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Mr John William WALKER – Postman Egglestone Sub Office, Darlington.
Born 13 January 1879.
Temporary Postman 21 February 1897 – Wages 15/- a week.
Postman (Date of Civil Service Certificate) 20 April 1897.
Scale 15/- to 20/- a week.
Army service: 1 February 1917 to 6 February 1919.
(See below for documents reproduced from The National Archives.)
Postmans Wages 21 February 1936 Scale 28/- to 58/- a week.
Pension based on final Wage of 58/- a week 28 Jan 1939.
Date up to which Salary paid 20 February 1939 ( Last Day of Service ).
[ 1/- is equal to 5p (new pence). Therefore, Mr J.W. Walker's first wage was the equivalent of 75p today. ]
J.W. WALKER appears on the First World War Roll of Honour. During the War his Army service was with the Royal Engineers (Signals) as a shoeing smith ( his farther, William Robert Walker, Sub-Postmaster at Egglestone, was also the village Blacksmith ).
W.R. WALKER, born 30 May 1850 at Egglestone, started as Sub-Postmaster circa 1874 when Egglestone Sub Post Office was part of the Darlington District. He retired June 1912. To reduce his workload his son John was appointed as Temporary Postman being made substantive thereafter.
The above photo of J W Walker, with Dick, was taken in Egglestone 1927. The Lady is his daughter Doris Walker. She was married c. 1930 to James Stokes a Teleprinter / Telephone Engineer with the Post Office in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. Her uniform is that of a nurse as she later became a Theatre Sister at Newcastle General Hospital.
Denis adds: "John William Walker (my postman-grandfather) married Mary Jane Wall, the daughter of the Landlord of 'The Three Tunns".
We are indebted to Mr Denis Kidd of Copmanthorpe of York for the content of this page.
Mr Kidd is the grandson of J W Walker and it is his 'digging up of the past' that has made the missing link to the Roll of Honour - the copy of which he saw in the Teesdale Mercury (The late Naomi Bunting's article - 'Pictures keep history alive'). His genealogy research has gleaned information from back copies of the Mercury together with finds at the Darlington Library, Witham Hall (Barnard Castle), Eggleston 2000 (The Millenium Book), The British Postal Museum & Archive (BPMA) etc. etc.
William Robert Walker Retires
Entry in the 1890 Post Office Directory.
This article / photo of John William Walker appeared in the Post Office Magazine of April, 1939 (Vol. 6, No. 4, No. 64.).
Darlington & Stockton Times February 23rd 1939.
This picture of J W Walker, with his bicycle, was taken outside Egglestone Post Office circa 1905.
(Image courtesy of Simon Phillips.)
Church Bank, Egglestone, c 1905.
(Image courtesy of Simon Phillips.)
A later pic of Church Bank, Eggleston.
It was taken prior 1913 when the Post Office moved following the retirement of W R Walker.
The Coates family ran the shop which sold not only groceries but drapery and millinery as well.
Jim McTaggart's write up of the Walker's postal service in Eggleston[e]. It appeared in the Northern Echo of Saturday December 9, 2006.
*
* Denis Kidd is Mr J Walker's grandson.
Denis writes:-
Re: The Ralley at Barnard Castle.
The "J. Walker" was my grandfather also held "Harry Bowles" in high regard.
I recall that Mr Bowles was employed somewhere in the Newsham area. I think, in his retirement, he, and his wife, ran a Grocers Shop in Coronation Street, Barnard Castle. It is now a dwelling - the first house on the left as you approach the street from Bede Road/Cambridge Terrace.
He suffered badly from mobility problems.
I recall, also, that when , as a youngster, was sent for the daily bread, the price included a farthing! (Somewhere about 1943/1944.)
P.S. Is Mr Blenkinsop the Mystery Postman of the Teesdale Mercury article? It is his stance that looks like him.
Village post office to close after 92 years
From the Northern Echo, first published Wednesday 22nd Oct 2003.
A VILLAGE post office has closed after 92 years of public service because nobody can be found to take over the duties.
The closure has left dozens of pensioners and young mothers unable to collect their weekly payments at Eggleston, near Barnard Castle.
The village's only shop, from which the postal service was run, has also closed after being owned by members of the Bainbridge family and their forebears for the past 124 years.
The last postmistress, Jeanette Morris, who took over four years ago from her father, David Bainbridge, said: "It is sad that local residents have lost these two amenities, but they were no longer really worthwhile."
"We could not compete with the large supermarkets on prices. We could not offer deals like 'buy-one-get-one-free' and could not blame people for going elsewhere for that sort of bargain."
The village has a population of about 400.
Post Office officials delivered leaflets in the community advertising for someone to take over the service, but received no response.
Residents now have to travel five miles to other offices in Barnard Castle, Middleton, Mickleton or Romaldkirk.
Councillor Colin Bainbridge, chairman of Eggleston Parish Council, said: "It is a casualty of modern times and is to the detriment of the rural population."
Mrs Morris said: "It is a pity that local people are being put to this inconvenience, but some have decided to have their money paid directly into banks."
Her mother, Rhona Bainbridge, was renowned for baking fruit cakes and selling them in the region. But that side of the business was sold to Farrah's, which transferred production to Harrogate.
David Bainbridge was village postmaster for 45 years after taking over from his mother, Elizabeth Redfearn, who took over from her mother.
He said: "When I was a lad 60 years ago there were three shops in the village. Now there is not enough demand for even one, or for a post office. It is a sign of changing times and we just have to accept it."
A Post Office spokesman said: "We are looking at all the options and would like to apologise to the customers affected."
[The Eggleston Commuintity Post Office is now run twice a week from the Post Office in Galgate, Barnard Castle.]
The Post Office is currently operated from the Eggleston Village Hall.
* one of Fred's ancestors!
*
Left - picture of Postman John William Walker, with his bicycle, taken outside Egglestone Post Office circa 1905.
(Image courtesy of Durham County Record Office.)
Egglestone Post Office c 1906 Brittain and Wright Phoenix series hand-coloured postcard - No. 1090.
Just-in-time for Remembrance Day 2009 Ancestry.co.uk, in association with The National Archives, released the British Army WW1 Records. The following documents of Service No. 237739 Walker, John William are reproduced coutesy of The National Archive.
Brief details:- Pte John William Walker, R.E. Shoeing Smith - Regtl No 237739.
Born: 1879.
Next if Kin: Wife - Mary Walker.
Home address: Eastwood, Egglestone, Darlington.
Age at Attestation: 36 years 11 months.
Occupation: Postman.
Marital Status: Married Mary Forest, Laithkirk, Mickleton, ?? Oct 1902.
Children: Doris Mary born 4th Oct 1903; Margaret Evelyn born 8 Nov 08.
Enlisted: Barnard Castle 10.12.15.
Medical: Durham 6 OCT 1912.
Mobilised: 2.2.17.
Recruited: Royal Engineers - Service No. 237739.
Training: Cert. of Trade Proficiency 1-5-17, R.E., Signal Depot, Haynes Park, Beds.
Military History: Promoted Shoeing & Carriage Smith 19-5-17.
Hospitalised: Cherryhinton Military Hospital, Cambridge 10.7.17 to 10.9.17, 62 days. Disease ???
Demobbed: Chatham 6-3-19.
'Return to Civvy Street': as per genealogy above - researched by Pte Walker’s grandson, Denis Kidd.
World War One Mail Cart
Before the advent of the 'Official Motor Vehicle' (OMV) the horse-drawn mail cart was the mode of conveyance.
