The last Fines of the 19th century

The Fines family circa 1900

In 1898 Queen Victoria was still on the throne when Mary Jane Fines gave birth to her last child Elsie May. Within six years Mary Jane had died of typhoid at the age of thirty-nine and it was left to Elsie’s eldest sister, Jane Ann to bring her up along with the rest of the family.

The family lived near Spaldington in the East Riding but in 1923 Elsie May met and married George Alexander Jackson of Staindrop, county Durham. They married in Howden but then moved to Staindrop.

Elsie May aged 17

The Jackson’s had four children: Twins Charles & Norah, Jean and Margaret.

Circa 1943

When Jean was left school she went to work at Raby Castle just outside Staindrop where she eventually became Lord Barnard’s personal secretary. Jean’s godson remembers visits to the castle where he got to see parts of the estate that were closed to the public. Jane Ann Fines’ daughter, Nancy, regularly visited Staindrop even after Elsie May’s death in 1986

Raby Castle