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The Forslind Family

The Forslind Family

 

Charles Albert Forslind was born in 1849 in Argboga Sweden but in the late 1860s, he came to Hartlepool and from very humble beginnings, built up a large timber merchant business and became a local shipowner. He served for 5 years in the British Navy and became a naturalised subject.

In 1872, he married Harriet Humphries  and in 1881, the family were living in Archer Street with a son Thomas. His wife died aged 40 in 1890 and Charles Albert married Jane.  The family were living at Westoe House Grange Road at the birth of daughter Adla In 1895.

Charles Albert then lived in Greystones Elwick Road until his death in 1932. He had three sons Thomas, W.H. and C.V. Forsland and two daughters.

In 1901, William Forslind also from Sweden and a timber merchant and his children Nils, Karin, William, Erik and Eva were living with them and by 1911, this branch of the family were living in Stanhope Ave.

Thomas Forslind, son of Charles Albert, in 1892 built Broomhill on the corner of Elwick Road and Queensberry Ave and his daughter lived in this house until she sold it and it was demolished in 1970. A smaller house, called Broomhill too was built on the land along with a number of detached properties.

The Hartlepool Museum holds a massive archive of Forslind photographs taken in Hartlepool and Sweden. After this family played such a large part in the industrial history of Hartlepool, it is possible that the name has now disappeared from the town.

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