Hartley Wilkinson and Constance McGuinness

Hartley Wilkinson was born in Sunderland, with his birth registered in the December quarter of 1893 (Sunderland 10a 596). In the GRO birth index his mother's maiden name is Harrison. confirmed His father's name is not yet known.

Hartley's family

Name	Birth registered (GRO, mother's maiden name Harrison)	Status
Dorothy Wilkinson	Dec qtr 1889, Sunderland 10a 644 (probably a twin of Henry)	confirmed
Henry Wilkinson	Dec qtr 1889, Sunderland 10a 644	confirmed
Hartley Wilkinson	Dec qtr 1893, Sunderland 10a 596	confirmed
Norman Wilkinson	Sep qtr 1901, Sunderland 10a 647	confirmed
Roy Wilkinson (youngest)	Sep qtr 1908, Sunderland 10a 717	confirmed

Roy, Hartley's youngest brother, married Kay in 1934. confirmed They had two children.

Norman is almost certainly the “Great Uncle Norman” whose big birthday party, around 1971 and probably his 70th, the family remembers. likely A Norman Wilkinson born 24.5.1901 died in the September quarter of 1979 in Northumberland Central (1 1589). That fits, but it is not proven. unconfirmed There may have been more daughters, and some GRO searches for girls came back empty.

The parents' marriage has not yet been identified. FreeBMD lists a few Wilkinson and Harrison marriages on the same register page in the north-east, but none is certain. unconfirmed

Hartley's father was probably a Peter Wilkinson. unconfirmed The family firm bore that name, and there is a possible marriage of a Peter Wilkinson and a Sarah Harrison in 1892. Neither point has been proven yet. Fairview: Pamela's birth certificate gives the family's address at the time as 8 Holme Gardens, Sunderland. confirmed The family believes that no. 8 was the house called “Fairview”. family tradition Family recollection places the home in Roker, but today's Holme Gardens is a cul-de-sac in Tunstall, off Queen Alexandra Road in south Sunderland (SR3), not in Roker (Streetlist).

Peter Wilkinson, Ltd., road haulage contractors

Hartley was managing director of Peter Wilkinson, Ltd. of Sunderland, described in 1949 as “one of the oldest haulage concerns in the North of England”, with more than 50 vehicles. confirmed By the late 1940s he was a town councillor (Coun. Hartley Wilkinson, M.Inst.T.). He was elected a vice-chairman of the Road Haulage Association in 1948, and chaired the Northern Area Road Haulage Wages Board. confirmed

When road haulage was nationalised, the British Transport Commission served a compulsory acquisition notice on the firm on 1.1.1949, with the transfer due in May 1949. confirmed Family recollection remembers the business being taken over “in wartime”. The records suggest the takeover actually came just after the war, with nationalisation, though the war years would already have brought government control of road transport.

The 1950 general election

Hartley stood as the Conservative candidate for Sunderland South at the general election of 23.2.1950. He had been chosen as prospective candidate in December 1947. confirmed

Candidate	Party	Votes	%
Richard Ewart	Labour	27,192	49.6
H. Wilkinson	Conservative	22,012	40.2
Charles Jonathan Kitchell	Liberal	5,604	10.2

Hartley and Constance

Hartley married Constance McGuinness (registered at birth as Mary Constantine McGuinness) in the June quarter of 1918 at Newcastle upon Tyne (Newcastle T. 10b 228). confirmed They made their home in Sunderland, with family links to Roker. Their three daughters, Sheila, Esme and Pamela (our mother), were all born there. To protect the family's privacy, we do not publish details of living or possibly living relatives.

Hartley later lived in the south of England. He died on 13.5.1959 at Little Frieth, near Henley-on-Thames (death registered at Wycombe 6a 401). confirmed Probate was granted to his three daughters, Sheila, Esme and Pamela, and his effects came to about £48,500. confirmed