Uriah

Life in rural East Yorkshire in the 19th century

In the 19th century people were leaving the countryside for the industrial towns and cities. Those who remained in rural areas were often subject to a life of hardship.

Uriah Tomlinson, born April 1866 in South Duffield near Hemingbrough was the eighth of nine children. His father, Thomas, ws a farm labourer, and Uriah followed suit. When he was 18 he met a girl called Sarah Atkinson. When Sarah got pregnant Uriah, for whatever reason, did not marry her. However a year later he married another local girl, Mary Daniels who, it turns out, had already had a child to Uriah.

It was left to Sarah’s parents to bring up her son, Charles Harold whilst Sarah went off to work “in service” for a family in Beverley

Uriah and Mary had six children but Mary died in childbirth in 1896. The following year, having left service, Uriah and Sarah were married. Sarah brought up his children from his marriage to Mary and had another three of her own. Sadly Charles Harold never joined the Tomlinson household and always retained the Atkinson surname.

Clifford William, son of Uriah and Sarah, Hemingbrough churchyard.

Uriah lost his two eldest sons due to World War I. Charles Harold died from his wounds in 1919 and Mary’s son, George Samuel, was killed in Belgium in 1917.

James and the North sea