William Speed Pallister was the fifth child of Ralph Speed Pallister & Eleanor McCree born at Longbenton in 1843 & christened December 22nd, 1843 at Holy Trinity, Wingate Grange, Easington.
In 1851 the family were living at Castle Eden, Monk Hesleden, Co Durham. At home were brothers Ralph, Robert & sister Sarah.
In 1861 William was still living at home at Cargills Court, Wingate Grange Colliery, Co Durham. William, & brothers Robert & Ralph were all coal miners. Also at home were sister Sarah & brother John (10).
William married Mary Bellwood in April-June 1867 at Sunderland. Mary was born Jan-March 1843 at Danby Wiske, Yorks, the daughter of Mary & John Bellwood. At the time of the 1861 census Mary was at home with her parents at Dawdon, Seaham where her father was a carrier.
In 1871 William & Mary were living at Railway Row, Shotton, Easington where he was a coal miner. They had 4 children – Ann (7), Eleanor (4), Sarah (2) & Ralph S (10 months). Since Ann was born several years before their marriage she is likely to be the illegitimate daughter of Mary, & indeed there is a record of Ann Bellwood being born in 1863 in Durham East (includes Seaham).
By 1881 they had moved to 1 Whitley Row, Earsdon, Whitley, Northumberland. William was still working as a miner & children at home were Sarah, Ralph, William (8), John (6), Mary H (4), Ann (2) & Isabella (6 months). Living with them was Mary’s widowed mother, Mary Bellwood (referred to as Mary Pallister in census), aged 71.
In 1891 William & Mary were living at 26 Melton Terrace, New Hartley, Seaton Delavel, Tynemouth. Like their father Ralph, William & John were all coal miners. Also at home were Mary, Ann, Isabella & new arrivals Robert (8), Jane (6) & Ada (3). Daughter Sarah (22) was also with them at the time of the census with her husband James Buck, a 23 year old coal miner.
The family had moved again by 1901, they were now at 1 North View, Wallbottle, Tyneside. William was now described as a coal miner chargeman below ground & son William was a colliery banksman. John was working as a crane driver at the steel works, Ann was a dressmaker with her own account working at home, & Robert was a railway, set rider. Also at home were Isabella, Jane & Ada.
William died in Oct-December, 1909, aged 65, his death being registered at Castle Ward (includes Wallbottle).
In 1911 widowed Mary, listed as Mary Bellwood Pallister in the census, was living with her son John Speed & daughter Ada at 16 Swinburn Terrace, Dipton, Tanfield, Lanchester. John was now working as a rolleyway man in the coal mine. A ‘rolleyway man' looked after the horse roads underground to enable the coal tubs to moved as quickly as possible.
In 1911 son Robert Bellwood Pallister & his wife Margaret A were living at 47 Princes St, North Shields where Robert was a policeman for the County Borough of Tynemouth. They had 2 sons – Robert Bellwood (2) & Alan (1). Daughter Sarah & husband James Buck (43), a rolleyway man, were living at 32 Long Row, New Hartley, Seaton Delaval with their 5 children in 1911 – William Pallister Buck (19), a baker at the Coop, Mary Hannah (16), a general domestic, Ann Isabell (11), Rumford George (5) & Norman Leslie (2).
The children of William Speed Pallister & Mary Bellwood were:
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.1 Ann (Bellwood) Pallister born 1863 at Seaham
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.2 Eleanor Pallister born 1868 at Shotton, & christened May
10th, 1868 at St Paul’s, Ryhope, Co Durham
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.3 Sarah Pallister born Jan-March 1869 at Easington
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.4 Ralph
Speed Pallister born April-June 1870 at Easington
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.5 William
Speed Pallister born Jan-March 1873 at South Shields
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.6 John Speed Pallister born April-June 1875 at Tynemouth
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.7 Mary H Pallister born c1877 at Earsdon, Northumberland
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.8 Ann Pallister born April-June 1878 at Earsdon, Northumberland
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.9 Isabella Pallister born Oct-December 1880 at Earsdon, Northumberland
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.10 Robert Bellwood Pallister born July-September 1882 at Gosforth,
Northumberland
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.11 Jane Pallister born 1884 at Seghill, Northumberland
p.1.6.3.1.1.5.12 Ada Pallister born April-June 1888 at Seghill, Northumberland