Got up at 6 o’clock. Went to the baths with George , his brother and Edward. Edward had a little boy there who was afraid. Charlie got his bicycle at night. I had a ride on it. Felt a bit jaded. Had short walk. Mother still unwell.
Got to know of the disaster to the “Empress of Ireland”. Storstad1 ran into Empress of Ireland in the river Saint Lawrence and sank her. About 1000 lives lost. Accident happened at 1.45 a.m.
Busy all day. The family at Roker in the afternoon seeing M. Salmet1 the Daily Mail man flying. I waited in the library for them. Joe, Charlie and I went over at night but he had finished flying then. Grand night.
Henri Salmet had Royal Aero Club licence No. 99, awarded in June 1911. He had a Bleriot monoplane, and took part in Daily Mail-sponsored UK touring exhibitions in 1912 and 1913, when various mishaps are on record. As ALL refers to the Daily Mail, this 1914 exhibition too may have been sponsored by the newspaper. ↩
Got up at 6 o’clock. Went with George Crawford to the Tunstall Hill<s>1 first thing and took some photos. Had walk at night. Got to know of disaster to aeroplanes which had passed over here2. Some of them wrecked at Northallerton and 2 men killed, Lieutenant Empson and Private Cudmore3 4 5.
Tunstall Hills is an area of open space in Sunderland, now both a Local Nature Reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest both for its geological and biological importance. The area consists of Green Hill and Rocky Hill and surrounding land. Locally these two hills have been also known as the Maidens Paps because of their shape. See also Sunderland map. ↩
Lieutenant Empson and Private Cudmore: these were Army ranks, not RAF, because the Royal Flying Corps remained a corps within the Army until it was transformed into the RAF in 1918. ↩
This page at the History Network appears to refer to the same incident, and names the dead men as Lieut. John Empson of the 4th Royal Fusiliers and Air-Mechanic George Cudmore of No. 2 Squadron Military Wing R.F.C. ↩
See also John Empson and George Cudmore, both at Grace’s Guide. ↩
Got up about 7.45. Busy all day at work. Finished about 5.30. Spent night at chapel Choosing Anniversary hymns. Ralph Hunter, Blaikie, Willie, Charlie and Mr Lawson there. America at War with Mexico1.
“America at War . .”: during the Mexican Revolution, on 9 April 1914 nine US marines had been arrested in Tampico (the “Tampico Affair”), and in worsening relations, on 21 April the US Navy seized Veracruz, initially without violence, but semi-guerrilla fighting developed. Better relations were eventually restored (with the ‘Constitutional’ government of Carranza), but Veracruz remained in US occupation until 23 November 1914. ↩
Got up about 8 o’clock. Pretty busy at work. Finished in decent time. Tried to write some of the story, but gave it up, Went out last thing. Played a bit on the piano.
Lot of interest in Ulster and rumours of officers resigning their commissions1 because they will not fight against their countrymen.
Joe commenced at Durham.
Got up in decent time. Finished about 1.30. Had short walk in the town in the afternoon. Went to the King’s Theatre at night and saw “The Daughter of the Regiment”. It was very good but not so good as the pieces I saw previously. Willie Marshall and Willie Whittaker with me. A crowded house. Wet changeable day. Ulster Crisis very acute1.
“The Ulster Crisis” refers to the first signs of Protestant opposition in Ireland to the Home Rule legislation of Asquith’s government, which was followed by widespread gun-running and civilian armament; and to the “Curragh Mutiny” by British Army officers in Dublin, who announced that they would resign their commissions rather than lead military action against the Protestant opposition to Home Rule (see 23 March.) Although these troubles were put into suspense by the outbreak of WW1 in August 1914, it was never considered possible to introduce military conscription in Ireland. The Dublin uprising ensued in 1916. ↩
Got up about 7.15. At work as usual. Joe went to Leeds in the afternoon. Received letter from Manchester asking him to set a salary. I telephoned to him and then wired it to Manchester. Father very bad at night. Aunt Esther1, Bella Spain, and Uncle George in. I got the fiddle music and tried it through. Fred Wells called for Joe, and I talked to him a long time down stairs. Joe didn’t get back until 11 o’clock. Dorothy2 unwell and sick. Aunt Esther caused the water to run over and through the ceiling down stairs. I wrote to Ernie. The “Sack” murderer3 condemned. Appeal from Sumner. Eltoft 4 years. At Liverpool.
Aunt Esther: Father’s sister, b. 1862; married to John Lindsay Wilkinson – possibly Mother’s brother, and possibly the source of ALL’s middle name, which is otherwise unexplained. ↩
Dorothy: only child of Marmie and Joe Wiseman (b. 07.09.1912.) ↩
The “Sack” murder was a case in Liverpool, December 1913. The principal culprit, apparently George Sumner was hanged; Samuel Angeles Eltoft, mentioned by ALL, was aged 18. ↩
RESULT OF NORTH-WEST DURHAM ELECTION.
GREAT LIBERAL VICTORY.
MR A. WILLIAMS HANDSOMELY BEATS BOTH UNIONIST AND LABOUR.
CANDIDATES
MR ANEURIN WILLIAMS (L).
MR J. O. HARDICKER (U).
Mr G. H. STUART (Lab.).
Last Liberal majority, 4,171.
Continue reading North-Eastern Daily Gazette 31 January 1914
Got up about 8 o’clock. Busy all day. Mr Deakin found some buff copies in the waiting room which had been put there accidentally a night before through a row with the lads. It nearly ended in a row between George and me1. Finished in good time. Called for Willie and went to the organ. Got on pretty well. By-election in N.W. Durham Division. The Liberal, Mr Aneurin Williams returned2.
George: probably George Crawford, colleague at Hendon Paper Works from before 1914 to the 1950’s; his only son Geoffrey was lost in the evacuee ship City of Benares, torpedoed 17.09.1940 in the Atlantic. ↩
The North West Durham by-election of 30 January 1914 was triggered by the resignation of Llewellyn Atherley-Jones, Liberal. Aneurin Williams, also Liberal, was returned with a reduced majority after the Labour party fielded a candidate for the first time. ↩