometime stationed at Southwold camp. He may be one of the young men on the first photograph. Does anyone have any further information?
Photographs and details courtesy of Norman Hill.
My granddad Jack Arnold is in the middle row second from the right sporting a quiff. Apparently he has a brother in there somewhere but we are not sure which one he is.
If Jack Arnold was part of the partnership of Arnold and Griffen I worked with his brother Richard (Dick) Arnold at Head Wrightson’s as a joiners.
Norman, I think that your intuition is correct, according to the Stockton Roots website, James Plowman married Margaret McLean in 1920.
Further info re JR Plowman. After checking the postcards I have, I need to alter previous details. Private JR Plowman, 1314 G company 6th Reserve Cyclist Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment was posted to Hove in Sussex in Jan 1915, by April he was in Southwold and by 1918/19 he was in Lahore India. Just prior to the war Madge Mclean sent him a postcard from Scarborough to 2 Newsham Road, Highfield Eaglescliffe. His letter card to her in March 1915 is addressed to Miss Madge McLean 6 Suffolk Sreet Stockton. I need to check marriage records to check if their affection survived the war.
Other postcards addressed to him January, February and March 1915 depict The Bombardment of Hartlepool in December 1914 and are from Madge and sister Rhoda. Comments about parcels are linked with vists to The Scotch Cafe in Middlesbrough, organ recitals and church funds, Mr Withers young lady visiting and Scott Gilbert being posted to France. Harold Jamison was at church in his uniform looking quite thin, 17 Varo terrace is also mentioned, maybe Rhoda lived there.
Mr Sharp, cattle dealer late of Richmond Road died suddenly 7 February 1915.
It’s clear the horrors of war are not apparent or the tradegy of the next 3 years. Certainly an interesting insight into ordinary life at the start of the war to end wars!
You ask for information about J R Plowman, I can offer the following;
James Robert Plowman was buried in Oxbridge Cemetery in 1961 aged 70, so he would have been born in 1891. By the time the plumbing photos were taken in 1823 he would have been 34 years old. The boys in the plumbing class look much younger than that, so maybe he was the chap who taught the class? It is possible that this was the same J R Plowman who had attended Stockton Secondary School, as he is listed as a member of the Old Stocktonians in 1929 when he was living in 19 Dixon Street.