Henry Atkinson appears on the page about the mills on the river Skerne as the miller of Holm Mill in 1851 and John Tweddle on the page about the school scandal as the schoolmaster who resigned in 1834. Thomas Wetten has kindly sent information to show how the two families are connected: Henry Atkinson is the son-in-law of John Tweddle.

John Tweddle was married in St. Andrew's Church at Aycliffe June 4, 1816. His bride was Margaret Wood and they lived in Aycliffe. From the Baptism Register their children were Myton Tweddle, baptised February 16, 1817, Jane Tweddle, baptised October 25, 1818, William Tweddle, baptised August 27, 1820, Benjamin Tweddle, baptised July 1, 1821, Elizabeth Tweddle, baptised April 23, 1823 and John Surtees Tweddle, baptised August 17, 1824. John Tweddle's profession is given as schoolmaster.

John's wife Margaret died in April 1831. Three years later John married Elizabeth Garry on July 22, 1834. The witnesses were William Garry and William Tweddle. Their son, Thomas Tweddle, was baptised August 23, 1834.

In the 1841 census for Aycliffe, there are two Tweddle families which seem to be from these two marriages above: at Spring Garden Mill, which may be Holm Mill, there are William Tweddle, miller, and Jane Tweddle, both ages rounded to 20, and 5 year old John Tweddle. These are probably children from the first marriage. Then at New House there is 36 year old Elizabeth Tweddle, farmer, with Elizabeth Tweddle, age 15 and Robert Tweddle, age 13, Thomas Tweddle, age 6, Henry Tweddle, age 3, and Charles Tweddle, age 9 months but no husband. Elizabeth and Robert must be children from the first marriage and Thomas, Henry and Charles from the second. John Tweddle himself is not at home on census night as he was in Darlington acting as a census registrar and was also a workhouse Relieving Officer.

John Tweddle was also a churchwarden at St. Andrew's in Aycliffe. In November 1833 he witnessed George Davison's making over the right to a pew in the church, and is listed in the churchwardens in 1834 with 10 shillings next to his name. In 1840 he appears in a list of contributers to the free pews being built in a new gallery, giving £1.0.0.

By the 1851 census John Tweddle's daughter Jane had married Henry Atkinson of Great Stainton. Henry was a miller and was with his family at Holm Mill. His children were John, age 7, Robert, age 4, and Msrgaret, age 2. Jane's brother, Robert Tweddle, age 21, was living with them.

Henry Atkinson died in 1856. In April 1861, Jane, age 43, married 26 year old Thomas Abdale in Stranton. Jane's son, John Atkinson, married Jane Ann Stewardson in 1864. The Abdales and Atkinsons then emigrated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1871. John and Jane Ann Atkinson's daughter Margaret Ellen married Thomas Wetten's great grandfather, William Robert Wetten, in 1895. Thomas's family continues to reside in the Philadelphia area, but John Atkinson, his brother Robert and their mother Jane and her husband Thomas Abdale settled near Auburn, California, in the late 1800s, apparently to support the rest of the family in Philadelphia 2,500 miles away. Jane died there in February 1901.

Thomas Wetten is interested in any additional information about his family in the Aycliffe area.