Sleightholme's Detective Agency

An investigation into the life of one Edwardian detective in the north-east of England

An advert from the Shields Daily Gazette, 31 May 1906 (via British Newspaper Archive)

Joseph Sleightholme is absent from several censuses, not helped by his unusual name (unusual not in the north-east, where he was from and where there exists a Sleightholme moor, but unusual in that it has clearly given enumerators and transcribers issues in spelling it). However, I do know that for much of the Edwardian era, and up to 1911, he was a private detective, running Sleightholme's Detective Agency in South Shields.

South Shields, home of Joseph Sleightholme’s private detective agency

Sleightholme's had several office addresses: 3 Winchester Street initially, and then 2 Ingham Street, opposite South Shields station. At another point, he operated from 6 Brunswick Place; he also, at least briefly, had a Newcastle office at 218 Westgate Road. There are no cases featuring Sleightholme's in the early 20th century press, either locally or nationally; what I know of his agency - it being run by Joseph Sleightholme - comes purely from his own press adverts, primarily in the Shields Daily Gazette. He was clearly successful at keeping under the radar and ensuring that his name did not reach the ears of the press for anything negative or particularly newsworthy; he was also able to keep operating for at least five years (he would claim a further six, stating that he had been operating since about 1900).

I do know that Joseph Edward Sleightholme (sometimes spelled Sleightholm, although he used the former), was born early in 1882 in Hartlepool. He married Susannah or Susan McElroy, a native of Fermanagh, in 1904 in South Shields. They had eight children between 1905 and 1921, although three of them died young: third son Thomas died before his first birthday, and both the couple's two daughters also died: Helena aged 5 and Kathleen aged 4. Those who survived were Joseph Edward Junior (b1905), Charles George (b1906 in Tyrone, unlike his siblings who were born in the north-east of England), Thomas, named for his older brother (b.1915), Francis, known as Frank (b1917) and Patrick (b1921).

An advert from the Shields Daily Gazette, 5 February 1910 (via British Newspaper Archive)

Joseph had a separate office for his agency, and so his family lived with him at 33 Saville Street in South Shields. The last advert that survives for his detective business dates from December 1911; for his agency career, he had business hours of 8.30am to 8pm, providing free estimates of what was needed and how much it might cost, and willing to conduct private inquiries 'of any nature'. However, Joseph was also happy to collect debts and rents and negotiate financial settlements.

Joseph eventually took on 4 and 6 Ingham Street as well as keeping number 2, and ran a furniture dealer's shop from the premises, operating under the name of Edwards Stores. In 1932, the business folded, with creditors being asked to contact an auditor in relation to the business. Joseph now turned to another line of work. The 1939 Register records his wife still living at 33 Saville Street, but without her family members; Joseph and his son Joseph Jr were at a boarding house in Godmanchester. Joseph Jr worked as a motor driver, and had taken his father down for work: Joseph Sr was working as an estate agent and valuer, travelling round the country in this line of work.  

Back in 1921, Joseph had been living at home with his wife and children, and must have thought the tragedies of the past - the loss of three of his children - was behind him. The Second World War decided otherwise. Joseph's third son, Thomas, had joined the Merchant Navy, and was a second mate during the war. In 1941, aged 26, he was killed. His father died four years later, in 1945, perhaps never getting over his son's premature death.