William Harle 1890 – 1916

William Harle was the son of Robert and Margaret Harle, (who married in 1889), and was born in 1890. In 1911 he was living in Sunderland Bridge where his father was an inn-keeper. Harle Senior had been born in Page Bank near Spennymoor. He made his first appearance in 1871 in the Census. His father, William, was a colliery manager in Stockley near Brancepeth. Robert was one of eight siblings.

By 1881, William Harle, William’s grandfather, was listed as a mining engineer in Page Bank. 1891 saw Robert and his young family living near Guisborough. He was listed as an engineer. He was married to Margaret (Grey) who was also from Page Bank. Her father, in 1881, was listed as a Master Shifter in the colliery. This placed him in charge of a number of men whose job it was to maintain the rail routes and tunnels in the mine.

1901 saw the family living in Skelton, over in Redcar and Cleveland. Robert was an electrical pump engineer. William had been joined by a younger sister, Annie.

Private William Harle joined the 14^th Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry. He was killed on the 18^th of September 1916.

Mr and Mrs Harle could be found in Osgoldcross, near Pontefract, in 1939. Robert Harle was a retired colliery deputy and he died in 1966. His wife predeceased him in 1947.

Their daughter, Annie, sometimes referred to as Nancy, married Joseph Alfred Vickers in 1912. He was a locomotive fireman from Croxdale. His mother, a widow, ran the Colliery Inn in Croxdale in 1911 and so it is perfectly possible that the two sets of in-laws knew of each other as a result of being publicans in the area. Like his brother-in-law, William, Joseph joined the British Army, enlisting with the Royal Field Artillery. He was invalided out in 1916 and returned to his home in Railway Cottages, Shincliffe Station. Joseph went on to be a signalman with the LNER and in 1939 was living in Sherburn House Station House with his wife. 

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