Robson, Catherine (nee Menzies)
Catherine Robson (nee Menzies) with her two children, Mary Robson (11) and Thomas James Robson (9) were visitors in her mother-in-law’s house, 1 Percy Terrace Bellingham at the 1921 Census. She was born in Menstrie, Clackmannanshire, in November 1880. Her father William moved to Kilmorich, Argyll before Catherine was a year old. A later move saw William working as a woodsman and living with his wife, Mary and their seven children (including Catherine aged ten) in North Dissington. Catherine found domestic work and was working as a housemaid in the extremely large household of Norman C Cookson at Oakwood, Wylam. In 1909 she married Thomas Robson, a joiner who had been born in Lanehead. Thomas joined the army, serving as a sapper in the Royal Engineers but was killed on 16 September 1918. It isn’t known where Catherine raised her young family.