Sutherland, Charlotte
Charlotte Sutherland (nee Nichol) was born in Haydon Bridge on 29 October 1885. She was the daughter of John Nichol, a railway employee and Agnes Nichol. In 1891 she was aged six and living with her parents in Falstone Station where her father was a porter. She left home and became a dressmaker’s assistant. It isn’t known where she was a visitor in George Dawson’s house in Third Street, Gateshead. George was a bar manager. It may be significant that George’s wife was from Hartburn, and another visitor was a dress maker also from Hartburn. In 1906, in Bellingham, she married Alexander Sutherland a bank clerk who had been born at Low Yarrow and was one of three banking sons of Peter Sutherland, a local schoolteacher. They set up home in 15 Warkworth Avenue, Whitley Bay and it was from there that the baptism of two of their daughters (Eleanor Sutherland 1909 and Mary Sisterson Sutherland 1910) are recorded in the non-conformist registers. In 1911 they were able to employ a servant – fourteen-year-old Agnes Elliott from Wellhaugh, Falstone. About 1920 Alexander made a startling change in career when the family moved to High Yarrow, and he is listed as a farmer. There were now five daughters – Agnes E Sutherland (14 born in Newcastle, Eleanor Sutherland 12 b. Whitley Bay, Gladys Sutherland 8 b. Whitley Bay, Charlotte Sutherland 6 b. Whitley Bay and Dora Alexandra 10 months b. Wellhaugh. Charlotte and Alexander were recorded separately in the 1939 Register. They were still married but Charlotte was in 2 Percy Terrace looking after her incapacitated mother, Agnes Nichol and undertaking unpaid household duties. Farming seems not to have paid for Alexander as he was living in 71 Brighton Grove, Newcastle with four of their daughters – Agnes (Domestic service instructor), Eleanor (Ladies’ hairdresser), Gladys (Ladies’ hairdresser) and Charlotte (Domestic subject leader). Alexander’s occupation was described as retired bank Clerk. No date has been found for Charlotte’s death, but Alexander died in Brighton Grove on 8 August 1944 and left £1,966 4s 8d to his widow Charlotte. He is buried in Falstone Cemetery, but his widow isn’t.