Jesse Micklethwaite was Harriet’s younger brother. He lived most of his life in Yorkshire where worked his way up in the engineering business. His nephew claimed that the owner of the business where Jesse worked had seen him as a son and evenutally he had taken the business over. He was a fairly wealthy man and in the last decades of his life lived in a suburban bungalow in the affluent part of Driffield. He married fairly late in life and had no children. He stayed close to his sister throutout his life – a closeness that caused Anne, his wife, some problems for she and Harriet did not get on well. He also was on good terms with one of his sister’s step-sons who was also a cousin, and it to him he gave these notes, written at some time in the late 1980s.
Jesse wrote down what he recalled of the family history. Not everything he recalled was correct, but it is an interesting list of his uncles and aunts.
‘My grandmother … had nine children, 4 daughters and 5 sons:
Elizabeth Ann, married Alfred Patrickson (coal miner) and had three children Joseph, Albert and Nellie
Maria married Jonathon Hartley (coal miner) and had three children William, Sydney and Evelyn
Sarah married Joah Micklethwaite (works time-keeper) and had three children Ernest, Jess and Harriet
Ruth left home for America in her early twenties and was not married, evidently she prospered and turned out very well and a very rich woman. Living in Streater, Illinois, she did marry in her 80s but unfortunately died soon after
(Note this is wrong, Ruth was Kelita’s wife’s sister who, according to Harriet managed a steel mill)
Walter (engineer) married Lily (?) and had five children, Reg, Archie, Edgar and Sybil
William (Boiler maker) married Maud (?) and had three children Wilfred, Tom and Evelyn
James immigrated to New York early in life, he was not married, unfortunately he was killed in a train accident and buried in America
Charles was married and had a son called Kelita – no further details
Joe invited to visit his sister Ruth in Illinois, but after a time she gave him the push! I have no further information on this chap but I do remember when mother and I visited Ruth (1912) Joe used to spend the best part of the day in a rocking chair placed on the porch chewing tobacco!
(According to the census there was another son, Ernest b.1879)
One further detail, grandfather Kelita Crossland was in the engineering business and worked for Dennison’s of Leeds, the used to manufacture tensile and compression testing machines ect and Kelita travelled abroad frequently installing these machines.
(This is wrong Kelita worked for Tannet Walker)
My note, James Crossland crossed Liverpool to Boston in April 1912; the register records him as living in Hall Street, Leeds and travelling to ‘Place Lavell.’ In 1912 the young Jesse was travelling on the Mauretania back to Fishguard with his mother Sarah Micklethwaite. I can find no record of ‘Joe’ and I rather suspect Jesse is confusing names with James.
