South Yorkshire Times, August 18th 1933
Diamond Wedding
Contented West Melton Couple
On Tuesday a representative of the “South Yorkshire Times” paid a complimentary call on Mr. Charles Cartwright, 68, York Street, West Melton, who greeted the caller civilly, but was anxious to know his business. Our representative told him. Then he looked embarrassed and said, “To tell you the truth, I know nothing about it; I had better fetch the missus to talk to you.” There was mutual trust.
He knew, of course, that next Saturday he and his “old Dutch” will celebrate their diamond wedding, but he wanted his wife to have the say in the matter. As he said, he was “not much at talking.” But he could talk freely enough once he started. Throughout his long life he has been almost a teetotaller, and has not used tobacco. He admits that once in a rash moment he had half a pipe o’ twist and a cigar, but it “suppered him up.” He didn’t want any more. Reacting to a smitten conscience, the “Times” man quickly removed the cigarette from his mouth. “Carry on,” said the old man, bending over his stick, “That’s not smoking. That’s only playing with it.” Then he asked, with the air of one who has been well blessed himself and wants to do another a good turn—”Do you spit with it?” Our man assured him he did not. “Then you are all right,” said the veteran, as one who had lived long and learned a lot. “It’s the spitting that kills. They spit and spit till they lose all that ought to be used for digestion. The diamond wedding day is to-morrow (Saturday), and the couple will enjoy it with their family. They have six daughters and two sons living in the district, and all hope to be at home to warm the hearts of their parents. If they all come there will be a rare houseful. In addition to the eight children there are the 23 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright have been given the choice of a tea party or a week at the seaside, and have wisely chosen the latter, which they will take after the celebrations. They have had a family of ten, and the “baby” is now 43.
Life Of Hard Work
Mr. Cartwright will be 86 next month. Mrs. Cartwright is 82. Both were born at Tipton, Staffordshire, and were married at a church near Dudley. Neither had any schooling. but both can read and write.
Mr. Cartwright started work in an iron foundry at eleven years of age, and received a shilling a day. At seventeen he was an engine driver in a chain and anchor works at Tipton, and after that he moved about the country, working for one period in a boiler plate works near London. He became a miner at the age of 45 when, coming to Yorkshire, be found employment as a dataller at Manvers Main. He never “took to” the pits, and between spells at Manvers and Cracken Head he was employed at Stanley’s soap works at Wath. Ill-health caused him to give up work when he was 63, and since he has done only odd jobs. Necessarily, the couple have led a frugal life, but they have been happy and contented. Mrs. Cartwright suffers from failing sight, but otherwise her health is good. She said the best job her husband had during the first twenty years of their married life was when he was earning 28s. a week at the blast furnaces. “Talk about going for holidays,” she said, “we never knew what it was to have a day off.” She smiles about modern inventions, and recalls the time when the only way to get a baby from one place to another was to carry it. “There were no prams for my first babies,” she said. “It has been a hard struggle, but we have been happy and have a lot to be thankful for.” Both have old age pensions, with which they jog along comfortably. “I have got enough money to last me as long as I live if I die to-morrow,” is the philosophy which cheers Mr. Cartwright on.