Skip to main content

Memories of Margaret Pederson-Carlson (nee Nicholson)

a larger than life lady who laughed a lot and knew lots of people

Photograph of Margaret Carlson (centre) at a football ground

Margaret Carlson (centre) at a football ground

Here is a photo of Margaret, my great grandmother. She does look rather grand and important in the photo and I’m sure there is a story to go with it but I don’t know what it is, nor am I sure of the date of the photo.

I do know that she was born in 1866 as Margaret Nicholson of Reed Street, Tynemouth. Her parents, Jonas Nicholson (Norway) and Elizabeth Fernandes 1837-1913 (North Shields or Jarrow), ran a boarding house at 20 Middle Street, North Shields. Their lodgers were mostly seamen from Norway/Sweden.

Margaret married a lodger, Gustav Peder Pederson(8 children) and later (1902) my great grandfather August Carlson of Stockholm, Sweden (4 children). She died in 1934. August Carlson (her beloved second husband) sent her a letter from sea (bo’swain and carpenter) in 1911. Part of it went as follows:

“Marseille Dec 29th ’11

…we had our Christmas at sea. We just pass Gibraltar at dinner time on Christmas day…Since we left the Tyne it has been blowing gale after gale…It took us very near 4 days to go through the Bay of Biscay…Did you have any Yul Glogg this year…we got a few apples and oranges and …got a good glass of rum…and then at night we got a bottle between three of us…we don’t know where we are going to from here just yet…your letter only took 36 hours…give my best respects and Happy New Year to everyone and kisses to all.”

He was alive in 1913 but I have no record of his death although rumour has it he fell off the gangplank at sea.

Editor’s Note: This is a wonderful piece of family history and the photograph raises lots of interesting questions, particularly about where it was taken and why.  If anyone has any information about this please get in touch with us and let us know.

If you've enjoyed this memory and would like to share a story of your own why not go to our Contact Page to find out more.