Fourth Generation - Oakes

William Richard Thomas Oakes (1869 - 1955)

 

Third Generation - Oakes

Edith Margaret Oakes (25/07/1909 - 18/01/1999)

Edith, my Grandmother. More than that actually.

Edith was born in 1909 daughter of William Richard Thomas Oakes (1869-1955) and Ann Mary Tate (1878-1962). Her siblings were Andrew (b1892), Christopher (b1898 ) and George. Earlier in 1901 they were living at 4 William Street, Westgate, Newcastle. with her mother Anns father (Christopher Tate), mother (Ann Tate) and brother Chris W. Tate.

In her youth she had back problems and would sleep on a door and later a hard bed. She went on to work in a cigarette factory. This set up for life her disgust of cigarettes!

She wed Joseph Birkett and they lived together at 9 Crosshill Road, Newcastle upon Tyne. Their first born sadly died at one day old and would be buried in Elswick Cemetery. However, they went on to have four children. Joseph (b04/09/1940), Joan (b27/08/1942) and twins Lawrence and Paul (b16/08/1947).

Her husband Joseph passed away at home in Jenison Avenue 8th October 1972. Two years later, her son Lawrence moved in with her where she helped raise the two children.

As a family, they moved to West Denton in 1979 and around 1989-90 Edith would move into a bungalow off Stamfordham Road in Fenham.

Edith spent her life as a strong Catholic and well well liked and loved in her church communities. In her later years, suffering from arthritis and being mostly wheelchair bound, she would still find her way to the local church on Stamfordham Road.

Edith passed away in hospital in 1999.