And here it is.  The 1911 Census entry for 14 West Row Stockton on Tees.

Whatever did we do before Google?  Now a Google Search confirms that Unicorn Yard and West Row were in the same place.  Google Earth shows that the location of this, and John’s birthplace in Brunswick Street are very close to each other.

Things to note:

1. The head of the household and lodging house keeper is John William Marsh.  His wife is Jane Marsh.  They have been married for 26 years and are aged 45 and 40 respectively.  These are my great grandparents.
2. Living with John and Jane are their surving two children (out of five) both daughters – Amy Dawson (25) and Emma Marsh (17).  Amy is an out of work servant.  She has been married for 6 years and has had three children, one of which has died.
3. There are 20 residents listed in the household – eight of whom are unemployed.  The list of trades seems to confirm the type of grim property it was.
4. The first of the boarders listed is Charles Sunter.  Can it be mere coincidence that he is first listed?  More likely there is already a relationship between Emma and Charles leading the family to list first.  Charles is a ‘fireman locomotive’, although out of work at the time of the census.  He is 29 years old and born in Howden Le Wear, County Durham.
5. Emma and Charles are my Grandparents.
6. The information suggests that John William Sunter is named after his grandfather, John William Marsh.

Lofty was born at 62 Brunwick Street Stockton on Tees.  Google Earth shows that the street is still there and, unsurprisingly, it looks like a very industrialised area.

Jane Marsh, who registered Lofty’s birth lived at Unicorn Yard.  There is no record of this on Google Earth, however, near Brunswick Street you can see Blue Post Yard, Ship Inn Yard and Hambletonian Yard.  Could it be that Unicorn Yard was near here?

A simple Google Search throws up this comment which describes a pretty tough area with homes in multiple occupation – as many as 30 in some cases.  Picturestockton.co.uk has a picture of the yard c1900, which,it says lead to “..Black Bull Yard. This yard leads from the High Street between the Unicorn Inn and Doggarts shop, down towards the river.”