Ernest Royle Evatt and his family

Specific Details

Ernest married Charlotte Hayes in 1897. Charlotte was born in Sunderland, Durham the daughter of a stone mason. In the 1891 census she was a servant girl, aged 13, to the family of a coal miner in Lanchester in Durham

In 1891 Ernest is 15 and described as a Newsboy. He is residing at the shop in Bulmer Street with his father, Ada aged 21 and Amy aged 10. By 1901 he is running the business and describes himself as a Stationer and Newsagent. He is living with Charlotte, their daughter Alice May and their brand new baby who is not yet named. She will become Charlotte or Lottie. They also have Alice, Ernest's sister living with them.

In 1911 Ernest and Charlotte are apart. Ernest is in the shop in Bulmer Place with children Alice, Charlotte and William. There is also a visitor, Lucy Flannery who 8. Charlotte is staying with baby Jack/John in Bramley. She is described as a visitor and states her occupation as housekeeper. The people she is staying with are George Parfitt, a widdower and his daughter Doris. George is a fishmonger.

In a 1951 phone directory we have Evatt E,Royle,Grcr,23 Waverley Terrace, Leeds.

The National Probate Calendar for 1955 has the following record: Evatt Royle- Ernest of La Town Street Chapel Allerton Leeds died 4 November 1954 Probate Wakefield 19 January to the Yorkshire Penny Bank Limited. Effects pds 4,372 16s 4d

The 1956 National Probate Calendar has the record for Charlotte: Evatt Charlotte Royle of 1 Town Street Chapel Allerton Leeds widow died 10 December 1955 Probate Wakefield 26 January to the Yorkshire Penny Bank Limited Effects pds 997 7s 4d.

Historic Context

There was a rhyme sung about Ernest Evatt. Two boys are talking to each other: What yer doin there? Sellin papers. Who for? Stingy Evatt. Whats he payin yer. Nought but hapenny. Stingy beggar, he ought to die.

I have not found any evidence of what Ernest did in the First World War, though my father once told me that his dad and his brother had gone off to the war together. They would have both been in their late 30s in 1914 so maybe they simply didn't get that far.

The probate record for Sarah Ann Gaunt reads: Evatt Sarah Ann of Oak Villa Shadwell Leeds died 28 February 1932 Administration London 11 November to Ernest Royle Evatt grocer's sundryman. Effects pds 94 17s 9d. When William died a year earlier the net value of his estate had been pds 3645 6s 3d. Had Sarah given away the money to her children before she died - or had the money been lost? Ernest's status as grocer's sundryman is interesting.

Alice May R 1898-1977, Charlotte Agnes R 1901-1981, William R 1903-1970, John b 1908, Thomas S R 1913-1969

Alice married and it is her grand daughter who has provided all the photos and post cards on this website. Lottie stayed single, and it was she who passed down much of the family history to Alice's grand daughter. William married and had one son. There is a photo of John/Jack with Alice's daughter in the photos section of this website. Thomas had 7 sons, born between 1941 and 1957.