John Adams

1. The oldest Hutchinson I’ve been able to trace is Henry Walker Hutchinson, who appears on his son John’s marriage registration, but there are no other details. John was born ca. 1837, so presumably Henry was born in the late 1700’s-early 1800’s. John became a Solicitor’s Clerk, living in Gateshead.

2. John Hutchinson married Ann Arnison of Cumberland in 1866 and was a Solicitor’s Clerk in the 1871 Census (and remained so through to the 1901 Census). The name Arnison is carried in middle names, eg. their son, John Arnison Hutchinson and grandson, Charles Arnison Hutchinson. Ann was the daughter of Joseph Arnison, who in the 1841 Census was a Shoemaker living in the High Street of Gateshead. He was, however born in Penrith in Cumberland around 1815/16. He married Frances Haldon, also from Cumberland. There is a discrepancy in her birth date between the 1841 and 1851 Census, so she could have been born in 1818 or 1821.

3. John and Ann’s eldest son was Henry Augustus Hutchinson (or Harry to his family) who was born in Gateshead in 1867 and was a Shipping Clerk in the 1891 Census. In 1890 he married Elizabeth Whitehead, whose parents were Charles Whitehead and Hannah Johnston. In the 1881 Census, Hannah is listed as an Innkeeper at 83 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle. Elizabeth’s Grandmother, Jane Johnston, eventually came to live with her and Henry after Hannah’s death in 1886. Henry must have been a bit of a character as shown by the 1894 newspaper clipping below!

4. Henry’s younger siblings were: John, Cecelia, Thomasine, William, Wilhelmina & Christiana.

5. Henry and Elizabeth’s eldest child was John Henry Cecil Hutchinson, who was born in Cullercoats in 1891. He was a Draper’s Assistant (sometimes referred to as an Outfitter) in the 1911 Census. He married Maggie Abba of Cumberland in December 1918. We have wonderful records of him in WW1, including Service Records and his diary, which Jenny has transcribed from his pencilled notes. He entered the Royal Naval Division on the 6th October, 1914 and was an Able Seaman. He found himself fighting at the Gallipoli campaign in Turkey in April 1915 and after being wounded and sick with dysentery, was shipped back to England. He returned to action on the Western Front. John’s younger siblings were: Charles, Lilian, Gladys & Cecelia.

6. John and Maggie’s children were Margaret Joan; Gladys Ilene & Marjorie Knight Hutchinson. Ilene worked in the War Cabinet Offices in London during WW2, as a Stenographer. She was present at the Yalta Conference in the Crimea in February 1945, where Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin carved up a future post-war Europe. Her memories of WW2 were recorded and are in the Playford Library and in the Imperial War Museum in London. Ilene married Robert Graham Adams and emigrated to Australia in 1952.