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To search our directory of workers at HM Factory Gretna either enter any name, place of birth or place of death in the search box or if you know what their job was from select from the drop-down menu.

  • The results are being filtered by the county: Tyne and Wear
Photo of Mary Adams

Mary Adams

Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by) : Mary Adams

Gender: Female

Date and Place of Birth: 1894 Glasgow 

Date and Place of Death: unknown

Nationality: Scottish

 

Biography

Childhood: spent in Glasgow and Hebburn (44 Ann Street, Hebburn Quay)

Parents: William (born in Stonehaven, Scotland) and Mary (born in Marykirk, Scotland), married in 1884, 9 children (5 living in 1911)

Parent’s occupations: Father was an iron driller in a Shipyard

Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: 

Occupational history (previous jobs in their career): domestic servant (at home) (1911 census)

Occupation: munition worker at H M Factory, Gretna 

Head forewoman (1918), after having been rewarded for her brave action in a factory explosion

Place of residence at Gretna: – 

Job title at Gretna: munition worker, head forewoman

Marital status:  unknown

Spouse name (including male name): 

Date of marriage: 

Place/Parish of marriage:

Children: 

Travels: 

Awards/recognitions: Order of the British Empire (medal) for courage in assisting others at great personal risk

Trivia / any other information:
“Miss Adams, who was born in Hebburn and had lived all her life in it, was engaged as a worker in a large munition establishment.…

Photo of Selby Grace Bald

Selby Grace Bald

 

    • 1901 census – Selby (aged 2), living with her mother, father and siblings in Sunderland. Her dad (Adam) was a papermaker.
    • In the 1911 census – Selby (aged 12), was living with her parents, siblings and a boarder (David Raey – relative of Selby’s mother?) in Sunderland.
Photo of Eliza Blenkinsop

Eliza Blenkinsop

Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by) :Eliza Blenkinsop (Elizabeth Mitchell)

Gender: Female

Date and Place of Birth: October 1899, Sunderland, Durham

Date and Place of Death: 8 March 1966, 6 Belmont Avenue, Eaglesfield, (Middlebie), Dumfries-shire (Scotland’s people)

Nationality: English

Biography

Childhood: 1911 census at 22 South Railway St, Seaham with 4 sisters

Parents: Death certificate almost impossible to read from Scotland’s people Thought to be John William Blenkinsop b Apr 1871 and Ellen b1872 d July 1925 Sunderland Durham who married in about 1894 (1911 census at 22 South Railway St, Seaham. …

Photo of Ethel Burnett

Ethel Burnett

Photo of Nina Cooper

Nina Cooper

  • Liddle archive, transcript of interview with Nina Cooper, Uni of Leeds
  • Timbertown Girls, PhD Thesis by Chris Brader. Access here: http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/36426/,
    • ‘Nina Cooper, a Sunderland girl who worked at Gretna and who was interviewed in the 1970s, remembered going to many dances and socialising with local boys.
Photo of Rose Corcoran

Rose Corcoran

Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by) : Rose Corcoran 

Gender: Female 

Date and Place of Birth: 29th October 1898 in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire. 

Date and Place of Death: 14th April 1974 in Crawcrook, Tyne and Wear

Nationality: British 

 

 

Biography

Childhood: Rose was the eldest child.…

Photo of William Mackenzie

William Mackenzie

Information supplied by family: Born 27/03/1887 Sunderland. He was in the army as a Sergt. Instructor with the 13th. Glosters Regt., his No. 18533, when he came to Gretna but he was also an electrician. I have a letter sent by him on the 28th.…

Photo of William Roseby Twaddle

William Roseby Twaddle

Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by): William Roseby Twaddle

Gender: Male

Date and Place of Birth: 1879, Cullercoats, Tynemouth (2) (3) (5)

Date and Place of Death: 17/08/1929, North Shields (4) (11)

Nationality: British

 

Biography

Childhood: Born in Tynemouth , one of five children, two died young.…

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