THE PALING FAMILY PHOTO ALBUM

PART 1

According to the 1861 census for Spalding, Lincs. Mary Ann was born at Wainfleet, Lincs. about 1834, but her baptism does not seem to be recorded at Wainfleet Church. She was the daughter of Samuel Cross, Machine Maker. Little is known about her except that she married Elijah Paling, carpenter, at St.Georges Chapel, Doncaster, Yorks in 1853. The couple seem to have lived in Boston, Lincs and then in Doncaster for a short time before taking the Little Bull Inn at Cowbit Road., Spalding. Elijah died in 1860 leaving his widow with two small children. In 1861 she was still running the Little Bull Inn but I have not been able to find subsequent details of her life. The family story is that she did not get on well with her husband’s family and they took her eldest son Frederick to live with them but left her and her younger son to look after themselves. The photograph is of Mary Ann with her younger son, Walter as a child, perhaps about 1863 (?). It was saved from destruction by a cousin of Agnes’ in the early 1990s when a relative died and her daughter was about to throw it out with the rubbish. For a photograph of her elder son Frederick see page 3 of this album

Walter was the younger son of Elijah Paling and his wife, Mary Ann (nee Cross) (see preceding picture). He was born in Doncaster in 1855. In 1861 he was living with his mother Mary Ann in Vine Street, Spalding, Lincs. but nothing is known of him again until 1879 when he married Annie Devonshire at St.Mary’s Church, Scarborough, Yorks. At that time he was a jet worker and it is possible that he worked for John Devonshire, Annie’s uncle, who was a Jet Ornament Manufacturer in Scarborough employing several jet workers. By 1883 the couple had moved from Scarborough to Whitby to live, Walter continuing to work as a jet carver. He certainly worked at one time as a carver for the Trattles Family Jet Business in Whitby. In 1899 (according to the Coroner’s Inquest) he broke a blood vessel and bled a lot and subsequently lost his appetite, turned to drink and grew thinner and thinner. On 1 September 1901 he was taken ill and died before the doctor arrived. The Doctor’s evidence at the Inquest suggested that he may have died from chronic lead poisoning caused by his work. He is buried at The Municipal Cemetery, Whitby.

Arthur Paling was born in 1885 at Whitby, the 4th son of Walter Paling and Annie (nee Devonshire). He went to sea as a boy and trained as a ship’s cook, eventually becoming steward and latterly chief steward in the Merchant Navy. He married Agnes Henderson at St.Mary’s Church, Whitby. This photograph was taken shortly after their marriage. The couple continued to live at Whitby, although Arthur sailed mainly out of Hull. He used to visit Cardiff often with his ship, and his wife often accompanied him as far as Cardiff on his voyages, then returning to Whitby by train whilst the ship went on to its destination. Both thought Cardiff a lovely city ! The couple had two children, a son, Arthur, and a daughter, Annie. In 1941 their son-in-law, Ernest White was sent to South Wales in his job with the Ministry of Defence and Arthur and Agnes Paling joined them there, living in Llantwit Major, Glamorgan. Arthur gave up the sea as he wanted to spend time with his grandchildren, and he took a job ashore at the Royal Air Force Camp at St.Athans, Near Cardiff. In 1955 he was killed in a fork lift truck accident at the camp. He is buried at the Cemetery on the Boverton Road, Llantwit Major, Glamorgan.