Person

Isaac Hind was born on 23 April 1876 in Wrekenton. His father was also called Isaac Hind (1838-1890) who was a coal miner originally from Scotby, Cumberland. His mother was Sarah Hind nee Rutherford (1834) from Saltwell in Gateshead. Isaac was one of a family of five children made up of three boys and two girls. In 1891 the family lived at 171 High Street, Wrekenton and by the time of the 1911 census had moved to 2 Wrekenton Row in the same locality.

Isaac married Mary Annie Walker in 1900 and they had set up home at 42 Wrekenton Row at the time of the 1901 census along with their first child Sarah Jane who was born in the year of the census. At this time Isaac was working as a grindstone quarryman. Grindstones from Gateshead Fell where highly regarded for their quality. They were known as Newcastle grindstones and exported worldwide. By the time of the 1911 census the family consisted of three girls and two boys and were living at 64 New Fifth Street, Horden where Isaac was now working as a coal miner.

Isaac joined the Royal Naval Reserve with the service number 6085/S and the rating of stoker. As war loomed he was called up to active service and joined the crew of HMS Indefatigable. Indefatigable was a battlecruiser that spent two years in the Mediterranean and carried out the first British attack on the Dardanelles following the commencement of hostilities between Ottoman Turkey and Russia. The ship returned to England in February 1915 and conducted uneventful patrols of the North Sea for the next year and a half.

Indefatigable was sunk on 31 May 1916 during the Battle of Jutland, the largest naval battle of the war. She was hit several times in the first minutes of the opening phase of the battlecruiser action. Shells from the German battlecruiser Von der Tann caused one explosion that ripped a hole in her hull while a second explosion hurled large pieces of the ship in the air. Isaac died amongst 1,017 crewmates. Isaac’s body was not recovered for burial and he is remembered on the Chatham Naval Memorial. He died at the age of 39 years old leaving a wife and five children.

Isaac Hind was awarded the Star, Victory Medal and British War Medal for his service in World War One.

Civil Parish: Gateshead

Birth date: 23 April 1876

Death date: 31-May-1916

Armed force/civilian: Navy

Residence: 171 High Street, Wrekenton (1881 census)
2 Wrekenton Row, Wrekenton (1891 census)
42 Wrekenton Row (1901 census)
64 New Fifth Street, Horden (1911 census)

Employment: Grindstone quarryman (1901 census)
Coal miner (1911 census)

Family: Parents: Isaac Hind (1838-1890), Sarah Hind nee Rutherford (1834)
Siblings: Hannah Hind (1864), Joseph Hind (1868), William Hind (1871), Sarah Hind (1874)
Spouse: Mary Annie Hind nee Walker
Children: Sarah Jane Hind (1901), Hilda Hind (1903), Elizabeth Hind (1906), Isaac Hind (1909), Edward Hind (1911)

Military service:

6085/S
Stoker
HMS Indefatigable

Medal(s): Star
Victory Medal
British War Medal

Memorial(s): Chatham Naval Memorial

Gender: Male

Contributed by David D, Stanley, Co Durham