Arthur John Witter

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X3R3-95H

Born in Stainton, Durham, England

Lived in 1881 at 150 Albert Road, Hedworth Monkton & Jarrow, Durham, England.

Student teacher (aged 17) at the time

From: http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/25150/pages/4385/page.pdf

Civil Service Commission, September 22, 1882. THE Civil Service Commissioners hereby give notice, that at an Examination held on the 18th August, 1882, in pursuance of the Regulations published in the London Gazette of the 23rd June, 1882, for the situation of Out-door Officer in the Customs Department, the undermentioned Candidates obtained the places marked against their names :—

55. Witter, Arthur John .......Newcastle-on-Tyne

From: http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/25604/pages/3203/page.pdf

June 1886 Appointed Out Port Clerk, HM Customs

In 1887, married to Mary Louisa Simmons in Middlesbrough. Daughter Ivy born in Greenock in 1890.

In 1891 worked as Customs Clerk, lived in Greenock West, Renfrewshire, Scotland (See Sources) at 45 Trafalgar st.

Custom House

The Greenock Custom House building was designed by William Burn in 1818 and is considered by many to be the finest in Britain. It underwent extensive refurbishment which was completed in 1989 and, until closure of the building in 2010, housed a customs and excise museum which was open to the public. In June 2008 HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announced that the building would close in 2011 as part of a rationalisation project with any jobs being transferred to offices in Glasgow. In response, staff, their union PCS and local politicians organised a campaign to oppose HMRCs plans. Despite this widespread opposition HMRC announced in December 2008 that the closure would definitely go ahead. In the event, the building closed ahead of schedule in August 2010 and now lies empty.

Greenock address in 1893: WITTER Arthur J., H.M. Customs, 89 Dempster st, Greenock (From: http://digital.nls.uk/directories/browse/pageturner.cfm?id=87502494...)

In 1894--1899, lived at 52 Kelly Street, Greenock

1899 extract from http://digital.nls.uk/directories/browse/pageturner.cfm?id=87460836...:

GREENOCK CUSTOMHOUSE— Customhouse Quay.

 Collector, Receiver of Wreck, &c. — J. W. Hay.

 Clerks — First-Class — John M. Ramsay. Second-Class — Arthur J.

 Witter.

 Examining Officers — First-Class — A. D. Nicholson; Second-Class —

 John E. Haig, John Faid, John Sullivan, George Carroll, William

 Gordon, Andrew Smyth, Oswald W. Butler.

 Chief Preventive Officer— D. E. M'Carthy.

 Preventive Officers — Tom Noble, William Grieve, D. Lamond.

 Assistants— Martin Doherty, M. Gilligan — 1 vacancy.

 Out-Door Officer — First-Class— John Darroch.

 House-keeper and Messenger — John Darroch.

 Boatmen — Colin Darroch, Archibald Whyte, William Henderson,

 Robert Russell, John Ritchie, Donald Whyte, James M'Carthy, P.

 M'Nicol, John A. Ross, John Gordon, John W. Lovell, George Marr,

 William M'Millan, Henry W. Baker, James W. Johnson, W. Stewart,

 Matthew M'Auley.

 Principal Coast Officers— John J. Graham, Oban ; Alexander

 Brown, Tobermory ; Nicholas Scott, Port-Glasgow.

 Hours of attendance for despatch of public business — Indoor

 Department, from 9 a.m. till 4 p.m. (Saturdays 2 p.m.) Outdoor

 Department — Duty Goods, Gauging, and Warehouses — From 1st

 March to 31st October, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and from 1st November till

 28th February, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free Goods — 6 a.m. till 6 p.m.

 The following holidays are observed — New-Year's Day, Good Friday,

 first Monday in May, Queen's Birth-day, first Monday in August, and

 Christmas Day.

 H.M. Customs Launch "Clyde" — Engineers, Robert J. Henry,

 James Williamson ; Mates-in-charge — Colin M'Farlane and Angus

 M 'Bride.

1901 Census address: "Aviemore", Barry Road, Camberwell,​ London,​ Middlesex,​ England. Arthur and Jeanie lived there with the three children, Mary, Ivy and Violet. Arthur worked as an HM Customs Port Clerk, 2nd Class.

From 1908, living in Glasgow, working as HM Customs Clerk, living at "Deepdale", 13 Riverside Road, Newlands, Cathcart, Glasgow (see Sources). Still at the same address in 1924.

1911 Census: WITTER ARTHUR J, Male, 47 years old, Clerk 1st Class, Customs and Excise (see Sources)

By 1920, transferred ownership of 13 Riverside Road to his wife Jeannie Witter (nee Johnston).

Retired from his employment as a Customs Clerk in May, 1923.

No mention of Witter in 1925 Scottish Valuation Rolls. Had they already moved south to Bournemouth by this time?

Arthur and Jeanie Witter appear in voting register,living at Deepdale, Horsa Road, Bournemouth in 1926.

In 1929, living in Bournemouth, Dorset.