1900 - 1994

Silverwood Mine

Hollings Lane

Thrybergh

Facts, Stories and Features

THE DOXEY BROTHERS

IKE, CHARLIE, AND JACK.

By John Doxey

The story of my fathers family begins  as known back to the late1700's with the birth of a Samual Doxey of whom nothing is known at present except he had a son named Anthony who was born in 1815 in Middleton Derbyshire, Anthony married in the Parish Church Bonsall Derbyshire on the 3rd April 1837 a Catherine Tomisson who was the daughter of  William Tomison and Mary Flint.

On the 1841 census Anthony is listed as an agricultural Labourer, by the 1851 census he had become a lead mine worker, and remained in that employment until his death on the 14th April 1875 in Bonsall Derbyshire age 63. John Samual Haslem is registered as being in attendance at his death. The Doctor in attendance was Wm Milligan L.R.C.P. and the Registrar was Wm Buckley. The Registration District of Ashbourne, sub district Brassington in the County of Derby

Anthony and Catherine had a daughter Mary Ann Doxey, who was born 1843 in Bonsall Derbyshire.  Mary Ann had a son Thomas Henry Doxey pictured left, born illegitimate on the 24th October 1866 at  Bonsall Derbyshire. 

Mary Ann and Thomas moved to Lancashire and in 1881 Thomas Henry Doxey was living with his Mother and his step father Barnabas Meadows at number 20 Ashton St. in Ince in Makerfield Lancashire.

Thomas was living at 12 Kent Street, Darlington East prior to his wedding in the year 1889. His occupation was a collier. Nearby at number 8 New Road lives a girl called Annie Elizabeth Bennett living with her Father Chas Bennett and two brother's. Also in the household is the Wroth Family from Wolverhampton.  Witnesses at the wedding were Charles Bennett [father of Annie ] and Mary Ann Bryan [ Could this be his Mother remarried ]

Thomas and  Annie Elizabeth Bennett married on the 7th September 1889 in St. Catherine's Church Wigan.
 

Annie Elizabeth Bennett, born 1867 in Wigan Lancashire; died 1941 in Preston Lancashire.
Thomas Henry Doxey,  died 30th June 1944 in Rotherham Yorkshire England. Thomas was a retired Stone Miner, and staying with his son Charlie at no 5, Braithwell Road Ravenfield, South Yorkshire at the time of his Death. Burial: Preston Lancashire Cause of Death: Uraemia, Retention of Urine, Senile Hypertrophy of Prostate.

The children of Thomas and Annie were

Annie Elizabeth Doxey, born 1889 emigrated to Canada 1913
Charles Doxey

Isaac Doxey
Thomas Doxey, born in Platt Bridge Lancashire England; died 1944 in Ince, Wigan Lancashire.
Thomas Doxey bought the shop at Platt bridge owned by Thomas Benthem his uncle. He ran the shop until his death. He was found dead in the shop, he kept all his money in tins throughout the shop and no trace of his money was ever found.
Danial Doxey  was said to be a great swimmer, and would wait on the nearby Bridge for the miners returning home from work, and ask for a penny to dive off the bridge into the canal. Ironically Danial was cleaning a shovel in the canal outside his home, when he developed cramp and drowned. His Father and Brother Charlie had the heartbreaking task of removing his body from the canal using a boathook.
Horace Doxey, died in Platt Bridge Lancashire. He was the twin brother of Elsie Doxey and died at birth.
Polly Doxey was christened Mary Ann, Not much is known about the early death of Polly
Jack Doxey
Maud Doxey christened Florence Maud
Lillian Doxey married Harry Chesworth who worked at Silverwood in the 1920's
Elsie Doxey
 

The above  is the mining background of the three Doxey brothers who worked at Silverwood, Lead mining, Coal mining , and Stone mining.

The two oldest brothers would have remembered the occasion pictured left ,it is of the funeral in Platt Bridge of several of the miners from the Maypole colliery disaster of 1908. Charlie would have been around 16 years old and Ike would have been age 9

Isaac Doxey was born in 1899 in Platt Bridge Lancashire England, he attended the local Catholic School and became a Roman Catholic.

After his Schooling had finished he became a miner in Lancashire, near the end of the first World war he enlisted in the Infantry, and was sent to France. He received a shrapnel wound to his right thigh, which left him with a slight limp for the rest of his life.

He married a girl from Wigan named Mary Ball and shortly after moved to Thrybergh in South Yorkshire to work at Silverwood Pit. Four children were born to this marriage, Margie, Georgie [ pictured left ] Joan, and Jackie the latter two died at a very early age. Losing his first wife and two children to care for. His sister in law Margaret Chesworth agreed to move in and help. Eventually Ike and Margaret married . Ike was a well liked Man locally, and always had a cheerful disposition. For most of his life he worked on the coal face, and this is what led to his death. He died suffering from silicosis at Rotherham Hospital in 1966.

There are many stories that could be related here concerning the three Doxey Brothers, but for actual story telling my Dad Ike took some beating, he once sat on the wall outside our house at Thrybergh for two hours and absolutely convinced a pretty shrewd Michael Foy [ who was visiting next door ] that he had been in prison, and give a very detailed account of the inmates, guards, and who knows what else, all made up on the spot. Michael Foy could not believe he had been sucked in, and he never forgot the day he made the mistake of sitting on that wall with my Dad.

As for me and my sister Ann,  well, when we were kids we got sucked in by Dads wartime memories and related them to the school teacher in history lessons. What's wrong with that you might ask, well when you sit there telling the teacher about your Dads exploits in the BOER WAR and THE WAR OF THE ROSES and wonder why the teacher has a grin from ear to ear, and then asks "How old is your Dad?" you get the picture.

Do I take after him, you bet! My son Matt and his friends were convinced for awhile that I was known in America as 'Bronchial John' outlaw , wanted for bank and train robberies, and I moved to Australia to avoid being captured.

Charles [ Charlie ] Doxey, was born in Platt Bridge Lancashire Wigan England. Charlie was sent to the local public school and would run away constantly, his older sister Annie found him on each occasion at the nearby catholic school, when asked why he was running away to the catholic school Charlie answered " They have better food!"

At an early age he gained employment turning the wheel for the local Organ Grinder, and spent hours outside local pubs turning that wheel, but realizing his employer was never going to pay much he went to work for one of his Uncles on his Mothers side. As Charlie once remarked "He was an old skinflint"

Charlie enlisted in the Lancashire Fusiliers in the first World War

Charlie married Mary Casey.
He moved to Thrybergh South Yorkshire to work at Silverwood Pit, He lived at Silver Street Thrybergh, and by 1945 was living at 5 , Braithwell Road Ravenfield, In the 1960's he was living at Birchwood Drive Ravenfield, and then moved to Sanderson Drive Ravenfield where he lived until his death. A well known man, with a cheerful disposition, he was also well known in Lawn green Bowling circles, he was of course a great player.

I received the following email [ August 2007 ] which contains a very nice memory of my Uncle Charlie

"Hi John, I wrote to you a short time ago about my time at Silverwood colliery as a under ground fitter. I have been (once again ) looking at your web site, and read with some interest the story of the Doxey brothers. I lived on Birchwood Drive in the 1960s (1956 to 1976) to be precise, and can recall with fond memories a Mr. Doxey ( Charlie ).

I remember a lovely old gentleman who worked as a gardener for the people in the bungalow which backed on to our house. In the Autumn Mr. Doxey would call me over to the high fence at the back of our house and throw apples over for me to pick up and give to my mum. When Mr. Doxey saw me in the road he would call me over and give me potatoes or carrots to take home, mum was always grateful.
I have been to see my parents to day and told them of my findings on Mr. Doxey, they told me that he lived in our house on Birchwood drive (17) before we did, he then moved to number 9 Birchwood drive. My father can recall that Mr. Doxey was a very good bowls player. "

All the best Alan Riley.

Many thanks Alan you've described Uncle Charlie perfectly!

Jack Doxey the youngest of the family was christened John William. Moved to South Yorkshire to work at Silverwood Pit. He lived in Silver Street Thrybergh before moving to nearby Sunnyside with his wife Emma Machin, Jacks passion in life was racing his greyhound dogs. Sometime in the 1960's Jack and Emma moved back to Thrybergh and lived at Fuljambe Drive.

Jack like his brothers had a tongue in cheek humour, I remember the day we buried Dad [ Ike] we returned to the house and everyone was pretty quiet, no one wishing to speak first. Jack looked up at  Charlie from where he was sitting and said " Does Tha remember when Ike got shot int' first World War Charlie?" Ah I do" replied Charlie " Well Ike reckoned it wa thee that shot 'im, cos tha never could shoot straight on them big guns!" Everybody laughed and the cloud was lifted.

Thanks Dad, Uncle Charlie, and Uncle Jack for some great memories.

John Doxey