You have to wonder with Donald, where do you start? He’s been a legend in both parts of the family for absolute years so I’ll start at the beginning.
Donald was registered as Donald ROBIN in 1895 between Jan, Feb and Mar:
| Name | Relation to head of family | Age last birthday | Profession | Employer or worker | Place of birth |
| James Wright | Head | 49 | Coal Miner, Hewer | Worker | Durham, Co.Durham |
| Jane Elizabeth Wright (Nee Booth) | Wife | 46 | Durham, Co.Durham | ||
| Stella Clarissa | Dau. | 22 | Cook, Restaurant | Worker | Durham, Co.Durham |
| Alice Warner. | Dau. | 21 | General Servant, Son David 3 | Worker | Durham, Co.Durham |
| James Arthur | Son | 19 | Cook, Restaurant | Worker | Durham, Co.Durham |
| Eva Louisa | Dau. | 17 | Dressmaker | Worker | Durham, Co.Durham |
| Jane Clara | Dau. | 15 | Durham, Co.Durham | ||
| Herbert Orlando | Son | 13 | Durham, Co.Durham | ||
| John William | Son | 9 | Low Fell, Co. Durham | ||
| Donald Robin | Son | 5 | Gateshead, Co. Durham | ||
| Charles Lewis | Son | 2 | Gateshead, Co.Durham |
| Name | Relation to Head | Age | Sex | Occupation | Place of Birth |
| James Wright | Father | 59 | M | Coal Miner, Shifter | Durham |
| Jane Elizabeth | Mother | 56 | F | Cockfield, Barnard Castle | |
| James Arthur | Son | 29 | M | Labourer | Durham |
| Eva Louisa | Daughter | 27 | F | Dress Maker | Durham |
| Clara Jane | Daughter | 25 | F | Out of work domestic | Durham |
| Donald Robin | Son | 16 | M | Clerk | Gateshead |
| Charles Lewis | Son | 12 | M | Scholar | Gateshead |
Donald Robin ‘Adair/Adare’ 1895-1948 (on the right holding the Jack Russell) performed at the Newcastle Music halls and the Theatre Royal as a comedian, singer and allegedly female impersonator hence his penchant to ‘borrow’ Maureen’s make up. He was also gay , and in those days that was as much of a shame to the family as an illegitimate child , he often got beaten up in Birtley because of his homosexuality. He lived out most of his last days in the aged miners cottage in Birtley with his mother and sister Ginny/Jane. The girl in the photo is called Agnes apparently (or Aggy for short) and died when she was about 22 of consumption. Maureen said that Donald was always ‘immaculate’. He certainly looks the dapper gent in this photo. Note that Donald is indeed listed as ‘Donald R.’ in the 1901 census. He was baptised as Donald Robin Wright. Now who took the photo? Herbie?
Here is his registration of death for the quarter of Jul-Aug-Sep 1948 2 years after the death of his mother.
Accoring to Dom, when Jane died Donald and Ginny were both thrown out of the Aged Miners cottage (nice, and that under a Labour Government implementing the Beveridge report) and went to live with their brother James Arthur. Dom tells me Olive May (Arthurs daughter had to tell her son Peter that they had to move out of their room so Donald and Ginny could move in. Donald’s coughing kept Peter awake all night as he’d been gassed during the war. We’ll get to that….
According to Bill , Arthur’s youngest son, Donald was in The Three Tuns in Birtley during WW1 , probably visiting Artie and family at Elizabethville . He was slagging off the Belgian Royal family apparently and the Belgians arrested him and dragged him to the recruiting office . Another tale about Donald was that when the family were living at 1 Emily Street , Gateshead, Artie had bought a new pair of boots to start working at his new job the next day , he put them aside and went to bed only to discover the next morning that Donald had sold them. When he was living with his mother and Jinny at the aged miners cottage, they fell upon hard times so Jinny and Jane made a clipped mat . When it was finished they sent Donald out to sell it , he returned two days later having sold the mat and drank all the money.
Signed up on 12/10/1915, enlisting in Birtley Co. Durham aged 20 years and 336 days old joining the Army Service Corps. So anecdotally Donald used to show up at Elizabethville camp in Birtley and get drunk (I’m yet to find someone in this family who didn’t like a drink) and apparently he insulted the Belgian Queen so Les Gendarmes marched him down the recruiting office pointing out that he was very desperate to fight.
From what I have he ‘joined up’ in 1915 and then failed to show up so he got a fine when he eventually did show up at Newcastle barracks (would have been very foolish not to), perhaps again under Belgian (or fathers) escort. He then ended up at Woolwich as a driver in the royal army service corps and seems to have spent his time in the UK, perhaps driving supplies to the docklands as for the next two years he was sent to Wandsworth barracks for a 14 day stretch, got a fine for drunkenness, went AWOL again and got a 132 day stretch at Aldershot glasshouse and from there was meant to join the Suffolk regiment but was transferred to the Kings West Yorks instead in August 1918 after going AWOL again in Jan 1918. In 1919 he was off again, this time for good until apprehended in 1928 and finally discharged after a fine for all his kit he took off with in 1930
January 1916: Introduction of Conscription
16/12/16 presented himself at the joining station after going absent from the joining station as a joining recruit. His punishment was ‘Admonished’ and forfeited 12 days pay
17th Feb 1917 absented without leave from No. 2 Reserves Horse Transport Depot, Blackheath and 2 days later still awol and charged with the cost of all his kit (including his spurs). On 28/3/17 given 14 days detention
21/12/1917 deserted and fined £4-2-2 for desertion from No. 2 Depot. The document listing his kit has the ominous words ‘Has not served with an expeditionary force’. Given 135 days detention starting 16/3/18 then to be sent to the front on 22/3/18. Donald’s fine was handed over and recorded as being paid to the paymaster.
12/1/1918 Deserted his unit in Woolwich and apprehended on 1/2/1918. His next of kin was henceforth notified by letter of his absence to which his father responded that he did not know his whereabouts.
14th Feb 1918 Donald was apprehended in Hampstead in his Uniform by PC 654 William Stockbridge of Hampstead Police Station. The officer called at 5 Carlingford Road, Hampstead to see if the prisoner was living there. The officer went upstairs and found him in his shirtsleeves. The PC asked him for his pass[1], prisoner said he didn’t got one. PC took him to the Police Station where he was charged. PC Stockbridge was awarded 5 shillings by the magistrate for the apprehension of a deserter. Not a happy Valentines day for Donald.
25/5/18 Correspondence received from Wandsworth detention barracks stating that Donald was to be transferred to the Suffolk Regiment on expiration of his sentence, however on 6/8/18 he was transferred to the 2 Bn Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry B.E.F France instead so was not required by the Suffolks.
28/7/1918 transferred to the B.E.F. in France on expiration of his sentence for desertion at Aldershot. The commander of the detention Barracks and Aldershot duly had him handed over, Donald wasn’t escaping this time.
29/7/18 embarked for France
KOYLI 2nd Btn in 1918
The First Battle of Arras, The Battle of Amiens (began 8th August) , The Battle of Albert (21-23rd August), The Battle of Bapaume (21st august-3rd September), essentially phase 2 of the Battle of Albert, The Battle of the St Quentin Canal (29th September 1918) , The Battle of Beaurevoir (3-5th October).
Sent to the 15th Battalion Essex Regiment in October 1918. The 15th Battalion had been formed on 1st January 1917 becoming a garrison guard on 27/4/1918 and then moved to France in May 1918.
7/3/19 Given 4 days punishment for desertion whilst on active duty with D Coy, 15th Essex Bn
Deserted 25-3-19 and fined £3-16-8 by the Essex Regiment
7th May 1930 a signed confession of desertion ensured that private 47588 Donald Wright of the Essex Regiment was dispensed from Court Martial and instead suffered forfeitures and deductions from pay as if he had been court martialed plus he had to make good the value of his kit obtained by him on enlistment
17th June 1930 whilst living at 30, the Close, Twickenham Road, Hanworth, Middx. Donald received a letter
“With reference to previous correspondence, you are informed that your trial for desertion has been dispensed with under section 73 of the Army Act, and that your discharge has been carried out under paragraph 370 (xi) Kings Regulations, 1928.
The receipt of your certificate of discharge (Army Form B.264), which is transmitted herewith, should be acknowledged on the enclosed form. An addressed envelope, which need not be stamped, is enclosed for that purpose.”
Donald died on the 3rd of September 1948 , he died of pulmonary tuberculosis and amyloid disease . His death was registered on 6th September by W B Osborne Jnr .
[1] All soldiers required a leave pass stating that he could be away from his post between certain dates. Some were also combined as a railway ticket allowing them to travel to a specified railway station
The Wrights Family History 