tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11749294856719936772024-03-01T05:39:38.137+00:00A Barnsley Historian's ViewThe regular musings of an over-qualified housewifeBarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.comBlogger323125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-3553776650198424472021-10-28T02:51:00.014+01:002022-01-06T07:12:32.562+00:00News about the 1921 census and how it might impact my academic plans<p>Some of the historians I follow on Twitter are complaining about the recently revealed starting prices for the Find My Past (FMP) release of the 1921 census from 6 January next year. As usual when new census or census-like collections are released access to the information will be charged at a premium rate and on top of any subscription we already hold. This time the prices proposed feel much higher than we paid at similar releases for the 1911 census and 1939 Register.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcYtnRmWCfXX3o_ifaqThxvM_3f93e5cfZ6JMYHReTTfKsygonuPg5P1kueoRl9NkKXcQ30VqL2rER1HuaFI2CMH8wYWxO1oDq5EbxVRs2f1LQj8ZKmI2CLIkgtvacDOUsRf2Ggy2wf1Y/s1593/Find+My+Past+prices.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1593" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcYtnRmWCfXX3o_ifaqThxvM_3f93e5cfZ6JMYHReTTfKsygonuPg5P1kueoRl9NkKXcQ30VqL2rER1HuaFI2CMH8wYWxO1oDq5EbxVRs2f1LQj8ZKmI2CLIkgtvacDOUsRf2Ggy2wf1Y/w400-h200/Find+My+Past+prices.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Current prices for Find My Past subscriptions </td></tr></tbody></table><p>The extra premium charges are particularly irritating as Find My Past recently moved their old newspapers collection to the Pro subscription as part of their restructuring of their subscription packages, which means I'll be paying more than £60 extra next year to get the access I have now. Newspapers are something I use in my research nearly every day. My old subscription was the British one, all the census, parish and military records, roughly what they now call the Plus package, but with the newspapers included. With the FMP loyalty discount I paid £93.46 in January 2021. I expect to pay £159.99 next January, I have no idea if the loyalty discounts will still be applied. </p><p>I did compare the new prices to a subscription with the British Newspaper Archive itself (all part of the same umbrella company) but the Pro package, even at £60 more still beat the price of two separate subscriptions. Ok, so the Pro will include their Worldwide records too, but I hardly ever want to use those, as my main areas of study are family (mainly Barnsley and the North East) and local (Barnsley) and military history of the First World War. My strategy for occasional overseas records on Ancestry has usually been to go to the library to look them up, and email them back to myself from there. I could have visited a library in Sheffield to do the same for Find My Past if I had wanted to badly enough. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiijcWumH9QsxbNLlAkRh2ewS1ePssLSr9LQcdUSuR8htFY2BCOM8vwS_kcWcmsnA51Tff5sSjcu4Tt35dbAb0I9l61BQOl7UIPW8Xxlvslg8u4DgHGp-FGw5xp3b2gQGovcJDmro0YtPw/s1960/1921+FMP+prices+Inc+text.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="847" data-original-width="1960" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiijcWumH9QsxbNLlAkRh2ewS1ePssLSr9LQcdUSuR8htFY2BCOM8vwS_kcWcmsnA51Tff5sSjcu4Tt35dbAb0I9l61BQOl7UIPW8Xxlvslg8u4DgHGp-FGw5xp3b2gQGovcJDmro0YtPw/w400-h173/1921+FMP+prices+Inc+text.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1921 census pricing as announced yesterday</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Sadly paying £2.50 per 1921 household census transcription and another £3.50 for the image of the actual document is prohibitively pricy. I will probably pay for my grandparents, as they'll be of interest to my extended family, but certainly not for all the 450 Barnsley born First World War soldiers I was planning to research for my PhD. Apparently I will get a 10% discount on the prices as a Pro package subscriber, but that only reduces the prices to £2.25 and £3.15, not a huge difference. </p><p>Eventually the 1921 census will no doubt become part of the subscription price, or available on Ancestry as part of my subscription with that provider, as the 1911 census and the 1939 Register did, but will happen within the next two years? Probably not. I may have four more years to go in which to complete my PhD, but I can't cross my fingers and hope to look up all the families I want to at the last minute, all the information would need to be analysed and tabulated and interpreted. </p><p>People will be able to view the digital images for free at The National Archives in Kew from 6 January 2022, but that's a very long way for me to go, and if you factor in travel expenses and a hotel for two (I could not manage without the OH's help these days) I suppose buying some selected images at £3.50 a time begins to look more reasonable. Sadly to buy all the ones I would need to research my soldiers' families would cost thousands of pounds [£3.15 x 450 = £1,417.50] and that is if I only look up one image and no transcription per man. I am more likely to need multiple household images per man, for his immediate family (widow and children), his parents and his siblings.</p><p>I would have paid £1 or maybe even £1.50 per household (after all research expenses are part of what my student loan is for), making prices reasonable surely would have led to bulk purchases by many people. When wills were reduced from £10 to £1.50 each a few years ago I bought 10 in one go! When birth and death certificates were, for a limited time, £5 for a pdf instead of £11 for a paper copy I sent for all the ones on my 'to do' list in one batch . I've always been happy to buy chunks of credits for Scottish digital certificates as they work out at £1.50 a time, even if it takes me a few months to use all the credits up.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5dDD_GJZrbvKne6McdlSy4u7WtUh_PdB_ywTH7Bf87Q9GBzkZO9WVc2zZYAxhJdtKTxyugbKHA-43HIbLow1B1vA_4TD-peapRf0UCVDFkV8sge0iuUivYo-anvE1g6f_Ll7DcOuBnaU/s1090/Changing+Family+Size.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1090" data-original-width="736" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5dDD_GJZrbvKne6McdlSy4u7WtUh_PdB_ywTH7Bf87Q9GBzkZO9WVc2zZYAxhJdtKTxyugbKHA-43HIbLow1B1vA_4TD-peapRf0UCVDFkV8sge0iuUivYo-anvE1g6f_Ll7DcOuBnaU/w270-h400/Changing+Family+Size.jpg" width="270" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Changing-Family-Size-England-Wales/dp/0521026679/ref=asc_df_0521026679/?tag=&linkCode=df0&hvadid=394317005471&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10106122523311526636&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006496&hvtargid=pla-868833052044&psc=1&th=1&ref=&adgrpid=81876191917">Changing Family Size in England and Wales</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Some academic historians (for example Garrett, Reid, Schurer and Szreter, see left) were given special access to the 1911 census before the general public, but they could only use the data on marriages and fertility, not any personal information. I can remember going to a talk given by two of the above historians before the book was published, it all sounded very fascinating, but it took me until relatively recently to be able to afford a second-hand copy. The link below the image takes you to the Amazon page where the book description gives more information. <p></p><p>I wonder if anyone was given similar access to the 1921 census?</p><p><br /></p>BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-36215592302945154762021-10-16T06:06:00.001+01:002021-10-16T06:07:06.937+01:00Happy Birthday Blog! How have things changed in the last nine years?<p>It's my blog's birthday today. I wrote <a href="http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2012/10/introduction-to-barnsley-historian.html">my first post on 16 October 2012</a>. Happy 9th birthday blog!</p><p>I just had a look at the original post and some things have improved.</p><p>I <a href="http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2015/05/renewing-my-disabled-aka-concessionary.html">applied for, and eventually got, Personal Independence Payments (PIP)</a> after my ESA was stopped, with much help filling in the forms from AgeUK and the local Citizens Advice Bureau. This year, as I turned 60, my occupational pension started paying out. But my three attempts and nine years of trying to get it released early due to my ill health had got me nowhere and caused a huge amount of stress. Each time the <a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2018/08/frustrated-by-technology-trying-to-get.html">pension panel doctors</a> stated that I would be well enough to return to work, full time and doing what I did before I left, within three years. Well, obviously that didn't happen. </p><p>At least now I have some personal money coming in to buy books, clothes, boots and contribute to the household bills (reviewing that sentence I think it shines a light on my priorities, which do appear a bit odd ... books more important than clothes? ... well of course they are, clothes can be worn until they drop to bits, but you always need more books). Buying disability aids was made possible by the PIP money, but steps and wrist rests and walking aids, etc, etc aren't cheap. Yesterday I even considered (but resisted) buying a very expensive device to hold my books for me when I'm reading. I ordered a £7 neck support cushion instead. The book holder is on my Amazon wishlist though if all my family want to chip in and get it for me for Christmas? </p><p>I am still studying, not with the Open University anymore, but at a bricks and mortar Uni, albeit at a distance and online (following the introduction of Student Loans for postgraduate study). The <a href="http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2013/05/effect-of-fees-increase-at-open.html">increase in OU fees</a> was a blow and as I understand their student intake has reduced by a third, I am obviously not the only older person that decided lifelong learning was no longer affordable. I am now in my second year as a <a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/05/im-real-phd-student-at-long-last.html">part-time PhD student</a> examining war memorials in Barnsley. </p><p>The very best thing to happen this year was the arrival of my granddaughter Ffion in July, and tomorrow she comes to Barnsley (with her parents of course) and my mum and mum in law will finally get to see their first great-grandchild. </p><p>Sadly other things are no better, or even somewhat worse. </p><p>My health, which collapsed so suddenly in 2004, has never recovered, and as I get older more and more bits of me are wearing out, adding to the permanent problems caused by Crohn's and Fibromyalgia. I am currently wearing a quadruple layer of tubigrip on my left ankle because two nights ago it dislocated while I was lying in bed. This is <a href="http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2015/10/re-occurrence-of-lifelong-knee-problem.html">a recurring problem</a>, but usually only happens when I turn my ankle on uneven pavement or put weight on it when climbing into bed (buying a step to help me get into bed helped with that). Having it pop out of joint when I wasn't actually doing anything was very scary.</p><p>I see that in 2017 I was worried because <a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2017/08/when-is-your-name-is-not-your-name.html">proving my identity was a problem</a>, the only thing I had was my driving licence. Now I don't drive at all, and after a black-out a few years ago I should really have sent my licence back to the DVLA. It runs out in 2023, but we have since renewed our passports (for a holiday that didn't happen because of the Covid pandemic), so I will be able to prove I'm me for a few more years. Not that going on holiday seems likely at the moment as my mobility (even with a functioning ankle) has declined to the point that last year we spent lots of my PIP on a wheeled walking aid with a seat. Even my 83 year old mum hasn't got a seat on her rolator (though my mum in law has, and I'm quite jealous of her all terrain wheels as mine is quite hopeless on bumpy grass in cemeteries).</p><p>The pandemic has meant that I haven't been to a library or an Archives for nearly two years, my PhD seminars and supervision meetings have all been done over Zoom and the highlight of last week was my first trip to a 'virtual' pub with the <a href="https://greatwargroup.com/">Great War Group</a>. The OH did take me to the cinema this week to see the new Bond film, and we ate in the Wetherspoons afterwards, but I didn't feel safe surrounded by people not wearing masks. I probably had Covid in March/April 2020 and I've been double jabbed (eventually, but that's another story) but as I understand you can still get infected again I don't want to risk it with my underlying health problems. Unfortunately after our meal it was a long and slow walk, with only my walking stick, to get back to the bus station. We hadn't brought my rolator because we were going to the pictures (where do you put it in the cinema?) and I was expecting to get a taxi home, but the OH was unable to book one when we needed it. That walk probably didn't help my ankle, I have noticed my joints fail (in dramatic ways, not just swelling) much more after a longish walk. </p><p>Finally, in a not unexpected blow yesterday, our electricity and gas supplier went out of business so I anticipate our bills going up to the cap with the new, allocated, supplier. We are still waiting to see if a builder can be found to extend our small 1930s kitchen, still decorated 1970s style, as it was when we bought this house 10 years ago, into our coal shed. And I discovered that Howdens don't have kitchen displays to look at, it's all done on a computer these days. I nearly cried, I just wanted to see what sage green cupboard doors look like in real life before we committed to them. Fortunately Wickes do have displays still and the OH had enough spare time to take me there instead. At least the money we have saved not going on holidays or on trips out during the pandemic will buy some new cupboards. If it doesn't all get gobbled up by power bills and rising food prices.</p><p>My ankle is quite painful (stiff upperlip now quivering I'm afraid) and currently stopping me sleeping. I hope today's Amazon delivery of various ankle supports will help with its recovery. Not worth troubling the doctors about of course, there's nothing they can do to fix it. It's going to make Tai Chi at the local Methodist Church tricky on Tuesday though. I suppose I could just stay at home and watch the next Doctoral College seminar, which is on Blogging as a Research Student!</p>BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-11572467083107711112021-08-23T23:39:00.001+01:002022-03-06T11:09:18.092+00:00Why is Herbert Bethell, lost at Jutland in 1916, not on a War Memorial in Cudworth or Barnsley? <p> I have several reasons for writing this post:</p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Herbert Bethell was born in Cudworth, which is not only in Barnsley, but also the village (?town) where I actually live.</li><li>He is not in the <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/title/lest-cudworth-forgets/oclc/62307109">'Lest Cudworth Forgets'</a> book, which did surprise me as it is generally a good book.</li><li>He is not remembered on any memorial in Barnsley - like 701 other Barnsley servicemen - but at least I think I've worked out why in his case. Sadly not possible for all of them.<br /></li><li>His grandparents, on his mother's side, lived very near to where my mum lives now!</li></ol><p>It would be wonderful if I could find out why all of the men from Barnsley who are not remembered on any of our war memorials came to be omitted from commemoration here. During the Barnsley War Memorials Project in the Centenary period called them our 'Not Forgotten' men, because by remembering them in a <a href="http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/p/roll-of-honour.html">Roll of Honour</a> and on our website the men were not forgotten by us.<br /></p><p>There was no central list of men from Barnsley who had enlisted - that
is why creating the <a href="http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/p/roll-of-honour.html">Barnsley First World War Roll of Honour</a> took so much
work to complete. Advertisements in local parish magazines or
newspapers asked for names to be submitted, or volunteers went door to door asking for suggestions. Some men are on more than one memorial, some men are on memorials that appear to have no connection to where they were born, or where they lived before the war. <br /></p><p>In some cases it is because they were lodgers, recent incomers to Barnsley working at local collieries or similar, when they enlisted. These men left no-one behind in Barnsley who would have submitted their names to the various war memorial projects. These men are frequently remembered in their original home towns, or where their parents lived after the war. </p><p>Sometimes families moved during or after the war, but before the Barnsley war memorial projects got to the stage of asking for names. If we can trace the family, either parents, siblings or a widow, after the war it might be that we find where the man is commemorated. The information on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website is useful for this as it often includes addresses for next-of-kin collected some years after the war. </p><p>I have heard stories about other reasons men were not included on war memorials. A mother who didn't want her son included because seeing his name when she passed the memorial in the village would have been just too sad. Or a refusal to give up hope that a man 'missing presumed dead' might come home. </p><p>If any of my readers can suggest other reasons why a man is not on a memorial in Barnsley, or indeed tell me where one of our 'Not Forgotten' men is actually commemorated, please do get in touch, either by <a href="mailto:barnsleyhistorian@gmail.com">emailing me</a> or via the comments section below. <br /></p><p><b>The 'Not Forgotten' pages</b></p><p>A few days ago I started some long overdue checking and re-organising of the <a href="http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/2015/10/not-forgotten-men-not-named-on-barnsley.html">'Not Forgotten' page(s)</a> on the <a href="http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/p/about-barnsley-district-war-memorials.html">Barnsley & District War Memorials</a>
website (B&DWM). The original 'Not Forgotten' page, listing with brief details, all the men on the B&DWM master spreadsheet who are not on a Barnsley memorial was last updated in 2016. Since then we have discovered some more memorials, and some new memorials have been erected in Barnsley, most notably the <a href="http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/2016/07/barnsley-somme-centenary-art-barnsley.html">Somme Centenary Artwork</a> which names 300 men who (mostly) lost their lives on 1 July 1916 on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. This meant that some men on the existing page WERE now remembered in Barnsley, and therefore they would be named elsewhere on the B&DWM website, so their details could be moved from the 'Not Forgotten' list. On the other hand more men have been discovered with links to Barnsley, one in only the last week (<a href="https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/on-this-day/11-august-1916-pte-john-hinchcliffe/">a school teacher in Grimethorpe, remembered near his birthplace</a>), since the Barnsley First World War Roll of Honour was completed in November 2018. The current count is 3794 names in total, 702 who are not commemorated anywhere in Barnsley that we are aware of. The whole thing is very fluid (a word I seem to have heard a lot this last week on the news!)<br /></p><p>Having 702 names on one webpage is far too many, I was
taught that excessive scrolling of webpages should be avoided, menus,
links and return links were a much more user friendly way of laying out
websites. I decided to split the page alphabetically, and try to get a
similar number of entries on each chunk. The first page, with the
explanation of the concept of 'Not Forgotten' would have the 'A' entries
and a set of links to the other pages. </p><p>Here is an actual working copy of the links in case you want to go and take a look, now or later. <br /></p>
<p><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/2015/10/not-forgotten-men-not-named-on-barnsley.html">A</a> <a href="http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/2021/08/not-forgotten-b.html">B</a> <a href="http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/2021/08/not-forgotten-cde.html">C D E</a> <a href="http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/2021/08/not-forgotten-f-g-h.html">F G H</a> <a href="http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/2021/08/not-forgotten-i-j-k-l.html">I J K L</a> <a href="http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/2021/08/not-forgotten-m-n-o-p.html">M N O P</a> <a href="http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/2021/08/not-forgotten-q-r-s.html">Q R S</a> <a href="http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/2021/08/not-forgotten-t-u-v-w-y.html">T U V W Y</a></span></p><p>
<span style="font-size: small;">I
ended up with eight pages instead of the one I had started with. Mostly
they have 75 to 120 entries on each page. It all depended on the number
of names for each surname letter - B is very large, with 77 entries on
the B&DWM master spreadsheet. We call them 'Orphans' but it is just a
name for simplicity in searching - not any kind of reflection on the
man himself. Letter W is probably the next most common, with 65 names,
but the TUVWY chunk only has 112 names in total. Please note that this is still a work in progress!<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;">I have only got about half-way through checking B so far because I was distracted by one particular man for the reasons I outlined at the start of this post. Later that day, when I was having difficulty sleeping, I decided to look him up on various family history and military history websites and see if I could find out why he wasn't on the memorial in Cudworth.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0y3iwJX49p8rkGzd9VNl_zXWm3GOIE3i_damwaJ95_EW5GWFBEarniEN-hJdAwQY6Cw-5Y2_sRa_3-jWWg6t0u4anLAdA7yeZuPhJJmL_TLUQxv5HRJXTtOdxuVQTy_iJ2MLkg7gXiU/s1024/War+Memorial+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0y3iwJX49p8rkGzd9VNl_zXWm3GOIE3i_damwaJ95_EW5GWFBEarniEN-hJdAwQY6Cw-5Y2_sRa_3-jWWg6t0u4anLAdA7yeZuPhJJmL_TLUQxv5HRJXTtOdxuVQTy_iJ2MLkg7gXiU/w300-h400/War+Memorial+2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cudworth War Memorial in St John's Churchyard<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>Herbert Bethell </b><br /><p></p><p>This is what I discovered about this man. </p><p>I already knew that he was born in Cudworth, Barnsley, in 1893, that he had died at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916, and the names of his parents were Reuben and Harriet Bethell, from the research logged on the B&DWM spreadsheet by my colleague Pete. He had also noted that their home address after the war was 36 Stables Street, Derby. This information was from the <a href="https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2875721/BETHELL,%20HERBERT/">Commonwealth War Graves Commission website</a>. Pete had also noted that Herbert's death was not mentioned in any local newspapers. That did suggest a good reason for Herbert not being on the <a href="http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/2013/11/cudworth-war-memorial-st-johns-church.html">Cudworth War Memorial</a> originally - for if his whole family had moved away before he died, and/or before the Cudworth memorial was completed in 1920/21 (the names were added later) there might have been no-one left in Cudworth or Barnsley to submit his name to a war memorial committee. However I know that the Cudworth Local History and Heritage Group (CLHHG) did a lot of research prior to the repairs to the memorial in 2004, adding a number of men to the lists on the new panels, so I was surprised they had missed Herbert. </p><p>The reason for this omission was probably that a lot more records are now available online than could be easily accessed in the early 2000s. The first record I consulted for Herbert was the '<a href="https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/1963/">Royal Navy and Royal Marine War Graves Roll, 1914-1919</a>' on Ancestry. That was very complete. (I have added the letters in square brackets [ ] for clarity.)<br /></p><p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">Name: Herbert Bethell<br />Rank: Sto[ker] 1st [class]<br />Birth Date: 21 Jan 1893<br />Birth Place: Cudworth, Yorkshire, England<br />Branch of Service: Royal Navy<br />Cause of Death: Killed or died as a direct result of enemy action<br />Official Number Port Division: S.S.114133. (Po)<br />Death Date: 31 May 1916<br />Ship or Unit: HMS Black Prince<br />Location of Grave: Not recorded<br />Name and Address of Cemetery: Body Not Recovered For Burial<br />Relatives Notified and Address: Mother: Harriett Ann, 36, Stables St[reet], Derby</p><p>As you can see it gives his full date and place of birth and the name and address of his mother in Derby. I expect this is one of the records that Pete used to add the detail to the Master spreadsheet.</p><p>Unless Reuben and Harriet were Methodists, or some other type of Non-conformists, I would have expected Herbert to have been baptised locally to his place of birth. St John's Church in Cudworth was opened in July 1893, so prior to that children were baptised at St Paul's Monk Bretton or somewhere ad hoc in Cudworth (maybe a temporary chapel) by the curates at St Paul's, who recorded the details in two separate books. One which is kept with the St John's records and the details were recorded in the official St Paul's register as well. (My thanks to Bill S of the CLHHG for this detective work.) Herbert's elder sister Evelyn was baptised at Monk Bretton in November 1890 (and that's an story in itself!), but none of Herbert's other siblings were baptised in Monk Bretton or Cudworth. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCJVE3-K71vFhk6WOAo4zA7irfQakv6TUlzgXHf_FXJhHJ4qG-yna8-PpjBOf6RwOzJ5RfARYyYClDoabY7Zu_GLicCpGHyUpi_jMWM8ZnLCpVh3fASwkC3J1kfnMWRa9nIzjCmbwGUE/s708/1891+08+29+BC+p.5+Marriage+Bethel-Beaumont.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="134" data-original-width="708" height="76" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCJVE3-K71vFhk6WOAo4zA7irfQakv6TUlzgXHf_FXJhHJ4qG-yna8-PpjBOf6RwOzJ5RfARYyYClDoabY7Zu_GLicCpGHyUpi_jMWM8ZnLCpVh3fASwkC3J1kfnMWRa9nIzjCmbwGUE/w400-h76/1891+08+29+BC+p.5+Marriage+Bethel-Beaumont.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Barnsley Chronicle </i>29 August 1891, p. 5 <br />Marriage listing for Reuben King Bethel and Harriet Anne Beaumont<br /><i></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The newspaper cutting here from the <i>Barnsley Chronicle </i>reports that Reuben and Harriet married in Barnsley Register Office on 27 August 1891, which is nine months after the baptism of Evelyn, who appears in the 1901 and 1911 census returns as their eldest daughter. </p><p>Evelyn was baptised Evelyn Bethel Beaumont, daughter of Harriet Ann Beaumont of Cudworth, single woman, at St Paul's Monk Bretton on 16 November 1890. Giving a child born before marriage the surname of her father as a middle name was fairly common, and is sometimes the only clue to his identity. Happily, as we have seen, Reuben and Harriet did marry, eventually. <br /></p><p></p><p>In 1901 the census shows the family already at 36 Stables Street in Derby. If you click on the image it will enlarge to let you read the details, but I have also transcribed them below.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhATlujL32nAhVs2HPEVW1RXwdDFsBbE83O52z7EV9LGsK-PohSouDZcA1-MGcerrX7_RddBGcLaqkhRJGqZ03Zn0ofw7DeW0wQWG5nh74lbpDoO5GDNI2mNlqeOpUH7yB43EqI0EyD9I/s1317/1901+Reuben+Bethell+cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="1317" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhATlujL32nAhVs2HPEVW1RXwdDFsBbE83O52z7EV9LGsK-PohSouDZcA1-MGcerrX7_RddBGcLaqkhRJGqZ03Zn0ofw7DeW0wQWG5nh74lbpDoO5GDNI2mNlqeOpUH7yB43EqI0EyD9I/w640-h116/1901+Reuben+Bethell+cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1901 census entry for the household of Reuben Bethell (RG13/3221/115F on Ancestry.co.uk)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Listed are:<br />Reuben Bethell Head Married aged 38 Railway Goods Guard born in Whitfield, Hertfordshire<br />Harriett Bethell Wife Married aged 30 born in Cudworth, Yorkshire<br />Eveline Bethell Daughter Single aged 10 born in Cudworth, Yorkshire<br />Herbert Bethell Son Single aged 8 born in Cudworth, Yorkshire<br />Claribelle Bethell Daughter Single aged 6 born in Normanton, Yorkshire<br />Doris Bethell Daughter Single aged 4 born in Normanton, Yorkshire<br />Frank Bethell Son Single aged 2 born in Normanton, Yorkshire<br /><p></p><p>It turned out that Herbert was baptised in the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in Normanton, near Wakefield in May 1896 along with his younger sisters Claribel (b. 1894) and Doris (b. 1896). Frank who was apparently born in Normanton in 1898, was not.</p><p>Reuben and Harriet had not lost any children in childhood so far, which suggests they were healthy, had a reasonable income and could afford a decent house and sufficient food. Reuben's work as a Railway Goods Guard may account for this as the railways were known as being good employers. His job was probably also the reason the family moved from Cudworth to Normanton and then to Derby. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkrQQXST1yuQKiZIaC0GOE4Lb3uODnaYQnM35a2HidebLx_axOqN_1vUX6G9LPzCaLFrDwuXh2w62wypLqXm4GsDePH1XEqDnpC7mT8x6wHUzKS72PbLNDVZgTaMVnfd2xUvH0Mky5j8/s1272/1911+Reuben+Bethell+cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="207" data-original-width="1272" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkrQQXST1yuQKiZIaC0GOE4Lb3uODnaYQnM35a2HidebLx_axOqN_1vUX6G9LPzCaLFrDwuXh2w62wypLqXm4GsDePH1XEqDnpC7mT8x6wHUzKS72PbLNDVZgTaMVnfd2xUvH0Mky5j8/w640-h104/1911+Reuben+Bethell+cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1911 census entry for the household of Reuben Bethell (RG14/20921/207 on Find My Past.co.uk)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The 1911 census returns that we see are actually our ancestor's own writing. In this case Reuben has filled in and signed the form himself. He did make a few mistakes and they were corrected by the census enumerator in red ink. Such as putting the information about how long he and Harriet had been married and the number of children they had on the wrong line. The enumerator seems to have also added some detail to the columns concerning the type of work Reuben and his children did. Eveline (the spelling of her name varies) was a Braider and the enumerator has expanded this to 'Electric Wire Works' as added explanation. Doris also worked in the same industry, maybe even in the same place, as a Cotton Winder, note the ditto marks under 'Electric Wire Works'.<br /></p><p>By this census three more children have arrived in Reuben and Harriet's household:<br />Harry Bethell Son Single aged 9 born in Derby, Derbyshire<br />Lily Bethell Dau Single aged 5 born in Derby, Derbyshire<br />Ivy Bethell Dau Single aged 2 born in Derby, Derbyshire [actually Ivy May Bethell]<br /></p><p>Using the <a href="https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/menu.asp">General Register Office online index to births and deaths</a> I can fill in a few more details about the children of this couple (all in the Derby Registration District):<br />Violet Bethell born March Quarter 1905 in Derby, died March Quarter 1905 in Derby<br />Claribel Bethell died March Quarter 1911, in Derby, aged 16 years<br />Olive Bethell born September Quarter 1911, in Derby.<br />Doris Bethell died September Quarter 1911, in Derby, aged 16 years</p><p>Eveline Bethell married Thomas H Brentnall in December Quarter 1911, in Derby</p><p>The only other baptism for the Bethell children I have found was for Violet on 18 February 1905 at St Alkmund, Derby from The Children's Hospital. I think they must have had time to have her baptised in the hospital when it became apparent that she was not going to survive. </p><p>Stables Street is in the parish of St Barnabas, and although the baptism registers are on Ancestry there is a missing register which covers 1886 to 1909, exactly where the baptisms of most of the younger Bethell children might have been found. However as Reuben and Harriet showed a preference for a Wesleyan Methodist ceremony for Herbert, Claribel and Doris, they may have continued this preference in Derby. Basically I haven't found anything online for the younger children, except for Violet's baptism in 1905 and Ivy's marriage in 1929. </p><p>I wonder what caused both Claribel and Doris to die aged 16? You might expect that having survived childhood they would have been safe from most common diseases of the time. <br /></p><p><b>Herbert Joins the Royal Navy</b><br />Herbert, now aged 18, was not at home with the rest of his family in 1911, this is because he was 'living in' as an Under Cowman at Hill Farm on Ashbourne Road, Derby. The farmer and his wife had just two young daughters and employed five 'live in' servants, two cowmen, a domestic help, a labourer and a waggoner. The farm was only half a mile away from Stables Street just outside the built up area of terraced housing on the western edge of Derby. </p><p>Herbert did not remain on the farm for long. His record in the '<a href="https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/60522/">Royal Navy Registers of Seaman's Services, 1848-1939</a>' on Ancestry, shows that he joined the Navy in June 1913. He had left the farm before he joined up as his occupation was recorded as Railway Shed Porter. Initially he was a Stoker Second Class but after joining the H.M.S. Black Prince in April 1914 he was promoted to Stoker First Class on 1 July 1914. His record has a stamp across it, 'D.D. 31st May, 1916. Killed in Action'. I believe D.D. means died drowned? </p><p>Herbert's record is really detailed, he was 5' 8" tall (that's quite tall for the era, young miners in Barnsley who joined the Barnsley Pals (the 13th and 14th battalions of the York and Lancaster Regiment) were often just a few inches over the minimum of 5' 3" (which was at the start of the war - not long afterwards shorter men were able to join '<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-31023270">Bantam Battalions</a>'). Herbert had brown hair and bluish-brown eyes, his complexion was fresh. We know he was used to hard outdoor work on the farm and the railway. Being a Stoker on a ship was a very heavy manual task, and was very far from being outdoors, so I wonder what the attraction was for Herbert in 1913?</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJ8ng4qM5FKygjpsle_5X138encKZZHScr5fUVzr_nNq0AGXa9Z4QKKMZhCgcHDLkgKGOeKP0H4rdCM-c42vNvvYNr6w6uJnEFJmgj3v3ShUvWlT8vJcidj8p1Mywgk-nCzMK9VUMg7Y/s960/Jutland+poster.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="960" height="453" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJ8ng4qM5FKygjpsle_5X138encKZZHScr5fUVzr_nNq0AGXa9Z4QKKMZhCgcHDLkgKGOeKP0H4rdCM-c42vNvvYNr6w6uJnEFJmgj3v3ShUvWlT8vJcidj8p1Mywgk-nCzMK9VUMg7Y/w640-h453/Jutland+poster.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barnsley War Memorials Project Poster for the Battle of Jutland Centenary<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p>Herbert was not the only Barnsley man killed at the Battle of Jutland. On 31 May 2016, 100 years after the battle, my husband laid the above poster, with a poppy cross attached, at the foot of the main civic war memorial in front of Barnsley Town Hall on behalf of the Barnsley War Memorials Project. You can see Herbert's name second on the list. Fourteen men were killed and research has shown that at least 67 Barnsley men served on ships involved in the battle. </p><p>News of the Battle of Jutland appeared in the newspapers in Derby on 3 June 1916, but there are few details. Herbert's parents would have known their son was serving on the Black Prince, but not whether it was in involved in the battle. Details like that would have been kept out of the newspapers for as long as possible. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbIfDVwjRjzTCwoMGU-I7UiTJ8t470QsK18cMELa-qX9d7IcyEZPaQA5Ed_6BaQWhkPMGV7ATpOzTDIG90l4Hm-rn3bTTsOO96c6_RewAo7cdHanKQyc9j_j4H43Z0vy4fF1-I7jd2F4/s771/1916+06+10+BC+p.6+Names+of+ships+lost+at+Jutland.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="408" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbIfDVwjRjzTCwoMGU-I7UiTJ8t470QsK18cMELa-qX9d7IcyEZPaQA5Ed_6BaQWhkPMGV7ATpOzTDIG90l4Hm-rn3bTTsOO96c6_RewAo7cdHanKQyc9j_j4H43Z0vy4fF1-I7jd2F4/w338-h640/1916+06+10+BC+p.6+Names+of+ships+lost+at+Jutland.JPG" width="338" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Barnsley Chronicle </i>10 June 1916, p. 6 <br />(with thanks to Barnsley Archives)<br /><i></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Looking at the <i>Barnsley Chronicle</i>, which I have better access to, I see that the news was reported on 10 June 1916 with a sub heading 'Wounded Men's Thrilling Stories'. The article does mention that the H.M.S. Black Prince and a number of other ships had been sunk, but there is no mention of the extent of the losses of personnel. Note that this article says, 'The Admiralty entertain no doubt that the German losses were heavier than ours ...', part of their effort to keep up the morale of their readers. The I<a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-was-the-battle-of-jutland">mperial War Museum website</a> about the battle notes that the Germans were 'outgunned', but that we lost many more men and ships than the enemy. It appears that the battle was not a decisive victory, but it did confirm 'British naval dominance'. <br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;">By 17 June some names were coming through in the <i>Barnsley Chronicle</i>, but the word 'Jutland' was not used, the battle was referred to as 'the recent Naval Battle in the North Sea'. The following week a few photographs of sailors who had been killed appeared, but there is very little mention of the battle itself, other than another patriotic editorial about our sea power compared to the Germans. It seems to me that the powers that be wanted to keep the details of the battle quiet. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Then, just a few weeks later, the beginning of the Battle of the Somme on 1 July 1916 took over the front pages of all the newspapers from mid July onwards, and apart from annual 'In Memoriam' notices from some of the families of the lost sailors, the naval battle is rarely mentioned again. <br /></p><p>I can only assume that the Derby newspapers followed a similar pattern. </p><p><b>Do we know how the Bethell family were affected?<br /></b>Herbert's younger brother, Frank, had enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps in December 1915, but he was only 18 years old. Men did not serve overseas until they were 19 years old. Frank must have gone overseas at some point because he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal, but his surviving Army Service Records on Ancestry don't give much detail. He would probably still have been in England doing his training when Herbert was killed. His records do say that he was transferred to the 1/5th Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment in February 1918, that may have marked when he went overseas. </p><p>Herbert's mother was awarded a small pension, 5 shillings a week from 6 November 1918. There is not a lot of information on the Pension Card that I found for Herbert on the <a href="https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/world-war-i-articles/pension-record-cards-and-ledgers-how-they-fitted-in-to-the-bigger-picture/">Western Front Association</a> website compared to some of the soldier's cards I have seen. But this does suggest that Herbert had been sending her some of his pay as his dependant. <br /></p><p>Herbert's older sister Evelyn (or Eveline) had married in late 1911. She had four children, including, towards the end of 1916, a son whom she called Herbert. I like to think that this may have been in memory of her brother. <br /></p><p>The third Bethell son, Harry, was too young to enlist and the younger girls, Lily, Ivy and Olive would have been too young to work in munitions or as nurses. Reuben was too old to have been conscipted, even towards the end of the war when they raised the maximum age. He would have been 55 in 1918 and the limit was 51. I imagine there was plenty for him to do on the railways though during war time. <br /></p><p></p><p><b>After the war was over: </b>(information from FreeBMD)<br />Frank Bethell married May Burton in March Quarter 1921, in Derby<br />Ivy May Bethell married Charles F. Storer in September Quarter 1929, in Burton Registration District<br />Harry Bethell married Gladys Markland [nee Gregson] in December Quarter 1930, in Derby <br />Olive Bethell married Alfred R. Williams in March Quarter 1931, in Derby<br />Lily Bethell married Alfred E.A. Read in September Quarter 1933, in Derby</p><p></p><p><b>In 1939, as another war began</b>, a huge census-like Register was created. This enables us to catch up with details of the Bethell family for one last time. (I am really looking forward to the release of the 1921 census next year - that will fill a big gap in the information I have about so many of my ancestors and Barnsley service people.)<br /></p><p>Reuben and Harriet were still living at 36 Stables Street, with Lily Read also in residence. This is the daughter who married in 1933. She is recorded as a Widow, but an entry in a different coloured ink above her name suggests she remarried to someone called Measures. Reuben's occupation is now General Labourer (Retired), and he would have been 76 years old. </p><p>Just a few doors away, at 28 Stables Street, was Frank and May Bethell, Reuben and Harriet's second son. Frank was a Milk Roundsman - and when he enlisted in 1915 his occupation had been Dairyman, so he must have returned to his previous trade after the war. I suggest he had experience driving a horse or a wagon when he joined up, maybe he was able to drive an ambulance or supply vehicles during his service in the Royal Army Medical Corps? Frank and May have three children, I assume, but their details have been redacted in the 1939 return because they are less than 100 years old and their deaths had not been notified to the authorities when the 1939 Register was released. Every now and then the images online are updated. I did notice that the images on Ancestry and Find My Past are currently not in sync - more of the redactions have been removed on the FMP versions.<br /></p><p>Evelyn Brentnall, her husband Thomas and younger children Herbert, aged 23 and Doris, aged 21, were living at 94 Parliament Street in Derby. This was just a 15 to 20 minute walk from Stables Street, not far to pop around and visit. Thomas was a Baker's Labourer and Herbert, the son, was a Bread Loader, suggesting they both worked for the same company. Herbert and his two older brothers are the right age to have been called up for service in the Second World War. I wonder how they got on? <br /></p><p>We have seen that Evelyn had four children, and that Frank had at least
three children, so there were plenty of grandchildren to visit Reuben
and Harriet at Stables Street. There may even have been great-grandchildren as it appears that Evelyn's older sons may have been married by 1939. Brentnall is a more common name than Bethell so with only the index entries to refer to I can't say for sure. Looking for the men in the 1939 Register should help - but it's not vital today. <br /></p><p>Harriet died in 1944 and Reuben in 1946. Bethell is quite a rare name in Derby, but it looks as if there were still Bethells in Derby in the 1980s, which is as far as the FreeBMD indexes go. I wonder if they know anything about Herbert?</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRml7RGAXsTMmz0EXBu9imc6JMDn8GmR-JKGqBQWSC11a-9X9WdzbpDqGwqwOOwtwd6IbHHUR9__GYbrTq9D-W_hyphenhyphenAu-2YM6keGDJOH2y-QhhCt5CVNcugB8PMLsVyoF3ijMVqs6NKXUI/s486/1920+09+23+Derby+Daily+Telegraph+p.2+St+Barnabas+war+memorial.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="486" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRml7RGAXsTMmz0EXBu9imc6JMDn8GmR-JKGqBQWSC11a-9X9WdzbpDqGwqwOOwtwd6IbHHUR9__GYbrTq9D-W_hyphenhyphenAu-2YM6keGDJOH2y-QhhCt5CVNcugB8PMLsVyoF3ijMVqs6NKXUI/w400-h256/1920+09+23+Derby+Daily+Telegraph+p.2+St+Barnabas+war+memorial.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Derby Daily Telgraph, </i>23 September 1920, p. 2.<br />Unveiling of the war memorial at St Barnabas<br /><i></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I have found a newspaper cutting, shown above, that reports the unveiling of a large war memorial tablet in the church of St Barnabas, the parish in which Stables Street lies. It says that the memorial, 'a fine bronze tablet on an alabaster base', listed 150 men from the parish. Sadly the report doesn't give any of their names.<br /></p><p></p><p>I have written to the church administrator to ask if a Herbert or H. Bethell is included. They have a very nice informative website, with details about lots of activities, but no picture of the war memorial or any information about it, is included. I do hope the people at the church take the time to reply to me. It would be nice to be able to report that another of Barnsley's First World War men is remembered somewhere, even if it is not in Barnsley. </p><p>Thanks for reading. I hope you found it interesting. </p><p><b>Edit 6 March 2022:</b><br />Yesterday a member of the Barnsley's History - The Great War Facebook group sent me some photos from St Barnabas in Derby - I have since had it confirmed by a lady from the church that two Barnsley men visited on Saturday 'for the match' and had some tea with a lady cleaning the silver. </p><p>These are some of the photos Wayne Bywater sent me. Herbert Bethell IS named on the St Barnabas war memorial. His name is second on the list, which is sorted by service and regiment.</p><p><b>Stkr H. Bethel, H.M.S. Black Prince</b><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEib5lGfaE6s8r3eUWueANXMeqV6n4MBlQ6DodmLzvLwouYHBR1l6qsc1DhwqYu3HR8B5Og_sacyQdznntcXWq6bol31TahOCk43GKa9J634RYb3htEVhCoRIgLkNhZckpjEpA-Gr2W6fk2mI1pEzR2vaP4w9GAfzB8VLHykpR_kiMz7aIimkzIyb7am=s1365" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEib5lGfaE6s8r3eUWueANXMeqV6n4MBlQ6DodmLzvLwouYHBR1l6qsc1DhwqYu3HR8B5Og_sacyQdznntcXWq6bol31TahOCk43GKa9J634RYb3htEVhCoRIgLkNhZckpjEpA-Gr2W6fk2mI1pEzR2vaP4w9GAfzB8VLHykpR_kiMz7aIimkzIyb7am=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The location of the memorial to the Great War in St Barnabas Church in Derby<br />(photo by Wayne Bywater on 5 March 2022)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7lRd0KsC_P2N4JmI2fiVFdpDi4AXCzMb9KvNoEZWX98I8srwOnjKoDaNnTt0PwJQpjo1FxaaZLYepWbDVrHPUtuqVSitiHX3Dwpm2lPrttCygM1BLaLTxurIEGiiltbol4w66YEbCsMwgcMWbogGreOQhmzGSBxRLff5hoQ4Y0KdDHfatkQf0saKO=s1442" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1442" data-original-width="901" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7lRd0KsC_P2N4JmI2fiVFdpDi4AXCzMb9KvNoEZWX98I8srwOnjKoDaNnTt0PwJQpjo1FxaaZLYepWbDVrHPUtuqVSitiHX3Dwpm2lPrttCygM1BLaLTxurIEGiiltbol4w66YEbCsMwgcMWbogGreOQhmzGSBxRLff5hoQ4Y0KdDHfatkQf0saKO=w250-h400" width="250" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great War memorial St Barnabas, Derby<br />(photo by Wayne Bywater on 5 March 2022)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAfk9G5ihwJy7xkYlleiC4Se1Gyk5TVDCqt-Ne8CjqNwV9cxAoynzHDfax6QBuZjvD66neAa_J8yCgGdgIOH-pErv2p_VBINrCS8zu1cRZVoWUDJ1LZ79hYRf_uN2Grzi_7qa2cP45WQR701xxxQi_WSxWhALg62HXNI8yhE00XzF59q5A2XG8B4jC=s816" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="816" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAfk9G5ihwJy7xkYlleiC4Se1Gyk5TVDCqt-Ne8CjqNwV9cxAoynzHDfax6QBuZjvD66neAa_J8yCgGdgIOH-pErv2p_VBINrCS8zu1cRZVoWUDJ1LZ79hYRf_uN2Grzi_7qa2cP45WQR701xxxQi_WSxWhALg62HXNI8yhE00XzF59q5A2XG8B4jC=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Herbert Bethell's entry on the memorial<br />(photo by Wayne Bywater on 5 March 2022)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-44671587864780900212021-08-12T17:30:00.005+01:002021-08-12T19:00:14.967+01:00Child and Female Pallbearers in England: A Barnsley example following Jane White's mysterious death in 1870, with a deviation into the history of Cudworth<p>A year ago I wrote about the <a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/08/lister-beckett-part-3-his-relationship.html">funeral of a seven year old girl</a>, whose ten bearers were described in the newspaper as girl friends of the deceased. That was in 1902 in Mexborough. At the time I was quite surprised at this, remarking that we would not consider such a thing today. This morning I came across another example, this time a 15 year old girl whose coffin was accompanied by sixteen female bearers. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8VmrRk8mrd1YtNkGNz2c_tGVD1apOKqAIWJY6XomiUtBD2FDbpTrso9lDvjjs1X7TSQ09MT07PIMM-2vaxj1DY-3LlL8d23FLQeOFFd96qua2L3-EP0J13g3QIDCJRX6Z6fGkwBG5cb8/s1135/tolling+Bell+image+cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="1135" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8VmrRk8mrd1YtNkGNz2c_tGVD1apOKqAIWJY6XomiUtBD2FDbpTrso9lDvjjs1X7TSQ09MT07PIMM-2vaxj1DY-3LlL8d23FLQeOFFd96qua2L3-EP0J13g3QIDCJRX6Z6fGkwBG5cb8/w400-h264/tolling+Bell+image+cropped.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From a blog called <a href="https://artofmourning.com/2014/09/08/children-in-mourning/">Art of Mourning: Children in Mournin</a>g </td></tr></tbody></table><p>I did some online research and discovered that, in fact, in previous eras it was the accepted tradition for young friends of the deceased to attend and play a ceremonial part in the funeral of a child. The engraving above was apparently published accompanying a hymn called 'The Tolling Bell' written by John Newton, author of the rather more famous 'Amazing Grace'. I have included the date, the 1840s, in my snip. The text below the image continues noting that bearers white clothing and the white coffin itself donates innocence and purity on the part of the deceased.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPsbg89Qsfrw1OIOQEv9_BUFQwex_ibq-0ikYt55e7QCHvxtf_c8KwJB3yj9dkSKXuea5q4ZeIKtLSJLFo7gq9HkA9s23tnbRPVExuGUwxMJTvS1OMR1VoN7IXn45_NFA4pqfYUhy0evg/s928/0d6e461b1c3def5d5655654fb2394cb4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="928" data-original-width="730" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPsbg89Qsfrw1OIOQEv9_BUFQwex_ibq-0ikYt55e7QCHvxtf_c8KwJB3yj9dkSKXuea5q4ZeIKtLSJLFo7gq9HkA9s23tnbRPVExuGUwxMJTvS1OMR1VoN7IXn45_NFA4pqfYUhy0evg/s320/0d6e461b1c3def5d5655654fb2394cb4.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Child Pallbearers</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The above photo, which I find rather unnerving, is from an American blog post called <a href="https://patricialundy.com/2016/01/07/funerary-darlings-the-tradition-of-child-pallbearers/">Funerary Darlings: The Tradition of Child Pallbearers</a>. Although I am not a costume expert these girls clustered around a small white coffin in white dresses, look late 19th, early 20th century to me. Another photo on the same blog post shows some young girls in more modern clothing carrying a small white coffin, that one is dated 1938.<br /></p><p>The report I found in the Barnsley newspapers was the result of a search for items about a pub landlord in Monk Bretton. Thomas White was the licensee at the Pheasant Inn in the 1861 and 1871 census returns, and as he is dstantly related to the OH I wanted to find out more. My first hit concerned him being fined for allowing his customers to bet for beer on games of bagatelle, but the second was a lengthy report of the inquest into the drowning of his granddaughter in the local canal. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmy8iiIaBFsE4nvQE9kD4fEP2wXAxgwQun0_pDFus7X4BgtAUCbC1Y4RS-qqMaToga1LSMKCB9TmkkUSa16HUH30wx9U5-36n48ZX8MOHCfN3gB6Uxl8SVpOXwY2HnSr0U1h6zkpASXA/s981/1870+05+30+SDT+p.3+Jane+White.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="981" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmy8iiIaBFsE4nvQE9kD4fEP2wXAxgwQun0_pDFus7X4BgtAUCbC1Y4RS-qqMaToga1LSMKCB9TmkkUSa16HUH30wx9U5-36n48ZX8MOHCfN3gB6Uxl8SVpOXwY2HnSr0U1h6zkpASXA/w400-h269/1870+05+30+SDT+p.3+Jane+White.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sheffield Daily Telegraph</i>, 30 May 1870, p. 3.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>It seemed that the girl had lived with her grandparents since she was a child, and had, claimed her grandmother, been born in their home, although I don't think that was the Pheasant Inn in 1854, and as she is listed at her parents' home in the 1861 census return, that casts some doubt on the complete truth of Ann White's statement.</p><p>Jane White was described as a tall, well built girl; the medical examiner reported that she could have passed for 25 not 15 years old. There is no mention in the reports of Jane working, but I expect she helped her grandmother about the house. Children commonly left school at the age of 12 at that time, so I expect Jane considered herself quite grown up. In several of the reports she is quoted saying on the Thursday afternoon that she was going to put her hair in papers and dress herself 'slap up' to go for a visit to her mother. Her ulterior motive seems to have been meeting up with a young man, Tom Stephenson, with whom she had been 'keeping company' for a number of years, much to her grandmother's displeasure. </p><p>I relate this description of Jane in order to suggest that she was not, in many ways, a
child, by the standards of the 1870s. That would seem to put her funeral, as an adult, in a different category to that of
seven year old Ada Sokell Beckett, my earlier encounter with young
pallbearers. Yet maybe the fact that she was an unmarried girl (and presumed to be innocent) caused to her to be treated at her funeral in the same way as a child. Her coffin was accompanied by a large band of young women, probably around the same
age as the deceased, and the coffin (see cutting below) fitted the description of one used for a child. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OLQYqguSz00ZhzoQqrZYxggXkNpeSwwpfBuKw-mg_gi_67j2J3onUM13-6r21-lKDFRK44ZtbCIehiISR4qN1JaXpdNe0kIsajBfZi6j2_2IZUnLb1YxzCw2MRyVy6dciJ1TxIB5wQY/s685/1870+06+04+BI+p.2+Jane+White+bearers+names.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="685" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OLQYqguSz00ZhzoQqrZYxggXkNpeSwwpfBuKw-mg_gi_67j2J3onUM13-6r21-lKDFRK44ZtbCIehiISR4qN1JaXpdNe0kIsajBfZi6j2_2IZUnLb1YxzCw2MRyVy6dciJ1TxIB5wQY/w400-h229/1870+06+04+BI+p.2+Jane+White+bearers+names.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Barnsley Independent</i>, 4 June 1870, p. 2. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>Her coffin appears to come within the specification for a child, oak, which is usually a pale wood, with white handles and name plate, possibly with other metal decorations too (together known as coffin furniture). I was interested to see if any of her sixteen bearers were relatives, but most do not appear to have been. I assume they were girls from Monk Bretton about the same age as Jane. We don't know if they wore white like the girls pictured above - would working class families have been able to afford a white dress as well as work day clothes? I will try to discover more about these girls below. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_4RKRsx-DQGJR-FNvrOtCCDc1pH1roKuvst5NffHwA4FEU9G6Q-zeD4Z-LXVIONfP70zsJVXplS46BNjtFuSAiNaZWZosQZR0oRTJCwPkWBd96QxGpr2amprb_GltWxJc1IYcGtHvRUk/s660/Jane+White+Coroner%2527s+Notebooks+header.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="660" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_4RKRsx-DQGJR-FNvrOtCCDc1pH1roKuvst5NffHwA4FEU9G6Q-zeD4Z-LXVIONfP70zsJVXplS46BNjtFuSAiNaZWZosQZR0oRTJCwPkWBd96QxGpr2amprb_GltWxJc1IYcGtHvRUk/w400-h318/Jane+White+Coroner%2527s+Notebooks+header.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Introduction to the case of Jane White in the West Yorkshire, <br />County Coroner Notebooks (from Ancestry)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Jane's death was investigated by the Coroner and his notebooks are available on the <a href="https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/6067/">Ancestry website</a>.
This account is very similar to that reported in the various local
newspapers (and it appeared in newspapers across the country in early
June as I suppose it was quite a sensational story). There are more details and precise timings in
the notebooks, for example Jane was in the habit of going to her
mother's at noon on Fridays and the comments about doing her hair and
dressing up were made on Thursday afternoon while she and her
grandmother were sitting together sewing. It seems that her grandmother
last saw Jane at 10pm on Thursday night standing outside the pub. Her
body was spotted in the canal at 6.30am the next day by a witness George Batty, a shepherd. It was taken to her father's pub, the Philip Inn at Burton Bridge, where it was seen at 8am by a surgeon from Barnsley, a John Blackburn. That was also where the body was viewed by the jury the following day, just before the inquest at the Sun Inn at Monk Bretton. A post mortem was carried out on the Saturday morning and Blackburn's report was very complete, even down to noting that her uterus had not been impregnated although there was evidence of 'connexion' having taken place frequently (detail omitted from most of the newspaper reports). His conclusion was that she had suffocated due to drowning. <br /><p></p><p>Tom Stephenson's sister Augusta was also a witness, and her remarks were also omitted from many of the newspaper reports - she said that she had met Jane outside the Pheasant Inn at 10pm on Thursday and Jane had asked her to take a message to Tom. The family sat up all night waiting for him to return from his meeting with Jane, but he did not come home until 5.30am when his clothes wet through. Tom himself gave a long and detailed account of how he and Jane had spent the evening and night, fooling around on the edge of the canal - he said Jane had initially appeared tipsy although that had worn off by morning after they had spent the night together in a field. He said that he left her about 250 yards from her father's house at Burton Bridge, and that she had commented that she needed to get home before her grandfather got down (came down from bed?) and that she would 'catch it' for staying out. Tom passed her grandfather as he was making his way home but no words were exchanged. Apparently the young couple had promised, on Friday morning, to 'stick' to each other and not 'go' with anyone else. </p><p>Tom Stephenson was born in 1851 and his sister Augusta in 1855. Their mother was a single woman named Selina Stephenson, who eventually married in 1873 to a much younger man called George Chapman. Tom and Augusta were born in Monk Bretton, then Selina moved to Bolton in Calverly near Bradford where, in 1861, she claimed to be a widow and had another child, Caroline (although other records say Caroline was also born in Monk Bretton). The family had obviously returned to Monk Bretton at some point before Jane's death. In the Coroner's report Tom said that he had known Jane for seven or eight years (so they met in 1862/63). The Stephenson family were still living in Monk Bretton in April 1871at the time of the census. Augusta married in 1872 and stayed locally, her mother in 1873 as I have said, but Tom left Barnsley and appears to have married and settled in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. Caroline married in 1879, aged 21, and also stayed in Barnsley. </p><p>Tom's irregular parentage may have been a contribution to the dislike Jane's grandmother apparently had for him. However Tom claimed in his evidence that they had been 'going together' for two or three years, so since Jane was about 13 years old and he was 16, so it does seem that their relationship was well established and no evidence was provided at the inquest to suggest anything had happened to come between them.<br /></p><p>The description of Tom's behaviour at Jane's burial is quite poignant. According to the <i>Barnsley Independent </i>report on 4 June 1870, p. 2 (note Stevenson rather than Stephenson):<br /></p><p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">During the reading of the prayers, Stevenson stood close to the clergyman, nervously grasping a handkerchief in one hand, while in the other he held a few flowers. When all was over, and nothing remained but to "bury the dead out of their sight," Stevenson very quietly approached the head of the grave, and gently dropped the flowers on the coffin lid. He remained there for some time, evidently unconsious of the presence of the vast crowd around him. Several times while looking in the grave he muttered to himself and sorrowfully shook his head. He was at last persuaded by a neighbour to leave.<br /></p><p>The verdict of the inquest jury was simply, 'Found Drowned', but I can imagine a number of other scenarios based on this evidence. It does seems unlikely that Jane committed suicide as Tom claimed she was happy with him, she was not pregnant, she had sobered up, so it was unlikely she had fallen into the canal by accident, though not impossible I suppose. To my mind that only leaves foul play - but the surgeon had found no evidence of violence. Quite the mystery. </p><p>Before I look into the pallbearers I'll give some factual background to Jane herself for the purposes of comparison of her life and situation to that of the girls who accompanied her coffin:<br /></p><p>Jane White was born in the third quarter (July, August, September) 1854 to George White and his wife Ann (nee Hobson). She was baptised on 11 March 1855 at St Mary's church in Barnsley Town centre. As baptisms at St Paul's in Monk Bretton began in 1839 I suggest that the family was not living in Monk Bretton in 1855 or they would have used that church. Her parents were married on 14 May 1854 at Silkstone and it doesn't require much counting on your fingers to work out that Jane was well on the way by that time. Indeed, that might be the reason for the delay in her baptism, to allow a more respectable period to elapse between wedding day and the baptism. Sadly on both marriage and baptism records 'abode' is recorded simply as Barnsley. </p><p>Jane's family were living on Low Street in Monk Bretton by the time the census was taken on 7 April 1861 and her grandparents were in the Pheasant Inn in 1861 and 1871. We know that Jane was living with her grandparents at the time of her death, but also that she regularly visited her mother, so there was no disagreement or break up in their family. I thought that in 1871 Jane's parents would still in the Philip Inn at Burton Bridge as noted in the reports of her death, but there is no address against their census listing and her father is recorded as a Bleacher (but that doesn't mean he or his wife couldn't have been running a beerhouse on the side). The family were recorded in the Cudworth census returns three households beyond Providence Place and two households before the Post Office. The direction in which the enumerator walked to collect the census schedules is further evidenced by the fourth entry beyond the Post Office being the Star Inn. I had a look at the old maps online and I suggest the enumerator walked downhill from the Methodist Chapel to the Star. I actually live opposite and slightly below the Star in Cudworth myself and am familiar with the geography, but on the 1892/3 maps there was, as yet, no sign of housing on the other side of the road or beyond than the Star until you reached the railway bridge at the foot of the hill.<br /></p><br /><p>
</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtC65HqdY24ATh9uy4fcEZOU04A4sudZwVT3o-zWEwcr4nPDXF1sgc1IejuqRMB1OxhvPEjKE0lxJ90Eh-7ZO7oI3W1FYAta_F8jZAtTzTBfIQYZxWqnt57F1mBTEPzmzT_hteeO0mFIA/s766/1893+map+of+Cudworth+cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="766" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtC65HqdY24ATh9uy4fcEZOU04A4sudZwVT3o-zWEwcr4nPDXF1sgc1IejuqRMB1OxhvPEjKE0lxJ90Eh-7ZO7oI3W1FYAta_F8jZAtTzTBfIQYZxWqnt57F1mBTEPzmzT_hteeO0mFIA/w640-h458/1893+map+of+Cudworth+cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1893 map of part of Cudworth from <a href="https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/438500/408500/12/100392">Old Maps</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
In the map snip above you can see the Star Inn at the bottom, with not even the beginnings of Bloemfontein Street on the opposite side of the main road (the name is a clue ... it was built after the Boer War, 1899-1902). The Post Office is a hundred yards or so higher up the main road, and I suggest that Providence Place was the short row of terraced houses which curves right off the road, just above the Post Office. The next side road up is Bow Street - called that, we assume, because it curves roughly around and comes out again opposite the chapel. I know there was also a Wright's Yard and a Guest's Yard in the same area, all just off the main Barnsley Road. None of the maps available online are of a large enough scale to name the individual terraces and yards. Very few of these houses still stand. I noticed, on a walk up to the Methodist Chapel earlier this week, that two of the houses in the terrace across from the Methodist Chapel have a name and date stone - Gladstone Cottages A.D. 1893, probably the two that lie at a slight angle to the road, so that terrace was built later the period I am interested in. Cudworth was still a very small village in 1871 with a population of 657 people according to the census summary books.<p>Compare the map above to this snip from the 1931 map of the same part of Cudworth. Look how much Cudworth has filled out! The population in 1931 was 9377 people, more than 14x the number in 1871.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-t582oWmpIbNjLxw8QontC016TokaYKxwgldSoiiFjgYBOsm7Xrghr1s309yeCUUFkaXzbwOpld4Qx6ucTV46T2b_z80nCYCSTnuZGQ-YsxLk_rCH4BqEtOf79CsbVLsLe-x8_DZPU6U/s755/1931+map+showing+Star+Inn+to+Methodist+Church+cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="755" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-t582oWmpIbNjLxw8QontC016TokaYKxwgldSoiiFjgYBOsm7Xrghr1s309yeCUUFkaXzbwOpld4Qx6ucTV46T2b_z80nCYCSTnuZGQ-YsxLk_rCH4BqEtOf79CsbVLsLe-x8_DZPU6U/w640-h458/1931+map+showing+Star+Inn+to+Methodist+Church+cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1931 map snip of Cudworth from <a href="https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/438500/408500/12/101162">Old Maps</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />The Miners' Welfare Ground has been laid out and was officially opened in 1932, Bloemfontein Street has appeared, Prospect Street has been named just above the Star and Bow Street clearly bends around to meet the street above the little row I think might be Providence Place. On this map, it looks as if it might consist of back to back houses although they could be little gardens fronting onto the narrow street. The Post Office has moved across the main road and slightly higher up. All the far side of Barnsley Road is now filled with houses and shops. <br /><p></p><p>How did this compare to where Jane's parents had lived in 1870? <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIVENOtU-IOTtqnthmCyWsbZmTsTXhwC6by65IT2YgEvORdnF3p0pwktofx5NIh60XscZAawlwdBnhMJOh3-4Icl3aUwlzv6MIkhPT64OEVXXU_YyueqXmbjshyl0rTwVPQUtLrBKteG0/s971/1893+map+of+Burton+Bridge+cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="971" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIVENOtU-IOTtqnthmCyWsbZmTsTXhwC6by65IT2YgEvORdnF3p0pwktofx5NIh60XscZAawlwdBnhMJOh3-4Icl3aUwlzv6MIkhPT64OEVXXU_YyueqXmbjshyl0rTwVPQUtLrBKteG0/w640-h374/1893+map+of+Burton+Bridge+cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1893 map snip of Burton Bridge from <a href="https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/437410/408520/12/100392">Old Maps</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The cluster of housing in Cudworth described above is about a mile from Burton Bridge, which is down the main road past the Star, past the Cudworth railway bridge (removed only recently) along Burton Road (the area known as Klondyke) and the modern Fire Station and over the railway bridge shown on the right in the snip above. So Jane's parents were not running the Philip Inn anymore. The main features at Burton Bridge in 1893 were a large mill complex, the canal and two railway lines with a spur leading to the mill. I can only see one drinking establishment at Burton Bridge on the 1893 map above, the Bridge Inn, (now the Old Bridge Inn as there is no longer a bridge or a canal there). I have found Burton Bridge in the 1871 census and the only public house or inn was the Bridge Inn run by Thomas and Mary Kenyon. There was no drinking establishment recorded in Burton Bridge in the 1861 census or the 1851 census. It appears that either the Philip Inn was a very short lived establishment or it was renamed the Bridge Inn.<br /></p><p>All of Jane's six younger siblings are at home with her parents in Cudworth in 1871, four brothers and two very young sisters. This is relevant, I'll come back to it later. </p><p><b>Jane White's Sixteen Female Pallbearers</b> <br /></p><p>This is what I could discover about Jane's bearers. I searched for them in the 1861 and 1871 census returns assuming they all lived in Monk Bretton or nearby. If I could not find them that way I tried looking at baptisms in the area and marriage records for girls by those names. I have given estimates for their ages at the funeral in 1870 based on the census information. My assumption was that they would all be unmarried girls close to Jane's age (15, almost 16 at the time of her death). <br /></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Mary Wilkinson - could be Mary L Wilkinson aged 18 (in 1870) and recorded as working in the Bleach Works in 1871. She is the only girl on the list who was listed working in any other job besides domestic servant. <br /></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Selina Hobson - there was no Selina Hobson living in Monk Bretton or Barnsley, but there was a Sarah Hobson aged 21 born in Goldthorpe or Rawmarsh living with her relatives in Monk Bretton in 1871. She was the cousin of Mary Hobson, named further down the list. This family had been in Rawmarsh in 1861, and based on the places of birth of the children had moved to Monk Bretton after 1867. Sarah would have been about 20 years old when Jane died. There was also a Sarah Selina Hobson baptised in Worsborough in 1849 according to a transcript on Ancestry, but when I checked that on the original records on Find My Past she turned out to be Sarah Selina Watson (how on earth did someone transcribe Watson as Hobson?)<br /></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Emma Winscot - there was an Emma Winscott in Monk Bretton in 1861, when she was an unemployed servant. By 1870 she would have been 26 years old, however as she had married (as Emma Wainscot aged 24 from Monk Bretton) to an older widowed man in May 1868, this cannot be the right girl unless she gave her maiden name to the newspaper reporter? In their family in 1881 is an Mary Anne Wilcock who was baptised on 7 July 1869 at Monk Bretton, perfectly reasonable timing after their marriage, but also with the family in 1881 was Anne Wilcock one year older who was baptised on the same day. Why the similar names? Why the delay in baptising Anne, who must have been born shortly after their marriage (allowing for the conception of Mary Anne in September or October 1868)? I suggest that Emma Winscot was expecting Anne when she married - I have come across the phenomenon of a pregnant girl being married to an older man, especially a widower with children, before. <br /></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Emma Smith - there was a girl by this name in Monk Bretton in 1871 when she was a domestic servant, she would have been 20 in 1870. </li></ul><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Sarah Ann Oxley - there was a seven year old by this name in Monk Bretton in 1861, so she would have been 16 in 1870. Quite close in age to Jane White and she lived right next door to the Pheasant Inn, so very likely to be a friend. She might be a domestic servant in Worsborough in 1871 although the birth places in the census returns don't match. This girl marries in Royston in 1884 giving her address as Monk Bretton.<br /></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Emma Slater - who was also an unemployed servant (was there a glut of servant girls in 1871 or was the occupation only just beginning to be recorded in the census returns?) would have been 21 years old in 1870. In 1861 her family lived in Pheasant Fold which was a group of six dwellings adjacent to the Pheasant Inn. </li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZrlrY0MjOzE4tOWJG-2rnVzSMTp0jj3h6ZbRwK2k7M4S-CekPuhYhdc0Pk-4B61M5ONRLyeqUDwJ8NrucmTACNcdcdKjaBpG2MLYTfpQFeiKw6w-nIE1ap3tRI5I1eOm6QtE8mR32ek/s736/1892+map+of+Monk+Bretton+showing+Pheasant+Inn+cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="736" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZrlrY0MjOzE4tOWJG-2rnVzSMTp0jj3h6ZbRwK2k7M4S-CekPuhYhdc0Pk-4B61M5ONRLyeqUDwJ8NrucmTACNcdcdKjaBpG2MLYTfpQFeiKw6w-nIE1ap3tRI5I1eOm6QtE8mR32ek/w640-h418/1892+map+of+Monk+Bretton+showing+Pheasant+Inn+cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1893 map of part of Monk Bretton showing the Pheasant Inn (from <a href="https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/436196/407884/12/100392">Old Maps</a>)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>[Monk Bretton changed very little between the 1890s and the 1930s, but none of the maps available online are large enough in scale to name the various closes and terraces. The 1962 map is a larger scale but by then most of the older houses have been cleared for council bungalows and neat new terraces.]<br /></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Emily Wilson - probably the six year old butcher's daughter in Monk Bretton in 1861, so 15 by the time of Jane's death. She may be a servant at the parsonage in Dodworth in 1871 though again the places of birth given in 1861 and 1871 don't match. Did the householders not bother to ask their servants where they were born before they filled in their returns, or did the girls just not understand the question? "Where are you from?" could be open to wide interpretation. <br /></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Susannah Balmforth - no results for this girl in 1861 or 1871, but I did find a girl by that name in 1851 in Monk Bretton. She was enumerated as Bamforth in '61 and '71. She would have been 22 years old at the time of the funeral and a servant in the household of an Attorney's Clerk in Barnsley town centre. <br /></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Mary Helliwell - although there are two girls by this name in Monk Bretton in 1871 one is closer in age to Jane White. The daughter of a widow from Wakefield, who was a recipient of the Oak's Relief Fund (so her husband had died in the 1866 disaster) this Mary Helliwell was a domestic servant in 1871 and would have been 16 at the time of Jane's funeral. Given the surgeon's comments on Jane's sexual conduct it is worth noting that in the Helliwell household there was a one year old grandchild Kate Helliwell, apparently illegitimate, and born in Monk Bretton. Mary had an older sister Charlotte, who was 23 in 1871, so quite a bit older than Jane. Charlotte married in 1876 still claiming to be 23 years old, probably because her husband, Alfred Richings was only 21. Having an illegitimate child in the 1870s was apparently not a completely insurmountable problem - Charlotte's husband appears to have taken Kate into his home according to the 1881 census return. Sadly Kate turns up in Wakefield Prison for vagrancy with prostitution in 1886 aged just 16 after Alfred divorced Charlotte for 'divers cases' of adultery in 1883/4. I can only hope Mary learnt from her sister's example and had a less complicated life, sadly I cannot trace her further as her name is quite common in the Barnsley area. <br /></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Charlotte Bury - no results for this girl in 1861 or 1871. The broad searches didn't help on Ancestry so I tried Find My Past instead. Got a hit on a 22 year old Charlotte Berry in 1871 in Monk Bretton, unfortunately it turned out to be a mis-transcription. Charlotte was actually the wife and mother and 45 years old in 1871. She doesn't fit the profile of the other pallbearers. There are two daughters, Eliza aged 22 and Elizabeth aged 19 who might fit the bill if the names got mixed up?<br /></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Eliza Edson - found an Eliza Eadson in 1861 who would have been 21 at the time of Jane's funeral. But I can't find her or her family in 1871 on Ancestry. Find My Past helpfully pointed to the 1851 census for the family, also in Monk Bretton, I hadn't spotted that Eliza's father Francis (b. 1812/13 in Pateley Bridge, near Harrogate) was widowed by 1861. I assume the family had split up by 1871 after the children were old enough to work. Going back to Ancestry for a wider search I found Eliza Edson in a public online tree - apparently she had married in December 1870 and moved to Doncaster and then Bradford. One of her brothers died in December 1866 .... that was suspicious. I was not surprised to see, on checking his burial record, that he was killed in the Oaks Colliery Disaster. Referring to <a href="https://discoverdearne.org.uk/oaks-disaster-victims/">an online list of the men killed</a> in the disaster, apparently five (yes, five!!) Edsons died in the disaster. More about the Edsons and the Oaks Colliery can be found at the end of this post. <br /></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Martha Wroe - this was probably the daughter of John Wroe, Hand Loom Weaver, in Monk Bretton in 1851, 61 and 71 (although his name is spelt Roe in 1851 and Row in 1861). She would have been 20 years old at Jane's funeral. Martha was herself listed as a Hand Loom Weaver in 1871, but married the following year at Monk Bretton giving no occupation and stating that her father (unnamed) was dead. Hand loom weaving was on the decline as machine looms became more widely used.<br /></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Martha Ann Barraclough - no relation despite Jane White's grandmother's maiden name being Barraclough. Martha was born in Leeds in 1856, but the family were in Monk Bretton by 1861. She would have been 15 when Jane died, and was recorded as a domestic servant in 1871.<br /></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Mary Hobson - there was no-one by this name in Monk Bretton in 1861 or 1871 according to Ancestry. There was only one Hobson family in Monk Bretton in 1871 and they had been living in Rawmarsh near Rotherham in 1861. At that time a daughter called Mary, aged 8 years, born in Sheffield, was listed in their family. The Hobson family moved to Monk Bretton between census returns giving ample time for Mary to have met Jane. She would have been 17 at the time of Jane's death. She may be a Linen Weaver boarding in Barnsley town centre in 1871. This is the same family mentioned above who had a niece, Sarah Hobson, living with them in Monk Brettton in 1871.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Phoebe Gaunt - there was no family named Gaunt living in Monk Bretton in 1861 or 1871. The closest I can find is Phebe Gaunt who was a domestic servant in Dodworth in 1861, aged 13, making her 22 when Jane died. If this is the same girl who married in Dodworth in 1873 there is no evidence that her family had ever lived in Monk Bretton. I suppose she may have known one of the other girls through their domestic work and been a friend of Jane's at one remove.<br /></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Helen Hammerton - Ancestry lists several Hammerton families in 1861 or 1871, all in Barnsley town centre, but none of them have a daughter called Helen. However Find My Past found an Ellen Hammerton aged 8 in 1861 born in Worsborough, who was a domestic servant in the centre of Barnsley aged 18 in 1871. She would have been about 17 years old when Jane died. Again this may have been a girl who knew a girl who knew Jane ... I don't know why she didn't come up on my search of Ancestry the first time, as once I knew her father's name I found her on there straightaway in 1861 in Worsborough. It is possible that Ancestry's algorithms don't include Worsborough in searches for Barnsley? <br /></li></ul><p>After considering all the above I conclude that the young women who acted as pallbearers at the funeral of Jane White in 1870 were young women with a wider spread of ages than I had expected. From Jane's age (15) and up to seven years older. None of the sixteen were appear to have been related to Jane. Most had left home by 1871 to take up posts as servants. Of those who were at home, some were recorded on the 1871 census as unemployed domestic servants suggesting they were between positions. Monk Bretton was a small village in 1871, and most girls moved into Barnsley town centre for positions. If I have found the correct girls they didn't all come from Monk Bretton originally - some may have been connections of families who did live there, or the search to find a sufficiently 'respectable' number of pallbearers may have stretched far beyond Monk Bretton with a message for suitable young women sent out via a network of domestic servants. </p><p>Most of the young women married within a few years of Jane's funeral, one appears to have married just before Jane died, if so her maiden name was given to the newspaper. There does not seem to be much evidence that pre-marital sex was common amongst these girls, although one had a sister who had 'got into trouble' in this way and the girl who was married by 1870 appears to have been pregnant at her marriage. Tracing the girls and their sisters further in the historical records and looking for more information in the newspapers might change my opinion of this, as I am well aware that pre-maritial pregnancy, as long as it was swiftly followed by marriage, was not wholly condemned at the time.<br /></p><p>I would also like to search the newspapers (if only I had the time) for other lists of female pallbearers like this - but I suppose they were only reported when the deaths were particularly newsworthy, as Jane's had been. <br /><br />I had not realised that female pallbearers and the participation of young women and girls at funerals was commonplace in earlier centuries. When funerals of wealthy or well known men were covered in the local newspapers (which are those most frequently reported) women seemed to take a very background role. It appears that I must re-adjust my thinking when considering the funerals of young single women and of children. </p><p>Thank you for reading, I hope you found it interesting.<br /><br /><i>Keep reading for more information on the Oaks Colliery connection to pallbearer Eliza Edson follows. </i><br /></p><p><b> Additional findings - Investigating a False Lead in a Newspaper Article</b><br /></p><p>At the very end of the <i>Barnsley Independent</i> article reporting Jane's funeral was this little snippet. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AA3UvXfZ-7arx8-ZeWQ4tYSD9qSwkgQA9B07ksmbKK4Ikvj4oKxB_8OAmySm4i2BUZt0dJqe-v9ZdJhfrkQd0x6h1UBXBw3G-olxVP6xx8Qo_JhlvN9ZIZUfHZwObC0Ucvbf4Z3I39Q/s691/1870+06+04+BI+p.2+Cryptic+comment+about+Jane%2527s+brothers.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="161" data-original-width="691" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AA3UvXfZ-7arx8-ZeWQ4tYSD9qSwkgQA9B07ksmbKK4Ikvj4oKxB_8OAmySm4i2BUZt0dJqe-v9ZdJhfrkQd0x6h1UBXBw3G-olxVP6xx8Qo_JhlvN9ZIZUfHZwObC0Ucvbf4Z3I39Q/w400-h94/1870+06+04+BI+p.2+Cryptic+comment+about+Jane%2527s+brothers.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Barnsley Independent</i>, 4 June 1870, p.2.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I was momentarily excited when I first read this, thinking, more <a href="http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2016/12/oaks-colliery-disaster-150th.html">Oaks Colliery Disaster casualties in the OH's family</a>! - and I rushed to find an <a href="https://discoverdearne.org.uk/oaks-disaster-victims/">online list of the names of the dead in 1866</a>. But there was not a single White amongst them. Then I remembered that Jane was the eldest child in her family, if she was 15 in 1870 there was only a small chance of her younger brothers being old enough to work down the pit four years previously, and besides, as I commented above they were still all present and correct in Cudworth in 1871. So I dropped that investigation and returned to my original topic, an investigation of female pallbearers (although I was quite disappointed not to have found another family connection to the Oaks Disaster).<br /></p><p>Once I had done more of the research into the young women pallbearers it became clear that the paragraph may have referred to Eliza Edson's brothers. Should it have read, "Two brothers of the deceased's bearer Eliza Edson, who lost their lives at the Oaks, were also buried on the last Sunday of May"? However the two Edsons buried on <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">30 May 1869</span> (which was the last Sunday in May that year) were NOT Eliza's brothers, but may have been her cousins. It is also possible that some of the other pallbearers had brothers who were killed. After all, there were hundreds of casualties, many from the Monk Bretton area. One girl seems to have lost her father. I wonder if that paragraph was edited to fit the available space and thus lost its intended meaning.</p><p><b>Summary of the Five Edson men Killed in the Oaks Colliery Disaster</b> (base data from the Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership project website).<br /></p><p>Edson, John <span style="background-color: #93c47d;">[This is definitely Eliza Edson's brother]</span><br />Role: Hurrier <span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span></span>Age: 20<br />Born: Monk Bretton, Yorkshire, England<br />Lived: Back Lane, Monk Bretton<br />Buried: 23/08/1868<span> </span><span> </span>Burial Location: St. Paul, Monk Bretton,<br /><br />Edson, George [Son of Thomas and Ann Edson - Thomas born Pateley Bridge like Francis so this may be Eliza's cousin]<br />Role: Hurrier<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Age: 21<br />Born: Monk Bretton, Yorkshire, England<br />Lived: Back Lane, Monk Bretton<br />Buried: <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">30/05/1869</span><span> </span><span> </span>Burial Location: St. Paul, Monk Bretton,<br /><br />Edson, William <span style="background-color: #93c47d;">[This is definitely Eliza Edson's brother]</span><br />Role: Hurrier<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Age: 25<br />Born: Monk Bretton, Yorkshire, England<br />Lived: Back Lane, Monk Bretton<br />Buried: 16/12/1866<span> </span><span> </span>Burial Location: St. Paul, Monk Bretton,<br /><br />Edson, William [This could be another son of Thomas and Ann Edson, see above. It was noted in the burial register that he was buried in same grave as the William Edson above]<br />Role: Miner<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Age: 25<br />Born: Monk Bretton, Yorkshire, England<br />Lived: Barnsley<br />Buried: 16/12/1866<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Burial Location: St. Paul, Monk Bretton,<br /><br />Edson, John [Probably another son of Thomas and Ann Edson]<br />Role: Miner<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Age: 27<br />Born: Monk Bretton, Yorkshire, England<br />Lived: East Square, Monk Bretton<br />Buried: <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">30/05/1869</span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Burial Location: St. Paul, Monk Bretton, <br /></p><p></p><p></p><p>Trying to make sense of that final paragraph of the report on Jane White's funeral by researching all the Oaks Colliery connections to the female pallbearers would take another whole week's worth (at least) of research, so I will let it go for now. </p><p>Thanks again for keeping reading!<br /></p>BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-34946993412145066132021-07-20T15:06:00.006+01:002021-07-23T13:48:11.463+01:00Public Engagement - Reactions to First World War Local History Posts on Facebook<p>Today I was very happy when a couple of posts I made on Facebook produced information useful for my research. </p><p>As part of the research for my PhD I have been searching through the local newspapers on Find My Past for mentions of war memorials, rolls of honour and other types of physical commemoration. The search term 'memorial' is proving very productive as it brings back 'memory' and 'memories' as well. Following up a lead from an 'In Memoriam' notice in 1929 I found this report in the <i>Mexborough and Swinton Times (MST) </i>from June 1958. </p><table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ud1v7BfBeh51STgshqCH47Py8yJHeutFLnIdr8K2aAtqOgO-8Oa6buCR7cYbFDuLOu5nfb4RH33zGDMAyUGw_GpdyM3IW7fpf2Hw-J0-AKimUYIKNfJ3NJH5aQJ_1_uEgmrtkbn09pQ/s1402/1958+06+07+MST+p.16+Darfield+oak+furniture+Greenhow+cropped.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1402" data-original-width="568" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ud1v7BfBeh51STgshqCH47Py8yJHeutFLnIdr8K2aAtqOgO-8Oa6buCR7cYbFDuLOu5nfb4RH33zGDMAyUGw_GpdyM3IW7fpf2Hw-J0-AKimUYIKNfJ3NJH5aQJ_1_uEgmrtkbn09pQ/w261-h640/1958+06+07+MST+p.16+Darfield+oak+furniture+Greenhow+cropped.jpg" width="261" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>MST, </i>7 June 1958, p. 16.<br /><i></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>This article is a report of the donation of a number of small pieces of furniture to All Saints Church at Darfield, near Barnsley. The report notes that they were 'gifts from various parishioners in memory of parents and relatives'. The last item listed was a small oak table presented by 'Mrs. Greenhow in memory of her husband Mr. Albert Greenhow, who was killed in the war'.</p><p>I was already familiar with this little table, you can find <a href="http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/2014/05/darfield-church-hall-greenhow-memorial.html">a post about it here</a>. My husband had spotted and photographed the table in 2014 when I was giving a local history talk at the Darfield Parish Hall in aid of the work of the Friends of Darfield Churchyard. When I found the cutting I was surprised at the length of time (nearly 40 years) that had elapsed before his wife had marked his death with this donation.<br /></p><p>Being a tangible item in commemoration of a conflict the table was a war memorial and thus was listed and recorded by the Barnsley War Memorials Project. Albert Greenhow is also commemorated the website (now the Barnsley & District War Memorials website) on the Wombwell war memorial outside St Mary's Church, on a family gravestone in Darfield Churchyard and (oddly) on a Second World War Memorial in Wombwell Working Men's Club (this is a mistake, as he died in 1918, it may be his nephew, Arthur Greenhow, ... I must investigate that). </p><p>As a result of finding this cutting I decided to investigate Albert Greenhow in more depth. I looked up census returns on Ancestry and found his marriage register entry on Find My Past. I searched for any children born to Albert and his wife Elinor (nee Williams) on the <a href="https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/Login.asp">General Record Office Online Indexes to Births and Deaths</a>. I looked up his <a href="https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/316082/A%20GREENHOW/">Commonwealth War Graves Commission</a> (CWGC) record and his Pension Cards via the <a href="https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/ancestry-pension-records/">Western Front Association</a> website plus any other military records for him that could be found on Ancestry. Sadly his Army Service Record had not survived. Finally I searched for any more newspaper cuttings mentioning his name. <br /></p><p>Albert was born in Darfield in 1889. His father was a coal miner and Albert worked down the pit himself in 1911. He married in St Matthew's Church in Darfield in June 1911. St Matthew's was a daughter and mission church attached to Darfield All Saints. By 1913 Albert was working as a motor bus driver and he enlisted in approximately July 1916 (calculated from the gratuity paid to his wife at the end of the war). He served as a lorry driver in the Army Service Corps, and was attached to the Canadian Corps Siege Park (a kind of motor pool for moving artillery from place to place). He was killed on either 2nd or 3rd October 1918 in action in France. Elinor did not remarry, and she died in 1965.<br /></p><p>I posted my initial findings and the cutting about the donation of the table on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/425720354266452">Barnsley's History - The Great War Facebook</a> page. Within a few hours a member had replied that the Greenhows were family friends and he had photographed Albert's CWGC gravestone for them in 2019. He even attached the photograph to his reply. Another member commented that like her own grandmother, Elinor had been widowed at a very young age. </p><p>I wrote up my full post that afternoon, including some newspaper cuttings and the photo of Albert's gravestone and commemorative table. I had decided to make a feature of the long duration of Elinor's dedication to Albert's memory. She appears to have inserted an 'In Memoriam' post for him every year from 1919 to at least 1935 (subject to confirmation as not every year of the <i>MST </i>or its sister newspapers (which often contain the same articles and notices) the <i>Penistone, Stocksbridge and Hoyland Express </i>and the <i>Eckington, Woodhouse and Staveley Express </i>are available online yet). I included two notices which gave her address and one which I had found particularly moving - the final line before the sign-off was, 'God's Greatest Gift - Remembrance'.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXD6X7S54yqd8aSlroziLHm2p5yx8hrqEVK2Nc0drfECj-dSLQSnW9PTep7BAghUuM-Vpxt5tg6D5mMk9g9qZ8s4QFkbQ-Tfs7vIeMweS8ka9jL0Tuegf2AwQ9qw7HHYa1pCG7jU_nj0o/s718/1928+10+6+SWEG+p.6+In+Memoriam+Albert+Greenhow+cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="718" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXD6X7S54yqd8aSlroziLHm2p5yx8hrqEVK2Nc0drfECj-dSLQSnW9PTep7BAghUuM-Vpxt5tg6D5mMk9g9qZ8s4QFkbQ-Tfs7vIeMweS8ka9jL0Tuegf2AwQ9qw7HHYa1pCG7jU_nj0o/w400-h135/1928+10+6+SWEG+p.6+In+Memoriam+Albert+Greenhow+cropped.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Eckington, Woodhouse and Staveley Express, </i>6 October 1928, p. 16.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The following morning, I reviewed and spell checked <a href="https://commemorationremembrance.blogspot.com/2021/07/remembering-albert-greenhow-elinors.html">the post</a> and then published it online on my Barnsley's History - Commemoration & Remembrance blog and added a link to the Facebook page. Comments this time included a lady who commented that she had found Elinor's story of love and her life after Albert's death fascinating, especially as she was aware that so many war widows had quickly remarried to avoid poverty. The man who had posted the CWGC photo the previous day had been inspired to visit Darfield Churchyard that afternoon (I hope he waited until it had cooled down a bit - we are currently having a major heat wave) and tidy up the grave plot where Albert is remembered. He attached two more photos, one of the whole plot and one a close up of Albert's inscription. I thanked him and asked for permission to use them on the B&DWM site, which he gave very quickly.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISPW2TKefGKarCtliF4HN2t_Cao3aAA341DLiuo4xzdkBWlz7Ok94DoiGcepbSkg4q33jg5-PFwCX9aWKmQWGcx4f08jxepSSjY5CbL4uu5_ELym3vu-k4HbyaQcjRKHOHFUsVG5FqnE/s640/Albert+Greenhow+whole+plot+from+Facebook+cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="640" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISPW2TKefGKarCtliF4HN2t_Cao3aAA341DLiuo4xzdkBWlz7Ok94DoiGcepbSkg4q33jg5-PFwCX9aWKmQWGcx4f08jxepSSjY5CbL4uu5_ELym3vu-k4HbyaQcjRKHOHFUsVG5FqnE/w400-h399/Albert+Greenhow+whole+plot+from+Facebook+cropped.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Williams Family plot in Darfield Churchyard<br />Photo by MH, taken 19 July 2021.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>As you can see above, Albert is not remembered on a Greenhow plot, but on a Williams plot. Mary Harriet and William Williams were Elinor's parents. The family must have thought a great deal of Albert to have included him in their commemorations.</p><p>My correspondent also noted that the <i>Darfield Remembers: The First World War </i>book contains a transcription of a letter sent to Elinor from Albert's section officer. I had to explain that although I have the book, because I was visiting my daughter and new granddaughter for a fortnight, the book was about 100 miles away! A short while afterwards the same man added a newspaper photograph of Albert taken from a l<a href="https://darfield.dearnevalleyhistory.org.uk/article/soldier-greenhow-albert-killed-by-enemy-shell/?fbclid=IwAR089ufoLRYpiBzmPMkBlr4VVW8W_S4C1KuHIMUgnbD__r7xxQiI-Oz7LC0">ocal history website</a>. It turned out that this page also included extracts from the letter to Elinor and gave a newspaper reference - <i>MST, </i>26 October 1918. As this newspaper is on Find My Past (FMP) I could not understand why it hadn't come up on my searches the previous day. So I had a look at the British Newspaper Archive, which is the same company as FMP, has the same newspaper issues but uses a slightly different search format. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_TNOxOhJelrncA23FTANWs469MQOS48ZCwQNmeVtbxuP85u5ss1ljSTMVPRwbzUJjdwyBcuhQt4Ag6X1EaOfj87USE4zD9cz1IpyHGYkgq4dBGwf46Z6WCQk2c1BLpQkGE7B4199k18/s533/1918+10+26+MST+p.6+Albert+Greenhow+index+entry+BNA.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="321" data-original-width="533" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_TNOxOhJelrncA23FTANWs469MQOS48ZCwQNmeVtbxuP85u5ss1ljSTMVPRwbzUJjdwyBcuhQt4Ag6X1EaOfj87USE4zD9cz1IpyHGYkgq4dBGwf46Z6WCQk2c1BLpQkGE7B4199k18/w400-h241/1918+10+26+MST+p.6+Albert+Greenhow+index+entry+BNA.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Index entry for the article about Albert Greenhow on the BNA<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The above transcription snip shows that Albert's surname had been mis-transcribed as Oreenhow! No wonder I hadn't found it. Helpfully the BNA search engine also gives you the page reference so I could go straight to the right page on FMP. The article was quite long, included a photo and a very full transcription of the letter I had been told about. At the end of the piece about Albert was a short paragraph about Pte. Edward Williams, of Stoneyford Road, Low Valley. This was Elinor's brother!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia4hIjchTrbt548f_KV2Je5QadG_0xY8id3KK06JFSFzmA3C4x0iobYwosiFjfW0bu053P-b_zgPinY-eh6BlEcMEZ8RqGngh4UFPw2txMvU0nMhNdJnX0a1RI6c2md6_20WQnTnt_v0A/s532/1918+10+26+MST+p.6+Albert+Greenhow+2+Edward+Williams.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="532" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia4hIjchTrbt548f_KV2Je5QadG_0xY8id3KK06JFSFzmA3C4x0iobYwosiFjfW0bu053P-b_zgPinY-eh6BlEcMEZ8RqGngh4UFPw2txMvU0nMhNdJnX0a1RI6c2md6_20WQnTnt_v0A/w400-h146/1918+10+26+MST+p.6+Albert+Greenhow+2+Edward+Williams.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>MST, </i>26 October 1918, p. 6.<br /><i></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>My previous research had shown that after the war Elinor, Edward and his wife were all living at 65 Stoneyford Road. I wonder if Elinor had moved in to help support her sister-in-law? Although this is straying away from my original research it would be interesting to know if Edward had children, or if his internal complaint continued to bother him after the war, necessitating assistance from his sister.</p><p><b>What I have learnt:</b></p><p>Share research with other people with an interest in the subject - they may be able to help you with your research or point you in the direction of other useful sources.</p><p>Try alternative search engines when looking for online resources.</p><p>Writing about something that is at quite a tangent to my main PhD aims is not a waste of time if it helps highlight a particular aspect, such as a very long period of remembrance for a man killed in the war. </p><p>Always check the original, neither the Darfield History Society or the Dearne Valley History people had spotted that at the foot of Albert's obituary was a piece about his brother in law, and they had only published edited extracts of the letter from the officer reported in the newspaper article.</p><p>Not all war widows remarried.</p><p>Families provided support both emotional (there were a lot of 'In Memoriam' notices for Albert posted by both his and her family in 1919) and physical - Elinor living with her brother for reasons yet to be determined - after the war.</p><p>Check other people's posts on the older websites for errors due to lack of knowledge at the time - the plot in Darfield Churchyard where Albert was remembered was not that of Albert's parents, but his parents-in-law. And the Albert Greenhow on the Second World War memorial in Darfield Village Club has been incorrectly linked to the First World War Albert - it is probably his nephew.<br /></p><p><b>What I might do with this knowledge:</b></p><p>Would research into 'In Memoriam' notices be a unique and significant contribution to knowledge about Remembrance processes?</p><p>Were any of the other items donated at the same time as Albert Greenhow's table also war memorials?</p><p> <br /></p>BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-25004770793893998622021-05-26T12:08:00.001+01:002021-05-26T12:08:46.861+01:00One Year On - Still a Student In Lockdown, but Finding More Diocesan Faculties has given me Hope<p>This morning I changed the date for our proposed holiday again. We had been booked on a Leger Beer and Battlefields tour, something for the OH, the beer, and something for me, the FWW history. It should have been in September 2020, then on a similar date this year. We have deferred for another year, with crossed fingers. It's not so much a fear of Covid, but that after fifteen months in lockdown I have lost all my stamina and a lot of confidence around other people. Hopefully in a year's time I will have built that back up.</p><p>My recent glimmer of hope was caused by the receipt of an email reply from the Borthwick Institute in York. On the advice of the West Yorkshire Archive Service (WYAS) in Leeds I had contacted the Borthwick re Diocesan Faculty documents for my Barnsley War Memorials. A Faculty is needed when a church plans changes to their building or land, so installation of most kinds of war memorial, from an obelisk in a churchyard to a tablet on the wall inside, will have required one. Dr Nick Melia at the Borthwick was most helpfully able to send me a set of lists of their Faculties covering my period, 1915 to 1939. I found ten entries for Barnsley and just beyond, 1918-1923.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk9HHlLMJO0ZldKSf51PjeQD3_5-QgPSwqJMBBq2Uho6kVcWXQp0mDQ_tHdOiI2hAbskc0Q5QjTawvY6sV7SLlPGoOdBgTlNrrimfqVeWERnuhJn3BJV7F74YMfB5g1jhgtSyF37f4M0U/s954/borth-05456.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="954" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk9HHlLMJO0ZldKSf51PjeQD3_5-QgPSwqJMBBq2Uho6kVcWXQp0mDQ_tHdOiI2hAbskc0Q5QjTawvY6sV7SLlPGoOdBgTlNrrimfqVeWERnuhJn3BJV7F74YMfB5g1jhgtSyF37f4M0U/w400-h266/borth-05456.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Borthwick Institute in York <br />(picture from the <a href="https://www.family-tree.co.uk/how-to-guides/how-to-find-your-ancestors-at-the-borthwick-institute-for-archives/">Family Tree Magazine's article on research there.</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Five of the index entries were for war memorials that I am pretty sure I can identify, Royston, Cudworth, Carlton, Brierley and Monk Bretton, the other five were for either for memorials, without the word war, or for war memorials in areas just outside Barnsley that I'd just like to see. One of those is for the <a href="http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/2015/04/hemsworth-ww1-memorial-tablets-st.html">war memorial panels in St Helen's Church in Hemsworth</a> where one of the OH's Pagett relatives is remembered. </p><p>The Barnsley listings at York end in 1923 which probably reflects the move of the parishes to another Diocese. There were lots of boundary changes in Yorkshire in the 19th and 20th centuries, both for civil and church organisations. So many that I have had to create a flow chart for my thesis demonstrating that between 1914 and 1939 the Barnsley churches were in either the Diocese of York, the Diocese of Sheffield or the Diocese of Wakefield, but after that the ones in Wakefield moved to the Diocese of Leeds. There is a very long document dated 2010 downloadable from the Church of England website which explains most of this. Apparently a review recommended that all the Barnsley Parishes be moved to the Diocese of Sheffield, for consistency, but they were overuled. It would have made my life easier! The Faculties in Sheffield Archives that I saw in 2019 were lovely and accompanied by architectural drawings and correspondence too. Very helpful, giving me dates, descriptions and the names of the person or people who had applied for the permissions. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZDp-c-rntyf-FgIczaoRf9Hjg-eiw94Mt20_tMSDIi8-GXsJaVSLHUJQThaIrdRbJVxym2r1tXi8HmLTFtEYhvv3lIOCP67LMw784ya6HQQdPRbvq0seOsgX565H4UDK7_uR5YXST0c/s1024/20190727_Caunt+Faculty+part.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1024" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZDp-c-rntyf-FgIczaoRf9Hjg-eiw94Mt20_tMSDIi8-GXsJaVSLHUJQThaIrdRbJVxym2r1tXi8HmLTFtEYhvv3lIOCP67LMw784ya6HQQdPRbvq0seOsgX565H4UDK7_uR5YXST0c/w400-h304/20190727_Caunt+Faculty+part.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the Faculty for a stone tablet in memory of <a href="http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/2014/03/jump-st-georges-church-r-and-h-caunt.html">Harold and Reginald Caunt</a>, to be placed in St George's Church, Jump, near Wombwell <br />(Sheffield Archives Dioc/Fac/65)</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The picture above is just a part of one of the Sheffield documents, which came in a folder with a Petition requesting the Faculty and letters between the vicar at St George's and the Registrar in Sheffield. Note the preprinted generic text at the top, the typewritten insertions specific to the request and the embossed seal. The Faculty was requested by their brother Frederick. The copy Faculty documents that I saw in Parish Records in the Wakefield office of the WYAS in 2019 were single page typewritten documents. I have searched the online catalogues for the WYAS several times in the last couple of years, but only found references to the copies. </p><p>Yesterday I made another breakthrough. A Google search hit on an article written in 2020 by Anne Christine Brook about Faculties after the First World War. Although I was unable to view the article, the University of Wolverhampton library didn't have permissions to that publication, the references were shown on the index page. Two of them were to the WYAS at Wakefield and mentioned Faculties. Anne C. Brook's 2009 PhD thesis was on <a href="https://huddersfield.exposed/wiki/God,_Grief_and_Community:_Commemoration_of_the_Great_War_in_Huddersfield,_c._1914-1929_(2009)_by_Dr._Anne_C._Brook">Commemoration in Huddersfield after the Great War </a>and I have read it a number of times, in fact alongside Denise Coss's 2012 thesis on <a href="http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/6917/">War Memorials in the North East</a> they are my 'go to' examples for writing my own thesis. </p><p>I have written to WYAS in Wakefield with the references Anne Brook gave. I could not find anything for WD100 on the online catalogue apart from one hit within the description of a document in a different category. I assume they are boxes or files that are only indexed in a paper catalogue. I am familiar with the problem at Barnsley Archives where the staff have thousands of entries to transfer and a huge number of boxes that have not been fully catalogued at all. Too much work, too little money, the usual story. </p><p>So now I am planning trips to both the Borthwick Institute and Wakefield's office of the WYAS. But that will be after our family's own historic event, expected sometime mid to late June. My daughter is expecting her own little daughter to make her appearance, making me a grandma, and my mum a great-grandmother, for the very first time. </p><p>Thank you for reading. </p>BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-32687485588600041292021-04-29T15:32:00.002+01:002021-04-29T15:33:34.749+01:00The Return of my First Draft Chapter for my PhD on Barnsley's War Memorials<p> </p><p>Last night I got my first draft chapter back from my supervisor, Prof
Laura Ugolini, at the University of Wolverhampton. As expected there
were lots of useful comments, and some which made it apparent to me that
I have been overestimating what I will be able to include in my thesis.
It also seems that I need to include a lot of explanations that I had
hoped would be unnecessary, such as 'what is a war memorial?' and the
difference between and obelisk and a plaque (surely not .... aren't the
names self explanatory?)<br /></p><p>University of Wolverhampton history
theses have a word limit of 90,000 - now that looks like a lot, but it
includes footnotes and the bibliography (the list of books and articles
that I have used as reference for the work). You are allowed a certain
amount of extra space in your Appendices - which is where I usually put
tables and maps and lists - but that must not exceed 20% of the total
allowed for the thesis, so in my case 18k words, which is soon taken up
with long lists of memorials and various tables showing categories and
groupings. </p><p>For comparison my MA dissertation had a word limit of
15k, but that did not include footnotes and the Bibliography. I
carefully wrote 14,992 words, but if I include everything it came to
23961 with the footnotes and Bibliography and I used 6506 words in my
Appendices (as opposed to 20% of 15k which is just 3k). One table alone,
that of the 237 memorials we knew about in Barnsley in February 2019
(not counting 520 war memorial gravestones or 47 memorials that don't
commemorate the FWW), came to 3278 words. Should I miss out that table?
No, of course not, it's what everything is about after all. <br /></p><p>For
my first draft chapter, which was on the different groups of people who
had planned memorials, I started off aiming at 10k words, that was soon
upped to 15k when I realised the lower amount didn't allow enough space
to fully discuss all the categories I had devised. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUxZmMEmoJ-qcg4n8ilmV-QMLZ25rGZsssXTLXiyOVk1Z-bcObZTO9h9W0J3B0BTh758Ofxs2SqKoEscuCbSWVobBX-C-ZJRl7mgzX60bLyg139S8OMD0TU_PXQZ-NqVzAhUQZDOmosDo/s626/Image+of+Groups+table+1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="626" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUxZmMEmoJ-qcg4n8ilmV-QMLZ25rGZsssXTLXiyOVk1Z-bcObZTO9h9W0J3B0BTh758Ofxs2SqKoEscuCbSWVobBX-C-ZJRl7mgzX60bLyg139S8OMD0TU_PXQZ-NqVzAhUQZDOmosDo/w400-h239/Image+of+Groups+table+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table of Memorial Types (horizontal axis) by Groups (vertical axis) as of 14 April 2021<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Prof
Laura made a useful comment about the table above - using codes was not
helpful for readers, who would be forced to flick backwards and
forwards to discover what the types of memorial were. She suggested
presenting it landscape (ie turning that page on its side) so that I
could write in the words Obelisk, Plaque, Roll of Honour etc in full.
Later on she pointed out that I use the category 'Individuals' to
describe memorials erected by family members to commemorate individuals.
I had got the people being commemorated mixed up in my head with the
people planning the commemoration. She proposed calling that group
Families and I totally agree. </p><p>As you can't see what my codes mean either here's the list:</p><p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">Obelisks, Cenotaphs, Crosses, Columns, Figures etc (O)<br />Plaques, Tablets, Boards (P)<br />Rolls of Honour, Books of Remembrance (R)<br />Church fittings (like bells, pews, lecterns, windows, altars, screens, candlesticks, etc) (C)<br />Trophies, Relics etc (T)<br />Lychgates (G)<br />Endowed Beds (B)<br /><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Even landscape it will be 'fun' fitting the Church Fittings (ha!) at the top of a column if I use the full list. <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Additions
to Gravestones (but not graves) is also a main IWM category - which I
am excluding from the main part of my thesis as they are really hard to
research and never (?) appear in newspaper reports. I really didn't want
to do this - there are hundreds and hundreds of them in Barnsley - but
apart from analysing the inscriptions and researching the families I
can't really say much about them.<br />On the other hand, mass-produced
commemorative items, which the IWM exclude - I am including these -
items such as gold medals or watches given by work places to men who
returned or the dependents of men who were killed. There will have been
hundreds of these, most of them inscribed with an individual's name.
They are particularly common amongst the collieries in Barnsley who
awarded little medals to all their workmen who had gone to the war at
large, well reported events, often rather than erecting a stone or metal
memorial or plaque. Did they feel this fostered good will as it showed
they were considering everyone? Or was it a good advertisment for the
paternalism of the company?<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">I
can see another problem in my list above - use of etc is not advised in
a thesis, I should write out lists in full. The Imperial War Museum's
categories contain etc and these are the ones on which Pete and I based
most of the above. Not all the categories the IWM use are useful for my
thesis - for example, we have no land based memorials such as parks or
gardens which date back to the First World War. </p><p>Here a couple of
screen grabs from the IWM War Memorials Register site, specifically the
filters for choosing what kind of result you want to get when you do a
search: <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbMGQG_N-1oVuBy6jQJptvrNDK0fXqh1AVk-wnwVIhvSCLWom3dOptLw3EpFzo8wwfr5XQ2NojR10k6J5j1PLgr1hn4_e36-novi_5_QLcKO7LCtY9r-AuwKnTcR_w0cVsrF3dtHUWV-0_/s850/IWM+WMR+main+categories.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="850" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbMGQG_N-1oVuBy6jQJptvrNDK0fXqh1AVk-wnwVIhvSCLWom3dOptLw3EpFzo8wwfr5XQ2NojR10k6J5j1PLgr1hn4_e36-novi_5_QLcKO7LCtY9r-AuwKnTcR_w0cVsrF3dtHUWV-0_/w640-h237/IWM+WMR+main+categories.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The IWM call the above 'Types'<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ndkj1syPA2yobmLOMyVj6_WTXZdx3PK50vAfGMlE6XOAQ211b3Er9fBb8cnAEifua3PaFjWuIwoZWvlH2QewnFopzM_hKJJUffPq08d8OZmEOdCxWg8n9pe8HRKA0tyboCLW5hwJ3tMe/s864/IWM+WMR+main+components.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="182" data-original-width="864" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ndkj1syPA2yobmLOMyVj6_WTXZdx3PK50vAfGMlE6XOAQ211b3Er9fBb8cnAEifua3PaFjWuIwoZWvlH2QewnFopzM_hKJJUffPq08d8OZmEOdCxWg8n9pe8HRKA0tyboCLW5hwJ3tMe/w640-h134/IWM+WMR+main+components.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The IWM call the above 'Components'<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Yet
if you search for 'Bed' on the website you get 906 hits! Ok, some of
them are in Bedfordshire! And if you open up an entry for an actual bed
the type used in the listing is 'Endowed Bed', which doesn't appear in
either of the lists above. Clicking on Endowed Bed in a listing (where
it is underlined to show it is a link or option) brings back 109
records. None for Barnsley because we only have an existing plaque for
one and that one hasn't been added to the War Memorials Register yet.
However I know, from newspaper reports, that there were at least 5
endowed beds relating to the FWW in Beckett Hospital.<br /></p><p>The IWM
doesn't use Groups of people as a category, I'm not surprised, it can be
very difficult to allocate a memorial to one of my groups. One example
is the memorial plaque for <a href="http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/2014/06/hoylandswaine-st-johns-thomas-lockwood.html">Tom Lockwood in Hoylandswaine Church</a>,
a Community memorial, a church memorial or a family memorial? Well, the
church must have applied for a Diocesan Faculty in order to erect it,
but it was possibly proposed by the local Council because he was a local
hero. It's for just one man and usually those memorials are promoted by
family members. As I haven't seen the Faculty yet, or read the
Hoylandswaine Council minutes I've been calling it a Family memorial in
case it was his family behind the proposal after all. </p><p>Prof Laura
also suggested I explain who people were. I had done that for some of
the names mentioned in the newspaper cuttings - I find it quite easy,
and very satifying, to track a man down, either in the census returns or
using the newspaper indexes, or both. The trouble is it uses up quite a
few words to explain who they are. For example, one of the
churchwardens at Darfield, named on the Diocesan Faculty for the church
memorial tablet, was Thomas Cherry. I wrote a little about him in a
footnote to try to explain why his opinion might have carried weight
when he spoke at a meeting. </p><p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">"Thomas Cherry was the treasurer of the Darfield Conservative Club, <i>MST</i>, 29 July 1922, p. 2, and the secretary of the Parish Church War Memorial Committee, <i>PSHE</i>, 16 July 1921, p. 9. His son John Albert Cherry served in the Royal Navy during the war."</p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>MST = </i>Mexborough & Swinton Times, <i>PSHE = </i>Penistone, Stocksbridge and Hoyland Express.<br /><br />That
little biography was 44 words! And I haven't referenced how I know who
his son was (I looked Thomas up in the 1911 census and checked his son
in the military records on Ancestry to see if he served). I will have to
reference it, but that will be quite a lot more words. </p><p style="text-align: left;">It
will be useful to do these little biographies, as I do want to try to
explain the differences in social class between some of the groups. But I
suppose it also means I'm going to have to be very choosy about which
men (and they are usually men) I mention in my text. Actually I don't
like the idea of editing the words I use from the newspaper reports so
much (picking and choosing which speaker to name and research) as it
might unfairly bias my analysis of the committee or group. A man with a
distinctive name, like Thomas Cherry, would be much easier to find than a
John Smith for example. A local clergyman or businessman would be
easier to find in the newspapers than a bricklayer. Such a lot of
pitfalls once you really start looking at the pros and cons. I did ask
if I could put the biographies in an Appendix, but that is when Prof
Laura reminded me about the 20% rule. I suppose I will just have to see
what they amount to. <br /></p><p>The main reason I was running out of
words and failing to provide a good discussion about each group of
people appears to have been that I was including too many examples in
each section. With 249 memorials to choose from I am quite spoilt for
choice, but if we imagine I divide the 65,000 words I have allowed for
my main body by 249 that allows only 261 words per memorial which is
about one long paragraph. Nothing left for headings, or footnotes, or
discussion or the (very important) argument. Going forward I will have
to be even more selective about which memorials I discuss, thinking
about what I want to propose as the unique feature of each group and
picking examples to illustrate my argument. </p><p>I feel somewhat
hampered by my MA as when I want to include a mention of an aspect of a
memorial that I talked about in my dissertation I now need to reference
it in the same way I would if they were someone else's work - I think
that's how to do it - anyway I mustn't plagarise myself, that is, reuse
my own discussion as if it were new thoughts. One of Prof Laura's
comments said that I should explain what I discovered in my MA, just
like outlining another historian's 'unique contribution' to the topic of
war memorials. Sometimes I forget which memorials I talked about ...
and I have to open up the final copy of my dissertation and do a 'Find'
on it.<br /></p><p>Here's a list of the memorials I mainly discussed in my MA:</p><p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">The
main Barnsley Civic memorial (now in front of the Town Hall and
previously discussed by Alex King in his book but I added a lot more
detail about fundraising and the whole lack of names scandal [that's my
own personal opinion of the matter by the way, during the planning of
the memorial the Council said they were going to produce a list of names
and it was never done, hence, partially, the reason the BWMP produced
their Roll of Honour in 2018])<br />Farrar Street Congregational's plaque
(Non-conformist, I discussed fundraising and how that influenced what
they eventually ended up with)<br />Dodworth's obelisk with a soldier on
the top (a combination of the Council there and the Gardeners
Association and way in which the two groups had initially been in
competition with each other)<br />Barnsley Co-op's endowed beds (a Workplace - though I now see I got the number of beds wrong in my MA)<br />Shaw
Lane Sportsman's obelisk type memorial (a Club, I mainly discussed the
arguments about who had contributed subsciptions and who was invited to
the unveiling ceremony)<br />Hoylandswaine's obelisk (proposed by the
Council there but where the working committee included working class men
as well as councillors and clergymen and got on with the job quite
speedily)<br />Monk Bretton's church memorial (initially proposed by the
Council there, but which was objected to by non-conformist groups and
some smaller parts of the area which resented being clumped together by
the Anglican parish boundaries)<br />Monk Bretton Cliffe Bridge Wesleyan Reform Chapel and Monk Bretton WMC (as a response to the above)<br />Thurlstone's
various plans culminating in brass plaque in the church (ambitious
utilitarian plans were originally suggested but came to nothing)<br />Worsborough Dale's obelisk (which had to be scaled down due to cost)<br />Thurgoland's
stone cross - grouped with obelisks in my categories (the elements of
the inscription changed due to space available)<br />St Peter's Church, on Doncaster Road, large wooden tablet (which had to have extra names added later)<br />Woolley's stone cross (how they collected the names and discussed who should be included)<br />The
York and Lancs memorial plaque in St Mary's Church (who was intended to
be commemorated and how the funding was taken from the town's civic
memorial fund - because the Council had promised a contribution to it in
the early days when they combined both funds)<br /></p><p>That is only 14
memorials in 15k words. I only really discussed the main Civic
memorial's whole story, the rest appeared in bits and bobs under
fundraising or changes to plans. I mentioned at least 33 memorials in my
15k word draft chapter, and some others just in passing, so definitely
far too many. <br /></p><p>I have an online meeting booked with Prof
Laura for next week, and I'll happily re-write the chapter taking her
comments into consideration. I will aim to use no more than two or three
memorials per section (2 or 3 x 7 sections = 14 to 21 memorials in 15k
words), and write nice long paragraphs beginning with my argument
explaining and justifying the inclusion of each example. It will be a
different kind of writing to get used to.<br /></p><p>It can only get better??</p>BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-55734687542771878132021-04-19T23:41:00.549+01:002021-04-20T17:14:39.911+01:00George Kay - Manager of Barnsley Co-op's First Shop<p> <i>Completed Tuesday 20 April 2021 at 2.43pm.</i><br /></p><p>This post is not completely random - I already had an inking that George Kay was related to my OH in some way. But it was after reading an article in the most recent issue of <a href="https://www.memoriesofbarnsley.co.uk/backissue/57/">Memories of Barnsley</a> (Spring 2021) that I decided to look into him in more detail. On pp. 16-19 there is a piece on 'The Co-op Celebrates its Centenary 1862 -1962' which features some nice old photos and a reproduction of an article from the 1962 <i>Barnsley Chronicle</i>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOdej5lY-fLGeAG12oMFJAnVJp-5G3jVF_HES9vclrtNQyszjZKRPcVqyXLij4lEpkjf-sq5Y3Eo-raW58Fr_DemHqBHN5MqsKUbciDc3ydxZ9yHyfbaQySlrSivmm0sVtb_yqKCwdBq4/s783/20210419_132453.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="783" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOdej5lY-fLGeAG12oMFJAnVJp-5G3jVF_HES9vclrtNQyszjZKRPcVqyXLij4lEpkjf-sq5Y3Eo-raW58Fr_DemHqBHN5MqsKUbciDc3ydxZ9yHyfbaQySlrSivmm0sVtb_yqKCwdBq4/w400-h300/20210419_132453.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Memories of Barnsley, Spring 2021 pp. 16-17<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The above section mentions Edwin Kay, a Barnsley businessman, who rented a shop to the very first iteration of the Barnsley Co-op. George Kay, his nephew, was employed 'as salesman and manager for a wage of 15s (15 shillings = 75p but would be equivalent to about £120 today) a week with a house, gas and coal thrown in. The shop, on Market Street, Barnsley, opened its door for the first time on 13 March 1862. </p><p>My OH's 4x great-grandmother, Esther Leech, was first married to Thomas Duncan in 1818. Sadly 23 years later Thomas passed away leaving Esther with eight children to care for. They had 10 children in all but two appear to have died before their father. Esther remarried in 1846 to William Kay. He was 11 years her junior and had not previously been married as far as I can tell, certainly he claims to be a bachelor when he marries Esther. In the meantime another of Esther's children had died, and two had married, but that still left William taking on five children not his own. In addition he brought his own son, George Kay Walton, to the marriage.</p><p>In 1841, the household of Thomas and Esther Duncan on Westgate had
included seven children and three boarder or lodgers, including a William Kay, aged 27 years, and a
Weaver. This is too much of a coincidence. I know that Thomas Duncan
died on 7 June 1841, just one day after the 1841 census was taken
(evidenced by his gravestone at St Mary's Barnsley), but it did take a very reasonable five years for Esther to marry her lodger. <br /></p><p>Another of Esther and Thomas's children died in 1849 and I have lost track of one (Henry Duncan born 1826, present in the 1841 census but not thereafter), the OH's 3x great-grandfather Peter Duncan married Harriet Newsom in 1850, just before the next census, leaving the following household living on Westgate in Barnsley in 1851.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0HQQV9GbmwgL9BWpL7_mhJOao0KRtztwKPuuSBY58EA_UUqPg265dl_jToKZKT_ASOwZnKdC890FtsIoLqitBEFckgEz7EtDtqN3RPkMd4uyZAvqFSh54zyjhmK4MYjpaKrIGKal18A/s954/1851+William+Kay+2332+347F.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="954" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0HQQV9GbmwgL9BWpL7_mhJOao0KRtztwKPuuSBY58EA_UUqPg265dl_jToKZKT_ASOwZnKdC890FtsIoLqitBEFckgEz7EtDtqN3RPkMd4uyZAvqFSh54zyjhmK4MYjpaKrIGKal18A/w400-h258/1851+William+Kay+2332+347F.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1851 census for Westgate, Barnsley. Piece 2332 Folio 347F<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />William Kay Head<span> </span>38 Warehouseman <span> </span>b. Ardsley<br />Esther Kay <span> Wife<span> </span></span><span>49 </span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>b. </span><span></span>Barnsley<br />Elizabeth Duncan Dau in Law 22 <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span></span>b.<span> </span>Barnsley<br />Thomas Duncan Son in Law<span> </span>15 Brush Maker b. Dodworth<br />George Kay Walton Natural Son<span> </span>14 Warehouse Boy b. Dodworth<br />James Harstone Lodger <span> </span>21 Hand loom weaver b. Notts<br />William Hardcastle Lodger 24 Hand loom weaver<span> </span>b. Barnsley <p></p><p>Two of Esther and Thomas's children are still living with her and there is George Kay Walton aged 14, natural son of William Kay, a warehouse boy, born in Dodworth. Note that William and Esther have two lodgers, probably to contribute to the household income. </p><p></p><p>Natural son in the relationship column means that George Kay Walton was born out of wedlock (he was illegitimate) but the fact that he is living with William Kay means that he had been acknowledged by his father. Being 14 years old in 1851 suggests that he was born in 1837 or thereabouts, so probably before civil registration began. I have found a baptism, 1 January 1837, of a George Walton born 2 August 1836, parents William and Jane Walton of Gawber. I suppose this might be him? In 1841 I found a four year old George Walton living with Joseph Mitchell, a schoolmaster, and his family in Dodworth. Maybe George's mother had died and William Kay had paid for him to be fostered out until he married and was able to provide a home for him? This is all just guesswork of course. It was fairly common for brides to be pregnant when they got married in days gone by - but even so it's odd that William didn't marry George's mother when he was obviously so willing to acknowledge him. </p><p>William Kay, George's father, was born in Ardsley in 1813, and baptised at Darfield 19 December 1813, son of Henry and Hannah Kay. Henry was a labourer and William appears to have been his and Hannah's third child. Edwin Kay, mentioned in the article above as the owner of the building where the first Co-op shop was opened, was William's younger brother, born in 1818 in Ardsley, and baptised at Darfield 5 April 1818. <br /></p><p></p><p>Edwin Kay married Sarah Dyson at Silkstone in October 1845. Edwin's occupation was weaver and his wife's father was a labourer. In the 1851 census Edwin and Sarah Kay were living on Shambles Street in Barnsley and Edwin, now aged 33, was a grocer and provision dealer. They appear to have had no children, none are living with them in the 1851 or 1861 census returns and I can find no births Kay, mmn Dyson, in the GRO indexes.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTmqdA1EBS9a3RxiqAILEsQ79CydWzbbHQF3TaZ3LOqq1xAmAFMC0MteKlCvOZqbpyZK6xa7i851_W2gl4HFz9Ra5nAlirJi6rIuD3sszPbQPXoeaQTJleHqNKZrlN1YaxQAlCABbYCc/s1049/1859+marriage+George+K+Walton+Sarah+Greaves+cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="303" data-original-width="1049" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTmqdA1EBS9a3RxiqAILEsQ79CydWzbbHQF3TaZ3LOqq1xAmAFMC0MteKlCvOZqbpyZK6xa7i851_W2gl4HFz9Ra5nAlirJi6rIuD3sszPbQPXoeaQTJleHqNKZrlN1YaxQAlCABbYCc/w640-h184/1859+marriage+George+K+Walton+Sarah+Greaves+cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1859 marriage of George Kay Walton and Sarah Greaves at the Congregational Church, Barnsley<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>On 3 November 1859 George Kay Walton married Sarah Greaves at the
Congregational Church in Barnsley. I was not been able to find this
marriage anywhere online except in the indexes so I sent for the certificate - it
was worth the £11 to see that George was still using Walton as his
surname at this point, but that he gave William Kay, a warehouseman, as
his father. It appears there was no secrecy about the irregularity in
George's antecedents. George's occupation at his marriage was also warehouseman. The address George gave at marriage was 9
Churchfields, which is where Esther and William Kay were living when the
1861 census was taken just 18 months later. Sarah Greaves gave her address as 12 Regent Street, Barnsley and her father was George Greaves, a shoemaker.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzWE8XldFlcr1VQRHXUTDEU4K-o24KUMYSgUWxUNwvl9g_eL8xc0JZoye-Qs8EmCr9HuWoFCjv5fOAjLDr6O1FHHWbg1k55xnpq3kl-DIOwtFwQRnN0w8O-M_qpLfvjcWLpgcwuXad8k/s1004/1852+Churchfields+Terrace+Barnsley.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="2" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="1004" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzWE8XldFlcr1VQRHXUTDEU4K-o24KUMYSgUWxUNwvl9g_eL8xc0JZoye-Qs8EmCr9HuWoFCjv5fOAjLDr6O1FHHWbg1k55xnpq3kl-DIOwtFwQRnN0w8O-M_qpLfvjcWLpgcwuXad8k/w400-h221/1852+Churchfields+Terrace+Barnsley.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1852 map of Barnsley showing Churchfield Terrace (from <a href="https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/434500/406500/13/100394">Old Maps</a>)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>In 1861, George and Sarah Kay were living at 2 Churchfield Terrace, in Barnsley. This was a short street
of 12 houses adjacent to the still extant High Field Terrace on
Churchfield, Barnsley. The street is long gone and is now under the
tarmac of the car park next to Barnsley police station. <br /><br />George and Sarah had one child, Emily, aged one year, and George's occupation was linen warehouseman. Sarah, however, was a shopkeeper (confectioner), so she ran a sweet shop! I noticed that George now appears to have stopped using Walton as his surname despite marrying under that name less than two years previously. I could see that Emily was born in Greasborough which is near Rotherham, which struck me as odd for a moment or two, then I noticed that Sarah was born in Thornhill, near Rotherham. I didn't know where that was, so I looked it up. It seems Thornhill was a tiny little place just to the west of Rotherham town centre in 1851. Greasborough, on the other hand, was about two miles further north, heading towards Wentworth from Rotherham. This was just not making sense. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcrs8QUcHSLY_fy9jA42jIbxQmZnP1DAJf8skNuJyIKwkIy2rbRWzzeUm-Uued3wtO9G6Tg_5N17WsPnSJzjJvQzJ9fkdFCqADVFyU_YK9NUnAY9b9f53xgAP6ORyiyQjWBLCysCisBU/s974/1860+baptism+Emily+Kaywalton+cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="179" data-original-width="974" height="74" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcrs8QUcHSLY_fy9jA42jIbxQmZnP1DAJf8skNuJyIKwkIy2rbRWzzeUm-Uued3wtO9G6Tg_5N17WsPnSJzjJvQzJ9fkdFCqADVFyU_YK9NUnAY9b9f53xgAP6ORyiyQjWBLCysCisBU/w400-h74/1860+baptism+Emily+Kaywalton+cropped.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emily Kaywalton's baptism at Greasborough in 1860<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Eventually I found Emily's baptism, in Greasborough, under the surname Kaywalton.</p><p>Baptism 22 January 1860, birth 29 December 1859, Emily [daughter of] George and Sarah Kaywalton [of] Barnsley [father's occupation] Warehouseman.</p><p>So Emily was born less than two months after George and Sarah's marriage, born and baptised at Greasborough, where there had been some mistake or misunderstanding about what her surname actually was. Her parents' abode was given as Barnsley, so what were they doing in Greasborough? I thought I should look up Sarah's parents to see if they had moved to the area. Yes indeed, Sarah's parents, George and Hannah Greaves, were living in Greasborough in 1841. George's occupation was cordwainer, which is another name for a shoemaker. I looked for Sarah Greaves' baptism and that was also in Greasborough, October 1834, parents George and Hannah, with George's occupation given as cordwainer. Thornhill had turned out to be a bit of a red herring. </p><p>I am imagining that Sarah met George in Barnsley - maybe she was a servant, 12 Regent Street, Barnsley sounds like a large house, or possibly the old courthouse (there are insufficient detailed old maps of that area at the right time for me to say for certain) - she became pregnant and they married. Then she went back to her parents' home until she had the baby, had little Emily baptised in the local church near her parents' home (hence the confusion over George's correct surname) before rejoining George once he had set up a household in Barnsley. That would have disguised the short gap between the marriage and the birth from the gossips in Barnsley.
None of the above irregularity over George's birth or his hasty marriage was sufficient to prevent Edwin Kay from suggesting or offering the job George with the Co-op in 1862, which, as we have read, came with a house included. Edwin maybe looked upon George as the son he didn't have?<br /></p><p>In 1861 Edwin Kay was a Linen Manufacturer living in a new house on Regent Street - so new it didn't have a number in the census return. Living with Edwin and Sarah were two nieces, Hannah and Harriet Dyson, the daughters of one of Sarah's brothers I would imagine. Yes, further investigation showed that Hannah was the daughter of Christopher Dyson, Sarah's older brother, who had passed away in 1853. Another example of Edwin taking in young relatives because he had no children of his own? I wonder how Edwin made his money - both his and Sarah's fathers had been labourers, and yet by 1861/62 he is living in a new house on Regent Street and has property on Market Street to let out to the new Barnsley Co-op?</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1iGzIDbYvl-44h3DPt8Us8zycx-FcVwEqEhIh9CXSAroNzDuNn1UtX6zPB5D6P7JiMuXfce6kfXfsIldyELeWpDt737HYIL3ry1C-7-qHhBsZmm1DOHMDlKyqC5IgXM-lNGCdPnvlSc/s466/1880+Obituary+Edwin+Kay+cropped.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="466" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1iGzIDbYvl-44h3DPt8Us8zycx-FcVwEqEhIh9CXSAroNzDuNn1UtX6zPB5D6P7JiMuXfce6kfXfsIldyELeWpDt737HYIL3ry1C-7-qHhBsZmm1DOHMDlKyqC5IgXM-lNGCdPnvlSc/w320-h264/1880+Obituary+Edwin+Kay+cropped.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edwin Kay's Obituary <i><br />Barnsley Chronicle</i> 24 April 1880<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I found Edwin's obituary in the <i>Barnsley Chronicle</i> on 24 April 1880. It seems he was a 'steady, industrious and persevering young man' and had a shop on Shambles Street, opposite the top of Dog Lane, and was eventually able to buy the property. He sold that business and entered into a partnership with a Mr Carr as a linen manufacturer. In 1862 he became a Councillor and was a supporter of the Beckett Hospital, the Methodist New Connexion, for whom he was a preacher, and the Mechanics' Institute. He laid the foundation stone for the New Connexion Methodist Chapel at Ardsley in 1866. He died on 22 April 1880, just nine days after his wife Sarah, who had fallen in their house, and had been very ill. In modern terms it sounds as if he may have had cancer as various growths had been removed from his eye, ear and cheek. Maybe once his wife had passed he gave up struggling against his disease and followed her into death. He was 62 years old and Sarah was 67. There were no children and the executor of his will was his brother William Kay, George's father. </p><p>Sarah and Edwin Kay were buried in Barnsley Cemetery in the same plot, E
669. It's on my list for visiting and looking for a gravestone. <br /></p><p>William Kay had unfortunately lost his wife Esther (my OH's 4x great-grandmother if you recall) in an accident in 1870 when she fell from his gig near Kexborough after the horse took fright. William, who had been leading the horse to drink at a trough, was knocked down as the horse bolted. Esther, having struck her head, survived only 40 minutes after the accident, despite a doctor rushing to attend. William Kay had an injured ankle, but it was not too serious. (<i>Barnsley Chronicle</i> 23 July 1870) William remarried at the Wesleyan Chapel in Pitt Street in February 1871 to Mary Coldwell, but died himself in 1884, just three years after his brother. </p><p>I noticed that in 1881 William and Mary were living at 21 Hope Street, Barnsley an address that is, in 1901 and 1911, the home of Sarah Kay, George's widow.<br /></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfdFZ1AbuyS06SAO8Sm_mMAhjS1qp9Hei-EDwVI1SXZU2gLa4vqo8pcHCIpQKV2F-Vbqyxfh61WhhMmIaTIyqAL9bR10CYkYTWovE3X1mbLOQvf1NCO7l-NgjtDw8DNHjUYsVx7ivbmyg/s660/Esther+Leech+grave.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfdFZ1AbuyS06SAO8Sm_mMAhjS1qp9Hei-EDwVI1SXZU2gLa4vqo8pcHCIpQKV2F-Vbqyxfh61WhhMmIaTIyqAL9bR10CYkYTWovE3X1mbLOQvf1NCO7l-NgjtDw8DNHjUYsVx7ivbmyg/w266-h400/Esther+Leech+grave.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Esther and William's Gravestone<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Esther and William Kay were buried in Barnsley Cemetery in plot H 493 where they were later joined by William's second wife, who had remarried to a John Beaumont after William's death. There is some interesting detail on the gravestone - Esther was apparently killed 'while trying to help her husband William Kay in his endeavours to do his duty for the Barnsley Corn, Flour and Provision Company Ltd'. William changed his occupation from Linen Warehouseman to Miller between the 1861 and 1871 census returns but this inscription gives the exact place where he was working. <br /><p></p><p></p><p>Meanwhile George Kay and his wife Sarah were living at 16 Wellington Street, quite near to the Co-op shop in Market Street when the 1871 census was taken, and had added a son Arthur (b.1863) and a daughter Sarah Ellen (b.1867) to their family. </p><p>In the 1881 census George and Sarah Kaye (note the extra e) were living 'above the shop' at 44 Market Street with other shop staff living at number 40. A son, William Henry Kay, had been added to the family in 1875.</p><p>They had lost some children at birth or very young, and I have listed all those I can find below. <br /></p><p>In 1881 Emily was 21 years old and a milliner, maybe making hats for the Co-op. Arthur was 17 years old and a Pawnbroker's Apprentice. Sarah Ellen and William Henry were both at school.<br /></p><p>In 1891 George and Sarah were living at 58 Station Road in Barnsley. George's occupation was now Co-operative Society Secretary (Cashier) suggesting he had taken on additional responsibilities over and above running the shop. Still living at home was Sarah Ellen, now aged 24 years and working as a confectionary saleswoman. Also in the household was a little grandaughter, Dorkas M Rogers just 2 years old. Enumerated after Dorkas and a servant I found William H. Kay, son, aged 16, and a Joiners Apprentice. I wonder why he was listed at the end?</p><p><b></b></p><p><b>All seven children of George and Sarah Kay in birth order:</b><br /><br />*Emily Kay Walton b. 29 December 1859 in Greasborough, baptised 22 January 1860 at Greasborough<br />William Kay Walton b. Q1 1862 in Barnsley, buried in Barnsley Cemetery 26 January 1862 aged 3 weeks from Churchfield Terrace<br />*Arthur Kay <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>b. 1863 in Barnsley (I can't find a birth registration or baptism for Arthur)<br />Unnamed male Kay<span> </span>b. Q4 1864 in Barnsley, buried in Barnsley Cemetery 2 Nov 1964 aged 30 hours from Wellington Street<br />*Sarah Ellen Kay<span> </span><span> b. Q3 1867 in Barnsley - baptised at the Ebenezer Methodist Church 25 Dec 1871 aged 4 years and 9 months<br /></span>George William Kay b. November 1873 in Barnsley, buried in Barnsley Cemetery aged 1 day, 10 Nov 1873 from Market Street.<br />*William Henry Kay b. March 1875 (I can't find a birth registration) - baptised Ebenezer Methodist 7 April 1875 aged 3 weeks<br /><br />* = survived to adulthood<br /></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FORzSkGg5nt9_uvdtkeJtCex9YhApqcwByyHnEiRHgzfDzOcGyOAh8OsZLTtGo-V6x38OGeppizfU6Q3l2qs7rXoT0AEm4cqvzrGnt28LOG_VABhS1IFcuuFBq2x-t5ufoaeI9DwS9g/s482/1895+George+Kay+death+cropped.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="403" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FORzSkGg5nt9_uvdtkeJtCex9YhApqcwByyHnEiRHgzfDzOcGyOAh8OsZLTtGo-V6x38OGeppizfU6Q3l2qs7rXoT0AEm4cqvzrGnt28LOG_VABhS1IFcuuFBq2x-t5ufoaeI9DwS9g/w268-h320/1895+George+Kay+death+cropped.jpg" width="268" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sheffield Evening Telegraph </i><br />4 October 1895<br />Death of George Kay<br /><i></i></td></tr></tbody></table>George Kay died at Perseverence Villa, 58 Station Road on 4 October 1895 aged 59 years. There was a very swift obituary published in the <i>Sheffield Evening Telegraph</i> the same day which noted that he had been ailing for two or three years, although when he tried to resign his post as secretary of the Barnsley British Co-operative Society the shareholders refused to accept it. The obituary went on, 'He was a member of the Methodist New Connextion and held the office of circuit and chapel steward, and indeed every post open to a layman'. <p></p><p>George Kay was buried in Barnsley Cemetery on 7 October 1895 and there was a huge response across the town. The directors of the Co-op decided to close all their places of business and the employees 'turned out as a vast body of mourners to show their unanimous tokens of respect'. The article in the <i>Barnsley Chronicle</i> fills an entire column of the then broadsheet newspaper, overflowing into the next column. There are lists of names of the main mourners, including fifteen coaches bearing family and friends. For example in the first coach was Mrs Kay (widow), Mr. Arthur (son), Mr. W. and Miss Nellie (son and daughter), Misses Cissie Rogers and Emily Kay (granddaughters), in the second coach were Mrs Arthur Kay, Mrs Wm. Kay (daughters in law), Mrs Sykes and Miss Stephenson (nieces) and on and on and on ... The heads of the various departments at the Co-op are named, for example, Mr. Gandy (grocery), Mr. Langford (butchering), Mr. Reeves (boot and shoe), Mr. Taylor and Mr. Peak (drapery) and many more.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMLF5WK1bTU6zFwOIwYsl1I7WbX5BzrFffG8bd69KhSGhwNFPH_WIbQEEeTmbeZZFvD1MS-u15nkfibakSJLo-E1eHDDrMb5SAVCe68IjzzkBam9C2ZFD8l50qknmYc-M4ydTq0xPUmPk/s616/1889+Perseverence+Villa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMLF5WK1bTU6zFwOIwYsl1I7WbX5BzrFffG8bd69KhSGhwNFPH_WIbQEEeTmbeZZFvD1MS-u15nkfibakSJLo-E1eHDDrMb5SAVCe68IjzzkBam9C2ZFD8l50qknmYc-M4ydTq0xPUmPk/s320/1889+Perseverence+Villa.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1889 map of junction of Station Road and Perseverance Street<br />(<a href="https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/433701/406465/13/100394">Old Maps</a>)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />I have worked out that Perseverance Villa was the square house in the centre of the map above. The end house on Station Road (just to the right of the label for Summer Lane Station) was number 56, and until the spare land between it and the square house was redeveloped it meant that the large square house was number 58 Station Road. It was later taken into the buildings of the Corn Mill, which is in the bottom left on the map above.<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8D6lDp1BQmoirotpsumiin3WWmsbyez5o8aKzRERSmARqdYY09jXn52jPaKgiu3IIDE-Ch-Na2E-nSFZumSFWrH20KVeSYQ6oF5s4iKNASp0aL1wyFSSPm7XjUvReeqYZWeHuA6f6XuI/s634/Perseverance+Villa+from+YOCOCO.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8D6lDp1BQmoirotpsumiin3WWmsbyez5o8aKzRERSmARqdYY09jXn52jPaKgiu3IIDE-Ch-Na2E-nSFZumSFWrH20KVeSYQ6oF5s4iKNASp0aL1wyFSSPm7XjUvReeqYZWeHuA6f6XuI/s320/Perseverance+Villa+from+YOCOCO.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of a 1929 picture of the Perseverance Estate <br />(from <a href="https://wwwapplications.barnsley.gov.uk/librarydigitisation/details.aspx?imageID=3431">Barnsley Council's YOCOCO site</a>)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />This is a very small piece of a large aerial photograph of the Corn Mill and Perseverance Estate, but I can make out the square house in the centre. Station Road is running off on the top left, the bend in the road is where the houses used to end. <br /><p>George Kay's interment procession wound its way from Persverance Villa via Station Road, Summer Lane, Town End, Peel Street, Peel Square, Queen Street, Cheapside and Sheffield Road to the Ebenezer New Connexion Chapel on the junction of Sheffield Road and Doncaster Road. Both sides of the streets along the route were lined with spectators and there were crowds at the chapel and the cemetery. At the chapel the coffin was taken inside by the central entrance and placed on trestles in front of the pulpit. The Rev. A. Smith addressed the congregation and the <i>Barnsley Chronicle</i> appears to have captured his entire speech. Various hymns were sung and after the benedition the coffin was taken to the cemetery. There is even a description of the coffin, which was of solid oak, unpolished, with deep gilt mountings. There was a coffin plate bearing the inscription "George Kay. Died October 4th 1895. Aged 59 years." The coffin was covered in floral wreaths, many of them from workers at the different departments of the Co-op, such as the mill department, the tailoring department, the bakery department and so on. </p><p>It surprised me to see that the article ended with a note that the funeral service would be held in the Ebenezer Chapel the following Sunday (or Sunday evening week as it said in the article which I calculate would be 20 October) and would again be conducted by the Rev. A. Smith. So a burial (interment) was not the same as the funeral in 1895 and there was more ceremony to come. </p><p>The memorial service was reported in the <i>Barnsley Chronicle</i> on 26 October 1895. It was a slightly shorter article and gave a very brief precis of George's life. 'In the sermon Mr. Smith gave an outline of Mr. Kay's career from his early days in Dodworth, where he attended the Town School, down to the close of his life. The rise and progress of the Co-operative Society was briefly touched upon but it was the upon the leading traits of Mr. Kay's character that the preacher chiefly dealt.' And that was it!<br /></p><p>Given in how much detail the speeches had been reported in the previous article I found this editing frustrating. There were a couple of odd notes 'A stranger might think my picture of Mr. Kay a little highly coloured' ... 'I have spoken but simple truth' ... 'You may remind me that he was a man and therefore imperfect' ... I would love to have a transcript of the entire speech!</p><p>George Kay was buried in plot H 491 in Barnsley Cemetery, the same plot in which George William Kay, the 1 day old baby, was buried in 1873. That's another gravestone for me to search for when I can finally get out of the house. Sarah Kay survived George for another 17 years before joining him in the same plot in November 1912 from 21 Hope Street, as previously mentioned. The house then passed to the Thompson family of her daughter Sarah Ellen. <br /></p><p><b>What Became of George's Children?</b> <br /></p><p>Arthur Kay, eldest son of George Kay, married Elizabeth Taylor on 14 June 1886 at the Ebenezer Methodist Chapel in Barnsley. <br />They moved to Hoyland Common where he set up shop as a Pawnbroker. They had two children.<br /><br /> - Emilie Margaret Kay b. Q4 1887 in Barnsley, baptised at the Ebenezer Methodist Church 29 December 1887. She died in Q1 1896 aged 8 years. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwkPOMtfS6GBcB-PHNU-dwIBVQf3aCFKB2UKwhGBHxaB75kBr3dugmbhoJFzEQs8XwNcRru7xrgbMnqbj-hJDleX4fJrengF1VHHak6jnUkNHYi9xdWAcbyg5plxJAiVH9DOihnkhv1AQ/s506/1928+Marriage+Kay+Portman.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="427" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwkPOMtfS6GBcB-PHNU-dwIBVQf3aCFKB2UKwhGBHxaB75kBr3dugmbhoJFzEQs8XwNcRru7xrgbMnqbj-hJDleX4fJrengF1VHHak6jnUkNHYi9xdWAcbyg5plxJAiVH9DOihnkhv1AQ/s320/1928+Marriage+Kay+Portman.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Penistone, Stocksbridge & Hoyland Express<br /></i>25 February 1928, p. 2<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> - George Taylor Kay b. 1894 in Hoyland Common, baptised at the Ebenezer Methodist Church 23 August 1894. In 1911, aged 16, he was 'assisting in the business' of being a Pawnbroker. He married Mabel Portman on 20 February 1928 at Thorpe Hesley church. In 1939 he was a Haulage Contractor living in Beaumont Street, Hoyland. They do not appear to have had any children. George Taylor Kay died in 1957. <br /><br />Arthur's niece Jennie Ivy Kay, aged 12, was living in his household at Hoyland Common in 1911.<br /><br />Arthur Kay died on 25 January 1930. His obituary in the <i>Sheffield Daily Telegraph </i>(26 February 1930 p. 4) said that he had been a jeweller and outfitter in Hoyland Common for over 40 years, and a prominent member of the United Methodist Church. He left a widow, son and adopted daughter (could this have been Jennie Kay?) Note that in the article about his son's marriage in 1928 the name of Arthur and Elizabeth's home was 'Perseverance House' a similar name to that of his father, George's, home in Barnsley. <br /><p></p><p> <br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQjWxLEwOE4g-dY54vofsz7qMdzxGSDUJ2d7vg8Dhc8Li-dUqAI01TZEzFGtrLOApbqXdCNBNxPV6n-0TRkHB8h2DaJWyk4DbWZxV5i37t53LdhUBeYFCBbR6Yn5Rltac0Nfc2rDM7V0/s766/1886+Kay+Rogers.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="235" data-original-width="766" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQjWxLEwOE4g-dY54vofsz7qMdzxGSDUJ2d7vg8Dhc8Li-dUqAI01TZEzFGtrLOApbqXdCNBNxPV6n-0TRkHB8h2DaJWyk4DbWZxV5i37t53LdhUBeYFCBbR6Yn5Rltac0Nfc2rDM7V0/s320/1886+Kay+Rogers.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Barnsley Chronicle </i>26 June 1886, p. 5<br /><i></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Emily Kay, eldest daughter of George Kay, married John Rogers on 25 Jun 1886 in Barnsley at the Ebenezer Chapel on Sheffield Road. John was a Congregational Minister from Leek in Staffordshire. They appear to have travelled around the country after their marriage, presumably as part of his job as a minister, and had two children.<br /><br /> - David Rogers b. Q2 1887 in Barnsley. David died in Leek, Staffordshire in July 1887 aged 3 months, and was buried in Barnsley Cemetery, plot Q 517.<br /> - Dorcas Mary Rogers b. 6 October 1888, in Barnsley, but baptised in Manchester in December 1888. She was living with her grandparents George and Sarah Kay in 1891, but was back with her father in Staffordshire in 1901 and 1911. She became a Registered Nurse in 1916. She did not marry. <br /><br />Emily Rogers (nee Kay) died in March 1890 at 58 Station Road, Barnsley, the home of her parents. She was buried in Barnsley Cemetery, plot Q 518, right next to her little son. John Rogers remarried to Janette Chambers in Wakefield RD in Q3 1891. They went on to have at least three children together, one of whom, Persis Rogers b. Q3 1892 in Dudley RD and died Q4 1892 in Chester RD, appears to be buried in the same grave, Q 517, as little David Rogers. I cannot see any other reason why a child who died in Hawarden, Flintshire, would be buried in that grave in Barnsley.<br /></p><p>William Henry Kay married Sarah Jane Stephenson on 28 March 1895 at St George's Church, Barnsley. They only had one child.<br /> - Jennie Ivy Kay b. 8 Oct 1898 in Barnsley, baptised at the Ebenezer Methodist Church 1 January 1899. Jenny Ivy Kay was living with Sarah Ellen and George Edward Thompson in 1901 and with Arthur and Elizabeth Kay in 1911. Jenny Kay married Arthur Peasegood in Q3 1928 in Barnsley. Arthur had served in the First World War. In 1939 Arthur and Jenny were the gardener and cook in the household of a businessman in Exeter, Devon. They too only had one child, who died young.<br /> - Joan Peasegood was born in Barnsley in Q3 1929. She died in Q2 1931 in Barnsley.<br />Sarah Jane Kay(e) (nee Stephenson) died in October 1898 aged 28 at 13 Middlesex Street, Barnsley, and was buried in Barnsley Cemetery, plot H 583. The closeness between the dates of her death and Jenny's birth suggest she may have died from the effects of childbirth. <br />I have been unable to discover, with any certainty, what happened next to William Henry Kay. It is a more common name than you might realise. He appears to have left Barnsley, possibly in grief after the death of his wife, leaving his little girl to be cared for by his family. There is no-one else buried in Sarah Jane Kay's grave plot to give me any clues.<br /></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPz34YddclfdQsoMjm8XJV6fO6fg0JiMPHbVv3BMXHfyZEZ6q_d_ip1CQcRwZ0Q-dZAJxkhktPs_N8KeAyTCk6U4B-SN5KY2SAMXClWb_WOSLt31rB_gNLy7q9Wreq1mwmEN2LIfU-aw/s529/1918+George+Thompson+obituary.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="529" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPz34YddclfdQsoMjm8XJV6fO6fg0JiMPHbVv3BMXHfyZEZ6q_d_ip1CQcRwZ0Q-dZAJxkhktPs_N8KeAyTCk6U4B-SN5KY2SAMXClWb_WOSLt31rB_gNLy7q9Wreq1mwmEN2LIfU-aw/s320/1918+George+Thompson+obituary.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Barnsley Independent </i>17 August 1918, p. 3<br /><i></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Sarah Ellen Kay married George Edward Thompson in Q4 1896. In 1901 they were living on King Street, Barnsley. George Thompson was a Professor of Music. As well as their own son George aged 3, and their daughter Doris, aged 1, they also had had Jenny Ivy Kay, aged 2, their niece, living with them. Quite a house full of little children!<br /><br />In 1911 Sarah and George were living at 21 Hope Street in Barnsley. Sarah Kay, George's widow was the head of the household. George was now a Commercial Clerk working on 'his own account'. They had three children of their own now, Kathleen having come along. Jenny Ivy Kay had gone to live with her uncle Arthur and his wife in Hoyland.<br /><br /> - George Oswald Kay Thompson b. Q3 1897 in Barnsley. In October 1915 he was a shop assistant in the tailoring department of the Co-op when he enlisted in the York and Lancaster Regiment, 14th Battalion, 2nd Barnsley Pals. His service number was 14/1553. He did not serve overseas straight away as he was under 19 years of age. He arrived in France in April 1916 and was wounded in October 1917. He returned to France in April 1918 and was killed in action on 20 July 1918. He was buried in the Courmas British Cemetery in Champagne-Ardenne, France. <p></p><p> - Doris Isabella Thompson b. Q3 1899 in Barnsley, baptised at the Ebenezer Methodist Church on 7 September 1899 from Queens Road, Barnsley. She married Ernest Wright in Q4 1923 in Barnsley. <br /><span> </span><span> </span>- Oswald Wright was born 11 December 1924 in Barnsley.<br /><span> </span><span> </span>- Joyce Wright was born 25 September 1927 in Barnsley.<br /><span> </span>Doris Wright died in July 1929 aged 29 years, and was buried in Barnsley Cemetery, plot 4 331. <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Ernest remarried in 1932 to Ida Firth. <br /><br /> - Kathleen Thompson b. Q4 1901 in Barnsley. She died in July 1923 at 21 Hope Street aged 21 years, and was buried in Barnsley Cemetery in plot 4. 333.<br />George Edward Thompson died in August 1923 at 21 Hope Street and was buried in Barnsley Cemetery in plot 4 333.<br />Sarah Ellen Thompson (nee Kay) died in July 1938 at 21 Hope Street and was buried in Barnsley Cemetery in plot 4 333. </p><p><b>What does this all mean? </b><br /></p><p>At the end of all research that it seems that any descendants of George Kay still living would have to come via Doris Isabella Thompson's children Oswald and Joyce Wright. All the other family lines appear to end with premature death or childless marriages. Unless William Henry Kay started a family somewhere else in the country after he left Barnsley?<br />It was nice to find a couple of First World War men connected to George Kay though - it just goes to show that most people in Barnsley had some relatives who served in the war, it is just a case of finding them. Now I just have to add all this information into my OH's family tree before I forget how I worked it all out! </p><p>Thank you for reading. <br /></p>BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-383865725041576672021-04-09T18:06:00.004+01:002021-04-10T00:03:28.232+01:00Finding Smithies Working Men's Club - a great 'Rabbit Hole' to research<p>Eons ago I wrote a post about <a href="http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2013/12/many-memorials-at-monk-bretton.html">war memorials in Monk Bretton</a>. I had only been researching war memorials for a year or so and my only resources were the newspapers in Barnsley Archives. It was about a week after the first meeting of what would become the Barnsley War Memorials Project (BWMP, but now <a href="http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/p/about-barnsley-district-war-memorials.html">Barnsley & District War Memorials</a> B&DWM). I had read an article in the <i>Barnsley Chronicle</i> from 1919 that suggested photographs of the men who had gone to war and not returned should be hung as a form of memorial in three places in the Old Mill/Smithies part of Monk Bretton. I couldn't find anything more out about these photos at the time so I mostly forgot about them.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTW0FVZiZn85syc13DhLR7JldQ8YdE_HGNtB_oT0Por8ypT7eL56XkiVxO72Gv4S2r87Wa-8LjNkcL08wR28k3PrHUuS-GVZvxtIYSuon-AqhnnsRL_0XAAmcUU7m9ED4NPJ_becQODw/s802/Twitter+version+Old+Mill+grayscale+smaller.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="802" data-original-width="582" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTW0FVZiZn85syc13DhLR7JldQ8YdE_HGNtB_oT0Por8ypT7eL56XkiVxO72Gv4S2r87Wa-8LjNkcL08wR28k3PrHUuS-GVZvxtIYSuon-AqhnnsRL_0XAAmcUU7m9ED4NPJ_becQODw/s320/Twitter+version+Old+Mill+grayscale+smaller.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">From a Tweet by Cavalier Postcards <br />on 2 Nov 2016 (<a href="https://twitter.com/CavalierStamps/status/793951479824601088">Twitter</a>) </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Then a postcard was reproduced on the Readers' page of <a href="https://www.memoriesofbarnsley.co.uk/backissue/41/">Spring 2017 issue of Memories of Barnsley</a> magazine showing the Roll of Honour from the Old Mill Wesleyan Reform Chapel. I was able to backtrack to a tweet advertising the postcard for sale online and took a copy of the image.</p><p>The names checked out as being Barnsley men but I just filed the images and a scan of the magazine as I was busy with Lives of the First World War and reading for my MA at the time. Another BWMP volunteer worked out that there were 24 names including 3 men who had been killed. </p><p>It has only been in the last few days that I realised that this might be how the photographs proposed in the article about Smithies were eventually displayed. It looks like an elaborate wooden frame with the photos attached in some way. I assume the three in the centre were the men who died. <br /></p><p>Yes, their names were Frank Horbury (died of illness 16 November 1918 in Britain)and Thomas Hilton Horbury (died of illness 12 May 1917 in France), a pair of brothers and Herbert Kaye (missing presumed dead 7 October 1917). (Thanks PS!)</p><p>Last August I found a cutting online from the <i>Barnsley Independent</i> that referred to an unveiling ceremony at Smithies Working Men's Club. The <i>Independent </i>had only just reached the post war years then on the British Newspaper Archive and its coverage of the war years and beyond is still patchy. Anyway, I filed the cutting and sent a copy to PS for adding to the List. (He and I found out long ago that it's much better if just one person looks after an online spreadsheet. When two of us tried to edit it we ended up with corrupt copies and each having different versions. Now I just send him cuttings and suggestions (memorials and men) and he adds them to the lists.) </p><p>And once more I was too busy to think more about it until someone asked a question about Smithies Club on our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/425720354266452">Barnsley's History - The Great War</a> Facebook page a few days ago. The Smithies Roll of Honour apparently listed 190 names including ten men who had fallen during the war. Only the names of these ten and of four men who were awarded distinctions are listed in the newspaper cutting. PS had written a bit about one of the men and someone had asked where Smithies Club had been. It may sound like I'm constantly off with the fairies these days but I have been trying to buckle down and write a 15k word draft chapter for my PhD so I have been trying to avoid getting too deeply drawn into 'rabbit holes'. PS replied that another member of the group had suggested the club might have been the on Smithies Lane opposite the Council Depot - well I've been down there (there's a Dumpit Site which was handy for where we used to live) and there's not a lot across the road from that depot. </p><p>Then we get to today - I've now written nearly three quarters of my draft chapter and most of that in the last week - today I wrote 800+ words half of them on .... Smithies Club! Only that cutting about the unveiling is relevant to my academic writing so I thought I'd come onto my blog and pour out my workings about how I discovered where the club used to be and who was involved in it. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFNrJuy8Np09MI0Zf3xolTV4p1V4swalqQAytQVy2wP-_ZQzhyphenhyphenbWau4UdyJKpsL5JvHu8U3UdJ614O9cAby97-TgXeJDompT__gehIk2766d4SpMImlWICP8b0IQYFtToGunVzWjuA30/s1094/1931+map+Smithies.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1094" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFNrJuy8Np09MI0Zf3xolTV4p1V4swalqQAytQVy2wP-_ZQzhyphenhyphenbWau4UdyJKpsL5JvHu8U3UdJ614O9cAby97-TgXeJDompT__gehIk2766d4SpMImlWICP8b0IQYFtToGunVzWjuA30/w400-h234/1931+map+Smithies.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1931 map of Smithies from <a href="https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/">Old Maps</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <p></p><p>In the 1931 map of the area above (click to enlarge) you should be able to see the club just off centre on a triangular road called Short Row. There wasn't a short row of houses there by 1931, some of them had been turned into the club and the rest had been demolished long before. I found some invitations to tender for decorating and repairs at the club in the <i>Barnsley Chronicle</i> in 1909 and 1912. You do get some idea of how the club is arranged as one item mentions a billiard room and a bar. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xCCy6lj8qjPF-NWMnzVVr-EbXosBKyzeJZUUjlcKFK2U9VEn7pGdF5QO9l74M7ropeLVI1cOo6gNN2W7lyMnJpz6mn3X70A74aUNx7lk-03LS6GanSYopRVwm9fSJIYFr3OSUUPpE0E/s1580/1906+map+Smithies+close.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="1580" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xCCy6lj8qjPF-NWMnzVVr-EbXosBKyzeJZUUjlcKFK2U9VEn7pGdF5QO9l74M7ropeLVI1cOo6gNN2W7lyMnJpz6mn3X70A74aUNx7lk-03LS6GanSYopRVwm9fSJIYFr3OSUUPpE0E/w400-h236/1906+map+Smithies+close.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1906 map of Smithies (Old Maps)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The 1906 map shows a row of eight houses in that triangle shape, it looks like three of them were turned into the club. This is confirmed by a report in the <i>Barnsley Chronicle </i>21 March 1903 concerning five clubs in the Barnsley area which were suspended for breaking various licencing rules. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh64F3Qc4Sfq1Ru33CSqdxetPIDgSkhsFJk7ZycV0Q_Mrz1MXSVDcXN2z_7Q5WR8WrtrWopegwuxofJ-HZbRXm02ZSdfNfoyF9k-7l3tRil1YEpr8DoILS6dmWxlWkV81D7OoSZr-Y7C34/s496/1903+03+21+BC+p.6+cropped+to+Smithies+club.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh64F3Qc4Sfq1Ru33CSqdxetPIDgSkhsFJk7ZycV0Q_Mrz1MXSVDcXN2z_7Q5WR8WrtrWopegwuxofJ-HZbRXm02ZSdfNfoyF9k-7l3tRil1YEpr8DoILS6dmWxlWkV81D7OoSZr-Y7C34/s320/1903+03+21+BC+p.6+cropped+to+Smithies+club.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Barnsley Chronicle</i> 21 March 1903 p.6 (Find My Past newspapers)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I love the detail - all the little facts about the costs and the times, the numbers of times drunken members had been seen leaving the building. The clubs suspended were Smithies Club, Carlton Club, Jump Club (12 month suspension), Hemingfield Club (6 months suspension) and Wombwell Club (3 month suspension). You can clearly see that Smithies Club 'rented three cottages at 5s a week'. </p><p>The earliest item I've found for Smithies Club is from November 1901. It's about a lecture on the importance of mining, miners and labour. I expect it was meant to be both educational and political ... The speaker was a Mr. E. A. Rymer, 'how wonderful it was to find the miner emerge from the depths of the earth, emancipated from slavery, to think and act as a rational being and responsible citizen', he then complimented the club and gave some statistics about the success of the Working Men's Clubs movement. Importantly the article does refer to the Smithies Club as <u>new</u>.<br /></p><p>It took me a while but I did eventually manage to find some census entries for the area - searching for addresses on Ancestry and Find My Past is much more difficult than searching for a name as the sites revolve around family history and most people want to look for their ancestors of course. <br /></p><p>Thomas Taylor wasn't at the club in the 1901 census, but he wasn't far away. Smithies Lane runs between Wakefield Road and Cockerham Lane just before Huddersfield Road. It's about a mile long. The road crosses the River Dearne and that means that some of Smithies Lane lies in Barnsley and some in Monk Bretton, the river being the boundary between the two areas. As you are going up from the river towards Huddersfield Road, Rockingham Street is the left turn just before the railway bridge. Thomas Taylor, aged 26, his wife Alice, aged 24 and their children Jane, 6, Charley, 3 and Esther, 1, were living at number 54 in 1901. </p><p>Thomas Taylor was a Hewer in a coal mine and was born in East Hartlepool, Durham (I have some ancestors who lived there!) and his wife Alice was from West Hartlepool. I wonder how they both got to Barnsley? I found what I am sure is their marriage register entry, at St Mary's church in Barnsley on 26 March 1894, so they didn't marry and then move ... maybe their families moved together and then the youngsters (Alice claimed to be 19 years old when they married, but if she was 24 in 1901 she was only 17 when she got married) married in their new locale. All three of the children named above were born in Barnsley. When Esther and her younger sister Alice (born only a month before her baptism but who appears to have died young) were baptised at Monk Bretton church Thomas' occupation was given as Club Caretaker. </p><p>Thomas may have answered the advert I found in the <i>Barnsley Chronicle </i>on 13 September 1902 for a Steward at the Smithies Working Men's Club and Institute. I sort of hope he came along a bit later because if he was there in 1903, well, then it was on his watch that the club got suspended. I haven't seen any other adverts yet, but I'll keep looking.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbr9NTQPEoqrmKYM5XNwj8tVLFMfI7gF4wt-mMle6lqBwE2X-v5SyPRxiv8pyiftodOVCPJrd7FrGltTOdhSMkUGsOga62L2DOi0lY7wIf0oT_y0rAINCAYSglFyHQYZTHq0iJyOzOe4/s1179/1911+Thomas+Taylor+Smithies+Club+cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="1179" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbr9NTQPEoqrmKYM5XNwj8tVLFMfI7gF4wt-mMle6lqBwE2X-v5SyPRxiv8pyiftodOVCPJrd7FrGltTOdhSMkUGsOga62L2DOi0lY7wIf0oT_y0rAINCAYSglFyHQYZTHq0iJyOzOe4/w640-h224/1911+Thomas+Taylor+Smithies+Club+cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1911 census for Smithies Working Men's Club<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The 1911 census tells us that Thomas and Alice had a total of eight children but that four of them had died before 1911. Oh, dear. The only surviving addition to the 1901 census is Elliott Taylor, aged 1 year and born in Short Row, Smithies, so actually born in the club I assume.</p><p>In December 1912 the club made a presentation to a local couple on the occasion of their Golden Wedding anniversary. The article in the <i>Barnsley Independent </i>gives a few little details about the club. The members had subscribed to a collection for gifts for the couple, apparently 'most energetically' organised by Thomas Taylor. The presents were a silver snuff box for Mr Linsey, aged 74 and a brooch for his wife, aged 72. Mr Linsey had been born in 1838 in a house adjoining the club which had since been demolished and his parents had been handloom weavers. The article says Mr and Mrs Linsey lived at the Barnsley Corporation Water Works at Smithies and Councillor Lingard when making his speech referred to them as close neighbours of twenty years standing. The census summary book for 1911 shows Mr T Lindsey (a spelling mistake maybe) living at Waterworks House, Mr Lingard living at Mill House and on the other side of him the Club with Thomas Taylor. It would be nice to try to work out which shape on the old maps are which houses.</p><p>I will skip the war years as I have written about them today already.</p><p>Sadly Alice Taylor died in 1919 aged 44 and is buried in Monk Bretton Cemetery. Thomas joined her there in 1941 aged 67. He had remarried in the interim and in 1939 he was living at 23 Carlton Lane which is the address where he dies. I don't know when Thomas left the club - or what happened to his children (yet) but given their connection to the North East and that interesting fib about Alice's age when they got married I might take a look one day.</p><p>Roll on the 1921 census - only about nine months to wait - that will plug a few gaps! <br /></p><p>The 1939 register suggests the club may have been split back into
smaller houses again. The occupants of 'Club House', Smithy Green are Mr
Percy and Mrs Ada Pedley, both aged 41. The next three rows are
redacted so may be their children. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhma0jYSSql1q9Yuv4T6FpPTYc7XVXoDXzXFU8dndokKr2UCQk9z-_46XlRvWPqMdwAQq0Fzy27K5YWQaiQETXnQ-SJo0n5eX8adS4RY5KvGTAfFKgwAZREgWxC8NVSYu81vw4rmbd88fU/s1232/1962+map+Smithies.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="762" data-original-width="1232" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhma0jYSSql1q9Yuv4T6FpPTYc7XVXoDXzXFU8dndokKr2UCQk9z-_46XlRvWPqMdwAQq0Fzy27K5YWQaiQETXnQ-SJo0n5eX8adS4RY5KvGTAfFKgwAZREgWxC8NVSYu81vw4rmbd88fU/w400-h248/1962+map+Smithies.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1962 map of Smithy Bridge and Short Row (Old Maps)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>This map of the area in 1962 shows 'The Clubhouse' as the end building of a row of three, with a long thin building at some kind at the other end of the row. I don't know what those little outbuildings immediately to the north might be. Any ideas, or does anyone remember the area? Note the 'Ruins' where the houses on Smithy Green used to be. <p>Percy Pedley was still living in 'Clubhouse', Smithies Lane at the time of his death in December 1970 according to the index entry for Probate on his will. Does anyone remember him? He would have been 72 or thereabouts.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh43UZv_P96p6M4t2QEfk0AivYjaEDdtHZRTyVpKvKYqzjjOB4a9lVPMmHCxwYgabEAt0YZ9j8ECZ5bp3IrkxLljsXMVxW1GaE9mIGNxid5aSx25f8gF0hc77udR76bkGAcm-y8dUN9Oa8/s1024/1970+04+13+Short+Row+cropped..jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="1024" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh43UZv_P96p6M4t2QEfk0AivYjaEDdtHZRTyVpKvKYqzjjOB4a9lVPMmHCxwYgabEAt0YZ9j8ECZ5bp3IrkxLljsXMVxW1GaE9mIGNxid5aSx25f8gF0hc77udR76bkGAcm-y8dUN9Oa8/w640-h282/1970+04+13+Short+Row+cropped..jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">13 April 1970 River Dearne flooding - Short Row in the middle of the picture<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I found the image above on <a href="https://wwwapplications.barnsley.gov.uk/librarydigitisation/details.aspx?imageID=6333">Barnsley Council's YOCOCO site</a>. Percy must have witnessed this flood. </p><p>I have cropped the picture and reduced the size a little. I imagine it is looking over Smithy Bridge or more probably the bridge over the flow out off the reservoir, so you can place it on the 1962 map above. Could this be the only picture of Smithies Club?<br /></p><p></p><p>When did the Club close? What happened to the Roll of Honour? Did the Club amalgamate with another one and were the trophies, pictures and records saved? When were the buildings demolished? </p><p>I have more questions than usual after one of these posts. More recent history is much harder to research online and Barnsley Archives won't be open for a while yet.</p>BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-18507488217666692462021-01-13T17:23:00.444+00:002021-01-16T16:57:31.827+00:00Child Bride? James Crabtree and Mary Senior who married 27 May 1804 All Saints, Silkstone and their Family<p style="text-align: justify;">In recent months I have been noticing the surname Senior in the Barnsley area. It crops up in my husband's (the OH) tree, in the tree of his friend that I researched over the Christmas break, and the other day it appeared in the tree of some First World War soldiers named Law whose family lived on <a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/12/just-one-street-waltham-street-off.html">Waltham Street in 1891</a>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">There appear to be a lot of Senior families in Barnsley, and many of them can be traced back to the 18th and early 19th centuries, before the census started in 1841 and before reliable, clear, parish records. Standard formats were introduced in 1754 for marriages, 1813 for baptisms, and revised in 1837 for marriages which were henceforth centrally registered. Happily in some parishes the clergy kept detailed records before the arrival of these standard formats, in particular the <a href="https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Dade_parish_registers">Dade style registers</a> and <a href="http://www.durhamrecordoffice.org.uk/article/10576/Baptisms-and-burials-1798-1812">Barrington style registers</a>. In Barnsley the Methodist New Connexion church (established 1797) on New Street kept detailed baptism registers in the early 19th century and these have been transcribed with images attached on Find My Past. In particular they give the maiden name of the mother of the child, and sometimes her father's full name, occupation and abode. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrkqAeP2wof_hkd5BlqjzKMab8Ap3L69yk32qYbLxtzJKagVIWuClpVzq_84vM1K-b75YrUmqL4tzxBGJzfnE8Fl1T3O4z4r3oBx_hvoXNCFEGk8WFRWIJ4MtWZJOXn2n8Fk5Q-VQoZU/s1108/1822+baptism+Hannah+Crabtree+cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="1108" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrkqAeP2wof_hkd5BlqjzKMab8Ap3L69yk32qYbLxtzJKagVIWuClpVzq_84vM1K-b75YrUmqL4tzxBGJzfnE8Fl1T3O4z4r3oBx_hvoXNCFEGk8WFRWIJ4MtWZJOXn2n8Fk5Q-VQoZU/w640-h112/1822+baptism+Hannah+Crabtree+cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1822 Baptism at Barnsley Methodist New Connexion, RG4/3645 (from <a href="https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/england-and-wales-non-conformist-births-and-baptisms">Find My Past</a>)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The above example reads:<br />1822<br />Hannah Crabtree Born 9th of Augt - Baptized - 15th Sepr 1822 daughter of James Crabtree Weaver Barnsley, Silkstone, by Mary daughter of William Senior, Tailor, Barnsley etc J Manners<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I think the last was the name of the clergyman who recorded or performed the baptism as higher up the page the names J Manners or Joseph Swift are preceded by the word 'by'. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">This detailed record set me off on a path to try to integrate the Crabtree and Law families into one or another of the Senior family lines I had already researched.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The only marriage of a James Crabtree and a Mary Senior that I can find in Barnsley is in 1804, at All Saints Silkstone. This appears on Ancestry in the West Yorkshire Church of England records. Non-conformist couples married in Anglican churches before 1837. The only exceptions were Quakers and Jewish couples.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEzE5x_kw7dlWrDJnByAQUH4CLQfgVPc0MNq_PoPkklxJcAnBXImjhIAY5FiOvM93KCWYCFlEIya2mSzoAfcXJ72KupG5oRB9bUl5zqDasNxV9UPNZwNP3ryGXiZAKPaFz5mDLfWDHkM/s883/1804+marriage+James+Crabtree+Mary+Senior+cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="883" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEzE5x_kw7dlWrDJnByAQUH4CLQfgVPc0MNq_PoPkklxJcAnBXImjhIAY5FiOvM93KCWYCFlEIya2mSzoAfcXJ72KupG5oRB9bUl5zqDasNxV9UPNZwNP3ryGXiZAKPaFz5mDLfWDHkM/w640-h260/1804+marriage+James+Crabtree+Mary+Senior+cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1804 marriage in the Parish of Silkstone (from <a href="https://www.ancestry.co.uk/yorkshire">Ancestry</a>)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">The current church building in Barnsley town centre, St Mary's, dates from 1822, but there was a church on the site long before that. It was a chapel in the Silkstone parish until it became a parish in its own right. The Barnsley Family History Society index for marriages at St Mary's Church begins in 1800 and does not list the marriage of James and Mary seen above so that suggests that they married in the mother church of All Saints at Silkstone.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The above reads:<br />Banns of Marriage - of - Parish<br />No.186. James Crabtree and Mary Senior, both of this Parish of Silkstone were Married in this church by banns this twenty seventh Day of May in the Year One Thousand Eight Hundred and Four by me Jos Wilkinson Curate.<br />This marriage was solemnized between Us - James Crabtree / Mary Senior X mark<br />In the presence of Joshua Jackson / Francis Gothard</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The form originally stated 'the Year One Thousand Seven Hundred' etc, but the Seven was struck through and Eight written in the margin. <br />The witness Francis Gothard acted as a witness in many of the marriages on the nearby pages, suggesting he was attached to the church in someway rather than being a family member or friend.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">James and Mary Crabtree had at least thirteen children, the first four I have found were baptised at St Mary's in Barnsley between 1805 and 1810 and the following nine at Methodist New Connexion church between 1811 and 1829. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">We know that Mary's father was William Senior, a tailor from Barnsley, based on the evidence in Hannah Crabtree's baptism entry above, and the earliest census returns supply an indication of her age, which can be used to make an approximate calculation of the year in which she was born.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>In 1841 census return</b> for Park Row, Barnsley, James Crabtree was 60 years old and Mary 55 years old. But we have to remember that <a href="https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/England_Census:_Further_Information_and_Description">the instructions for the 1841 census</a> were to round down the ages of anyone over 15. So James could have been aged between 60 and 64 and Mary between 55 and 59 years old. The 1851 census return for Barnsley town centre, including Park Row, is damaged and Mary's age is on the edge of a missing portion - but I think it says 66. She was born in Barnsley. James has passed away and Mary is a widow. From these ages we can calculate that Mary was born between 1782 and 1786 with a weighting towards 1785. Or so she claims ... This would have made her 19 years old at her marriage in 1804, which sounds perfectly reasonable.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: justify;">From the various baptisms I have made a list of James and Mary's children:<br />Elizabeth<span> </span>bap. 23 Jan1805<br />Ann <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>bap. 1 Mar 1807<br />Joseph<span> </span><span> </span>bap. 2 Apr 1809<br />William<span> </span><span> bap. 23 Sep1810<br />John<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>bap.1811<br />Sarah<span> </span><span> <span> </span>bap.1815<br />William<span> </span><span> </span>bap.1816 (so what happened to the William from 1810?)<br /> </span><span></span></span></span>Mary<span> </span><span> </span><span> bap. 7 Mar 1819<br />Jane or James bap.1820 (the record looks like Jane but refers to the 'son' of James & Mary)<br />Hannah<span> </span><span> </span>bap. 15 Sep 1822 (see image above)<br />Elizabeth Ann bap.1824</span><br />Thomas<span> </span><span> </span>bap.1825<br />Elizth<span> </span><span> <span> </span></span>bap.1828 (the name Elizabeth has been used three times?!)</p><p style="text-align: justify;">James and Mary's daughter Mary married John Law at St George's church in
Barnsley on 25 December 1838 and she was living with her parents in 1841
with two children, Elizabeth and Fergus, although there was no sign of her husband. I
had already found the Law family, headed by Fergus Law (b.1841), grandson of Mary
Senior, on <a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/12/just-one-street-waltham-street-off.html">Waltham Street in 1891</a> as I mentioned at the start of this post. <b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>In the 1841 census return</b> were:<br /></p><p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: justify;">James Crabtree aged 60<br />Mary Crabtree aged 55<br />John Crabtree aged 25 years<br />Thomas Crabtree aged 15 years<br />Elizabeth Crabtree aged 13 years<br />Mary Lawe aged 20 years (Lawe or Law - the married name of Mary Crabtree b.1819)<br />Elizabeth Lawe aged 2<br />Fergus Lawe aged 2 months </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Everyone bar the two small children were listed as Linen Weavers. Nearly every adult in the other seven households visible on the double page spread of the 1841 census containing the Crabtree family are also listed as Linen Weavers. The exceptions are a Cordwainer (shoemaker), a Waggoner and a Sadler, and one elderly lady living on 'Independent Means' (income from rents or her savings).<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">John Crabtree has probably also had his age rounded down, as if he is the John baptised in 1811 he should have been 29 or 30 in 1841.<br />Mary Lawe (nee Crabtree) appears a good fit for the Mary baptised in 1819.<br />Elizabeth Crabtree was probably the final, of three, Elizabeth's born to James and Mary, baptised in 1828.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It seems that a number of James and Mary's children died young - at least the first William, and the earlier two Elizabeths.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The <a href="https://barnsleyfhs.co.uk/">Barnsley Family History Society</a> have indexed the burials at St Mary's Church, Barnsley from 1800 to 1840. </p><p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: justify;">The burial of <b>William </b>Crabtree - noted as the son of James & Mary Crabtree - took place on 2 October 1810, he was only one day old.<br />The burial of a second <b>William </b>Crabtree took place on 28 April 1819, he was aged 2 years, so probably the boy baptised in 1816.<br />The burial of <b>Elizabeth </b>Crabtree age 16 took place on 24 August 1821 - this is probably the eldest daughter of James and Mary Crabtree.<br />The burial of <b>Ann </b>Crabtree aged 14 took place on 6 January 1822 - this is probably the Ann baptised in 1807.<br />The burial of <b>Jane </b>Crabtree aged 1 year took place on 12 May 1822 - this could be the girl baptised in 1820.<br />The burial of <b>Elizabeth Ann</b> Crabtree age 1 took place on 25 September 1824 - their second Elizabeth.<br />The burial of <b>Sarah </b>Crabtree age 20 took place on 17 November 1835 - that makes her a possibility for the girl baptised in 1815.<br />The burial of <b>Hannah </b>Crabtree aged 17 took place on 19 June 1840 - just a year before the census was taken - this was probably the girl whose baptism I have used as an example above.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I found eight burials before the 1841 census which may have been James and Mary Crabtree's children. Four children appeared in the 1841 census return, that leaves us with only Joseph, baptised in 1809, unaccounted for from the thirteen baptisms I have identified. I believe he is probably the Joseph Crabtree, from Barnsley, aged 42, so born about 1809, who appears in the 1851 census in Kimberworth, near Rotherham, married to Hannah, with no children listed.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>In the 1851 census return in Barnsley</b>, living on Park Row still, which I have already mentioned, there were:<br /></p><p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: justify;">Mary Crabtree Head Widow [age] 66 Weaver [born] Barnsley, Yorkshire<br />Elizabeth Crabtree Daughter Unmarried [age] 22 Power Look Weaver [born] Barnsley, Yorkshire<br />Thomas Crabtree Son Married [age] 25 Weaver [born] Barnsley, Yorkshire<br />Jane Crabtree Dau-in-Law Married [age] 20 Weaver [born] Barnsley, Yorkshire<br />Feargus Lowe Grandson -- [age] 9 -- [born] Barnsley, Yorkshire<br />Hannah Sykes Lodger Widow [age] 23 Power Loom Weaver [born] Barnsley, Yorkshire<br />Mary Ann Sykes Lodger -- [age] 4 -- [born] Barnsley, Yorkshire<br />George Crabtree Grandson -- [age] 2 -- [born] Barnsley, Yorkshire<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Until I found the burials of the various Crabtree children I did wonder if Hannah Sykes was Mary's daughter, married and widowed, but having checked the GRO indexes I saw that Mary Ann Sykes, born in the Ecclesfield Registration District (RD) in Q3 1847 (the only entry that fits the child listed in the 1851 census return above) has a mother's maiden name of Fox, not Crabtree. So Hannah Sykes is not a family member, just a lodger as it states on the census return, and the death of Hannah Crabtree in 1840 is still likely to have been one of James and Mary's children.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Mary Crabtree reports in the 1851 census return that she is a widow. The death of a James Crabtree aged 68 in the GRO indexes in the Ecclesfield RD appears to fit the age I estimated from the information in the 1841 census. Combining this information suggests a birth date of 1779 for James Crabtree.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Mary Crabtree, the widow, does not appear in the 1861 census return. The only death for a Mary Crabtree that I can find in the Barnsley area in either the <a href="https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/indexes_search.asp">GRO indexes</a> or on <a href="https://www.freebmd.org.uk/">FreeBMD </a>after 1851 and before 1861, is in the second quarter of 1855. The GRO index gives her age at death as 70 years. That suggests that she was born in 1785 - agreeing with her declared age in 1851. A Mary Ann Crabtree dies in 1856, but the GRO index, which includes age unlike the FreeBMD index, notes that she was under 1 year old. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I can find no burial record for a Mary or James Crabtree on either Ancestry or Find My Past (which has no Barnsley burials in its Yorkshire burial index but does include the various Latter Day Saints indexes for England and Wales). The Barnsley Family History Society Burial Indexes (for sale via Genfair, see above) only go up to 1840 for St Mary's and 1850 for St George's. Barnsley Cemetery's records don't begin until 1861, so they have to have been buried in a church yard. Ancestry's records for St Mary's church burials don't start until 1859 - but I visually checked St George's and All Saints Silkstone for 1855 just in case there had been a transcription error. No luck. Maybe their burials were at St Mary's - but unfortunately 1847 and 1855 fall in the gap between my sources.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Going to the beginning of her life I searched the baptism records on Ancestry and Find My Past for girls called Mary Senior who were baptised in the Barnsley area from 1780 to 1790. I found four, but only one had a father named William. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicYh9dj1uBN66XVtMAdkBVvChBgJfAx4eyu_hL7Qvu0tsRq2IMgzlWG8nu21PJT3NuBcWoPX8Gat_w1uxb8dpFTO2S4BOSdIZWqN0tAFvGYRdlk4eo1gcAa2luXdgzErsj8fHX2OtA0I8/s707/1790+baptism+Mary+Senior+dau+of+William+smaller.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="707" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicYh9dj1uBN66XVtMAdkBVvChBgJfAx4eyu_hL7Qvu0tsRq2IMgzlWG8nu21PJT3NuBcWoPX8Gat_w1uxb8dpFTO2S4BOSdIZWqN0tAFvGYRdlk4eo1gcAa2luXdgzErsj8fHX2OtA0I8/w400-h388/1790+baptism+Mary+Senior+dau+of+William+smaller.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baptisms from the beginning of 1790 at St John the Baptist, Royston, near Barnsley (from Ancestry)<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Note the last baptism on the snip above is for:<br />1790<br />March<br />Mary Dau of William & Mary Senior of M: Bretton 21</p><p>In other words, a baptism on 21st March 1790 for Mary Senior daughter of William and Mary of Monk Bretton (which was a village, now suburb, near Barnsley). <br /></p><p>If this indeed the correct baptism for the Mary Senior who married James Crabtree in 1804, and it took place within the usual few days of her birth this suggests that she was only 14 years old when she married. James' birth in 1779 or thereabouts suggests he was 25 years of age when he married in 1804. A possible reason for this might be that James and Mary anticipated the marriage somewhat (I am being polite) because their first child, Elizabeth, was baptised on 23 January 1805, only eight months after their marriage.<br /></p><p>It is odd, but until I can find any evidence that suggests this is not the right baptism I'll put in in the Senior/Crabtree family tree with a note attached saying *probable*. It feels strange to our modern sensibilities for a girl of 14 to have married a man of 25 in 1804, even if there were extenuating circumstances, and to have had at least thirteen children with him in the next fourteen years. I do feel rather sorry for her. </p><p>Rebecca Probert, in her book <i>Marriage Law for Genealogists, the definitive guide, </i>notes that with parental consent for minors under the age of 21 years, the minimum marriage age for girls was legally 12 years of age and 14 years of age for boys. This was the case until as late as 1929, when both were increased to 16 years. <br /></p><p>I will now return to constructing the family tree of the Crabtree Law family to bring it up to date with the research I have already carried out on the 1891 census when the Law family lived on Waltham Street.<br /></p><p>Thanks for reading. </p><p>****** <br /></p><p></p><p><i>This post was updated on 14 and 16 Jan 2021 after initially posting on 13 Jan 2021, after I discovered, on Ancestry, the first four children of James and Mary who were baptised at St Mary's Barnsley - these births are not listed on Find My Past which misled me for a while.<br /></i></p><p><br /></p>BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-61717873883489117492021-01-07T16:40:00.000+00:002021-01-07T16:40:23.932+00:00First World War Soldier's Story: Riley Willerton from Willingham by Stow <p style="text-align: justify;">Over the Christmas and New Year period I have myself two weeks off from my PhD studies - however as my main hobby is family history it was inevitable that I would come across some First World War (FWW) connections eventually. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I am currently researching several friends' family trees alongside my own and my husband's (the OH). I have a theory, often mentioned on these pages, that if a person can trace their family history back to the 19th century in Barnsley then the chances are very good that they are related to the OH. This sometimes makes me wander off down branches that I might not otherwise have researched in the search for FWW associated men and women. When I do discover FWW servicemen in our friends' trees they are often unaware of the connection - for example in a tree I did last year I found five men killed, including two brothers from Barnsley who were the subject's great-uncles on her mother's side. <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The OH's tree currently includes 139 men who served in the FWW and of those 42 lost their lives. Ten of the men who died are close enough relatives for my family tree software (<a href="https://www.family-historian.co.uk/">Family Historian</a>) to have defined their relationship automatically. Forty-three of the men who survived also have a close relationship which has been automatically calculated and displayed, for the others I can find their relationship (usually some complex mixture of cousin and marriage connections) by using Family Historian's built in 'How Releted' tool.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirziDM_JV_VgU1w39CZflYXu4hRmpdX-22K5YU0PLFKqpFUMzr-NYincy3jVdVE_aDkIeE_j04gH2qBpXWdiVwKnOMk61uLqggOXzBdWqNlVDze04johKS09dpgQD2C2pH6aWA8-jMN6c/s523/How+related.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="523" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirziDM_JV_VgU1w39CZflYXu4hRmpdX-22K5YU0PLFKqpFUMzr-NYincy3jVdVE_aDkIeE_j04gH2qBpXWdiVwKnOMk61uLqggOXzBdWqNlVDze04johKS09dpgQD2C2pH6aWA8-jMN6c/s320/How+related.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using the 'How Related' tool in Family Historian<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Yesterday I added another man to the roll of honour of the OH's relatives who were killed or died in the war. Riley Willerton is the OH's first cousin three times removed. This is quite a close connection but I had not found it previously as most of the Willertons had not moved to Barnsley. His aunt, Charlotte Willerton was the OH's great, great grandmother (see above) who was from Lincolnshire and who had moved here to Barnsley between 1884 and 1887 (based on the birth places of her children). </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Riley Willerton was born in Holton Beckering in Lincolnshire (which lies between Market Rasen and Wragby) on the 13 April 1893. His parents were Thomas Willerton and Eliza Sheppard who had married in Langriville Chapel in Lincolnshire on 11 January 1876. The OH's great, great grandfather Joseph Croft was one of the witnesses to their marriage, although he could not write his name and signed the register with a X, as did Thomas Willerton. The bride and the female witness Elizabeth Willerton (presumably Thomas and Charlotte's sister) signed the register and both had quite nice handwriting. Does that say something about education opportunities for girls in nineteenth century Lincolnshire, or the lack of them for boys? At a guess the latter, for boys were probably expected to start work on the farm at a young age and may have missed a lot of school as a consquence.<br /></p><p>Riley was the eighth of Thomas and Eliza's eleven children. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRH1WynoklUsS0CpSfwmAhZuTOlpj91Fror6F-NEjLo43K0HLb-SyM5s7GWXaKmgjmnczKnMAbt9DlLw5GBT5lHMJ7lpp-OIRyV7hz9kFKtkIhJwKEKBTfl_w7xOcsI83Ku3KVp2QboSM/s1122/Thomas+and+Eliza+Willerton%2527s+travels.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="1122" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRH1WynoklUsS0CpSfwmAhZuTOlpj91Fror6F-NEjLo43K0HLb-SyM5s7GWXaKmgjmnczKnMAbt9DlLw5GBT5lHMJ7lpp-OIRyV7hz9kFKtkIhJwKEKBTfl_w7xOcsI83Ku3KVp2QboSM/w400-h180/Thomas+and+Eliza+Willerton%2527s+travels.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thomas and Eliza Willerton's travels plotted on Google Maps<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Thomas and Eliza moved around Lincolnshire a great deal after their marriage, presumably following the availabilty of work. In 1911 the family are living Greetwell Hollow, which is on the outskirts of Lincoln itself and Thomas is a horseman on a farm, Riley, aged 18, is a ploughboy which sounds as if he might be an assistant to his father. Two of his brothers are listed as labourers on the farm - whether or not they all work on the same farm is impossible to tell from the census return.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">By the time Riley enlists in the Lincolnshire Regiment, on 9 November 1914, not long after the outbreak of the war, he is 21 years of age and gives his occupation as waggoner. Fortunately his Army Service records have survived, if in a damage state, and we can see lots of detail of his enlistment and service. He was 5' 5.5" tall and his physical development was good, he had a 39 inch chest and perfect vision. He gives his next of kin as his parents, Thomas and Eliza, who by this time are living in Willingham by Stow which is near Gainsborough. He gives his own address as Kir(k)by Green which is over 25 miles away from his parents' home and close to Sleaford, and states that he has been living away from his father's house for over three years.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyu2uahV4WdtxaSlRRB_uQyK44VQYBl4Whe4mCN4K3pOxj6EuEN2J8Tp5lna5eDmBsIAI193t_OwcS8LD1zmF9T0LLkrhQsY5ptYxTEQLrLHbReWrnjLaE09j0KxvTB-Y_8-qlJE7vR5c/s900/Active+Service+Riley+Willerton+smaller.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="900" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyu2uahV4WdtxaSlRRB_uQyK44VQYBl4Whe4mCN4K3pOxj6EuEN2J8Tp5lna5eDmBsIAI193t_OwcS8LD1zmF9T0LLkrhQsY5ptYxTEQLrLHbReWrnjLaE09j0KxvTB-Y_8-qlJE7vR5c/w400-h213/Active+Service+Riley+Willerton+smaller.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Active Service page from Riley Willerton's Army Service Records (from Ancestry)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Riley left England at the end of February 1916 and was assigned to the 2nd Battalion on 13 March 1916, but in July 1917 he was transferred in the field to the 25th Trench Mortar Battery. It looks as if he had leave to the UK between 4 and 14 September 1917. He was killed in action on 24 November 1917. His records say 'Place not Stated', but as he is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial he must have been in the Ypres area when he was killed, and he either had no known grave or it was lost before the end of the war. The Long, Long Trail website notes that the 2nd Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment were involved in some of the battles making up the Third Ypres, but not in any particular action at the time of Riley's death. I have not yet found the War Diaries for the period. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZDbREJRd1G3H1msvckR1xiC9BIBfu8qhYRndsydgZRecym_oglF_jeb4CUatEQcCWTIuezcerZNv-y3vHitquxSKkRh7vfKU6ZtVaRn5wEsv5GdkfpY-bv5oCVl-DtNQ0Eu_Pe7DP-v0/s764/Willingham+by+Stow+smaller.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="687" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZDbREJRd1G3H1msvckR1xiC9BIBfu8qhYRndsydgZRecym_oglF_jeb4CUatEQcCWTIuezcerZNv-y3vHitquxSKkRh7vfKU6ZtVaRn5wEsv5GdkfpY-bv5oCVl-DtNQ0Eu_Pe7DP-v0/w360-h400/Willingham+by+Stow+smaller.jpeg" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willingham by Stow from <a href="https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/258320/">War Memorials Online</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Riley Willerton is remembered on the <a href="https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/258320/">war memorial in St Helen's church in Willingham by Stow</a>, which is a small brass plaque commemorating eleven men. As he was living with his parents in Greetwell Hollow near Lincoln in April 1911 and stated he had lived at Kirkby Green, near Sleaford for at least three years in late 1914 it might be suggested that he was not a resident of Willingham by Stow, but his parents were obviously able to get the local war memorial committee to include his name on their plaque. He is not named on the plaque in the church in Kirkby Green. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I have just noticed that the name above Riley's on this memorial is Arthur Willerton - could he be Riley's brother - if so how dreadful for Thomas and Eliza. I will investigate tomorrow.<br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Lest We Forget</span></b></span><br /></div>BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-68343892058599516662020-12-29T13:20:00.004+00:002020-12-29T14:04:57.532+00:00Just One Street - Waltham Street off Sheffield Road in 1891<p>My interest in history began back in 1991 when a family friend asked me about names in my family - she started me on the path of a 30 year journey investigating my own and the OH's family trees (and I was happy to research for anyone else who asked or who looked interesting!) By 2012 I had begun to investigate war memorials as a way of finding out more about the OH's servicemen ancestors and now I am in the first year of a PhD studying Barnsley War Memorials. I've come a long way in those 30 years.</p><p>Sometimes a photo or a historical image grabs my attention because it says something about my research of all the different varieties. Today's blog post is about a page of the 1891 census return and in particular some families who I could see at a glance were people whom I knew more about.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpx3aX9AhE5w2JCe5cfsb05mWmMW9lMtT_vlVBCjlb8EdTzVAGocNNOwP0qwidDibITcVk5kPF0e0XCqYKsUWEejmW7EHI52Hs_dsmpZpWEgArAxZ-lijJtS8M2saXbX6bjcK5EMysrpQ/s990/1891+Waltham+Street+Fisher+Law+Jaques+3770+120B.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="791" data-original-width="990" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpx3aX9AhE5w2JCe5cfsb05mWmMW9lMtT_vlVBCjlb8EdTzVAGocNNOwP0qwidDibITcVk5kPF0e0XCqYKsUWEejmW7EHI52Hs_dsmpZpWEgArAxZ-lijJtS8M2saXbX6bjcK5EMysrpQ/w640-h512/1891+Waltham+Street+Fisher+Law+Jaques+3770+120B.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1891 census for Barnsley, Piece 3770, Folio 120B - showing Waltham Street<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I had begun the day by looking for more information about <b>Esther Fisher</b> who married into the <b>Kellett</b> family who are ancestors of the OH. I don't just go backwards in direct lines in our trees, I like to look at brothers and sisters and the families of wives and husbands who married into our families. It is always useful to examine a page of census information to see what you can find out about the area where your family lived.</p><p>Waltham Street is off Sheffield Road and useful sites for photographs of the area before the clearances of the 1930s and 1960s are <a href="http://www.taskertrust.co.uk/Home.htm">The Tasker Trust</a> and <a href="https://wwwapplications.barnsley.gov.uk/librarydigitisation/">YOCOCO</a>. You might also try the <i><a href="https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Edward-Tasker/a/288">Barnsley Streets</a> </i>books from Pen & Sword publishers, Waltham Street appears in Volume 1.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9XlN-_6cRqWdurfVOyT7EKJkW5ywbe5fsCuzWV7ijiZCU1eH1N0O9V1yrTm5oPI8MG0RPvtK5gNlx6U-YzXehLqcc2kUbz1nKFpb4n2Vwzgx-ce_2p79SWH517p_tfTRWn7NGiN1uZww/s446/Waltham+Street+Tasker+Trust+EGT1442M+smaller.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="446" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9XlN-_6cRqWdurfVOyT7EKJkW5ywbe5fsCuzWV7ijiZCU1eH1N0O9V1yrTm5oPI8MG0RPvtK5gNlx6U-YzXehLqcc2kUbz1nKFpb4n2Vwzgx-ce_2p79SWH517p_tfTRWn7NGiN1uZww/w400-h250/Waltham+Street+Tasker+Trust+EGT1442M+smaller.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The top of Waltham Street (with thanks to the <a href="http://www.taskertrust.co.uk/GalleryIndividualImageDisplay.asp?imageID=752#">Tasker Trust</a>) Image ref: EGT1442<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4Nty777yAYw0ud9a-NBZof9ZAS-6W67IkNzeuuldbviTMrhWIbVAMWUFux3IZO3co6M3-m6jMuHVoirfcHm-0rzbahH9yQmxQn9sGmqUbsgVmvZlTEZt9TXo2-rulJNXTzlpMzTzz0Y/s959/1906+Waltham+Street+Old+Maps.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="959" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4Nty777yAYw0ud9a-NBZof9ZAS-6W67IkNzeuuldbviTMrhWIbVAMWUFux3IZO3co6M3-m6jMuHVoirfcHm-0rzbahH9yQmxQn9sGmqUbsgVmvZlTEZt9TXo2-rulJNXTzlpMzTzz0Y/w400-h271/1906+Waltham+Street+Old+Maps.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1906 map of Sheffield Road showing Waltham Street (from <a href="https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/434500/406500/12/100571">Old Maps</a>)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Here is a map of the area in 1906 from the <a href="https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/">Old Maps website</a>, which is also the date and scale of the <a href="https://www.alangodfreymaps.co.uk/">Alan Godfrey historical maps</a> you can buy from Experience Barnsley (for our area) and online. The houses on Waltham Street are larger than some nearby, and of later date than those on Taylor Row nearby or in Wilson's Piece on the other side of Sheffield Road. The large building at the top of the street on the left was the <a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/BAR/171/rising-sun-barnsley">Rising Sun pub</a> (details on the CAMRA ?What Pub website).<br /></p><p></p><p>The census page above shows part of the Elliott family, who are living in a Court off Waltham Street, at the top, then:</p><p><b>56 Waltham Street - the Fisher family</b> - William and Sarah with three children and two boarders <b>Harry and Clara Sherburn</b>. William was a Wood Turner and both he and his wife were incomers to Barnsley from Kendal in Westmoreland (now part of Cumbria). Esther, the daughter I was researching, was born in Barnsley in about 1871 and popping back 10 years to 1881 I could see that she had an older sister, Isabella, born in Barnsley in early 1868. So the family had been in Barnsley for at least 23 years by the time of the census shown above. The houses on Waltham Street were quite small, only four rooms (look in the column just before the names) not counting the kitchen. I do wonder how they fitted in the boarders, but I suppose they brought in some extra money for the family. Technically a boarder shares meals with the family, while a lodger has to provide their own. Sarah Fisher died a few months later and is buried in Barnsley Cemetery, William remarried within a year and appeared to have done well for himself moving to Park Road by 1901 (maybe his new wife had a little money - she was also a widow) and running a lodging house on Doncaster Road in 1911. Esther Fisher, aged 19 in this census return, married <b>Alfred Kellett</b>, who was the OH's 1st cousin 3x removed, in 1892. <br /></p><p><b>54 Waltham Street - John and Mary Ledgar </b>- an elderly couple, both from Ireland. Mr Ledgar was a Coal Carter. I hope that at the age of 70 he only had to drive the cart rather than carry the coal - but our ancestors had to do what they could to make a living. They appeared to have a lodger too - although the census entry is amended showing that <b>John Clarke, age 24,</b> was a separate household within their house although how they separated the four rooms is a puzzle. There was a second lodger at number 54 listed out of order lower down the page, <b>John Corley</b>, aged 20. Goodness knows how they fitted him in as well.<br /></p><p><b>52 Waltham Street - the Law family</b> - this is a family I know quite well as they had several sons who served in the First World War. Head of the household was Fergus Law, aged 50, a Coal Miner, his wife and five children were all fitted into another of the four roomed houses. Sons Fergus and Walter were killed and son Arthur survived service in the Royal Engineers. I wrote a <a href="http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2017/06/ww1-soldiers-story-fergus-oconnor-law.html">post about Fergus</a> in 2017 after visiting his grave in Rawmarsh Cemetery. Fergus Law, head of the household was born in Barnsley in 1841 and his parents had married at St George's church here, but I have not yet found details of his father during my research. He appears to have gone missing before the 1841 census return so I don't know his age or where he was born. One for the 'to do' list.<br /></p><p><b>50 Waltham Street - the Jaques family</b> - this family is distantly related to the OH as a cousin, <b>Ernest Jaques</b>, also married into the <b>Kellett </b>family. I have researched the Jaques family back to the beginning of the 19th century in Barnsley. At least five members of the extended family served in the First World War, and there may have been more as the Jaques ran to large families and there were a number of sons the right age to have served that I haven't researched yet. Bearing in mind that consciption was introduced in early 1916 by the end of the war most men aged 18 to 50 had been called up. Tom Jaques, son of the Tom Jaques aged 21 in the census return above, was killed in 1917 at Bullecourt. Another fatality in the family was George Frederick Jaques, a cousin of the above family, who was accidently killed whilst guarding a military camp in South Shields, Durham. He was buried in Barnsley Cemetery and has a Commonwealth War Graves Commission gravestone. An older man, he had served in the Boer War. Mary Ann Jaques, head of the household at 50 Waltham Street had been widowed in 1887 when her husband Peter, a Quarryman, died age 50 at 7 Copper Street. I can find nothing about his death in the <i>Barnsley Chronicle</i> so I can only assume it was due to natural causes. He was also buried in Barnsley Cemetery.<br /></p><p>A few days ago I discovered a Jaques was killed in the Swaithe Main Colliery disaster in 1875, Henry Jaques aged 27, a cousin of the deceased Peter Jaques.</p><p><b>48 Waltham Street - the Carroll family</b> - is the last household on this page. One member is on the next page. I have not researched this family. </p><p>But having looked up this page, 1891 Barnsley, Piece 3770, Folio 121F, I scanned quickly down and found a very familar name!</p><p><b>40 Waltham Street -the Priestley family</b> - these were the OH's direct ancestors. Robert and Fanny Priestley, from Nottinghamshire, are his 2x great grandparents with Fanny also a <b>Kellett </b>before her marriage. In 1891 there were five children at home, although they had thirteen in all eventually. Robert was a coal miner at this point in time and in this census one of his teenage sons was already a hurrier down the pit. The OH's great grandmother was just six years old - my mother-in-law remembers her as her 'little grandma' who didn't pass away until 1970. I find it amazing that someone I might have known (if I'd lived in Barnsley in those days) might have been able to give me a first hand account of life on Waltham Street in the 19th century. I never knew my own great grand parents as my father and mother were by far the youngest children in their respective families.</p><p>The youngest Priestley son, <b>Walter Clarke Priestley</b>, who was born in 1896, a few years after the census return above, was lost in First World War in April 1918 as the Germans made their last advances. His older brothers Robert and William, who were listed with their parents in the 1891 census, both served and survived the war. The husbands of two of the Priestley daughters also served and survived. Walter, William and their brothers-in-law were all in the Barnsley Pals, either the 13th or 14th Battalions of the York and Lancaster Regiment. </p><p>I wrote a series of posts about the Priestley family back in 2014. These two concern the First World War. <a href="http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2014/01/world-war-one-soldiers-stories-home.html">The Priestley Home Front pt1</a> and <a href="http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2014/01/world-war-one-soldiers-stories.html">The Priestley Home Front pt.2</a>.<br /></p><p>The <b>Kellett </b>family, who linked several of these households in Waltham Street together, came to Barnsley from Retford in Nottinghamshire between 1868 and 1874. I can see from the births of the children in the various branches that Robert and Fanny came here first and must have sent word back to their siblings and cousins as other branches arrive over the next few years. Fanny's father George Kellett and her youngest sister also moved to Barnsley before 1874. The family had been mainly agricultural labourers, although George Kellett had a stint as a toll-bar keeper and as a publican. </p><p>Examine just part of one street and you can see inward migration, changes in occupation over time, family experience of mining disasters, the First World War and even (at a stretch) make a connection to the present day. I recommend you expand your family history into the streets around the area where your ancestors lived, you will find out so much more about the way people lived over a hundred years ago.</p><p>This is the top of Waltham Street on Google Maps today from a similar angle to the photo above. A lot of the terraced houses have been replaced by bungalows, the pub is a Chinese restaurant and you can't even access it from Sheffield Road because of some traffic calming bollards. Very different.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdnYswAkTCtMnJ-VBMqTUj5pEM43PYlkE59rnmRUn45GCkLqP9pJgS2Io7AoiivZveYcBkkNzewyZ2BjaX9jnFJSfQVk5VESMj11h3zmA4ix3FAC47m88beTWW9jW3WSpo-ieCuFwAV0/s898/Waltham+Street+today.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="898" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdnYswAkTCtMnJ-VBMqTUj5pEM43PYlkE59rnmRUn45GCkLqP9pJgS2Io7AoiivZveYcBkkNzewyZ2BjaX9jnFJSfQVk5VESMj11h3zmA4ix3FAC47m88beTWW9jW3WSpo-ieCuFwAV0/w400-h270/Waltham+Street+today.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waltham Street (<a href="https://goo.gl/maps/7J4YzTbX6QhQ8GV88">Google Maps</a>)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <br /><p></p><p>Thanks for reading and good hunting.<br /></p>BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-58004279200780471312020-12-26T15:13:00.000+00:002020-12-26T15:13:45.109+00:00Our Ancestors Didn't Have It Easy - what with Pit Disasters and the First World War<p>About five years ago I wrote the story of one Barnsley born man, <a href="http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2015/04/barnsleys-australian-ww1-connections.html">William Malkin</a>, who emigrated to Australia in 1909. He left behind his wife and child behind (I don't know why) and made a new life for himself over there which caused some problems for his wife in Barnsley after he was killed on 28 September 1916 whilst serving in the Australian armed forces. </p><p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">Pte. William Malkin, whose parents live at Ward Green, Worsbro' Dale, and who emigrated to Australia seven years ago, has fallen on active service with the "Anzacs". (<i>Sheffield Daily Telegraph,</i> 28 October 1916, p.10.)<br /></p><p>His wife's story was quite inspiring for me - she was <a href="http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2015/04/barnsleys-first-health-visitor-frances.html">Barnsley's First Health Visitor</a> and remarried after the war to an ex-serviceman with his own problems. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDCgkqnly-PB6H4VVHdOOP2NN0hTU4LM9tw3LAhpvXbhyaw9bmPlfwgsH-4Oqz2yzYT1AMTz5JR2u5Qo8z_ruGKuTddXW7cHBxG6YUrezIDFnU6X2mtZ9oPuYrOM2DDeWhR0B79xJI84/s554/1908+April+18+BC+Advert+for+Lady+Visitor.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDCgkqnly-PB6H4VVHdOOP2NN0hTU4LM9tw3LAhpvXbhyaw9bmPlfwgsH-4Oqz2yzYT1AMTz5JR2u5Qo8z_ruGKuTddXW7cHBxG6YUrezIDFnU6X2mtZ9oPuYrOM2DDeWhR0B79xJI84/s320/1908+April+18+BC+Advert+for+Lady+Visitor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the <i>Barnsley Chronicle</i> 26 Dec 1914 <br />with thanks to Barnsley Archives<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <p></p><p>Click the links above to read those two stories - or carry on reading here - I will try to make this post stand alone but there will be more detail about William and Frances' stories in the posts above.</p><p>Firstly I'll mention the <a href="https://www.nmrs.org.uk/mines-map/accidents-disasters/yorkshire/swaithe-main-colliery-explosion-barnsley-1875/">Swaithe Main Colliery Disaster</a> which is how I linked these stories to family trees that I am researching. The above is a link to a dedicated website with full details of the events of 6 December 1875 and a list of names of the 143 men killed that day. I discovered that my OH (other half) and one of his friends have family links to several of the men who lost their lives and, in an unhappy co-incidence, to the soldier, William Malkin, mentioned above.</p><p>One of the men killed down Swaithe Main that day was William Greenbank, aged 27, from Lancashire. He had married a Barnsley girl, Hannah Crank, in Lancaster on 13 November 1871 and moved to Worsborough (the second 'o' in Worsbrough comes and goes over the years before finally vanishing in the mid twentieth century). Hannah's father William Crank (sorry about all the Williams in this story - it was obviously a popular family name) was from Ulverston in Lancashire but had somehow moved to Barnsley before 1850 where he married Rachel Sedgwick that year at St Mary's in the town centre. Here's a snip of a section of their family tree to help you sort it out. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL292DqLMiZmEQ1Q6MNyO9wwLLtIMGrgMrI0z8mSZWN8w2sD92ooFoVHGhmDXV-qihDxnbeEYyOvYjawFbkLL4TX84hU291sJa5SEquDgdyvdm9tLyi5HHB1WIbZi9omvPoxzsRg9yDHk/s794/William+Crank%2527s+descendants.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="616" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL292DqLMiZmEQ1Q6MNyO9wwLLtIMGrgMrI0z8mSZWN8w2sD92ooFoVHGhmDXV-qihDxnbeEYyOvYjawFbkLL4TX84hU291sJa5SEquDgdyvdm9tLyi5HHB1WIbZi9omvPoxzsRg9yDHk/w310-h400/William+Crank%2527s+descendants.JPG" width="310" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William Crank b.1823 in Ulverston,<br />and some of his descendants<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>William and Rachel had six children in all, the first three were born in Barnsley and the last three in Ulverston. As the two places are 109 miles apart by the most direct route I can see on Google Maps, it fascinates me that the family moved back and forth so much. </p><p>Their moves must have been driven by the availability of work. In Ulverston the main occupation appears to have been Iron Ore mining, and in Barnsley before 1850 it was weaving. In 1851 when William and Rachel were living at Croft Ends in Barnsley town centre (roughly where New Street and Wellington Street meet at the top of the hill nowadays) William was listed on the census return as a Weaver as were both his and Rachel's fathers on their marriage register entry in 1850. The linen trade had brought hundreds of men and their families to Barnsley from across Britain - from Ireland and Lancashire where they had experience in weaving linen and from North and West Yorkshire where men had experience in weaving wool.<br /></p><p>But hand loom linen weaving as a well paid job for men in Barnsley was coming to an end by the mid 1850s with the introduction of power looms, which could be more cheaply worked by women, and William Crank may have decided to take his new Barnsley family home to Ulverston where there was better paid work in the Iron Ore mines.<br /></p><p>Sadly, as indicated on my snip by a little explosion symbol, William Crank was killed in a mining accident. On 25th November 1868 William and another man were drilling in the No.41 Pit at Lindal Moor, near Ulverston, to make a hole ready for blasting. The second man walked away to attend to some other work and a few minutes later 'he heard a tremendous explosion' and when he ran back he found William had been killed on the spot. An inquest late returned a verdict of 'Accidental death caused by a blast of gunpowder'. (Details from <i>Soulby's Ulverston Advertiser and General Intelligencer </i>3 December 1868 p.5 available via <a href="https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search/british-newspapers">Find My Past</a> or the <a href="https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/">British Newspaper Archive</a>.)</p><p>William's widow Rachel and some of her surviving children returned to Barnsley between 1871 and 1875. This was within a few years of William's death and Rachel may have been seeking support from her own family in Barnsley. One son, John Crank, who was already married and employed as a Iron Ore miner, remained in Ulverston at that time, though he too eventually came to Barnsley. Another son, George Crank, had met a girl in Lancashire, but they had both arrived in Barnsley by 1879 when they married at St Mary's church in Worsborough village. Rachel's eldest daughter Hannah is the Barnsley born girl who had married William Greenbank in Lancaster in 1871 and they appear to have travelled to Barnsley with or soon after Rachel's return. Hannah had been born some months before her parents' marriage but William appears to have always considered her his daughter when completing the census returns and she names him as her father when she marries. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQihsebOArtu14GhG18tVrFkojUpFAxtmeVVDUPBxMmK9bkH-1_wM6fxbselGVMtJZubUwczq-GEULNNJVhwTXRqfff9nK022swbQXaMBP_ztdPZkkD01LUtlX4QSEHwZ_SLcGCxukWCY/s1526/1871+William+Greenbank+Hannah+Crank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="1526" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQihsebOArtu14GhG18tVrFkojUpFAxtmeVVDUPBxMmK9bkH-1_wM6fxbselGVMtJZubUwczq-GEULNNJVhwTXRqfff9nK022swbQXaMBP_ztdPZkkD01LUtlX4QSEHwZ_SLcGCxukWCY/w640-h198/1871+William+Greenbank+Hannah+Crank.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William Greenbank and Hannah Crank's 1871 marriage entry (from <a href="https://www.ancestry.co.uk/">Ancestry</a>)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> </p><p>William and Hannah Greenbank were living at Kingwell, Worsborough Dale, in the widowed Rachel Crank's household in 1875. They had one daughter, Mary Alice Greenbank, born in 1872, possibly in Ulverston (although later census returns mention various places in Cheshire). I know about William's living arrangements because Rachel, his mother-in-law, was a witness at the inquest after the Swaithe Main Disaster. Images of the <a href="https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/6067/">Coroner's Notebooks are available on Ancestry</a>.</p><p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">RACHEL CRANK of King Well in Worsbrough aforesaid, Widow, on her oath says, The deceased Wm Greenbank was 28 years old & a Colliery underground labourer. He was my son in law & lived with me. He set off to his work about a quarter past 5 o'clock on the 6th inst: & I saw his dead body the same day at Swaith Main Colliery. His right foot was off & and he was much bruised all over his body. He was in a club.</p><p style="text-align: left;">We also know that William Greenbank was buried at St Thomas's, Worsborough Dale, as the funerals of the men killed in the disaster were reported in the <i>Barnsley Chronicle</i>. From the details in the report I calculate that William's funeral took place on 11 December. Other funerals took place across Barnsley in the following week and all were reported in a very long article on 18 December 1875.<br /></p><p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">SWAITHE MAIN COLLIERY - WORSBRO' - THE FUNERALS<br />No fewer than twenty interments took place at St. Thomas's burial ground, Worsbro' Dale, on Saturday afternoon. The names of the deceased were: Charles Henry Vine (20), Whitecross Farm, Swaithe; William Hudson (38), Worsbro' Dale; Joseph Robinson Mowbray (19), Worsbro' Common; Benjamin Bennett (26), the Row, Worsbro' Dale; Leonard Galloway (16), Worsbro' Common; Tom Kilburn (49), Swaithe; Charles Goodman (19), Swaithe; William Laughton (17), Whitecross Farm, Swaithe; Joseph Harrison (20), Worsbro' Common; Alfred Hoyland (29), Ward Green, Worsbro'; John Semley (17), Swaithe; Charles Harrison (13), John Henry Gilbert (20), and George Beresford (53), all from one house in Swaithe; <b>William Greenbank (27), King Well, Worsbro'</b>; William Balmforth (22), Worsbro' Dale; John Dawber (24), Worsbro' Dale: John Thomas Smith (18), King Well; and the boy who was not identified. </p><p style="text-align: left;">The full article takes up several columns in the broadsheet newspaper. </p><p style="text-align: left;">The Crank/Greenbank family had suffered the loss of a second male breadwinner in just over seven years. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Hannah had to seek work to support herself and her little daughter and in the 1881 census I found her working as a Housemaid in the household of Samuel Joshua Cooper of Mount Vernon - famous in Barnsley as the <a href="https://barnsleymuseums.art.blog/2020/07/06/the-cooper-gallery-a-history/">founder of the Cooper Art Galley</a>. I wondered how the daughter and widow of miners had the experience to be a Housemaid in a wealthy household, but on investigation in earlier census returns I discovered that she had worked in 'service' before her marriage. She may also have been charitably viewed by the Cooper family as the widow of a man killed in the course of his work. While Hannah was working her little daughter Mary Alice Greenbank was boarded out to an elderly couple in the Ward Green area (again according to the 1881 census returns).<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Hannah remarried on 1 October 1881 in Darfield All Saints to William Malkin who was four years her junior. She gave her occupation as Servant at her marrige, and note that she signed the register with a X, William Malkin was a miner but he could write his own name.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKXgkimt2pvMrrlfBYJQl5cCYLG_EoJb_zwW_tSG0EBkBfCBPdD3eZ4NfPpTXfK15RLuhYkptf1IoKy9vgocq6LaWmo8I82ha6rfE9mSP7Lf51KMIJ2omPO70Mj2M4Ny8llAO-NeQo6c/s1449/1881+William+Malkin+Hannah+Greenbank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="1449" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKXgkimt2pvMrrlfBYJQl5cCYLG_EoJb_zwW_tSG0EBkBfCBPdD3eZ4NfPpTXfK15RLuhYkptf1IoKy9vgocq6LaWmo8I82ha6rfE9mSP7Lf51KMIJ2omPO70Mj2M4Ny8llAO-NeQo6c/w640-h204/1881+William+Malkin+Hannah+Greenbank.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William Malkin and Hannah Greenbank's 1881 marriage register entry (from <a href="https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/yorkshire-marriages">Find My Past</a>)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: left;">As a point of interest it is worth noting that parish records for Barnsley can be found online in two separate places - due to the different Diocesan archives where the completed registers from the churches were deposited. The records for churches in Barnsley town centre and places to the north and west can be found in Barnsley Archives and the West Yorkshire Archives in Wakefield and have been published online by Ancestry. The registers for churches to the south, including Worsbrough, Wombwell and Darfield, are in Sheffield Archives and have been published online by Find My Past. Depending on where you live one or the other of these two websites will probably be free to access in your local library. It is worth making enquiries (after the current Covid crisis has passed of course) before you visit to find out what your library has and whether you need to book a computer in advance.</p><p style="text-align: left;">After their marriage Hannah and William Malkin lived at Ward Green and had three children. William Malkin (jnr) who was the young man who married and then emigrated to Australia, and two daughters, Ethel and Florence. Mary Alice Greenbank was also living with William and Hannah in 1901, but not for long as she married Thomas White on 7 April that year. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Hannah Malkin became a widow again in 1913 with the death of her second husband. She lived until 1920 so she also knew about the death of her solder son William Malkin jnr 1916. William and his wife Frances had one son, Clifton Trevor Malkin who had been living with Hannah in 1911 whilst his mother was working as a Health Visitor. I thought that spoke well of Hannah, caring for her grandson so her daughter-in-law could work, especially after her son had gone to Australia without them. It suggests to me that there was no (or little) ill feeling between the women of the family.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Mary Alice's husband, Thomas White joined the Barnsley Pals (13th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment) on 26 September 1914 and remained in service without incident until the end of the war. His Service Records are available online. They do not appear to have had any children of their own, although the 1911 census shows that they adopted a little girl. <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Hannah's daughter Ethel Malkin married Herbert Simmons on 21 December 1912 and had one daughter, Florence, before the war, and a second, Ruby, on 31 August 1916. Their sons Cyril, Herbert jnr and Joseph were born after the war. Herbert was a soldier in the Reserve from early 1915 but I am not yet sure whether he served overseas or whether his occupation as a miner kept him at home. He also noted, in his discharge papers, that he had suffered from rheumatism for twelve years and fits (epilepsy?) since he was a child, so he may never have been fit enough to serve overseas.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Hannah's daughter Florence Malkin married Allen Edgar Scales in 1929. She would have been 37 years old by this time so I'd be interested to know what caused her to marry relatively late in life. Allen Scales had also enlisted in the First World War but was discharged shortly afterwards as unfit to serve due to poor vision. Florence and Allen had one daughter, Margaret, born in 1931.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The more I learn about the history of Barnsley the more events and people connect with each other. If I had not already researched Barnsley's First World War soldiers I wouldn't have spotted the significance of Hannah's second marriage so quickly. Was her experience unusual for the time? She lost a father and husband in mining accidents and a son in the Great War ... only further research will tell. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Thank you for reading. <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjhlZCLCFKP779Zn7AUk2pDeCM1sBtsqHx-vqgvz1KEcQR8lp4rtG8V9Lex20TK6izmUrhYOKl6yTUOJ5-_Lt1bl3SrrIf2ymdD687z_bCUnj3rxwW6GBXtgoHXqMPZ9-bOX-T0WRS4s/s400/Swaithe+Main+Memorial+plaque+from+WayMarking.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="244" data-original-width="400" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjhlZCLCFKP779Zn7AUk2pDeCM1sBtsqHx-vqgvz1KEcQR8lp4rtG8V9Lex20TK6izmUrhYOKl6yTUOJ5-_Lt1bl3SrrIf2ymdD687z_bCUnj3rxwW6GBXtgoHXqMPZ9-bOX-T0WRS4s/w400-h244/Swaithe+Main+Memorial+plaque+from+WayMarking.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dedication on the Swaithe Main Memorial in Worsbrough, from the <a href="https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/wmAQB0_Swaithe_Colliery_Memorial_Worsborough_South_Yorkshire">WayMarking</a> website where you can find other pictures of the memorial. </td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-86806637679791446362020-10-09T12:25:00.004+01:002020-10-09T16:30:43.522+01:00Being a Research student in Lockdown<p>In May this year I achieved one of my greatest ambitions - I was accepted to study for a PhD at the age of 59 years. I could probably have chosen a better year in which to start!<br /></p><p>Since beginning my higher education journey in 1998, with an Open University course on family history, I have been hooked on the idea of personal development and continuous education for adults. I see the government is currently looking at opening out the A level (and equivalent) sector to more people and I hope access to university study for older people will also be made easier - I abhored the steps the Open University had to make not so long ago when it applied the same funding model as brick and mortar universities. Back in May 2013 I wrote a <a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2013/05/effect-of-fees-increase-at-open.html">post explaining what that increase had meant for me</a>.</p><p>I had started researching the First World War in Barnsley as
part of the OH's family tree long ago and extended my studies to
individual soldier's stories and war memorials in 2012. I wrote an impassioned <a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2012/10/lest-we-forget.html">post on the meaning of remembrance</a> in October that year. As I saw my Open University studies drawing to a close, with my last two modules covering Heritage and the First World War, I looked around for something else to do with my time. I think <a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-disability-adapted-afternoon-walk-to.html">my first war memorial post</a> was this one about Monk Bretton in June 2013. By September 2013 I had really begun look into the existing research on war memorials and the gaps in that research with regards to Barnsley. In <a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2013/09/researching-barnsley-war-memorials.html">one post</a> that month I said, "I would dearly love to pull all this together ... with one source of reference for all Barnsley War Memorials". By the end of November 2013, with a group of like-minded people, <a href="http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/2013/11/launching-barnsley-war-memorials-project.html">we had launched the Barnsley War Memorials Project</a>. That project kept me busy until the autumn of 2016 when sadly my health and personal differences with some of the other people in the group caused me to take a step back. I did keep a watching eye on the project and was recently (Summer 2020) informed that it has been wound up after having successfully published its First World War Roll of Honour as a book and online in November 2018. </p><p>The BWMP's website - constructed by myself for free on a Blogger site and supplied with a dedicated domain name by one of the members of the group at his own expense - has been moth-balled. No further updates will be added. By spring 2019, at the point I was writing my MA dissertation, 806 war memorials had been identified in the Barnsley borough and although there were some updates to the BWMP website after I left there are hundreds of memorials which didn't get their own photo and page, and hundreds which still need to be added to the Imperial War Museum's <a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials">War Memorial Register,</a> which was also one of the BWMP's aims. I would love to address this, if and when I have the time and energy, and I do have a new blog under construction as part of my PhD, <a href="https://commemorationremembrance.blogspot.com/p/about.html" target="_blank">Barnsley's History - Commemoration and Rememberance</a>, but that is meant to be about the way people remembered and research into the projects behind the memorials not a catalogue of all the memorials in Barnsley.<br /></p><p>Following my departure from the BWMP I was in rather a dark place (not joking - even my cat had died!) and I really needed something to help me buck my ideas up. Happily I discovered that Postgraduate Student Loans had become 'a thing' and that the government would pay me to do a Masters Degree! In the spring of 2017 I applied to the University of Wolverhampton and was accepted to do the MA in the History of Britain and the First World War. Getting the Student Loan application passed was another story and I related it in <a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2017/08/when-is-your-name-is-not-your-name.html">a blog post in August that year</a>. It is noticable on my blog achive list that my posts really dropped off in frequency around the time of the start of that course in October 2017. </p><p>My classmates for the MA came from all over Britain - one man even flew over from Northern Ireland - so most of our study was undertaken at home. We met up in Wolverhampton for Saturday Schools - 9am to 4pm, once a month - where we had lectures on a wide range of FWW related topics. I was disappointed when there wasn't one on Commemoration and Remembrance though as that was still my preferred subject. I did learn a lot about the technical side of the war, about generals and planning, and campaigns away from the Western Front that I'd barely ever heard of before. There were about 30 of us on the course when it started and I think 17 of us at the end. Some had dropped out due to illness and personal problems, or had deferred until another year when they had difficulty with balancing work and study. After our last Saturday School in May 2019 we all went to the Lych Gate pub in Wolverhampton (our regular meeting after lectures) and promised to keep in touch, wishing each other well with our dissertations which were due in just after the New Year. We have a Facebook group and I bumped into some of the others at Western Front Association meetings in 2019. Most of us did keep in touch and supported each other through the dissertation period. I was hugely relieved when my 15,000 word effort was submitted just before Christmas! <br /></p><p>In March 2020 I received the news that I'd passed my MA with Merit. My final dissertation had been awarded a distinction and I had only been a few points off an overall distinction (one hard-working chap on the course did achieve this - my heartiest congratulations to him!) With this under my belt <a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/05/im-real-phd-student-at-long-last.html">I applied for, and was accepted, to do a PhD</a> at the University of Wolverhampton.</p><p><b>Lockdown ...</b><br /></p><p>Sadly, due to the coronavirus lockdown, our Graduation ceremony was postponed from April to September and then to summer 2021. Last week our MA cohort got together for a Zoom meeting - there were nine of us in attendance altogether and it was great to see their faces and chat. If nothing else the lockdown has taught us oldies how to use these new technologies and not to be scared of them (which I really, really was to begin with).</p><p>Prof Laura Ugolini, my PhD supervisor, had the great idea to run a weekly quiz during lockdown. She got together some of her colleagues and other PhD students and a varying number of us met up each week on Zoom and had a laugh over some silly quiz questions. One of Laura's other students is also looking at Remembrance, although his topic concerns battlefields rather than war memorials. I have also helped a student at Sheffield Hallam University by taking part in an individual and a group interview via Zoom for his PhD which is on the meaning of memorals to war and mining disasters to the communities around them. </p><p>I have been watching web presentations on FWW topics. The Western Front Assocation (WFA) have a very busy programme and the talks are put up on YouTube afterwards so anyone who missed them can watch them later. The presenters of the talks include academics such as my MA supervisor Prof Gary Sheffield and WFA members. I have also 'attended' a virtual conference organised by the Social History Society as recommended by Laura, and where several of her PhD students gave short talks. One thing I have really missed during lockdown is conferences - I was booked on at least three FWW related conferences in early 2020 and of course all these were cancelled. </p><p>Sadly the CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) Members' Weekend and AGM in York in early April was also cancelled. I do look forward to these events since I can no longer work at beer festivals. They are attended by large numbers of my 'friends in CAMRA' and it is wonderful to see them face to face and give them a hug. None of this is possible at the moment and may not even be possible next year. Since March I haven't been to a pub for a social drink - we managed a few meals out with my mum and the OH's mum during 'Eat Out to Help Out' in August but we have called a halt on them for now as the infection numbers rise.<br /></p><p>The Doctoral College at the University of Wolverhampton provide a very wide selection of online talks and web discussions on becoming a Research Student which cover various aspects of study and personal development. There were some talks that explained how the PhD research life cycle worked over the four to eight years (full-time or part-time) that were really useful. Although I thought I understood what I was letting myself in for, actually hearing about it from current students was very helpful. </p><p>As the new term started the other week I noticed that the cycle of talks was beginning to repeat - I am being bombarded with emails for days on end inviting me to things I've already done in some cases. I am beginning to throw uni emails in the 'trash' without even opening them, which is probably bad of me, but I don't need to know about the library opening or procedures to cope with the lockdown on campus as I am not there and probably won't be for a very long time. Many of the messages seem to be for undergraduates who are just starting at uni, and some have even invited me to open days to find out more about moving on to postgraduate study in the future! As a new(ish) PhD student I seem to have been caught up in a chunk with all the other new starters. But it's not just me ... during that Zoom meeting with my MA colleagues last week several of us commented that we didn't receive anywhere near this number of emails when we first started in October 2017. Even the people who haven't progressed to a PhD are getting the messages. Of course they should have completed and graduated by now and become alumni, but that process is probably on hold along with our ceremony. Having worked with university administration computer systems in the past (oh so long ago now in 2000-2009) I know that messages and emails can be targeted, but I suppose with people working from home in the crisis some fine detail is being skipped for convenience. I hope I don't miss anything important.<br /></p><p>The post I published in <a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/05/im-real-phd-student-at-long-last.html">May 2020</a>, to which I have already referred, ended with me looking forward to writing my first 10,000 word PhD literature review for Laura. Since then I have written and submitted two reviews, one on physical war memorials and one on Remembrance. I haven't visited a single library and I have not seen Laura face to face except on Zoom! I have discovered that footnotes and bibliography count as part of the word limit at this level of study - so a 10k piece with a long list of references might actually only contain 8,600 words in the actual report. It is quite tricky to balance this when writing. </p><p>Happily my huge book collection, gathered together over years of Open University study and during my MA, has meant that I have only had to buy a few more books to do my literature reviews. The focus of my research may be war memorials but there are lots of ways in which I could study them, so my recent book buying has been a bit eclectic. I think I know what I want to do - but the 'themes' under which I construct my thesis are very fluid at this point. My most recent purchases have been to do with the economic and social situation in Britain during the inter-war period as I know that in Barnsley the construction of war memorials was greatly affected by strikes and unemployment and the resultant shortage of money amongst miners and their families. Something else to talk to Laura about.<br /></p><p>My second review was returned by Laura yesterday with constructive comments and my next task to do some amendments and corrections based on her advice. We are planning a Zoom meeting next week to talk about it - there are one or two things I'm not sure I am quite getting my head around - 'moving the topic forward', 'how they [authors] have contributed to new understandings' and 'key contributions to the literature'. I did use the words 'developing trends' at one point and Laura noted that this was the kind of thing that needed highlighting. At the moment I am summarising the books I have read on the topic, usually in chronological order, remarking on what the authors have concluded and noting points where they seem to relate to my proposed studies on Barnsley (although Laura has commented that the proper place for detailed comments along these lines is in my actual thesis). I think I am missing some analysis that is required at this higher level of study. <br /></p><p>But that is the whole point of having a supervisor I suppose ... to lead me in the right direction ... and after all, I have only just begun my six (maximum eight) year journey to a PhD. </p><p>I understand that studying for a PhD can be a lonely thing - several of the potential supervisors I spoke to mentioned that - but as someone who has studied with the Open University, has been away from the world of work since 2009 and almost housebound since 2016, I am used to being alone, so I expected I would be ok with that. To be honest only my usual health issues are preventing me from completely enjoying the research and writing, and there's not a lot I can do about them except pace myself and take things one step at a time. Even if it means only writing for two or three hours a day a few days a week - reading and note taking on the days in-between - or looking for relevant articles and newspaper cuttings online when I'm awake in bed at 4am. <br /></p><p>It is this other loneliness that I am finding difficult - no weekend trips away, no visits to Archives with the OH, no sitting in on the OH's CAMRA meetings (the beer festival ones in one of our local Wetherspoons were best as lots of people turned up and they were quite informal), no taxi rides with my mum-in-law to the pub for a meal every other week (the OH used to walk and meet us there!), no visits to my daughter in Leicester or my son in Bedford. </p><p>I remember the last weekend before the lockdown very clearly - on the Saturday the OH took me to Christ Church at Brampton near Barnsley to look at their war memorials (I was starting my research into the <a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-brampton-parish-hall-roll-of-honour.html" target="_blank">Brampton Parish Hall Roll of Honour</a>), there was a coffee morning so it was easy to gain access. The man taking the money for the drinks and cake was wearing gloves, a sign of things to come, and we didn't shake hands, although I made a move to do so as I introduced myself only to realise I shouldn't! Afterwards we went a CAMRA Regional meeting in a pub in Elsecar, near Barnsley (these meetings move around Yorkshire each quarter and seem to visit Barnsley about once every three years, and they are the only ones I attend now) where someone was coughing in a corner saying it wasn't the virus ... by the following Friday we had moved my elderly mum to our house and my OH had gone to live at her bungalow as he was still working doing repairs in public buildings, schools and police stations. I didn't hug him for 16 weeks. </p><p>I started showing Covid-19 symptoms shortly afterwards and had to isolate from my own mum in my bedroom, coughing and coughing ... I lost my voice and had to write notes to communicate with her during late April and into May even after the rest of the symptoms had gone. Happily I didn't give the virus to mum as far as we can tell, although neither of us were tested as that was only for people who were really ill or in hospital at that time. It is also difficult to tell, given my pre-existing conditions, whether I have Long Covid symptoms, but I am quite unfit as a result of the lock-down, no Tai Chi classes, no walking around shops or cemeteries or museums for months and months. A few minutes housework or gardening makes me very tired now, much more so that in the past. We have even employed my mum's cleaning lady to come and 'do' for us once a week - at least I have my PIP to pay for that so I don't feel quite so guilty.<br /></p><p>Of course things started getting back to normal in the summer, but it seems that was a false hope. I wonder how long it will be before both of our mums and myself are locked down as vulnerable once again? The OH and I managed a trip to the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley for our 16th wedding anniversary in early September, but I was so tired just looking around Dudley town centre the day after the museum trip that he bought me a rolator walking frame with a seat there and then. That has been tried out walking to my mum's bungalow, but it takes me 35-45 minutes to do a walk that Google Maps says should take 10 and the next day I don't get out of bed. <br /></p><p>Next month I have been invited to the socially distanced dedication of a war memorial bench at Carlton near Barnsley ... a few years ago the Barnsley Branch of the Yorkshire Regiment Association set themselves the challenge to install benches near to all Barnsley war memorials. Obviously only the main outdoor ones as 806 [the total discovered by the BWMP before they wound up] might might be a few too many! Several of the members have joined my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/425720354266452">Barnsley's History - The Great War Facebook page</a> and that is how they got in touch with me. They have even suggested I might give them a talk on Barnsley war memorials when the current situation is resolved. I am probably looking forward to the dedication in a way that is completely out of proportion to the scale of the event - but I haven't been to anything like this since March and it would be lovely to see other faces in real life, not just on Zoom.<br /></p>BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-81068239750075881602020-08-13T18:56:00.013+01:002020-10-11T12:02:06.519+01:00Lister Beckett - Part 4 - His death and what happened next for his family<div style="text-align: left;"><div>This is the fourth and final post in a series of four about the life of Lister Beckett. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/08/lister-beckett-part-1-father-of-sidney.html">Part 1 - His birth and parents</a><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/08/lister-beckett-part-2-his-marriage-to.html">Part 2 - His marriage to Elizabeth Haigh</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/08/lister-beckett-part-3-his-relationship.html">Part 3 - His relationship with Edith Sokell</a></div>Part 4 - this post - His death and what happened next for his family<br /></div><div> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is a story of a man who had two 'wives'. Charged with deserting his
first wife in Dewsbury, he was caught by the authorities playing
cricket but claimed in court to be 'under the doctor' and thus unable to
pay any maintenance! Lister's second family lived in Concrete Cottages
in Wombwell after his death and his son Sydney (or Sidney) served in the First World
War and is remembered on the <a href="https://commemorationremembrance.blogspot.com/2020/02/brampton-parish-hall-roll-of-honour.html">Brampton Parish Hall Roll of Honour,</a> hence my initial interest.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Websites and books used for reference are listed at the end of each blog post.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Part 4 - His death and what happened next for his family</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At the end of the previous section of this story Lister Beckett and Edith (was Sokell) were living in Pudsey and I mused that he may have attended the marriage of his younger Dewsbury born daughter, Freda, in Dewsbury Parish Church in 1906. Lister had two daughters by his wife Elizabeth in Dewsbury and eight children by his Wombwell born partner Edith, of whom three died in infancy and one in a shocking accident aged 7 years (see Part 3 - linked above). Evidence suggests that at some point after the birth of Elsie, his youngest child, in Pudsey in 1905, Lister, Edith and family returned to Wombwell.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The
next reference I have found to Lister Beckett in the newspapers on Find My Past was
from the Mexborough and Swinton Times on 10 July 1909 and it appeared in
amongst the sporting news. There were many brief appearances of his name connected to cricket matches in the local newspapers - he was
usually favourably mentioned. Sadly for Edith the 1909 mention
was a report of his death.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">LISTER BECKETT<br /></div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">So
another of our giants of the cricket field has gone to the pavilion for
the last time. I heard with something of a shock of the death of Lister
Beckett, at Stairfoot, last week-end. As a matter of fact, we had lost
sight of Lister for the last few years of his life. Twelve seasons ago
he was in his prime as a slow bowler with a deadly break, and at that
time was without doubt the best bowler in the League, topping the
averages more than once. Many a stubborn wicket did he get for Mexboro',
bowling from the top end, and on a wicket that suited him he was almost
irresistable. But he was approaching the old-man stage when he was at
the height of his reputation and eight seasons ago Mexboro' cricket saw
the last of him. He was a genial breezy cricketer, and would bowl for a
day with a big heart and an unruffled temper. He left Mexboro' for
Pudsey, but he also left the best of his cricket behind him. We heard
little of him afterwards, though I understand he has turned out once or
twice for Mitchell Main. He was a fine bowler and one of the best of
men. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A
fine obituary indeed. His death was registered in
the Rotherham RD in Q3 1909 (which includes July of course) which included West Melton and
Brampton. Wombwell and Stairfoot were, at that time, in the Barnsley RD. He was only 49 years old despite the article suggesting he was 'approaching the old-man stage' in his cricketing career. I would be very interested to see his death certificate. Was this a
sudden unexpected death? The article mentions Stairfoot 'last week-end' which suggests it was not at work, unless it was a protracted death? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The burial records for Wombwell Cemetery provide the final piece of evidence concerning Lister Beckett. In my last post I identified two areas in the cemetery where members of the Sokell family, both Edith's parents and Lister's children, were buried. Lister himself was buried in the same plot as Edith's unnamed 4 hour old son, born in 1891 and Louisa, their 8 months old daughter, who died in 1893. The 'Place of Death/Address' column in the records states both these children were from Wombwell, although we know Louise's death was registered in the Doncaster Registration District (RD) so I am not sure how much credence we should give the information in this column. Lister's record gives his address as 105 Concrete Buildings, Brampton - this was the home address of Edith's parents. His death was recorded as occurring on 1 July 1909 and his burial on 4 July 1909. The 1st of July 1909 was a Thursday and the 4th was Sunday. This leads me to think that the writer of the newspaper report above had heard about Lister Beckett's funeral 'at Stairfoot, last week-end' rather than his actual death, but that causes more confusion as Stairfoot is about four miles from the area in Wombwell where Edith's parents lived and just under three miles from Wombwell Cemetery. I suppose a funeral service could have been held in a place of worship in Stairfoot if Lister had some religious attachment to a particular church or chapel, followed by his interment at Wombwell. Another clue is in the Barnsley Chronicle for 26 June 1909 which records a cricket match (no date given) played between Hickleton Main (a colliery) and Stairfoot in which a bowler called Beckett took seven wickets, confirming that Stairfoot had its own cricket team with a very good bowler named Beckett. This may or may not be Lister Beckett of course. Searches for 'Beckett' in Barnsley and Mexborough newspapers are complicated by the fact that the main Barnsley hospital was the Beckett Hospital which greatly increases the number of results. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Edit 11 October 2020:</b> I sent for Lister Beckett's death certificate in August and received it back in a timely fashion. No idea why I haven't done anything with until now! Here are the details:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Where and When Died: First July 1909, 105 Concrete Row, Brampton Bierlow</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Name and Surname: Lister Beckett</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Age: 49 years</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rank or Profession: House Painter (Journeyman)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Cause of Death: Phthisis Pulmonalis </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Informant: Geo Siddall Father in Law Present at the Death, 105 Concrete Row, Brampton Bierlow.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Registered: Second July 1909</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Phthisis Pulmonalis is now known as Tuberculosis. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Note that George Siddall, who was Edith's step-father, was happy to be recorded as Lister's father in law. Another example of the way in which irregular relationships were recognised in communities in the early 20th century. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>End Edit.</b><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">There is no gravestone on Lister Beckett's plot in section Con 8, number 2061, in Wombwell Cemetery, however the adjacent plot, section Con 8, number 2062, has a gravestone which records William Pickard who died in January 1902, 'the beloved husband of Hannah Pickard'. I noted in my last post that James Whittaker and Augusta (nee Sokell), with whom George Siddall and Ann (nee Sokell) lodged in 1881, were buried nearby, actually in plot Con 8, number 2060 (there is no stone on their grave either). It transpires that Hannah Pickard had also been a Sokell, the sister of Ann Siddall and Augusta Whittaker. I suggest this makes her the Mrs Pickard (aunt) who attended little Ada Sokell Beckett's funeral in June 1902 in Mexborough. I have found marriage register entries showing that William Pickard married Hannah Sokell in Otley in 1873 and subsequently realised that Hannah Pickard was a witness at James Whittaker's marriage to Augusta Sokell, also in Otley, in 1875. That section of Wombwell Cemetery is definitely a Sokell family area. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUu4qK4oipIY6guhXjBOj2BEkMATAJg2Rdtx7c8iQvhyJlgyCOLS047TMt0Il-JHO1ysZ8b4EKbYTyVhYsscw5WqMSjS6uRC9Jiq_tQ_LpydoPml8ZysZA-DGF8zRkbhg6l-ntvCrPdA4/s979/20200803_empty+plot+Con+8+2061+smaller.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="979" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUu4qK4oipIY6guhXjBOj2BEkMATAJg2Rdtx7c8iQvhyJlgyCOLS047TMt0Il-JHO1ysZ8b4EKbYTyVhYsscw5WqMSjS6uRC9Jiq_tQ_LpydoPml8ZysZA-DGF8zRkbhg6l-ntvCrPdA4/w512-h384/20200803_empty+plot+Con+8+2061+smaller.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">From left to right - Plots 2060, 2061 and 2062 in Con 8 Wombwell Cemetery</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the 1911 census Edith was living with her step-father and her
mother, now at 105 Concrete Buildings (aka Concrete Cottages) in
Wombwell. We cannot tell how long she may have been there, but as this was the place of Lister's death in 1909 (or at least the address given at his burial) we might assume the family had been living with her parents for at least that long.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIPut1jlrr7GcnAg8xHA9D9LH6jZrYP2TAUBA71vs7DOY4Megcql8U-9lsHJCGgDEmAg2S6_HpGSDSNIvlqn9aDrGXIJTd_NrUHYOtZrl9dlf71SZy1PyYlVe-kbMRSLTli9MbEru-5Q8/s1532/1911+George+Siddall+cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="1532" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIPut1jlrr7GcnAg8xHA9D9LH6jZrYP2TAUBA71vs7DOY4Megcql8U-9lsHJCGgDEmAg2S6_HpGSDSNIvlqn9aDrGXIJTd_NrUHYOtZrl9dlf71SZy1PyYlVe-kbMRSLTli9MbEru-5Q8/w625-h93/1911+George+Siddall+cropped.jpg" width="625" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1911 census snip for 105 Concrete Buildings, Wombwell (from Ancestry) Click to enlarge<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Edith
was quite clearly recorded under the surname Sokell, as single, and as George's step daughter. She
was now 38 years old and because she was recorded as single we have none
of the usual detail about length of marriage and children born to her in the centre section of the census return.
Living with their grandparents are Edith's surviving four children by Lister Beckett. All four are listed as '...... Beckett Sokell' and as George Siddall's step-grandchildren. Sydney Beckett Sokell, aged 14, was working as a 'glass hand taking up', that is fetching a blob of molten
glass from the furnace for the glass blower to work. Probably not what
he expected to be doing whilst his father was still alive, when I assume he would have followed him into the painting and paper hanging trade. Also in the
household are Freda aged 11, Eileen aged 7 and Elsie aged 6.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A 1910 West Yorkshire Tax Valuation on Ancestry gives Lister's address
as 14 Greenside, Pudsey. The data must have been collected
prior to his death so this does not prove Lister and Edith were living in
Pudsey in the summer of 1909, they could already have moved back to the
Barnsley area. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I
know Sydney Beckett Sokell served in the First World War because he is
named on the Brampton Parish Hall Roll of Honour as Sydney Beckett and it was, in fact, his name that started me on this journey to tell Lister Beckett's story. It took me a while but
eventually I found his medal card and medal roll on Ancestry under the name Sidney B Sokell (note the 'i' instead of a 'y'). He was a
Driver in the Royal Horse Artillery, service number 618389. He did not
qualify for a 1914 or 1914/15 Star but he was awarded the British War
Medal and Victory Medal which means he did serve overseas for a time. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sources which suggest the way in which the irregularity of the births of Lister Beckett's children with Edith Sokell were regarded by their children themselves include their marriage register entries. Freda
B Sokell married Arthur Pilling in Q4 1919 in the Rotherham RD - but no
record of their marriage in a parish church has been found as yet so I am unable to see whether she named her father without buying the marriage certificate. However Find My Past's Yorkshire Marriages collection includes Brampton so when Eileen
Beckett Sokell married to Walter Leather in Christ Church Brampton on 1 September 1923, her home address was 46 Concrete Buildings, Brampton Bierlow and I can see that no
father's name was given on her marriage certificate. When Sidney Beckett
Sokell married Ethel Jackson on 23 August 1924, also in Christ Church in Brampton, his home
address was also 46 Concrete, but he did name his father as Lister
Beckett (with Sokell added afterwards in smaller letters) and gave his
father's occupation as Painter. Eileen (or the clergyman presiding at her wedding) chose not to name Lister Beckett, yet Sydney did mention him. One reason for this could be that Sydney was old enough when his father died to have a good memory of him, whilst Eileen would only have been six years old. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At her death in 1920 Edith's mother Ann was living at 105 Concrete Buildings, and indeed when George Siddall, her step-father, died over twenty years in 1946, his address too was 105 Concrete Buildings. As both Eileen and Sidney were married from 46 Concrete Buildings this suggests Edith and her children had moved into a separate home from her parents between 1911 and 1923. The 1921 census, due to be released at the beginning of 2022, will have more information on the families and their addresses.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile a search of the Electoral Registers revealed Sokell, Beckett Sidney (I think the compiler of the register may have got his names confused!) was living at 46 Concrete in the Brampton Bierlow Township of the Wentworth District in 1918 (as an Absent Voter in the Armed Forces), 1919 and 1920. George and Ann Siddall were both registered at 105 Concrete. Edith and Fred Beedon were also recorded at 46 Concrete in these three years. This turned out to be a huge clue! </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBqtL90lkIUEoKU9KMy89rNNlRO1Nb8PTLsxTvZsVzs1Zb62b9UIDctgsw28yeofqyZdPMpyzVdc5CEuYZKnivCq-nd-oKUjEVP1BCD4evPGKhsQuvnjNF7EztE1X1PF2lk-Xpnxba9k/s567/RoH+snip+showing+Sidney+Beckett.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="567" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBqtL90lkIUEoKU9KMy89rNNlRO1Nb8PTLsxTvZsVzs1Zb62b9UIDctgsw28yeofqyZdPMpyzVdc5CEuYZKnivCq-nd-oKUjEVP1BCD4evPGKhsQuvnjNF7EztE1X1PF2lk-Xpnxba9k/w454-h322/RoH+snip+showing+Sidney+Beckett.jpg" width="454" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sydney Beckett and Fred Beedan listed on the Brampton Parish Hall Roll of Honour</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">In Q3 1912 Fred Beedan, who is listed immediately below Sydney Beckett on the <a href="https://commemorationremembrance.blogspot.com/2020/02/brampton-parish-hall-roll-of-honour.html">Brampton Parish Hall Roll of Honour</a>, married Edith Soakhill. The mangling of Edith's surname meant I had missed this until I was going over the records again in order to write this post. Fred had served in the 7th Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment, service number 23599, and had been discharged as physically unfit on 23 August 1917. He had been born in the Barnsley Union RD in Q1 1887 making him 25 years old when he married the 39 year old Edith Sokell. In the 1911 census he had been one of twelve members of the Beedan family living at 92 Concrete. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-b2u6DofmIdzHBZ4q-SdlXS3DTSUSSWzBvYaqeiTQO-I7jwsPZrYldbkJiPeXWjBlwiWbVtVOT0djmy4BR_GJ5vLdqBM6kTUMMHrNVm2eIaiisEJXoIoVk4lLYli-K2xd9krTTuKYwRQ/s973/Family+information+Fred+Beedan+Service+Records.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="973" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-b2u6DofmIdzHBZ4q-SdlXS3DTSUSSWzBvYaqeiTQO-I7jwsPZrYldbkJiPeXWjBlwiWbVtVOT0djmy4BR_GJ5vLdqBM6kTUMMHrNVm2eIaiisEJXoIoVk4lLYli-K2xd9krTTuKYwRQ/w512-h201/Family+information+Fred+Beedan+Service+Records.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Details of Fred Beedan's wife and children from his Army Service Records (from Ancestry)</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fred Beedan's Army Service Records (on Find My Past and Ancestry) contain his family information. The records are somewhat washed out at the edges, this may be water damage associated with the fire during the Second World War which destroyed 60% of the First World War Service Records. Fred married Edith Soakhill on 24 September 1912 at Rotherham (from this terse information I assume this was at the Register Office). Under (c) 'as above' refers to the address given for his next of kin where the number of the house is totally illegible and the place has been amended from Concrete at 'Brampton nr Rotherham' to 'Wombwell, Barnsley' - a confusion which has persisted throughout the records I have seen for Concrete Cottages. He recorded Eileen Beckett Soakhill, born 9 April 1903 in Darfield and Elsie Beckett Soakhill, born 24 March 1905 in Pudsey, as his children (that is: his dependants for the purpose of his separation allowance). As Edith's children were still quite young when Lister Beckett died, Freda aged 9, Eileen aged 6 and Elsie aged 4, I imagine she needed the support of a working man - she may have worn out her welcome in her step-father's home. Fred had enlisted on 22 September 1915 and served in France from 2 March 1916 until 29 June 1917. He was awarded a pension of 27 shillings and 6 pence with a disability caused by a gun shot wound to the head and a fractured skull. His address in 1917 was 46 Concrete, Wombwell. He had previously worked at Cortonwood Colliery for nine years, but felt he was unable to return to work underground, though he did suggest that he could take work at the pit heads. A letter from Fred himself is included in his records where he asked about his Silver War Badge noting that he had been awarded a pension after being shot in the head and arm. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Edith Beedan, who had been Lister Beckett's partner and mother of eight of his children, died on 26 July 1936 aged 63 and was buried in Wombwell Cemetery section N/C 18 number 1215 (N/C stands for new consecration and plots with this suffix appear to be later additions to the cemetery). There are no other burials in this grave and I have not yet investigated whether it has a gravestone. Fred Beedan appeared in the 1939 Register living at 46 Concrete and was recorded as a surface colliery worker, living with him was Norah Beedan, born in 1907, who recorded as performing unpaid domestic duties. I wondered if this might be a sister or niece living with him as a housekeeper but could not find a record of a Norah Beedan born in 1907. Fred Beedan died in 1964 aged 78 and was buried in a plot in Wombwell Cemetery where he was later joined by a Nora Beatrice Beedan who died, aged 100, in 2007. This helped - Fred Beedon (another vowel shift) married Norah B Lovell in the Rotherham RD in Q1 1938. In 1911 Nora Beatrice Lovell aged 4, had been living at 100 Concrete Cottages with her parents, widowed grandmother and two sisters.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So Edith Sokell married Fred Beedan, fourteen years her younger, three years after Lister Beckett, who had been thirteen years older than her, died. Fred Beedan, having supported Edith and her younger children by Lister Beckett through the First World War, remarried two years after Edith's death to Nora(h) Lovell, who was twenty years his younger. I am surprised at these age differences, but I am not sufficiently expert on marriages at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century to say whether they are very unusual. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The social interactions at Concrete Cottages continue to interest me - I have previously investigated the origins of some of the families living there, in particular distances travelled from the places of birth of the men recorded on the Brampton Parish Hall Roll of Honour or their fathers. I wonder if how many other marriages there were between war widows and their near neighbours? Or simply between the families living in the 106 cottages? There does seem to be a pattern that the mother of a single illegitimate
child, if marrying someone other than the child's father, married an
older man in comparison with other marriages in the same period. Widows (or apparent widows in Edith Sokell's case), on the other hand, married younger men. Again, I emphasise, I am no expert on this subject, these are purely my observations from this extended example.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Lister Beckett's Surviving Children</b><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Edith Beckett, born 1881 in Batley.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Last identified in the 1901 census, aged 20 years, as an Elementary School Teacher living in Dewsbury.<br /> ?? <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Freda Beckett, born 1883 in Dewsbury.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Freda married Frederick William Maclachlan Clive in the Parish Church at Dewsbury on 25 May 1906.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Freda's husband, who served in the Royal Army Service Corps, died just after the First World War. The cause, according to his Pension Card, was smallpox on 10 December 1921 in a hospital in Mesopotamia. As Frederick died after 31 August 1921 he is not listed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In
1939 Freda and her son William, born 1907, are living at 7 Thornhill Place - where Elizabeth, her mother
and William Haigh, her grandfather lived in 1911 and where Elizabeth was still living when she died in 1932. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sydney Beckett Sokell, born 1896 in Wombwell.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sidney (note the vowel shift) married Ethel Jackson on 23 August 1924 at Christ Church, Brampton.<br />Sidney
B. Sokell appeared in the 1939 Register living at 20 Orchard Street in
Wombwell. He and Ethel (nee Jackson) have one son, Jack, born in 1926. This register
recorded civilian volunteer work for the Second World War and Sidney is
recorded as an A.R.P. Warden. Jack Sokell married Ethel Charlesworth in
Q1 1959 in the Barnsley RD. <br />Sidney B Sokell died in November 1967 aged 71 and was cremated at Ardsley, near Barnsley from 20 Orchard Street.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Freda Beckett Sokell, born 1900 in Mexborough.<br />Freda had a child, George Booth Sokell, in 1918. He was baptised at Christ Church, Brampton on 21 February 1918 and her residence at the time was 105 Concrete - the home of her grandparents George and Ann Siddall. He may be the 2 year 11 month old child George Sokill (that vowel shift again), buried in Wombwell Cemetery in 1921. <br />Freda
B Sokell married Arthur Pilling in Q4 1919 in the Rotherham RD. He was a widower with at least four children already (as at 1911 census).<br />The FreeBMD index suggests they had three children together - Mary, born in 1920, Edith, born in 1923 and Leonard, born in 1925.<br />In the 1939 Register Arthur and Freda were living at 35 Becknoll Road, which is in Brampton, quite near to the Concrete Cottages. Arthur's date of birth was recorded as 19 Febuary 1876 and Freda's as 6 March 1900, which made her 24 years younger than Arthur. One other person was in their household but the record is redacted. An Arthur Pilling aged 77 died in the Rother Valley RD in Q1 1953 which fits this Arthur's given date of birth in 1939. Freda may have remarried in 1955 and she may be the Freda Hoyle who was cremated at Ardsley in 1983 aged 82, from an address in Wath-on-Dearne.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Eileen Beckett Sokell, born 1903 in Wombwell.<br />Eileen married Walter Leather on 23 September 1923 at Christ Church, Brampton. <br />They appear to have had one child, Walter, born in Q1 1928.<br />Walter and Eileen were living at 4 Cromwell Road, Mexborough when the 1939 Register was compiled. One other person was living in their household but the record is redacted. Walter Leather, born 22 December 1900, was a railway worker (toolman). <br />Eileen Beckett Leather died in the Rotherham RD in 1985.<br /></p><div style="text-align: justify;">Elsie Beckett Sokell, born 1905 in Pudsey.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Last identified in the 1911 census aged 6 years, living in Wombwell.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">??</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>References:</b></div><div><a href="https://www.ancestry.co.uk/">Ancestry </a>- for census returns, parish records and electoral registers</div><div><a href="https://www.cemeteries.org.uk/">Dearne Memorial Group - Barnsley Cemeteries</a> - for a small fee that goes towards the upkeep of various grave and memorials sites they provide a searchable index to all cemeteries in Barnsley.<br /></div><div><a href="http://search.findmypast.co.uk">Find My Past</a>
- much the same as Ancestry plus newspapers covering the whole country,
but with parish records for the more eastern parts of Yorkshire</div><div><a href="https://www.freebmd.org.uk/">FreeBMD </a>- a free index to births, marriages and deaths from 1837</div><div><a href="https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/indexes_search.asp">GRO Online Index</a>
- as FreeBMD but you have to create an account and helpfully shows
mother's maiden names all the way back to 1837 unlike the FreeBMD index. <br /></div><div><a href="https://www.old-maps.co.uk/">Old Maps</a>
- very good map site with a variety of dates and scales. I hope adding
links to the snips I have used covers me for copyright! My blog has no
commercial links.</div><a href="https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/places/index.html">UK BMD</a> - Index of Places in England and Wales - for use with Registration Districts 1837-1974BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-33353390327809038632020-08-08T17:01:00.006+01:002020-10-09T17:00:37.460+01:00Lister Beckett - Part 3 - his relationship with Edith Sokell<div>This is the third post in a series of four about the life of Lister Beckett. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/08/lister-beckett-part-1-father-of-sidney.html">Part 1 - His birth and parents</a><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/08/lister-beckett-part-2-his-marriage-to.html">Part 2 - His marriage to Elizabeth Haigh</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Part 3 - this post - His relationship with Edith Sokell</div><a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/08/lister-becket-part-4-his-death-and-what.html">Part 4 - His death and what happened next for his family</a> </div><div> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is a story of a man who had two 'wives'. Charged with deserting his
first wife in Dewsbury, he was caught by the authorities playing
cricket but claimed in court to be 'under the doctor' and thus unable to
pay any maintenance! Lister's second family lived in Concrete Cottages
in Wombwell after his death and his son Sidney served in the First World
War and is remembered on the <a href="https://commemorationremembrance.blogspot.com/2020/02/brampton-parish-hall-roll-of-honour.html">Brampton Parish Hall Roll of Honour,</a> hence my initial interest.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Websites and books used for reference are listed at the end of each blog post.<p><b>Part 3 - His relationship to Edith Sokell</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">In 1891 Lister Beckett was listed in the census as a visitor in the household of George Siddall, a 30 year old coal miner, in Wombwell near Barnsley. He was apparently single and 26 years old. These 'facts' are untrue. Lister Beckett had been married since 1880 and his wife Elizabeth was still alive and well in Dewsbury. He had been born in 1860 which means that in 1891 he was actually 31 years old. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Evidence from local newspapers has shown that Lister left Elizabeth in approximately 1885 and had been 'neglecting to maintain his wife and two children' (Yorkshire Evening Post 1 September 1891). At the point Lister Beckett is a visitor in Wombwell he had been living away from his legal wife for about six years. He had two daughters with Elizabeth, Edith Beckett born in early 1881 and Freda Beckett born towards the end of 1882. <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Also in George Siddall's household in 1891 was his wife Ann who was 38 years old and born in Worsborough and his step-daughter Edith Sokell aged 18 and a dressmaker's apprentice born in Wombwell. According to FreeBMD George and Ann had married in Q1 1881 in the Barnsley Registration District (RD). I have been unable to find a parish marriage record for George and Ann's marriage on either Find My Past (which covers Wombwell, Worsborough and other places to the south and east of Barnsley town) or Ancestry (which covers Barnsley itself and places to the north and west). This suggests they married in a Register Office or in a non-conformist place of worship of some kind. Although Edith Sokell is recorded as George's daughter in the 1891 census later, in 1911, she is recorded as his step-daughter. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ten years earlier, in April 1881, not long after George and Ann married, I had found them living as boarders in the household of James and Augusta Whittaker at 4 Park Street, Wombwell. Spotting that Augusta was born in Worsborough I dug a little deeper. In Q1 1875 James Whitaker (one 't') had married Augusta Sokell in the Wharfedale RD. George and Ann Siddall were living with Ann's sister and her husband! I found the Whitaker/Sokell marriage register entry in Otley on Ancestry and Augusta had declared that her father William Sokell (correct) was a colliery manager (not correct). This was probably because James Whitaker's father Ambrose, was a coal agent (true in 1881 - though he had been a carter in 1871) which was a managerial job and besides Otley (which is in the Wharfedale RD) is at least 32 miles from Worsborough so who would ever know! I wonder how James and Augusta met? That is really going off topic though so I shall reserve that question for another day.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It is important for this story to investigate Edith Sokell's background because by 1901 Lister Beckett had set up home with her and had at least three children with her. Their relationship appears to have been socially accepted by her family and the communities in the areas in which they lived and acknowledged by Lister's family in Dewsbury. At the start of my first post in this series I mentioned that our ancestors might have had a much more relaxed view of
illegitimacy and unmarried cohibitation than we tend to imagine. This
could have been because divorce was very difficult and very expensive
before 1938, after which additional grounds of desertion for three years were accepted in divorce cases.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">George Siddall was, according to all the census returns I have seen for him, born in Holmesfield in Derbyshire in about 1861. He may be the son of George, a stone waller, and Mary Siddall who were living at Holmesfield Common in 1861. The elder George appeared to have married late in life, he was 53 in 1861 and his wife Mary was 30; a daughter Anne Fox aged 5 is listed on the census along with John I Siddall aged 2 and George Siddall aged 8 months. The General Register Office (GRO) listing for the younger George Siddall's birth registration states that the registration took place in Q3 1860 in the Chesterfield Union in the County of Derby and that his mother's maiden name was Fox. This is corroborated by the registration of his brother John Isaac Siddall in Q3 1858 also in Chesterfield and also mother's maiden name Fox. It appears from this evidence that the elder George married a lady named Mary Fox who brought a child, Anne, to the marriage. I found their marriage on FreeBMD in Q4 1857 in Sheffield RD. Anne Fox would have been two years old when the elder George Siddall married her mother. This example of taking in a single mother and her child and listing the child as his daughter is an example of how illegitimacy was accepted in the 19th century. It may be that Mary had no other option but to marry an older man because of her situation, but that cannot be proven.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Sadly Mary Siddall died between the 1861 and 1871 census returns. In 1871 George Siddall the elder is a widower with three small boys, John I. aged 12, George aged 10 and Thomas aged 4. The family is still living at Holmesfield Common. I found George junior's baptism on 5 July 1863 in Holmesfield when he would have been nearly 3 years old, the entry before his, on 1 June 1863, was for an Elizabeth Hannah Siddall daughter of George and Mary Siddall of the Common, Holmesfield. I cannot find a birth registration for this girl of this name however there is a death registration for a infant (under 1) Hannah Elizabeth Siddall in Q3 (July, August, September) in Chesterfield, which led me back to a birth registration for Hannah Elizabeth Siddall Q3 1863 in Chesterfield, mother's maiden name Fox. I assume the family had Elizabeth Hannah (or vice versa) baptised in June 1863 because she was sickly and did not register her birth straight away (six weeks after the birth was allowed) so it fell in the quarter afterwards. They may have decided to baptise George shortly afterwards as the death of their infant daughter had reminded them that he had not been baptised immediately after his birth. The GRO indexes confirmed that Mary Siddall aged 40, so a match for Mary's age in the 1861 census return, died in the Chesterfield RD in Q1 1871 - just before the census was taken that year. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">George Siddall junior, step-father of Edith Sokell, had a difficult childhood - his father was quite elderly (by the standard of the time), his mother and a younger sibling had died before he was 10 years old, and, as I soon discovered, his father probably died in 1879 at the age of 73. It seems that both George Siddall junior and his older brother John Isaac Siddall moved to the Barnsley area between 1871 and 1881. Presumably seeking work. John Isaac Siddall married Jane Elizabeth Schofield in Q3 1877 in the Barnsley RD. She was, like Ann Sokell, born in Worsborough. By 1891 they were living in Wath upon Dearne caring for Tom Schofield their nephew. John Siddall was a coal miner. In the 1901 census Tom S. Siddall, aged 11, is listed as the son of John Isaac and his wife Jane Elizabeth. It seems they had no children born to them, who survived, so they adopted their nephew. Younger brother Thomas Siddall (born about in 1867 in Holmesfield according to the 1871 census) is a little more elusive - he does not reappear until 1911 when he is living in Norton Woodseats, Sheffield with a much younger wife Lily May, and a 4 year old daughter Lorna May Siddall.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">William and Elizabeth Sokell, parents of Ann and Augusta Sokell, were from Barnsley or Worsborough, at least they both declared that they were born there in the census returns. This family is how my OH (other half) connects into the story of Lister Beckett. I have a working theory that if a family can trace their roots back to Barnsley at the beginning of the 19th century then I will be able to find a connection to my OH's family tree - however tenuous. In this case the OH's 5x great-uncle Charles Hawcroft had married William Sokell's sister Ellen in 1829 in Darfield. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the Sokell family too there is evidence of the acceptance of illegitimacy. In 1881 Edith Sokell (who, if you need the reminder, later set up home with Lister Beckett) is living with her grandparents in Wombwell at 88 Wombwell Main. We know that her mother had recently married George Siddall and the newly weds were boarding with her aunt Augusta in Wombwell. Maybe her grandparents offered to take her in for a while until George and Ann got sorted out with a house of their own. The 1881 census return states that she was born in Darfield in about 1873, although in the 1891 census she is recorded as having been born in Wombwell. I have found neither a baptism nor a birth registration for Edith. Which is unusual. It could be that her surname was mis-spelt or transcribed very badly and just doesn't show up in the online indexes. <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">William Sokell was 62 years old and a timekeeper in 1881, a job often taken by an older trusted man. As he is living at Wombwell Main I assume he was working at this colliery. In 1871 at the age of 52 he had been a labourer living at Wombwell Main, and in 1861 a coal miner living at Wombwell Main. In 1851 he had been a linen weaver living in Wilkinson's Houses in Worsborough, next door to his parents John and Mary Sokell who were by then in their 70s. This career progression is common in Barnsley. As mechanised looms were introduced linen weaving, which had previously been a high status job, became a job for women and children. Men moved into the collieries and younger men took on the skilled trades like coal hewer whilst older men with less strength became labourers or worked on the surface screens sorting coal, and then in old age (if they lived that long) they took more sedentary roles like lamp cleaner or time keeper.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikl8eYuDBtZv5Z64Fb5wxBhiCj5-80fdUL_bBZKv5_29jS5UCZXDMqGnRd_WlHvguKH_0oqooUOzlsR4ZGEtWkAyOga7RfiwsKop15Kc4IsAEzAx3_i9qgeoyAem1l6YhrS4kaSzTwHuY/s845/William+and+Elizabeth+Sokell+gravestone.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="845" data-original-width="734" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikl8eYuDBtZv5Z64Fb5wxBhiCj5-80fdUL_bBZKv5_29jS5UCZXDMqGnRd_WlHvguKH_0oqooUOzlsR4ZGEtWkAyOga7RfiwsKop15Kc4IsAEzAx3_i9qgeoyAem1l6YhrS4kaSzTwHuY/w445-h512/William+and+Elizabeth+Sokell+gravestone.jpg" width="445" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The gravestone of William and Elizabeth Sokell in Wombwell Cemetery <br />(photograph taken 3 August 2020 by Barnsley Historian)</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Now Lister Beckett's connections are in my territory I am able to show you more than just snips of old maps and pictures from Google. This is the gravestone of Edith Sokell's grandparents in Wombwell Cemetery in plot 1220 in the Consecrated section number 11.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">In Affectionate Remembrance<br /> of<br />Elizabeth<br />The Beloved Wife of<br />William Sokell<br />Who Died July 8th 1883<br />Aged 62 years<br />Also of the Above Named<br />William Sokell<br />Who Died June 9th 1902<br />Aged 83 years<br />In Life Respected in Death Lamented<br /></p><p>The burial register tells us that Elizabeth died at Wombwell Main and William in Alms Houses in Wombwell. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqK0AXVSzif_zpqzyLYAy7g-exeJSOCc-CJg5zZLM7zsxqdpQb95URJryCxsUGdm3s-1gZEdS3d0giQAPAMFbh0BYsKLjtUSf-QaZ6v05gDhNrOQYjw43js1JImS23jqpNLa-wS1Js3k/s732/Ann+and+George+Siddall+gravestone.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="732" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqK0AXVSzif_zpqzyLYAy7g-exeJSOCc-CJg5zZLM7zsxqdpQb95URJryCxsUGdm3s-1gZEdS3d0giQAPAMFbh0BYsKLjtUSf-QaZ6v05gDhNrOQYjw43js1JImS23jqpNLa-wS1Js3k/w512-h412/Ann+and+George+Siddall+gravestone.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Base of a cross marking the graves of Ann and George Siddall in Wombwell Cemetery</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Nearby is a cross style grave marker, sadly broken, for George and Ann Siddall; Ann was William and Elizabeth Sokell's daughter. My OH had to scuff away the soil from the base of the stone to make George's name visible for my photograph. If his date is lower down it would need someone with a trowel to expose it. The shaft and top of the cross are lying nearby.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">In Memory of [on the shaft of the cross]<br />Ann<br />The Beloved Wife of <br />George Siddall<br />Who Died May 23, 1920<br />Aged 67 years<br />"Her End was Peace"<br />Also the above named<br />George Siddall</p><p style="text-align: justify;">From the burial records again I know that Ann died at 105 Concrete Buildings, and George at the Montague Hospital in Mexborough in June 1946, although his home address was still 105 Concrete Buildings.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">On the other side of William and Elizabeth's stone is another Sokell family marker - for their son Herbert, his wife Sarah and their son Stanley, who was killed in the First World War. You can find this stone recorded on the <a href="http://wombwellsoldiersremembered.blogspot.com/2014/12/private-stanley-sokell-family-headstone.html">Wombwell Soldiers Remembered</a> blog created by my friend Fay Polson.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">When we were in the cemetery it felt to me like that corner was a Sokell family plot and George Siddall was buried there because of his marriage to Ann, who had been a Sokell.<br /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile
in 1901 in Mexborough, about 24 miles away from his wife Elizabeth in Dewsbury, Lister Beckett had set up home with
Edith (who was Edith Sokell) and their three children. You will remember that Lister was visiting Edith's parents when the 1891 census was taken. Here's an
image of their 1901 census entry cropped but with all the reference details
visible - RG13 Piece 4408 Folio 106 and Page 49 - from the Ancestry
website.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMBu-pkFLClYtrbvDZ6BPZ834pBJH4RO6nApZkcjCp9u_Jhtcy9EHAQHG4a5nup4IzDBFIH0HK2ktzS2rxrtlAkq2l59tnw2hus9i6C9ltegkGNSXK0JP-vn9yaL1y3xoEfCRJKoENkk/s1416/1901+Lister+Beckett+snip.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="329" data-original-width="1416" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMBu-pkFLClYtrbvDZ6BPZ834pBJH4RO6nApZkcjCp9u_Jhtcy9EHAQHG4a5nup4IzDBFIH0HK2ktzS2rxrtlAkq2l59tnw2hus9i6C9ltegkGNSXK0JP-vn9yaL1y3xoEfCRJKoENkk/w625-h145/1901+Lister+Beckett+snip.jpg" width="625" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1901 census extract for Adwick Road, Mexborough (from Ancestry)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As
you can see Lister and Edith were listed as married, and their eldest
child is Ada who is 6 years old and born in Mexborough. The nearest
record in the GRO I can find for this child is Ada Sokell, born Q4 1894
in Doncaster RD and no mother's maiden name. This clearly indicates that
Ada was illegitimate. I also noted that she was born before the death
of Adam Beckett and his funeral in June 1895 that Lister attended in
Dewsbury. Did Lister's father know about his new little family I wonder? Having found Ada listed as Sokell I looked back to check for previous children to the couple who may have died before the 1901 census. Louisa Sokell, no mother's maiden name, was born in Doncaster RD in Q4 1892, but died in Q3 1893 in the Barnsley RD age 0. There is a burial in Wombwell Cemetery for a Louisa Sokell that fits - died 10 July 1893 and buried 12 July 1893 aged 8 months. She is buried in plot number 2061 in section Con 8. That is at the far side of the cemetery from the previous Sokell plot - so much for my sentimental feeling for all the family being buried together.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">As I have a spreadsheet of the burials in Wombwell I can sort them by grave details. My next discovery was very sad. On 3 August 1891 an un-named boy child just 4 hours old, 'son of Edith' Sookel, was buried in the same plot. The co-incidences are too great - this must be the Edith's first child, maybe with Lister Beckett, if so the baby was concieved in late 1890. At the point the census was taken on 5 April 1891 Edith was probably 3 or 4 months pregnant. She, and I imagine her mother, would have known her condition by then. So my assumption, in my last blog post, that there was nothing 'going on' at the time of the 1891 census was incorrect. If the baby wasn't Lister Beckett's Edith would have had the opportunity to marry the true father before the birth, but she couldn't marry Lister as he was already married. Did they declare him as single in the census return as this was how they were presenting him to the neighbours? Did Lister and Edith move away to Mexborough before Louisa was born (Mexborough is in the Doncaster RD) to disguise the fact that they couldn't marry, but sadly brought another baby back to be buried in Wombwell Cemetery just two years after their first born.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There is another burial in that same plot which is relevant to my story - but I will get to that in the proper chronological order. And nearby is a plot in which James and August Whittaker are buried - I mentioned them earlier - Augusta was Ann Sokell's sister, and therefore Edith Sokell's aunt. Quite the family gathering at this end of the cemetery after all. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The
next child listed on the census return is Sydney aged 4 born in
Wombwell. The registration
record that corresponds with him is more obvious - Sydney Beckett
Sokell, born Q4 1896 in Barnsley RD again with no mother's maiden name.
Finally there is Freda aged 1; she was registered Freda Beckett Sokell, born Q2
1900 in Doncaster RD with no mother's maiden name. I was slightly
amazed that Lister now has two daughters called Freda - one in Dewsbury
and one in Mexborough! Maybe this is why the elder Freda had become
Hilda by 1901. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There
is a child, George Sokell, born Q4 1898 in the Doncaster RD with no
mother's maiden name who might fit between Sydney and Freda.
This child appears to die in the same quarter according to the
registration records. A definite fit for the family is Eileen Beckett Sokell, born Q2 1903 in Barnsley RD with no mother's maiden name recorded. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There
are no baptisms for a children of Lister and Edith Beckett on either Ancestry or Find My
Past for 10 years either side of 1900. Mexborough and Wombwell baptisms
are included in the record sets on Find My Past so I had expected a
result or two. However I did find a record for the private baptism of George Sokell, son of Edith Sokell single woman, in Mexborough on 21 November 1898. This gives George's date of birth as 31 October 1898 and their address as 11 Dyson's Yard, Adwick Road, Mexborough. Private baptisms were often carried out if a child was not expected to live, and it seems likely that George passed away soon after as the registration of his death was in the final quarter of 1898. The baptism was performed by the local vicar W. H. F. Bateman, and he was obviously aware that Lister and Edith were not married and recorded George's baptism accordingly.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I did find the following in the Sheffield Independent dated 4 June 1902. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">CHILD KILLED WHILST AT PLAY</div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">At
the Montague Cottage Hospital, yesterday, Mr. Dossey Wightman, held an
inquest touching the death of Ada Beckett, aged seven, who was killed
whilst at play on Sunday afternoon. The child is the daughter of Lister
Beckett, painter, of Adwick Road, Mexbro'. Mr. Mason, solicitor,
Rotherham, attended the inquiry on behalf of Mr. Cavill, the owner of
the property. <br /></div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">The
father identified the body, and said he had visted the place where the
child was killed by the fall of a stone pillar, and found that this had
been snapped off close to the ground.</div><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;">The Coroner: Can you form any theory as to the cause of the accident?</div><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;">Witness: No, sir.</div><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;">The Coroner said the action of the weather sometimes caused stones to crack.</div><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;">Mr. Mason: You live near the place, and must know the gateway well?</div><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;">Witness: Yes.</div><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;">Do you remember noticing the stone at any time prior to the accident? - Yes, but I haven't noticed any flaw in it.</div><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;">Did it appear to be in any dis-repair? No.</div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">Florrie
Brammer, seven years old, explained that the unfortunate child and
herself had been to Sunday school and were walking along Adwick Road
when the deceased and another little girl proposed that they should
swing on a wire which was stretched between two stone gate-posts.
Deceased got onto the wire and had a swing when one of the posts gave
way and fell on her and then rolled off again.</div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">The
Coroner remarked that the children were evidently in the wrong to be
swinging on the wire, and there was no blame to be attached to the owner
of the property, who had a perfect right to have a cracked gate-post if
he wished.</div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">Police
constable Farr said that the pillar was 14 inches square, and the crack
appeared to be a new one, and had probably been caused by a passing
cart. It had been up for some four or five years.</div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">The jury returned a verdict of "accidental death".</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I
think the owner of the property might find themselves in a different
situation these days as I assume the wire was between the gateposts to
prevent their use, or hold the damaged one up and therefore he was aware
of the damage and possible danger. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">An article on 13 June 1902 in the Mexborough and Swinton Times reports Ada's funeral.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">FUNERAL AT MEXBORO'</div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">Widespread
sympathy has been aroused by the untimely death of Ada Sokell Beckett,
the youngest daughter of Mr. Lister Beckett, the Poplars, Adwick Road,
Mexboro', who, it will be remembered, was fatally injured by the fall of
a gate post. The funeral took place on Wednesday week at Mexboro'
Cemetery. The bearers were the deceased's girl friends, viz, Misses Emma
Briggs, Ada Briggs, Nellie Sharpe, Nellie Waddington, Phoebe Atkinson,
Jennie Beaumont, Ethel Hunt, Annie Hulley, Betsey Walker and Gertie
Harrop. The principal mourners were: Mr. and Mrs. Lister Beckett (father
and mother), Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Siddall (grand-parents), Mr. and Mrs.
Tom Beckett (uncle and aunt), Mr. John Beckett (uncle), Mrs. Pickard (aunt), Mr. Ambrose Whittaker, Mr. Albert Whitaker, Miss Dorinda Whitaker and Miss Clara Rogers (cousins) [... and many
more names]</div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This
report of the attendance of Lister's brothers Tom and John from Dewsbury at the
funeral of their niece is very important - it means they were aware of
his life in Mexborough with Edith and of his second family. Tom Beckett had brought his wife to the funeral too - so it wasn't something kept secret from incomers to the family. The newspaper reporter was obviously under the impression that Lister and Edith are married. Other relatives were mentioned including a number of Whittakers, children or grandchildren of Edith's aunt Augusta (nee Sokell) I should think, a Mrs. Pickard and a Clara Rogers - all useful information for future research.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">I don't think
we would consider it suitable for the bearers of a child's coffin to be
her 'girl friends' nowadays - ten little girls of about seven years of
age or thereabouts. Florrie Brammer, who was with Ada when she had her accident, is not amongst them. She was probably too upset to attend. But 100 years ago the Victorians and Edwardians had different
ideas about death and funerals and children were more accustomed to funerals than they are today.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Poplars, noted in the report of the funeral as the Beckett family home, is visible on the 1903 map for Mexborough and here on Google Maps (<a href="https://goo.gl/maps/RBexP5UYmX59MSy69">https://goo.gl/maps/RBexP5UYmX59MSy69</a>).
The name is applied to a pair of semi-detached houses with off-shots at
the rear. There is a name and date stone in the modern photos, I think
it may say The Poplars 1894, although it is not very clear. The houses
are not present on the 1893 map of the same area. Not a large house, but
fairly new at the time of Ada's death. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcy3HMhs-K6vLqxEQl4XxHfYYuFBS8-rQwwo-7UWEbohywi0xdvR1uqfMD8LrQGUMQlf-w6pUUMX3EFlkrbY233KyFVMq_G1nA0yM3i5cG2I_xPvx5G3pwmkX_oQCxtNc01SPaWjfyIXE/s641/1903+The+Poplars+cropped+Google+Map.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="641" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcy3HMhs-K6vLqxEQl4XxHfYYuFBS8-rQwwo-7UWEbohywi0xdvR1uqfMD8LrQGUMQlf-w6pUUMX3EFlkrbY233KyFVMq_G1nA0yM3i5cG2I_xPvx5G3pwmkX_oQCxtNc01SPaWjfyIXE/w400-h276/1903+The+Poplars+cropped+Google+Map.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Poplars, Adwick Road, Mexborough (from Google Maps)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At
this point, June 1902, Lister Beckett and Edith had lost three children in infancy and a child of seven in a dreadful accident. They have Sydney
aged 5 and Freda aged 2 at home. To add to their problems the case of Lister's
abandonment of Elizabeth was revived in early 1903. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The full details of this event are in <a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/08/lister-beckett-part-2-his-marriage-to.html">my previous post</a> as they have more bearing on Lister's relationship to Elizabeth but here's the brief version. In January 1903 the Yorkshire Evening Post reported that Lister Beckett had been charged with deserting his wife in Dewsbury eighteen years previously. The court had made for 10s a week against Lister. The report also mentioned that Lister had been left an income of £1 a week from his father, so the court order takes half of this for Elizabeth. I can't help but wonder what effect this would have had on the income of the family in Mexborough.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;">I am aware that Lister Beckett and Edith moved to Pudsey in West Yorkshire after Eileen's birth in the second quarter (April, May, June) of 1903. Their
next child, Elsie, was born in Pudsey in 1905 according to her entry on the the 1911 census return.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8mhZmdomlr4Xhw-wNQ5tA5A98KrTTtAfyNzMl7Im_jHcCzOXaLI_CJ0ocKM6zg_1rIAUIkE9ATrFaQbOcAVVufIwv2bw1HDQgAIOubjAOvCcLOSrGVrc0TR6Y5dnqZl4lFMrTbl2KYzo/s600/1905+GRO+birth+Elsie+Beckett+mmn+Sokell.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="40" data-original-width="600" height="33" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8mhZmdomlr4Xhw-wNQ5tA5A98KrTTtAfyNzMl7Im_jHcCzOXaLI_CJ0ocKM6zg_1rIAUIkE9ATrFaQbOcAVVufIwv2bw1HDQgAIOubjAOvCcLOSrGVrc0TR6Y5dnqZl4lFMrTbl2KYzo/w500-h33/1905+GRO+birth+Elsie+Beckett+mmn+Sokell.jpg" width="500" /><br /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">GRO entry for the birth of Elsie Beckett mmn Sokell</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The North Bierley RD mentioned above includes Pudsey and a number of other towns between Bradford and Leeds (<a href="https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/north%20bierley.html">UK BMD</a>). <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It
seems that Lister and Edith took advantage of being further from home
(Pudsey is about 31 miles from Mexborough and 26 miles from Wombwell, but only 9 miles from Dewsbury) to
pass themselves off as married. Certainly Elsie's birth was registered
as if they were. This was a popular way for unmarried couples to appear to be in a regular socially acceptable relationship. If the couple wanted to marry bigamously (I am not saying Lister and Edith did, I have found no evidence of this) travelling a distance from their home town made it difficult for anyone to object when the banns were called or the notice posted at the Register Office.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">In May 1906 Lister's second Dewsbury daughter, Freda Beckett, married in Dewsbury Parish Church. Did he attend the wedding - after all he may have been only 9 miles away! <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">At some point in the four years following Elsie's birth Lister Beckett and his family moved back to Wombwell, and his story will continue in the final part of my blog.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b>References:</b></div><div><a href="https://www.ancestry.co.uk/">Ancestry </a>- for census returns, parish records and electoral registers</div><div><a href="http://search.findmypast.co.uk">Find My Past</a>
- much the same as Ancestry plus newspapers covering the whole country,
but with parish records for the more eastern parts of Yorkshire</div><div><a href="https://www.freebmd.org.uk/">FreeBMD </a>- a free index to births, marriages and deaths from 1837</div><div></div><div><a href="https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/indexes_search.asp">GRO Online Index</a>
- as FreeBMD but you have to create an account and helpfully shows
mother's maiden names all the way back to 1837 unlike the FreeBMD index. <br /></div><div></div><div><a href="https://www.old-maps.co.uk/">Old Maps</a>
- very good map site with a variety of dates and scales. I hope adding
links to the snips I have used covers me for copyright! My blog has no
commercial links.</div><a href="https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/places/index.html">UK BMD</a> - Index of Places in England and Wales - for use with Registration Districts 1837-1974</div><br />BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-53264839678192327062020-08-07T19:56:00.005+01:002020-08-13T18:58:00.859+01:00Lister Beckett - Part 2 - His marriage to Elizabeth Haigh<div>This is the second post in a series of four about the life of Lister Beckett. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/08/lister-beckett-part-1-father-of-sidney.html">Part 1 - His birth and parents</a><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">Part 2 - this post - His marriage to Elizabeth Haigh</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/08/lister-beckett-part-3-his-relationship.html">Part 3 - His relationship with Edith Sokell</a></div><a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/08/lister-becket-part-4-his-death-and-what.html">Part 4 - His death and what happened next for his family</a><br /></div><div> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is a story of a man who had two 'wives'. Charged with deserting his
first wife in Dewsbury, he was caught by the authorities playing
cricket but claimed in court to be 'under the doctor' and thus unable to
pay any maintenance! Lister's second family lived in Concrete Cottages
in Wombwell after his death and his son Sidney served in the First World
War and is remembered on the <a href="https://commemorationremembrance.blogspot.com/2020/02/brampton-parish-hall-roll-of-honour.html">Brampton Parish Hall Roll of Honour,</a> hence my initial interest.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Websites and books used for reference are listed at the end of each blog post.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Part 2 - His marriage to Elizabeth Haigh</b><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Lister Beckett's father Adam had a been a publican like his own step-father, and Lister's step-grandfather, Joseph Thackrah. Both men had eventually retired to comfortable houses in the cleaner northern part of the town, above the smoke and dirt. Lister's elder brother Joseph Thackrah Beckett was his father's assistant in the Railway Hotel in Dewsbury in 1871 and had taken over the pub by the time of his father's death in 1895. Lister Beckett, the second son, had to find another career.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Lister Beckett had married by the 1881 census and was living in Batley at Cross
Mount Street with his wife Elizabeth A. aged 21 and daughter Edith aged 3
months. His occupation is listed as painter. The houses on Cross Mount Street are small back to back terraced houses with an additional upstairs room over passageways leading to the next street which probably also served let some light into the rear rooms of the houses. On the 1890 map of the area the houses are surrounded by yet to be developed plots suggesting they are fairly new. This is not the kind of accommodation where I would have expected to find Lister and his new wife.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv6DAf2B8vTEpG4jqe5LjDkXq3T3wlzfh9hYZAi7GjqJNQhp1TzAMLUHQbrrF8xgoRxXWyh-zFVpunIzP63sAai3eduaP6Pd4yKoGfF6W_wLtC6APrVQpERFfpBOgLbtxNfHsxsArQjAw/s1008/1890+map+snip+showing+Cross+Mount+Street.jpg" style="clear: left; display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1008" data-original-width="797" height="513" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv6DAf2B8vTEpG4jqe5LjDkXq3T3wlzfh9hYZAi7GjqJNQhp1TzAMLUHQbrrF8xgoRxXWyh-zFVpunIzP63sAai3eduaP6Pd4yKoGfF6W_wLtC6APrVQpERFfpBOgLbtxNfHsxsArQjAw/w405-h513/1890+map+snip+showing+Cross+Mount+Street.jpg" width="405" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1890 1:500 map of Batley showing Cross Mount Street (<a href="https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/424484/423343/13/100500">Old Maps</a>)</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As I cropped and labelled the image above I noticed that the street below Cross Mount Street is called Beckett Street. Coincidence? Speculative builders would have sought investment and may have named streets after their investors. Could Adam Beckett have invested money in this development?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The houses in the development above are of a number of different sizes - the garden at the top belongs to a large house 'Rock Villa', one of two on the site, then there are the terraced houses on the right which have no particular distinguishing features and facing them the terraced houses on the other side of the road with offshot extensions at the back. The map makes it clear that the houses on Cross Mount Street are actually back to backs ... although I expect by today they may have been knocked through and made into houses with access at front and back (a search of Zoopla and other estate agent websites informed me that I was wrong! These houses are still back to backs - in the 21st century!) At the bottom of the image is a brewery and a skating rink. This is a very odd juxtaposition of classes of housing mixed with industry and leisure. Off the map to the right was the Batley sewerage works ... not very pleasant to live near I imagine in the 19th century. Yet off the map to the north are a cricket ground, a football ground and a bowling green. We do know Lister Beckett played cricket, maybe this was an attraction!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The marriage of Lister Beckett and
Elizabeth Ann Haigh took place in the Dewsbury Registration District (RD) in Q4 of 1880 according to FreeBMD, but I can't find the marriage in the parish records
on Ancestry, suggesting they married in the Register Office or in a
Non-Conformist place of worship. Edith's birth was registered in Q1 of
1881 in the Dewsbury Registration District - but the 1881 census says
she was born in Batley. (Was Batley in the Dewsbury RD? Yes, it was
until 1939 and then it was in Spen Valley. The UK BMD downloadable place name list for RDs is very useful for queries like this.) <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Even if Lister and Elizabeth
married in October 1880 (Q4 covers October, November and December) as
Edith was 3 months old on 3 April 1881 (the date of the census return)
she was conceived before their marriage. Was this a 'shotgun' wedding or the West Yorkshire equivalent at least? Had
the marriage between the woollen manufacturer's daughter and a painter
only been sanctioned because Elizabeth had fallen pregnant? Or was the son
of the landlord of a large public house in the town an equivalent social
status? Maybe they got sent packing to a back to back in Batley to get them out of the way? *sigh* So many questions!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My estimation of William Haigh's status is based on his declared occupations in the census returns from 1891 onwards and the size and location of the houses in which he lived. However taking a step backwards to the beginning of his career and as a bridegroom we can see that in the 1861 census his occupation was woollen spinner, which does not sound as middle class as woollen manufacturer although I know weaving was a more profitable trade before the introduction of power driven machinery. He had apparently been born in Stalybridge in about 1836 and had married Mary Exley in All Saints church in Dewsbury on 29 June 1856 (marriage register entry in the West Yorkshire parish records on Ancestry). His occupation at the time had been a clothier (which seems to cover a lot of different of cloth related processes) and his father John Haigh was a tailor. Mary's father Abraham was also a clothier.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">By 1871 William and Mary had three children. The eldest was Abraham aged 13, who had been away from home for the 1861 census, probably visiting Mary's sister Ann. Then came Elizabeth, who had been shown as 1 year old in 1861 and finally William H. aged 4. Abraham was already working in the Woollen Mill, possibly for his father, who was now an overlooker and something else I can't read in a Woollen Mill. Edit: After putting out an appeal on Twitter one suggestion for the mystery word was Partner - which might make sense given what we see 10 years later (I was also offered Postman, Printer or Picker).<br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtmYmDF4s2G0wQIo5JUXq_5a9K64dGj1ei1JpW63LgVIBI0rK0d5nDGDlsohiR7hK3_bKPfEnV3E4c3074QLQGrhTdapftBzu9RkU2hOvoMpmn3-VgqiGPOEdsnk0umscRrtVuynMcTc/s712/Mystery+word+after+Overlooker.JPG" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="145" data-original-width="712" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtmYmDF4s2G0wQIo5JUXq_5a9K64dGj1ei1JpW63LgVIBI0rK0d5nDGDlsohiR7hK3_bKPfEnV3E4c3074QLQGrhTdapftBzu9RkU2hOvoMpmn3-VgqiGPOEdsnk0umscRrtVuynMcTc/w512-h104/Mystery+word+after+Overlooker.JPG" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Can you read the last word on the top row? The first word is Overlooker</span>.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Something important must have occurred between 1871 and 1881 because by the 1881 census William Haigh's status has improved considerably. His occupation is given as a woollen manufacturer employing 7 men, 4 boys and 35 women. His son Abraham, now aged 23 was also listed as a woollen manufacturer and son William Henry Haigh aged 14 was the office boy. Elizabeth was of course living with Lister Beckett at this time. The family are living on Camden Terrace off West Park Street in Dewsbury. This is immediately adjacent to Trafalgar Terrace and Claremont Road in the enumerator's listing. That information allowed me to locate a Trafalgar
Road on the 1890 map and I spotted Camden Terrace actually on West Park Road not far away.<br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJwMt7jKZHK29dbqLEGzim2Fa1G3ldZF6S7K-wIn2a9C3zP5edVinEKhSRhQP8qtB0Kdp9mHybBesc3qKW3KYZ55bWqughOdrOCt_DoHLN4uCU5Xh9ofP5DHlLXjbCOXgiADuIpf15y60/s842/1890+map+snip+of+Trafalgar+Street+and+Camden+Terrace.JPG" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="671" data-original-width="842" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJwMt7jKZHK29dbqLEGzim2Fa1G3ldZF6S7K-wIn2a9C3zP5edVinEKhSRhQP8qtB0Kdp9mHybBesc3qKW3KYZ55bWqughOdrOCt_DoHLN4uCU5Xh9ofP5DHlLXjbCOXgiADuIpf15y60/w410-h326/1890+map+snip+of+Trafalgar+Street+and+Camden+Terrace.JPG" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1890 1:500 Town Plan of Dewsbury showing Camden Terrace and Trafalgar Road (<a href="https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/424503/422500/13/100500">Old Maps</a>)</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There was something irregular about Lister Beckett and Elizabeth's marriage by the time of the 1891 census. Elizabeth Ann Beckett had moved back to her father William Haigh's
house at 12 Trafalgar Terrace, Dewsbury, which I think is the uppermost house on Trafalgar Road as only the even numbers, 2 to
12, of Trafalgar Terrace are listed on the census return. William was a woollen manufacturer aged 55 and his wife Mary aged 61 years was present. Elizabeth had her two daughters living with her, Edith aged 10 and Freda
aged 8. Freda's birth was registered in Q4 1882 in the Dewsbury RD, the
census return also says she was born in Dewsbury. Elizabeth's elder brother Abraham was now a woollen mill manager and her younger brother William was a woollen salesman. The other houses on
Trafalgar Terrace were occupied by a Land Surveyor & Insurance Agent,
a Retired Schoolmaster, a Solicitor, and a Woollen Cloth Merchant. It
appeared to have been an area for the professional and business classes. These houses are still existence (<a href="https://goo.gl/maps/iC4srMaXfhEAQjkh8">https://goo.gl/maps/iC4srMaXfhEAQjkh8</a>).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I have just noticed, while searching for the right maps to illustrate this section, that Victoria Crescent and Trafalgar Terrace are not very far apart. In the 1890 map (above) the area where Victoria Crescent would be was empty, and it looked a bit like a quarry. But by 1894 the space had been filled with two attractive crescents of medium sized and large housing.<br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPeFBAlcJ4Ya3L_J8dhAu3ox9weoTYhcoIyzvBRfvhU36dUG2u7nOtek8MqeY9P6jk0uLOOEJ-sFGywjKqzQaWm2YmpCoF6sFH_NSCIFbN_2badjuiw1nQZ256nLVCDlhdSdL6v6JTRs/s805/1895+1+to+10560+map+showing+Victoria+Cres+and+Trafalgar+Terr.JPG" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="805" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPeFBAlcJ4Ya3L_J8dhAu3ox9weoTYhcoIyzvBRfvhU36dUG2u7nOtek8MqeY9P6jk0uLOOEJ-sFGywjKqzQaWm2YmpCoF6sFH_NSCIFbN_2badjuiw1nQZ256nLVCDlhdSdL6v6JTRs/w512-h335/1895+1+to+10560+map+showing+Victoria+Cres+and+Trafalgar+Terr.JPG" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1894 1:2,500 map of Dewsbury showing Victoria Crescent and Trafalgar Road (<a href="https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/424503/422500/12/100392">Old Maps</a>)</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">What is the relevance of this? Well, Lister Beckett's father Adam Beckett died in 1895 while living in Victoria Crescent (report of his funeral in a local newspaper, see the first blog of this series) - he had previously lived a little further to the east in Eightlands. This means that it was very likely that at around the same time Elizabeth Beckett was living with her father in Trafalgar Terrace (i.e. 1891 and onwards) her missing husband's father was only living a few hundred yards away. I wonder if the families knew this? Or was this side of town with all its new houses the place to be in the 1890s?<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Where
was Lister Beckett in 1891? Fortunately as I had been working
backwards from Sydney Beckett (a First World War soldier remembered on the Brampton Roll of Honour) I already knew the answer to this. In
1891 Lister Beckett was a visitor at 74 Blythe Street, Wombwell in the
household of George and Ann Siddall and their daughter Edith Sokell.
Her surname was different because Edith was Ann's daughter from a
previous relationship (this was made clear on the 1911 census when she
is referred to as George's step-daughter). I would have included a snip
of this information from the census images but the household runs over
two pages so here's a transcription with expanded detail instead. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>1891 Census for Wombwell in the County of York, in Barnsley. Parish of St Mary's Wombwell</div><div>74 Blythe Street. Four roomed property. <br /></div><div>George Siddall<span> </span>Head<span> </span>Married<span> 30 years old <span> </span>Coal Miner, Worker <span> </span>Born Holmesfield, Derbyshire</span></div><div><span>Ann Siddall<span> </span><span> </span>Wife<span> </span>Married<span> </span>38 years old<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Born Worsborough, Yorkshire</span></span></span></div><div>Edith Sokell<span> </span><span> </span>Daughter Single<span> </span>18 years old<span> </span>Dressmaker's Apprentice Born Wombwell, Yorkshire</div><div>Lister Beckett <span> </span>Visitor<span> </span>Single<span> </span>26 years old<span> </span>Painter<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Born Ravensthorpe, Yorkshire</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Note
that Lister Beckett is recorded as Single and has knocked five years
off his age! Of course this could have been a mistake by the census
enumerator ... or not.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">So
far so good, no evidence of impropriety so far. Lister Beckett may have
been working away from home in 1891 and lodging with the Siddalls to be
near the job and Elizabeth had returned to her father's house for
company and assistance with the children. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However ... in the Yorkshire Evening Post on 1 September 1891 there is a short article of interest. (All newspaper articles referenced in my blog posts are from Find My Past, though I do find the search on the British Newspaper Archive a lot better, I already have a subscription for FMP. I sometimes search on the BNA and then look the items up on FMP.)<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">APPREHENDED WHILE PLAYING CRICKET</div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">At
the Dewsbury Police Court to-day Lister Beckett, formerly a prominent
member of the Spen Victoria Cricket Club, and a native of Dewsbury, was
charged with neglecting to maintain his wife and two children. Mr.
Moore, the relieving officer, said the Guardians allowed the prisoner's
wife 6s a week, and the amount due to the Guardians was £3 12s. Mr
Hinchliffe (the chairman) said the prisoner appeared to be a strong
looking fellow, and thought he was well able to maintain his wife and
family. The fact of the matter was prisoner would not pay for the
maintenance of his family. Mr Moore said the prisoner was playing at
Wombwell, near Barnsley, at cricket on Saturday when he was apprehended.
The chairman remarked that Beckett would evidently play cricket or
anything else if his wife were dying of starvation. He would be
committed one month in default of making a satisfactory arrangment with
Mr. Moore. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There
is another report of the same case in the Huddersfield Daily Examiner
on 2 September 1891 which adds a little more detail. Lister apparently
pleaded guilty but said in court, that "if his friends would not pay for
him he couldn't" and that he had been "under a doctor for seven weeks"
to which the chairman made the reply stated above but it words it
slightly differently "he would play at cricket or anything else, if his
wife was dying; anything before work" which is a bit harsh if he had
been off work sick. The sentence of one month mentioned would have been
in the House of Correction with hard labour if Lister made no
satisfactory arrangement.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As
we know Elizabeth's father was quite comfortable financially I think
suggesting she was about to starve to death is a bit of an exaggeration,
but the article does confirm that Lister had been living away from her
for some considerable time. My pre-decimal maths is not too good but
running up a debt of £3 12s[hillings] at a rate of only 6s a week comes
to twelve weeks. The Huddersfield Daily Examiner report confirms my
calculation. So it appears that Lister had not been supporting
Elizabeth since April or May. What happened in May 1891? </div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There is no mention in the article about Lister's father's funeral in 1895 in my last post of Lister's wife Elizabeth, and she is not
listed amongst the people sending a wreath although Lister's brother
Joe's wife is. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">In
1901 Elizabeth Ann Beckett is still living with her father William but
now at 3 Oxford Road in Dewsbury. Both her daughters Edith and Hilda
(who was surely Freda in the last census?) are recorded as Assistant
Elementary School Teachers. William Haigh is now 65 and is a widower, is recorded as a
Woollen Manufacturer and the category of Employer has been selected (as opposed to a worker). That was a new question in 1901 and was also seen in the 1911 census. Oxford
Road is another street of large houses and number 3 is a large bay windowed terraced house with long gardens front and back. The property can still be seen on Google
maps (<a href="https://goo.gl/maps/AEmVMiprZZweifnP8">https://goo.gl/maps/AEmVMiprZZweifnP8</a>).
There is no sign that the Haigh family is living in reduced
circumstances so Elizabeth's claim for support from the Guardians must
have been a matter of form rather than a necessary appeal for money. <br /></div><div> </div><div>The authorities continued to try to get Lister to pay up the maintenance for his wife. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">From the Yorkshire Evening Post on 13 January 1903.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">LEFT HIS WIFE EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO</div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">CHARGE OF DESERTION AT DEWSBURY</div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">At
Dewsbury today, Lister Beckett, who is respectably connected in
Dewsbury, and who is in business at Mexborough as a painter and
paper-hanger, was charged with deserting his wife.</div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">Mr
Nicholson, who appeared for Mrs. Beckett, said Mr. Beckett left his
wife 18 years ago, and since then had been in business in Wombwell and
Mexborough. He was also in receipt of £1 a week left by his father. He
asked for an order for 10s per week.</div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">Mrs. Beckett said she had been receiving 6s a week from the Guardians.</div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">Defendant denied having deserted his wife.</div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">The Bench made an order for 10s per week.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So
my earlier estimate for the date Lister left Elizabeth, based on
Elizabeth having been paid by the Guardians for 12 weeks in 1891, was
quite wrong. Apparently he 'abandoned' her in 1885 although he denied
deserting her! That was less than three years after his daughter Freda's
birth (towards the end of 1882). By the time he appears in Wombwell
living with the Siddalls he had already been making his way
independently of his family for about six years. In the circumstances I
don't see how he can deny deserting Elizabeth, but maybe deserting her
is not the same as leaving her - it could hinge around making financial
provision for her. This is the last notice I can find in the newspapers
about the case. 10 shillings in 1903 would be equivalent to around £60
today - so not a huge amount, but more than double the value (nowdays)
of 6s in 1891. If Elizabeth had been receiving the same 6s a week for 18
years had her payment been hit by inflation so she was, by 1903, in
need of more money? I don't know enough about the economy at the turn of
the century to say. But again I stress that she was not destitute - her
father was still alive. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The final item of note from this report is that Adam Beckett had left Lister £1 a week which wasn't a great deal of money (equivalent to 3 days wages for a skilled man in 1890) from a man who left effects of over £7000 (see my previous post) when he died in 1895. I assume Adam had either given Lister money prior to his death or had left him an amount in trust to provide this income because he didn't trust Lister not to spend his interitance all in one go!<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Lister
Beckett may have heard about the marriage of one of his Dewsbury daughters, he may even have attended her wedding. Freda Beckett, aged 23, was married in Dewsbury parish
church on 25 May 1906 to Frederick W M Clive, a theatrical manager. Her
home address was given as Oxford Road, which as we have seen was her grandfather's home in 1901. She clearly states that her father was Lister Beckett and his occupation was decorator.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Elizabeth was still living with her
father in 1911, but now describing herself as head of the household and a
widow (Lister Beckett had died before this date - but see the fourth part of this series of posts for more details). They had moved to 7 Thornville Place, Huddersfield Road,
Dewsbury since Freda's wedding. They were the only people in the household so I assume Edith Beckett had also married. There are just too many Edith
Becketts in Dewsbury to trace Lister and Elizabeth's other daughter's
marriage from the index alone. I didn't have any hits on the West Yorkshire marriage records on Ancestry so she may have married in a Register Office or a non-conformist place of worship. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rather than tabbing through the 1911 returns to try to find Thornhill Place I used the 1911 Census Summary books. Fall Lane is before Thornhill Place and Ravenfield Road is after it in these lists. I had to go to a map from 1922 to find the houses - they were not present on the 1907 map. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qlO51aVBRKfrp9eaiTfTlGqVxKq0PADrVUT9nA8EUbrRN1JPVBROMHH1OprgSSQFW01AdI__CftfRsRzWzqZpsJCqlNGKK1CM94ucqATO7jrGXEEA9D8pX8K9MCOIg3CVBEEg21FCzk/s867/1922+1+to+2500+snip+Dewsbury+showing+Thornhill+Place.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="867" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qlO51aVBRKfrp9eaiTfTlGqVxKq0PADrVUT9nA8EUbrRN1JPVBROMHH1OprgSSQFW01AdI__CftfRsRzWzqZpsJCqlNGKK1CM94ucqATO7jrGXEEA9D8pX8K9MCOIg3CVBEEg21FCzk/w512-h344/1922+1+to+2500+snip+Dewsbury+showing+Thornhill+Place.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1922 1:2,500 map of Dewsbury showing Thornhill Place (<a href="https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/423690/421228/13/101329">Old Maps)</a></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The houses on these short streets are all small terraces and are still in existence today. (See Google Maps <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/SK4fBDorEW4A5wgF9">https://goo.gl/maps/SK4fBDorEW4A5wgF9</a>). They are a lot smaller than the houses William and his family had lived in before but maybe this was because there was only him and Elizabeth so they only needed a few rooms. Maybe William had left his larger house to his son (in 1911 Abraham Haigh, retired woollen manufacturer, and the correct age, is living on Oxford Road in Dewsbury) or downsized to enable him to give his family some of their inheritance before his death. The five little Thornhill themed streets must have been very new. It looks as if it was a nice area with a large house and garden on the other side of the main road and presumably trees and grass between them and the railway line. Number 7 was four houses down on the left. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcOr3PfB_SUBQguxwoVOhiuNiIftPWsFlDeoXj3Z_7cTJTn7pBEXByIcVE2GwPfFpO-DbO6TCnP2Lsf5auXGBWv32YoEBLzar5qLL6vJOed6QhaddHKOu3_Jp8sg3QPYVmXfIZUCZBap8/s1286/Thornhill+Place+Dewsbury+Google+Maps+2020+2.JPG" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="1286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcOr3PfB_SUBQguxwoVOhiuNiIftPWsFlDeoXj3Z_7cTJTn7pBEXByIcVE2GwPfFpO-DbO6TCnP2Lsf5auXGBWv32YoEBLzar5qLL6vJOed6QhaddHKOu3_Jp8sg3QPYVmXfIZUCZBap8/s640/Thornhill+Place+Dewsbury+Google+Maps+2020+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thornhill Place, Dewsbury from <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/XnLRoY8Nmawido3U8">Google Maps</a></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I
was surprised to not find a newspaper report of William Haigh's death
in the local newspapers as he had seemed to be a man of means before his retirement, but it may
have appeared in a paper that hasn't yet been digitised. There were a
large number of deaths of men named William Haigh in the Dewsbury RD in
the years after 1911, of these the two which best fit Lister's
father-in-law, who gave his age as 75 in the 1911 census, are Q3 1917
aged 82 or Q1 1919 aged 83. Elizabeth Beckett's death was indexed in
Dewsbury in Q3 1932 age 73. I did find a probate calendar entry for her on Ancestry which shows that she was still living at Thornhill Place at her death.<br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78Y2fh9e8e-cNll5rZ9kpoJ7XGk6JiZRClIdZrr5SwNOk41U30l26-RgVY33H_KN0eYiW50PhcLrH0dy5lPiO4zhVwf8G-dXS4xa7px1llPUzMJ1GgliP3gNFR_Uq3VtzYDTky9bwrr4/s810/1932+Probate+Calender+Elizabeth+Ann+Beckett+cropped.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="137" data-original-width="810" height="86" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78Y2fh9e8e-cNll5rZ9kpoJ7XGk6JiZRClIdZrr5SwNOk41U30l26-RgVY33H_KN0eYiW50PhcLrH0dy5lPiO4zhVwf8G-dXS4xa7px1llPUzMJ1GgliP3gNFR_Uq3VtzYDTky9bwrr4/w512-h86/1932+Probate+Calender+Elizabeth+Ann+Beckett+cropped.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">National Probate Calendar entry for Elizabeth Ann Beckett (Ancestry)</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The £2013 6s 3d that Elizabeth left in effects would be worth about £92,000 today - so I don't think she really needed Lister Beckett's 10s a week. Although we don't know why Lister left her it seems that there must have been a reason that was more important than her money.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A search of local parish burial records or
cemetery records might eventually help find a gravestone or burial
record which gives more information about William Haigh and his daughter who stayed with him until his death. <br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><b>References:</b></div><div><a href="https://www.ancestry.co.uk/">Ancestry </a>- for census returns, parish records and electoral registers</div><div><a href="http://search.findmypast.co.uk">Find My Past</a>
- much the same as Ancestry plus newspapers covering the whole country,
but with parish records for the more eastern parts of Yorkshire</div><div><a href="https://www.freebmd.org.uk/">FreeBMD </a>- a free index to births, marriages and deaths from 1837</div><div><a href="https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/WRY/Dewsbury/Dewsbury37">Genuki </a>- Dewsbury: Geographical and Historical information from the year 1837.<br /></div><div><a href="https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/indexes_search.asp">GRO Online Index</a>
- as FreeBMD but you have to create an account and helpfully shows
mother's maiden names all the way back to 1837 unlike the FreeBMD index. <br /></div><div><a href="https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/places/index.html">Index of English and Welsh Registration Districts</a> - on the UK BMD site - a downloadable resource</div><div><a href="https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/currency-converter/">The National Archives - Currency Converter</a> - gives value of money in history by its purchasing power <br /></div><div><a href="https://www.old-maps.co.uk/">Old Maps</a>
- very good map site with a variety of dates and scales. I hope adding
links to the snips I have used covers me for copyright! My blog has no
commercial links.</div><div><a href="https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/places/index.html">UK BMD</a> - Index of Places in England and Wales - for use with Registration Districts 1837-1974<br /></div></div>BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-39099706759722756632020-08-06T19:27:00.009+01:002020-08-13T18:57:32.284+01:00Lister Beckett - Part 1 - father of Sidney Beckett Sokell a First World War soldier from Concrete Cottages<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The saga of Lister Beckett has taken me four sessions to write, and has become more complicated than I ever imagined. Further questions became apparent during the writing requiring additional research. As a consequence I am going to split his story into more than one post. I am not as able to concentrate as I used to be, which is why I don't post very often any more, and now I have <a href="http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/05/im-real-phd-student-at-long-last.html">my wonderful academic studies</a> to fill up my time as well, but researching this story presented some intriguing puzzles and has been very satsifying to write. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Part 1 - this post - Lister Beckett's birth and his parents</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/08/lister-beckett-part-2-his-marriage-to.html">Part 2 - His marriage to Elizabeth Haigh</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/08/lister-beckett-part-3-his-relationship.html">Part 3 - His relationship with Edith Sokell</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/08/lister-becket-part-4-his-death-and-what.html">Part 4 - His death and what happened next for his family</a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Those of you who have read my blogs before will not be surprised to learn that I have managed to link Lister Beckett to my husband and have, in the process, added the potential for connecting to many more First World War soldiers. According to my '<a href="https://www.family-historian.co.uk/">Family Historian</a>' software: Nigel R. CROFT (my OH) is the great (x5) great-nephew of Charles HAWCROFT and Charles HAWCROFT was the husband of the great-aunt of the wife of Lister BECKETT.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is a story of a man who had two 'wives'. Charged with deserting his first wife in Dewsbury, he was caught by the authorities playing cricket but claimed in court to be 'under the doctor' and thus unable to pay any maintenance! Lister's second family lived in Concrete Cottages in Wombwell after his death and his son Sidney served in the First World War and is remembered on the <a href="https://commemorationremembrance.blogspot.com/2020/02/brampton-parish-hall-roll-of-honour.html">Brampton Parish Hall Roll of Honour,</a> hence my initial interest. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_G-TyAB7QxUsfXYMqSaiZOa936oM1bNevh8PGJtpPz4PEtgq6JZYEhUlh3XSD2IdPUc8Le2siiWmkbDwNF5eQlumlMdqrm_2xdUp2ZHDp8a56lcBPHSzzf7ctIdE2DRUgANF9CTLiS0/s567/RoH+snip+showing+Sidney+Beckett.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="567" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_G-TyAB7QxUsfXYMqSaiZOa936oM1bNevh8PGJtpPz4PEtgq6JZYEhUlh3XSD2IdPUc8Le2siiWmkbDwNF5eQlumlMdqrm_2xdUp2ZHDp8a56lcBPHSzzf7ctIdE2DRUgANF9CTLiS0/w400-h284/RoH+snip+showing+Sidney+Beckett.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sydney Beckett named on the <a href="https://commemorationremembrance.blogspot.com/2020/02/brampton-parish-hall-roll-of-honour.html">Brampton Parish Hall Roll of Honour</a> <br />(photo by Andrew Taylor)</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One of the main things that intrigued me about this story is the difference in social class between Lister's first wife, daughter of an apparently comfortably off woollen manufacturer, and his second 'wife', daughter of a coal miner. None of my research has (as yet) supplied any answers to my questions about why Lister deserted one for the other ... and why this appears to have been socially accepted not only by the working class and cricketing communities in Barnsley but also by his family. It may be that our ancestors had a much more relaxed view of illegitimacy and unmarried cohibitation than we tend to imagine. This could have been because divorce was very difficult and very expensive before 1938, after which the new grounds of desertion were accepted and the number of divorces per year almost doubled. (See Rebecca Probert's 2015 guide to marital breakdown for family historians, which is listed in my references below for more information).<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Lister Beckett's family has a well referenced page on WikiTree (<a href="https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Beckett-1060">https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Beckett-1060</a>). The author is aware of the irregularity in Lister's marriages, but has not used (or had access to) the newspaper sources and local history resources that I have used to fill in more details of the background to his story.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Part 1: Lister Beckett's birth and his parents</b><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On 22 January 1860 a boy was baptised Lister Beckett in St Mary's church in Mirfield, West Yorkshire. His parents were Adam Beckett, a clothier and Anne, his wife. They lived in Newthorp, Dewsbury. Lister had been born on 7 July 1859. Six months seems a long time to wait to baptise a child, but looking down the pages of the baptism register he was not the only child of a similar age or even older. The vicar of St Mary's Mirfield seemed to have had a lot of late baptisms in his parish.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I can also see the baptisms of two potential siblings for Lister in the <a href="https://www.ancestry.co.uk/yorkshire">Ancestry West Yorkshire Parish records</a>.
Joseph Thackrah Beckett, was baptised on 28 June 1857 (born 13 April 1857) in
the parish of Dewsbury, father Adam a clothier and living in Mirfield,
and Jane Ann Beckett, was baptised on 17 May 1884 in the parish of St
Phillip's, Dewsbury, father Adam a gentleman, living at Eightlands
Cottage, Dewsbury.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Adam Beckett had married Ann (no 'e') Lister in Q1 1856 in the Dewsbury Registration District (RD) according to 'FreeBMD'. I was able to find this marriage on Ancestry in the West Yorkshire records. It had taken place in the Parish Church in Dewsbury on 6 March 1856. Where the name of Adam's father should have appeared there was a remark: 'Declined to Answer'. Both Adam and Ann's father, Isaac Lister, were recorded as clothiers. It seems safe to assume that Lister Beckett was named in acknowledgement of his mother's maiden name.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There is <a href="https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/101967466/person/142123168459/facts">a tree on Ancestry for Adam's family</a>. I am not in the habit of accepting the information in an online tree as fact, however I am happy to consult them in case they have spotted a connection I have missed. I always seek confirmation of the information by looking for primary sources such as parish records and/or census returns.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> In this case the online tree showed that the reason for Adam not declaring his father at his marriage probably was because he was born in 1827 prior to his mother, Tallis Beckett (baptised Beckitt), marrying Joseph Thackrah in 1829. This would explain where Lister's older brother Joseph obtained his unusual middle name of Thackrah, he was named after Adam's step-father. Giving children surnames as middle names was not uncommon in the 19th century - I have several examples in my own family tree. I was able to confirm these circumstances by accessing (via Ancestry) Adam's baptism record from Dewsbury Parish Church on 25 July 1827 which only records his mother's name, Tallis Beckett, and the marriage register entry for Joseph Thackray and Alice Beckett, in Dewsbury All Saints (which is the parish church) on 12 January 1829. Neither Joseph nor Alice could write their names - both had signed the register with a X - so they would have been unable to check the way in which the minister had written their names. The only explanation of the name 'Tallis' I can find is that it is a
habitation related surname meaning 'a clearing in woodland', so maybe Tallis Beckett was also named for a relative or ancestor's surname.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With the help of the above online tree I was able to find 1841 and 1851 census returns for Joseph Thackrah and his family. Although there was an interval of more than two years between Adam's conception and Tallis' marriage Joseph Thackrah appears to have accepted Adam into his family giving him his name and in 1851 recording him as his son. In this census return Adam's occupation was woollen spinner and Joseph Thackrah was a publican (I do love a pub connection!) at Daw Green, just to the south west of Dewsbury. Adam obviously knew that Joseph was NOT his father, otherwise he would have declared him when he married and not used his mother's maiden name. We have found an example of illegitimacy being socially accepted in shape of Lister Beckett's own father. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the 1861 census returns Adam and Ann Beckett were living at the 'Albion Hotel' on Wormalds Row or Pattison Square in Mirfield with three children, Joseph aged 3, Lister aged 1 and Susan aged 2 months. Adam is 34 years old and an inn keeper rather than a clothier, possibly following in his step-father's footsteps. He has one live-in servant and a vistor on census night. The street names, Row and Square, suggested to me that neither place would still exist; in Barnsley names like that are indicators of 19th century close packed terraces and courts which were redeveloped in the early 20th cenury - but I checked on the maps. There is an Albion Street on the 1893 map of Ravensthope near Mirfield which appears to lie in the correct area, between Raven House and Tanhouse (hint: page backwards and forwards from the census return showing the family of interest and note the street names either side of the one where your family lives). The 1889 'town plan' (1:500) shows an Albion Hotel at the corner of Albion Street on the main road (Huddersfield Road). This could have been the Beckett home in 1861. It no longer exists. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAiW10Th-aNXhmkEEHVvH71grQUpcQk8KVh9a4HhupsemxtJDeMgdd7MHeB_vl06Bq4R2yJflJnBQbxOSnShy7sbYpAu1oMWNOqEjlMGCY_ATIaGcW5aLNRFC0EO5ei-ZEXfoGaBiqBzk/s542/1889+town+plan+of+Ravensthorpe+showing+Albion+Hotel.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="542" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAiW10Th-aNXhmkEEHVvH71grQUpcQk8KVh9a4HhupsemxtJDeMgdd7MHeB_vl06Bq4R2yJflJnBQbxOSnShy7sbYpAu1oMWNOqEjlMGCY_ATIaGcW5aLNRFC0EO5ei-ZEXfoGaBiqBzk/w400-h316/1889+town+plan+of+Ravensthorpe+showing+Albion+Hotel.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1889 1:500 Town Plan of Ravensthorpe, showing the Albion Hotel (<a href="https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/422500/420500/13/100441">Old Maps</a>)<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">In the same census Joseph and Tallis Thackrah, Adam's step-father and mother, were living at 294 Middle Road, Daw Green, Dewsbury. This was the Saville's Arms public house. It could be the same place as the unnamed pub which Joseph Thackrah was running in the 1851 census. A study of trade directories or rate books might be able to prove if this was the case. It appears to have been a substantial building in the centre of a densely packed area, which had been, according to a 1837 trade directory entry on Genuki, a 'detached hamlet' as recently as 20 years previously (ie 1817). <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK9-wsli-Txl-YbmvD4kYZVkae84RZ_ii5TYwFo_nYC97vnpOp6i1fC6Rp7rZRBTDSX1PqFuefVUn6wCGUyMH9uczI9GIqFQDxBZY-LfuHmFbmDdIm_rYhgYebitnULsM80JkkM5C3b0I/s671/1852+map+Saville+Arms.JPG" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="671" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK9-wsli-Txl-YbmvD4kYZVkae84RZ_ii5TYwFo_nYC97vnpOp6i1fC6Rp7rZRBTDSX1PqFuefVUn6wCGUyMH9uczI9GIqFQDxBZY-LfuHmFbmDdIm_rYhgYebitnULsM80JkkM5C3b0I/w410-h284/1852+map+Saville+Arms.JPG" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1852 1;1,056 Town Plan of Dewsbury showing Saville Arms (<a href="https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/423985/421492/13/100499">Old Maps</a>)</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In this map snip from 1852 the Saville's Arms is in the centre of the image, just above and to the right of the 'N' ending the place name DAW GREEN coming in from the left. On a larger map the shapes of the roads it sits between are visibly more irregular than the surrounding geometrical blocks of back to back houses and names like High Street (the upper road), Middle Road and Lower Road suggest an original village core. If this is the orginal Daw Green hamlet the Saville's Arms could have been there before the town expanded around it. It had a long history - the pub building could still be identified 100 years later on 1950s maps on the Old Maps site - although it had gone by the 1960s.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Joseph Thackrah had been widowed and was retired by the time of the 1871 census and was living on Barber Street near Eightlands with two adult children.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">
In 1871 Adam and Ann Beckett were living at the Railway Hotel on Bradford Road in Dewsbury. They now had seven children, Joseph Thackrah aged 13, Lister aged 11, John aged 7, Susan aged 9, Charles Henry aged 5, Tom aged 3 and Jane Ann aged 10 months. Adam had continued in the pub trade but moved to a larger establishement. He had one servant living in. This location lay near the start of Northgate (using the paging back and forth method again) so I think I have located it on the 1890 town plan of Dewsbury. The Railway Hotel no longer exists, although the building behind it, the Cloth Hall Mills, is still visible on Google Maps (<a href="https://goo.gl/maps/HYfjWjUJhiUmvgp66)">https://goo.gl/maps/HYfjWjUJhiUmvgp66)</a>. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCpFcsYynIs1MyBD1xw3bgYEf1uIrcxHQTbDmrU2I5ivHKRpCqzNH2FfDDzIwys9DkfmpDj4uXDzheNiw4z5UZf5sJJHtjMWoCbSbG4LV13EA_FFqfnhC6HnBL5jq5s8inf9o59MwXqc/s674/1890+town+plan+showing+Railway+Hotel+cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="674" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCpFcsYynIs1MyBD1xw3bgYEf1uIrcxHQTbDmrU2I5ivHKRpCqzNH2FfDDzIwys9DkfmpDj4uXDzheNiw4z5UZf5sJJHtjMWoCbSbG4LV13EA_FFqfnhC6HnBL5jq5s8inf9o59MwXqc/w400-h310/1890+town+plan+showing+Railway+Hotel+cropped.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1890 1:500 Town Plan of Dewsbury, showing Railway Hotel (<a href="https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/423642/422368/13/100500">Old Maps</a>)<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In 1881 Adam and Ann Beckett still were living at the Railway Hotel, Northgate. Six of the children listed in the 1871 census are at home with their parents. Adam is the inn keeper, with Joseph T, his eldest son, as inn keeper's assistant. The next two sons are both jeweller's assistants. One servant is living in. Lister Beckett has left home - his story continues in the second part of this lengthy blog.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At some point between 1881 and 1891, Adam and Ann moved to Eightland's Cottage. Their last child, Jane Ann, was baptised in 1884, at the age of 14
years, from that address. I can only assume they had retired from the pub trade and had used the money they had made to live in some comfort in their retirement. This is supported by the fact that Adam gave his occupation at Jane Ann's baptism as gentleman. It is not immediately obvious on a map but this location is up a steep hill from the town centre and is above the railway station. The house still exists and helpfully has its name on the gate post which can be clearly read on Google Maps.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8YFZOXzPiVgVThjtfi30uqJIhcQYSPycHB41hfs7CZPJdylmzmDy8yvaJHmUOn0_222j6iy1hT8irfIY2NuCLW5MlERt6kOy4PuRrTD_E5SEVhZNbk3qzI_zQIqTN69wYNzGz2tkQ6P4/s885/1890+map+snip+showing+Eightlands+Cottage+cropped.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="885" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8YFZOXzPiVgVThjtfi30uqJIhcQYSPycHB41hfs7CZPJdylmzmDy8yvaJHmUOn0_222j6iy1hT8irfIY2NuCLW5MlERt6kOy4PuRrTD_E5SEVhZNbk3qzI_zQIqTN69wYNzGz2tkQ6P4/s640/1890+map+snip+showing+Eightlands+Cottage+cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1890 1:500 Town Plan of Dewsbury showing Eightlands Road (<a href="https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/424390/421951/13/100500">Old Maps</a>)</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Eightland's Cottage is the first house off Eightlands Road at the top right of the map. It appears to be divided into two houses, though (as you will see) it had been built to look like one large house. As the gateway with the post bearing its name is at the side with the triangular lawn I assume it is the second house, with the large lintel over the door. This sizable house (compare it to the back to backs further up the road to the left on the map) has good views across the town. I assume that being to the north the wind would have generally blown the smoke and dirt of the town centre in the opposite direction. This location of more expensive housing to the north and west of an industrial town can be observed in other places in Yorkshire like Sheffield and Barnsley.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbcBjTAjDNJ1nMnNGKLIf7QHFZMKDzuYfam3XyEMr7oevwBgoAN2hknPQLUfJergMhO8lSiXP1enaHNOsRF_HTHLXC64rSeOMmVcB8bQQXb72MMQYlPoCYysAEi6cIAOuRUgDHiuoO9c/s987/Eightland%2527s+Cottage+Dewsbury+1.JPG" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="987" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbcBjTAjDNJ1nMnNGKLIf7QHFZMKDzuYfam3XyEMr7oevwBgoAN2hknPQLUfJergMhO8lSiXP1enaHNOsRF_HTHLXC64rSeOMmVcB8bQQXb72MMQYlPoCYysAEi6cIAOuRUgDHiuoO9c/w512-h308/Eightland%2527s+Cottage+Dewsbury+1.JPG" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The front of Eightland's Cottage on <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/AjPKccSNQeUPUiL66">Google Maps</a></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Joseph Thackrah, Adam Beckett's step-father, had also chosen to live at Eightlands after his retirement. In 1871 we found him on Barber
Street which was the road on the second right up Eightlands Road beyond
Eightland's Cottage. He was still living there in 1881. It is possible
that Adam chose to move to the area to support his step-father in his
old age. Joseph Thackrah died in 1886 at the age of 79 years.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">By 1891 Adam and Ann Beckett were living at 9 Crackenedge Terrace which was not far from Eightland's Cottage, directly north of Dewsbury's centre. Adam was 64 years old by now and 'living on his own means', in other words a pension or sufficient savings or investments to provide an income. Jane Ann, their daughter, who was 20 years old, was living with them. The houses in that area appear to have been extensively redeveloped now.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div>Adam and Ann Beckett moved again between 1891 and his death in 1895. Adam's funeral was reported in the Batley
Reporter and Guardian on 22 June 1895, four years after the census
return discussed above. Note that Lister Beckett attended the funeral.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><br /></div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">DEATH OF A DEWSBURY GENTLEMAN</div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">Yesterday,
the remains of Mr. Adam Beckett, aged sixty-eight years, of Victoria
Crescent, Birkdale Road, were interred at the Dewsbury Cemetery, in the
presence of a large number of people. Deceased, who owned the Railway
Hotel, in Bradford Road, retired from business many years ago, and
resided for some time at Eightlands. He was of a quiet disposition, and
highly respected by all who knew him. He died from the effects of an
operation performed upon him. The chief mourners were Messrs. Joe
Beckett (the present landlord of the Railway Hotel), <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">Lister Beckett</span>,
John Beckett, Charles Beckett, and Tom Beckett (sons of the deceased).
Joe Thackrah (Heckmondwike), C. Fearnsides, Ellis Greenwood, T. Exley,
F. Bould, Joe Thackrah (Boothroyd Lane), Wm. Tunnicliffe, Walter
Tunnicliffe, Harry Tunnicliffe, Fred Sykes, Herbert Walker and Dr. Hall.
Beautiful wreaths and crosses were sent by Mrs. Joe Beckett, Mrs
Greenwood, Miss Earnshaw, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Thackrah, Mr. and Mrs.
Fearnsides, Mr. and Mrs. Tunnicliffe, Mr. Herbert Walker, Mr. and Mrs.
S. Lyles, Mr. C. Thornes and friends, Mr. J. Whittles and family, and
the Licensed Victuallers' Association. [...] Deceased leaves a widow and
seven children, five sons and two daughters, to mourn their loss.</div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This
appears to have been the funeral of a well known and well respected
gentleman. The houses on Victoria Crescent can still be seen today on Google Maps and are bay-windowed terraced houses of varying sizes surrounding a little grassy central area with mature trees. (<a href="https://goo.gl/maps/UyXcHpHn7pnEgjyJA">https://goo.gl/maps/UyXcHpHn7pnEgjyJA</a>).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnUl1CvfmDWXCr09y4bZtcdh15Z6eeGXUo6MYY3-02jInQAHk0dV52lmuykNX9C8QiGPR4vQtu0y507o3y8L5_nXfslU_XGrvivDYbVUO7Pv4bShLhto3wkcUlyPrNM_TCEf80X1ztOU/s854/1894+map+snip+showing+Victoria+Crescent.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="854" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnUl1CvfmDWXCr09y4bZtcdh15Z6eeGXUo6MYY3-02jInQAHk0dV52lmuykNX9C8QiGPR4vQtu0y507o3y8L5_nXfslU_XGrvivDYbVUO7Pv4bShLhto3wkcUlyPrNM_TCEf80X1ztOU/w400-h290/1894+map+snip+showing+Victoria+Crescent.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1894 1:10,560 map of Dewsbury showing Victoria Crescent (<a href="https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/423414/422506/12/100392">Old Maps</a>)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There is a reference in the newspaper report to Adam Beckett having lived at Eightlands for some time, which which tallies with the address given at his daughter Jane Ann's baptism in 1884. This is jumping back chronologically a little but the extra information to allowed me to track Adam and Ann's movements. Note too that Adam's son Joseph was, at the time of Adam's death, the landlord of the Railway Inn, so he may have taken over from his father on his retirement. In the Probate Calendar Indexes on Ancestry I noted that Adam Beckett left effects of £7076 12s 11d, this is worth roughly half a million pounds today. <br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So far I have demonstrated that Lister Beckett came from a line of publicans who were able to retire to live in comfortable circumstances in their old age. The report from Adam Beckett's funeral notes he was well respected with no suggestion of his own illegitimate birth. Lister's step-grandfather Joseph Thackrah had given Adam a home and his name, although Adam chose to revert to his baptismal surname of Beckett when he married. The next section will look at how Lister appeared to settle into this comfortable class by marrying the daughter of a well off wool manufacturer.<br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><b>References:</b></div><div><a href="https://www.ancestry.co.uk/">Ancestry </a>- for census returns, parish records, probate records and electoral registers</div><div><a href="http://search.findmypast.co.uk">Find My Past</a>
- much the same as Ancestry plus newspapers covering the whole country,
but with parish records for the more eastern parts of Yorkshire</div><div><a href="https://www.freebmd.org.uk/">FreeBMD </a>- a free index to births, marriages and deaths from 1837</div><div><a href="https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/WRY/Dewsbury/Dewsbury37">Genuki </a>- Dewsbury: Geographical and Historical information from the year 1837.<br /></div><div><a href="https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/indexes_search.asp">GRO Online Index</a>
- as FreeBMD but you have to create an account and helpfully shows
mother's maiden names all the way back to 1837 unlike the FreeBMD index. <br /></div><div><a href="https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/places/index.html">Index of English and Welsh Registration Districts</a> - on the UK BMD site - a downloadable resource</div><div><a href="https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/currency-converter/">The National Archives - Currency Converter</a> - gives value of money in history by its purchasing power <br /></div><div><a href="https://www.old-maps.co.uk/">Old Maps</a>
- very good map site with a variety of dates and scales. I hope adding
links to the snips I have used covers me for copyright! My blog has no
commercial links.</div><div>Probert, R. <i>Divorced, Bigamist, Bereaved? </i>(Kenilworth: Takeaway (Publishing), 2015).<br /></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br />BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-59821147041726893212020-06-29T11:13:00.005+01:002022-03-21T19:42:55.364+00:00The Brampton Parish Hall Roll of Honour - List of Posts<div>I have created a good number of posts in the past few months about the framed Roll of Honour recently rediscovered in the papers of the outgoing Brampton Parish Clerk.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is an index to them for my reference and for anyone else who'd like to read them in order!</div><div><br /></div><div>I made an initial Post about the memorial on my Commemoration and Remembrance website. <br /></div><div>It has a full sized photo of the Roll of Honour taken by Andrew Taylor and a transcription of the names. In February 2021 I moved that post to the Barnsley & District War Memorials site which I had recently taken over administration of once more.</div><div><br /></div><div>If I discover any more facts about the memorial this page will be updated.<br /></div><div><a href="https://commemorationremembrance.blogspot.com/2020/02/brampton-parish-hall-roll-of-honour.html">http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/2021/02/brampton-bierlow-parish-hall-roll-of.html</a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Posts on 'A Barnsley Historian's View' and 'Barnsley's History - Commemoration & Remembrance<br /></b></div><div>When (and if) I write more posts on the RoH I will add the links to this page.</div><div>(I'd like to write an academic article about the RoH, but I think I need to solve the mystery of where it came from first - but it that never happens I suppose it could still be an article, but it would be a bit open-ended.)<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>19 February 2020 Researching a Re-Discovered Roll of Honour: Brampton Parish Hall</div><div><a href="http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/02/researching-re-discovered-roll-of.html">http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/02/researching-re-discovered-roll-of.html</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>26 February 2020 Brampton Parish Hall Roll of Honour, Cortonwood War Memorial and a Name Listed Twice in the Same Census</div><div><a href="http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/02/brampton-parish-hall-roll-of-honour.html">http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/02/brampton-parish-hall-roll-of-honour.html</a></div><div><br /></div><div>11 March 2020 Four brothers Moorhouse from the Concrete Cottages in Brampton who Served in the First World War</div><div><a href="http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/03/four-brothers-moorhouse-from-concrete.html">http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/03/four-brothers-moorhouse-from-concrete.html</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>28 March 2020 Distant connection - the Brampton Parish Hall Roll of Honour</div><div><a href="http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/03/distant-connection-brampton-parish-hall.html">http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/03/distant-connection-brampton-parish-hall.html</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>29 May 2020 The Brampton Parish Hall Roll of Honour Mystery - Where Did it Come From?</div><div><a href="http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-brampton-parish-roll-of-honour.html">https://commemorationremembrance.blogspot.com/2021/02/the-brampton-parish-roll-of-honour.html</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>16 June 2020 James and Albert Crawford First World War Soldiers from Concrete, Brampton</div><div><a href="http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/06/james-and-albert-crawford-first-world.html">http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/06/james-and-albert-crawford-first-world.html</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>21 June 2020 Possible Source of the Brampton Parish Hall RoH - The Guide Post Inn</div><div><a href="http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/06/possible-source-of-brampton-parish-hall.html">https://commemorationremembrance.blogspot.com/2021/02/possible-source-of-brampton-parish-hall.html</a></div><div><br /></div><div>29 June 2020 Who was A Gibson? Where did he come from? Where did he live? I love a mystery!</div><div><a href="http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/06/who-was-gibson-where-did-he-come-from.html">http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/06/who-was-gibson-where-did-he-come-from.html</a></div><div><br /></div><div>21 March 2022 Researching One Man Solves Another Puzzle - Brampton Parish Church Roll of Honour </div><div><a href="https://commemorationremembrance.blogspot.com/2022/03/researching-one-man-solves-another.html">https://commemorationremembrance.blogspot.com/2022/03/researching-one-man-solves-another.html</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-7729289534412792072020-06-29T00:33:00.001+01:002020-06-29T01:37:05.332+01:00Who was A Gibson? Where did he come from? Where did he live? I love a mystery!<div style="text-align: justify;">
I am trying to identify all of the men on the Brampton Parish Hall Roll of Honour (RoH) which was brought to my attention in February this year. This is the latest of many posts I have written about the puzzles I have found along the way. I have identified the majority of the men but I have a few who require more work. Most of the men on the RoH have a full forename so when I only have an initial to go on the task is more difficult.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh495EuYVAJm92JWVeWMZQgq8IAN4afBLI1KkWfpkf90BX2GUNGz9CTXyu91enqKS0_KgQWRiQdav6eyFd6dB7bRD9o-gAFARrCa7-ckrCmVK9jrpvM8Y-FnAIvK7KnkamYiCL1pZ5-hSM/s612/Gibson+A+snip+of+RoH.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="612" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh495EuYVAJm92JWVeWMZQgq8IAN4afBLI1KkWfpkf90BX2GUNGz9CTXyu91enqKS0_KgQWRiQdav6eyFd6dB7bRD9o-gAFARrCa7-ckrCmVK9jrpvM8Y-FnAIvK7KnkamYiCL1pZ5-hSM/w400-h120/Gibson+A+snip+of+RoH.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snip of the Brampton RoH showing Gibson A.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
My first clue to the identity of Gibson A. on the Brampton RoH was in a newspaper article dated 18 January 1915. It was from the Sheffield Daily Telegraph and was found using Find My Past's newspaper search. Find My Past (FMP) shares the same newspaper resources as its sister site the British Newspaper Archive (BNA), which has a better search engine to be honest, but as that would be an extra subscription for me sometimes I search on the BNA and use the results to look for the newspaper on FMP.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: center;">
<b>Saw Sheffield Private Killed</b></div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: justify;">
Private Albert Gibson, of 40, Thomas Street, Swinton, of the 1st East Yorkshire Regiment, has just been invalided home suffering from rheumatism, the legacy of a long period of duty in the trenches up the waist in mud and water. He was at Mons acting with the reserves during the retreat. He first came into action on the Aisne, after forced marching for three days and three nights. It was in the early morning that they received the command to advance and capture some German trenches. This they accomplished, and then for seven days they were confined to the trenches "potting". His friend, Harry Ballard, of Attercliffe Road, Sheffield, who enlisted with him, was killed by his side in a charge the first Sunday after they came into action. It was between two and three o'clock in the afternoon when they left their trenches in order to charge across a ploughed field, the German trenches being their objective. These, however they did not reach, and Ballard, when about in the middle of the field was killed, his body being almost riddled with bullets from a machine gun. In another charge Gibson saw Joe Allott, a Wombwell man, fatally wounded. Allott and he had worked together in Cortonwood Colliery. Gibson was in several bayonet charges which resulted in trenches being taken and retaken. Later he went to Armentiers, where in taking the enemy's trenches several prisoners were captured, including an officer.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There is a lot of detail here and I will pick out what I spotted that might help solve the riddle of Gibson A. on the Brampton RoH.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
(1) Albert Gibson used to work at Cortonwood Colliery with Joe Allott. I checked the list of names on the Cortonwood war memorial and found A. Gibson on the first panel of 'Men who joined H.M. Forces from the Cortonwood Colliery - there are three panels of men who survived the war and one of men who were killed. J. Allott is listed on the same panel as Gibson, and yet the cutting says Gibson saw him fatally wounded. Let's assume that this means Gibson survived the war - but be skeptical.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
(2) Gibson was in the 1st East Yorkshire Regiment and was at Mons with the Reserves. So he was a regular soldier called up from the Reserve - therefore I am looking for a man who enlisted before the war and who was awarded a 1914 Star. We know he was in the Reserves, so he had served his seven years and was
in his five year reserve period when war broke out. So he must have
originally joined up before 1907, therefore he was probably born before
1889.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
(3) The date of the article was 18 January 1915 and the action described was the Battle of the Aisne in September 1914 - I should look for the deaths of Harry Ballard and (maybe) Joe Allott around that time. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
(4) Albert Gibson was living at 40 Thomas Street, Swinton when he enlisted. It is only four miles from Swinton to Cortonwood, so he may have lived in Swinton while working at Cortonwood Colliery. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2ammyr4PmXgcXeBG3t6A4TgudKf6prwZxe4fvpGolYBUMAHkPrpJSik3s_mhxBw1fLQh-joSCXAw7PhPSZFSbwragO8VgUPDLZIIVHHFGLWvBciTjmEehyphenhyphenLDgERxwe19vTs-e-L4yQ0/s984/Pension+Ledger+Gibson%252C+Albert+Cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="984" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2ammyr4PmXgcXeBG3t6A4TgudKf6prwZxe4fvpGolYBUMAHkPrpJSik3s_mhxBw1fLQh-joSCXAw7PhPSZFSbwragO8VgUPDLZIIVHHFGLWvBciTjmEehyphenhyphenLDgERxwe19vTs-e-L4yQ0/w500-h156/Pension+Ledger+Gibson%252C+Albert+Cropped.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Section of the Pension Card Ledger entry for Albert Gibson (WFA)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A likely candidate for Albert Gibson is Pte 7545 Albert Gibson of 1 East Yorkshire Regiment, entered a Theatre of War 8 September 1914 and discharged with a Silver War Badge on 23 September 1915 with sickness. His Pension Card Ledger on the Western Front Association (WFA) website gives his address as 29 Thomas Street, Swinton and suggests he was married but doesn't give the name of his wife. It looks as if a pension for 20% disability was being paid up to 1923 and appeals are noted in 1928 and 1932. Albert Gibson's Silver War Badge card gives us the additional information that he enlisted on 15 September 1903, so proof that he was a regular soldier. His seven years would have been up by 1910, but he could well have chosen to re-enlist for a while longer, some men did. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The 1st Battalion the East Yorkshire Regiment arrived in France on 10 September 1914. They were part of the 18th Brigade, 6th Division (<a href="https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/east-yorkshire-regiment/">Long, Long Trail</a>). This Brigade was attached to I Corps under Haig for the actions on Aisne Heights, 20 September 1914 (<a href="https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/battles/battles-of-the-western-front-in-france-and-flanders/the-battle-of-the-aisne-1914/">Long, Long Trail</a>). </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Soldiers who were killed in the First World War are usually easier to find as there are more records online covering their commemoration and burial information. I began with the <a href="https://www.cwgc.org/">Commonwealth War Graves Commission</a> (CWGC) website, but despite there being 9 records for men who died from the United Kingdom called H* Ballard in the First World War none of them died in 1914 and none were in the East Yorkshire Regiment. Neither could I find Harry Ballard on the <a href="http://sheffieldsoldierww1.co.uk/Home.html">Sheffield Soldiers of the Great War</a> website where I would expected him to be as the article quite clearly states he was from Sheffield. I searched for Harry Ballard in <a href="https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/1543/">Soldiers Died in the Great War </a>(SDGW) on 'Ancestry' - nothing. There were no other mentions in the Sheffield newspapers for this man, I would have expected an obituary or a death notice from his family in addition to the article above. It was time to try some variations on my searches.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
On the CWGC website I searched for anyone in the East Yorkshire Regiment who was killed in September 1914. That brought back 48 results. One was Henry Bolland, Pte 7796 1st Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment who died on 20 September 1914. This seems to be close enough, the right date, Bolland instead of Ballard is understandable and Henry for Harry is no surprise. His widow's address appeared to confirm my hopes. He had been married to Clarible (?) but by the time the CWGC records were collected she had remarried to a Micklethwaite and was living at 46, Birch Road, Attercliffe, Sheffield (Attercliffe is spelt Akercliffe on the website). He is remembered on the La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial in France so that means he has no known grave. With this information I went back to my other resources. Sheffield Soldiers notes the same information that is on the CWGC site but adds that Henry was from Heeley in Sheffield and enlisted at Beverley, this extra information looks to have been taken from his SDGW record. He is remembered on the Sheffield Council Official Roll of Honour. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We know that Joe Allott worked with Albert Gibson at Cortonwood so I decided to look for him in the same way I would look for one of the Brampton soldiers, starting with the census records. In the 1911 census Joseph Allott, aged 30, Coal Miner and Army Reservist (useful!) was living at 1 Inkerman, Jump, near Barnsley. He had a wife, Harriett and two children Sarah Eliza aged 3 and John aged 1. Joe was born in Hoyland in 1879 according to the 1881 census (although 1911 minus 30 gives us 1881) where he is living with his parents William and Sarah on St Helen's Street. He had a younger brother George who may be the man listed on the Hoyland Roll of Honour and the postcard Roll of Honour for the Elsecar Midland Working Men's Club on St Helen's Street. Interestingly there is no mention of a J. Allott on either of these memorials or the memorial at Jump. I found Joseph's pre-war Militia enlistment records on FMP - he had enlisted in the York and Lancaster Regiment in 1902 but was immediately transferred to the Artillery.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPBS8Onh5XuLKpbQ2sO1M1QI1VDKCg1I4u53cio7hl_dRG5BL6xYLeIF1KlkwemSbZjCHGu6maB07ecjw03YhypWX7BsvDI93Nn_IGJibcr_0J5dpFsBbBw0-U_iBSlNco3o3_M6vlW0/s983/Allott%252C+Joseph+Pension+Ledger+cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="983" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPBS8Onh5XuLKpbQ2sO1M1QI1VDKCg1I4u53cio7hl_dRG5BL6xYLeIF1KlkwemSbZjCHGu6maB07ecjw03YhypWX7BsvDI93Nn_IGJibcr_0J5dpFsBbBw0-U_iBSlNco3o3_M6vlW0/w625-h133/Allott%252C+Joseph+Pension+Ledger+cropped.jpg" width="625" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Section of the Pension Card Ledger entry for Joseph Allott (WFA)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Joseph Allott was quickly found in the Pension Cards on the WFA website. He was Joseph Allott Gunner 27656 in the Royal
Field Artillery and he was discharged on 2 November 1915. His address was the same as in the 1911 census. There are
more details on his card - he was paid 12/- for himself and 8/10 for his
wife in 1921 for a few weeks for a 30% disablilty, and then reduced to
8/- and 4/8 for a 20% disability until September 1923. There are dates
up to 1932 on his card but notes OK and No Action in the later
years. So if this is the same man Albert saw being shot Joe was severely
wounded enough to be discharged but happily he did survive the war. Which is as we suspected after seeing him remembered on one of the Men Who Served panels of the Cortonwood Colliery Memorial.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I could not find Albert Gibson in the 1901 or 1911 census returns in Swinton or anywhere else for that matter. However a likely hit turned up in 1891 in Rotherham Workhouse aged 8 with a sister Jane and a brother Benjamin. All three were born in Swinton. I was able to find the birth registration of Albert Gibson Bailey in Q1 1884 in the Rotherham Registration District (RD). Both Jane Ann (b.Q4 1881) and Benjamin (b.Q1 1883) were also registered as Gibson Bailey. In November 1884 Jane Ann Gibson and Benjamin Gibson were baptised at the Parish Church in Swinton (baptism records on FMP). Their parents were John and Ada Gibson of Swinton. John was a Glass Blower. Oddly Benjamin and Albert were baptised again in 1898, this time from the Workhouse - their birthdates were given as 8 August 1883 and 23 December 1884 respectively. Sadly Benjamin died in 1900 aged 17 in the Workhouse, but in the residence box someone has helpfully added 'formerly Bow Broom', which is an area of Swinton including Thomas Street where Albert Gibson lived before the war. Just imagine, Benjamin was baptised aged 14 and died aged 17 - this suggests to me that he was sickly as surely they would have tried to find work for him before that?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2KU_l9m7dwWP6t4lOg0QpzHmSGTFIxbWFDa2Qb4XNLzzwsZaM4G9LsevqGOSzyh9lulYLAL0hyphenhyphenUtKDVB_iZlC3ZKws1QZdtm7cluxKU5mR6gZO9GNMziU0LIJlm4i5qna_4jLL44B_8/s817/1930+Thomas+Street+Swinton.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="817" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2KU_l9m7dwWP6t4lOg0QpzHmSGTFIxbWFDa2Qb4XNLzzwsZaM4G9LsevqGOSzyh9lulYLAL0hyphenhyphenUtKDVB_iZlC3ZKws1QZdtm7cluxKU5mR6gZO9GNMziU0LIJlm4i5qna_4jLL44B_8/w400-h291/1930+Thomas+Street+Swinton.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snip from the 1930 Ordnance Survey map for Swinton showing Bow Broom <br />
The road running top to bottom on the left is Thomas Street (from <a href="https://www.old-maps.co.uk/">Old Maps</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This map snip shows the Bow Broom area of Swinton and the houses on Thomas Street. A later map includes the numbers and so I know that the lowest house shown here is number 40 and that the numbers run contiguously from north to south, not odds on one side and evens on the other.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I was able to find John and Ada in the 1881 census living at 8 William Street in Swinton. John was from Sunderland (which was an exciting moment as I was born in Sunderland!) and Ada was from Adwick, Yorkshire. There is no record of them ever having married, which is no doubt the reason for their children being registered as Gibson Bailey. Ada appears to have been a bit of a character appearing in court reports in the local newspapers in 1882 and 1886; on both occasions it was for fighting with another woman after a quarrel. In the latter report Ada is Rotherham Workhouse, so we can assume that her children had been there from at least that date. There is no further sign of John Gibson but Ada Bailey married John Bloore in Q1 1891 (while her children were in the Workhouse!) and in the 1891 census return (5 April 1891) she is living with him at 16 Hicks Square, Glasshouse Road, Kilnhurst, near Rotherham and only two miles from Swinton. They already have one child, Harriet Ann aged 1 born in Kilnhurst. I am 100% certain this is the same woman as she gives her place of birth as Adwick and Harriet Ann's mother's maiden name is given as Bailey in her birth registration Q1 1890 in Rotherham RD. I can find only one Ada Bailey of the right age born in 1862 in Adwick upon Dearne, to Charles and Emma Bailey.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Ada and John Bloor (also Bloore, Blower and Blewer) were living in
Denaby Main at the time of the 1901 census by which time Sarah Ann,
Polly and Mary had come along to join Harriett. Ada Bloor(e) continues to have an interesting life. She appears in the Mexborough and Swinton Times on 4 March 1905 accusing another woman of using obscene language towards her.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: justify;">
<b>Obscene Language at Denaby Main</b></div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: justify;">
A lady who rejoices in the somewhat ill-fitting cognomen of Matilda Spruce, and who is described as a married woman, of Denaby, was summoned by another lady, by name Ada Bloore, for using obscene language towards her, on 21st February. The complainant stated that the defendant was always calling her filthy names, and that she wanted a stop putting to it. Defendant denied the insinuation that she used filthy language, stating that she was a respectable women. The Bench dismissed the case, whereupon the defendant, who only restrained her evident surprise and glee as "having won the day", with difficulty said: "Thank you sir, have I anything to pay?" Upon being informed she could go, the defendant excitedly waved her "fur boa" in the air and exclaimed: "Three cheers", and merrily bounced out of court.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Despite her abandonment of her first three children in the workhouse (presumably after her desertion by John Gibson) I had hoped Ada found some happiness with John Bloor. Sadly it was not to be as he died in 1907 and by 1911 Ada is living with a John Hegin on Manningham Road in Attercliffe, Sheffield. This is definitely the right woman as the Hegins have Polly and Mary Blower living with them and Harriett Ann and Sarah Ann Blower are listed and then crossed out, all as step daughters - presumably because Ada gave her older girls names to the person who filled the schedule in for her (she signs with a x) before telling them that the two oldest were not living with her at that time. Again I can find no sign of a marriage for Ada Bloor or Bailey to a John Hegin, but as the form was filled in by someone else and Ada was illiterate Hegin may be just as poor an intepretation of what was said at the time as Blower was for Bloor.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Having digressed to follow Ada around Yorkshire I must get back to Albert Gibson as he was the orignal object of this post. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In the 1918 Electoral Register an Albert Gibson is living at 39 Thomas Street in Swinton which is obviously very close to number 40, the address given in the newspaper article I first found. There are three other men at the address, Frank Arthur Waite, Leonard Hanking and William Abbott, although Abbott is marked as an Absent Voter in the Forces. Albert is at the same address every year up to and including 1934, with various other occupants. In 1920 Grace Mary Abbott is listed there but no sign of William Abbot, but Albert Gibson, Frank Arthur Waite, Leonard Hanking are there plus two other men. Grace Mary Abbott is still at 39 Thomas Street with Albert Gibson in 1934 and so is Frank Arthur Waite, now joined by Ethel Waite. Albert would have been 50 years old by this time. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIsiN5lJkStBUNJCbvpRSB9VqiJ8sA1qLAz7G2AyFRE86IKnYGYZhkR-vslqme-PUm6Ob2u7BVpqAX0RkAcEu_Z1skgtTFL_PrHq7rn4ckyXUnNAaNSnNKevybnbeOqBVK4-cv_0n8knk/s1544/1939+Register+Albert+Gibson+at+39+Thomas+Street.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="1544" height="101" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIsiN5lJkStBUNJCbvpRSB9VqiJ8sA1qLAz7G2AyFRE86IKnYGYZhkR-vslqme-PUm6Ob2u7BVpqAX0RkAcEu_Z1skgtTFL_PrHq7rn4ckyXUnNAaNSnNKevybnbeOqBVK4-cv_0n8knk/w625-h101/1939+Register+Albert+Gibson+at+39+Thomas+Street.jpg" width="625" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Section of 1939 Register for 39 Thomas Street, Swinton (from FMP)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Of course this turns out to have been all too simple ... at the same address in the 1939 Register I found Grace M Abbott apparently born 29 November 1852 and Albert Gibson born 22 November 1917! There are two redacted names between these two people. This cannot be the same Albert Gibson named in 1918 - he would have only been 1 year old! And the birth day and month do not match that given in his workhouse baptism record. Is this a mistake? or his son? or a complete co-incidence?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThFwWMHdJtrfluW5W0zmRqsXIPnv_H_UzOusJSearOEvxntydLghV7QM2_qd38udmYq3_qVaMehkq6Z6WWgKbO3i-n4Hyz2Fzr0eygOJJZeaRtxgEm6YUkF_-gnpLko0Q8qpvuw8lmO8/s1725/1911+William+Abbott+cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="1725" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThFwWMHdJtrfluW5W0zmRqsXIPnv_H_UzOusJSearOEvxntydLghV7QM2_qd38udmYq3_qVaMehkq6Z6WWgKbO3i-n4Hyz2Fzr0eygOJJZeaRtxgEm6YUkF_-gnpLko0Q8qpvuw8lmO8/w625-h131/1911+William+Abbott+cropped.jpg" width="625" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1911 census for 40 Thomas Street, Swinton (edited to save space)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If Grace Abbott was indeed born in 1852 that made her 87 years old in 1939, which seemed a good age, so I thought I would investigate her. Jackpot! In the 1911 census William and Grace Mary Abbott are living at 40 Thomas Street, Swinton, the very address Albert Gibson gives in the newspaper report in 1915. Grace Mary Abbott gives her age 57, which is within two years of the birth year of 1852 she reported in 1939. William and Grace say they had been married for 40 years and reported twelve (!) children to their marriage, of whom eight were still living in 1911. Only two of their children were still at home when the census was taken, but they also had two nephews living with them. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It seemed that despite the smallness of the house, with only four rooms declared, they managed to fit six people in somehow. This obviously continued for many years, but boarders/lodgers replaced children and nephews. An Albert Gibson appears to have lodged with them for many years, and Albert Gibson the soldier says he lived at 40 Thomas Street, but whether, over the years, it was the same man or two men with the same name, has not been demonstrated yet. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
One thing that may make sense is that the William Abbott who was an Absent Voter in the 1918 Electoral Register was probably the William Abbott jnr listed on the 1911 census as 13 years old. I have mentioned before men aged 19 and over and in the Forces were also able to vote in 1918, so William jnr at 20 would have been listed. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
For the sake of completness and with my fingers crossed I checked the 1901 census for Thomas Street. William and Grace Abbott are at 38 Thomas Street with five children. Grace gives her age as 48 years, that is born in 1852/3 in agreement with the 1939 Register. William said he was 50 years old, but in 1911 he gave his age as 65. That would have made him 72 years old in 1918, defintely too old to have been in the Services as an Absent Voter.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Remember this for later ... Jonathan Abbott aged 23 born in Normanton near Wakefield is living at 40 Thomas Street just two doors away.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It took a couple of looks for me to spot something strange ... in the 1901 census William and Grace's children are listed out of order and there is someone missing. (in the lists below 'Do' means ditto)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
William Abbott Head Married M 50 </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Grace M Do Wife Married F 48</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Harriett Do Dau Single F 18</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sarah Jane Do Dau Single F 13</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Albert Do Son Single M 19 (which has been over written in very heavy ink)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hannah L Do Dau Single F 11</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Edith L Do Dau Single F 8</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I looked back at the 1891 census entry for the same family and found them at 38 Thomas Street in Swinton.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
William Abbott Head Married M 44</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Grace Do Wife Married F 37</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Thomas Do Son Single M 15</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Jonathan Do Son Single M 13</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Francis Do Dau Single F 10</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Harriett Do Dau Single F 7</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Grace Do Dau Single F 5</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sarah Jane Do Dau Single F 3</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Amelia Eliza Do Dau Single F 1</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Can you spot the difference?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
(1) Where is Albert aged 9 in 1891? If Albert is actually 10 in 1901 which would better fit the placing in the list, why has it been heavily written over as 19 to emphasise it?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
(2) Where is William Abbott jnr in 1901, if he was 13 in 1911 he should be 3 in 1901?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I should comment on one of the girl's names - Amelia Eliza in 1891 becomes Hannah L in 1901 - that could just be transcription and enumerator error.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And look ... Jonathan Abbot who was living two doors away in 1901 is the right age to be their son shown as 13 in 1891 and ... both were born in Normanton. So by 1901 the Abbott family were occupying two houses, numbers 38 and 40. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I went back to check 1911. The name of the person who filled in William and Grace's census form was Albert Edward Cook, he also filled in the census form for the house two doors away, where he appeared at the top of the schedule as 'Nephew' not the head of the household ... and this house was apparently also 40 Thomas Street! A closer look suggests that actually William and Grace were living at number 38 according to the address information on the page following their return and number 40 was occupied by six men, four nephews and two boarders with, as we have noted, no head of household indicated. The name given on the address information was also W. Abbott. So the Abbott family was still occupying both houses and number 40 - the real number 40 was being used as a kind of lodging house.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Back to Albert ...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I hoped I wasn't on a wild goose chase ... but maybe William and Grace took Albert Gibson in as a lodger when he left the workhouse and the enumerator mistakenly listed him as their son in 1901. He wasn't have been living with them, in either house, in 1911, maybe because he had joined the army in 1903 and stayed on a bit longer than his seven years, but it seems to fit that in 1915 he gives the address of their second house, the lodging house, 40 Thomas Street as his home.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I needed to check William and Grace's children on the General Register Office (GRO) online index of births. I prefer to do this on the GRO because mother's maiden names are not recorded before 1911 on the FreeBMD or Ancestry indexes.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Let's take Harriett Abbott, she's in both census returns. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Born 1883 or 1884 in Bolton upon Dearne (which would be in the Doncaster RD)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: justify;">
Abbott, Harriet Robertson [mmn] Robertson</div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: justify;">
GRO Reference: 1883 J Quarter in Doncaster Volume 09C Page 722</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Ok, now Sarah Jane Abbott, born 1888 in Swinton (which would be in the Rotherham RD)</div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: justify;">
Abbott, Sarah Jane [mmn] Robertson</div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: justify;">
GRO Reference: 1888 M Quarter in Rotherham Volume 09C 654</div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We have established that Grace Mary's maiden name was Robertson, and sure enough on FreeBMD I found the marriage of Grace Mary Robertson to William Abbott in the December Quarter (Q4) of 1872 in the Pontefract RD. That makes Grace Mary Robertson 20 years old when she marries William, a very reasonable age.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Here's the crunch ... is there an Albert born to this family, surname Abbott mmn Robertson in either 1882 or 1891. This is what I found.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Tamar Howarth Abbott b.Q3 1872 in Pontefract</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
William Oath Abbott b. Q3 1874 in Pontefract</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Thomas Robertson Hoult Abbott b.Q2 1876 in Pontefract</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Jonathan Robertson Abbott b.Q2 1878 in Wakefield</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Frances Tamar Abbott b.Q4 1880 in Barnsley Union</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Harriet Robertson Abbott b.Q2 1883 in Doncaster</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
John William Abbott b.Q1 1885 in Rotherham</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Grace Ann Abbott b.Q1 1886 in Rotherham</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sarah Jane Abbott b.Q1 1888 in Rotherham</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hannah Eliza Abbott b.Q2 1890 in Rotherham</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Edith Elizabeth Abbott b.Q3 1893 in Rotherham</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Eleven children born to William and Grace Mary Abbott - not the twelve they declare in 1911, but sometimes people counted miscarriages. No Albert! And no William Abbot jnr born in 1898. We will never know for certain but it does look as if Albert Gibson could have been living with William and Grace Mary Abbott at 38 Thomas Street in 1901 and later in the other house they owned, the lodging house at 40 Thomas Street two doors away. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When a stray child like William Abbott jnr turns up in the household of an older couple one common reason is that they have taken in a grandchild by a daughter to help her out. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I haven't found deaths for Albert Gibson, or Ada Hugin/Bloor/Gibson/Bailey yet so their stories are not completely finished, but that is enough for today. This has turned into a mega post!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Thanks for reading.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>References:</b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
1939 Register, Find My Past, <a href="https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/1939-register">https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/1939-register</a>, accessed 28 June 2020.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
British Newspapers, Find My Past, <a href="https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search/british-newspapers">https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search/british-newspapers</a>, accessed 28 June 2020.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Commonwealth War Graves Commission, <a href="https://www.cwgc.org/">https://www.cwgc.org/</a>, accessed 28 June 2020.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
General Register Office, Online ordering service, https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/Login.asp, accessed 28 June 2020.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Long, Long Trail, 'Enlisting into the army', https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/a-soldiers-life-1914-1918/enlisting-into-the-army/, accessed 28 June 2020.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Pension Records, Western Front Association, <a href="https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/ancestry-pension-records">https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/ancestry-pension-records</a>, accessed 28 June 2020.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sheffield Soldiers of the Great War, http://sheffieldsoldierww1.co.uk/Home.html, accessed 28 June 2020.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, Ancestry, <a href="https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/1543/">https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/1543/</a>, accessed 16 June 2020.</div>
</div>
BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-69952909153617884162020-06-16T16:57:00.000+01:002020-06-16T17:53:15.672+01:00James and Albert Crawford First World War Soldiers from Concrete, Brampton<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxmUQlcwXekDESBNiNr34m7EIWU4TcJjZqN2PJrWK7bP8BRRNO7L7TvXBvpuaInBEvge7L83-h9RboSwcZusyFlIhQw7P1BN-nQIn8SO6NbvKr58fTdl1yEM05DNxN_VUeLUhe8wk0eU/s618/RoH+snip+James+Crawford.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="618" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxmUQlcwXekDESBNiNr34m7EIWU4TcJjZqN2PJrWK7bP8BRRNO7L7TvXBvpuaInBEvge7L83-h9RboSwcZusyFlIhQw7P1BN-nQIn8SO6NbvKr58fTdl1yEM05DNxN_VUeLUhe8wk0eU/w400-h264/RoH+snip+James+Crawford.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The section of the Brampton RoH showing James Crawford's name</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have been investigating the <a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/02/researching-re-discovered-roll-of.html">Brampton Roll of Honour</a> which hangs in Brampton's Parish Hall since February this year. For briefness I will refer to it as the Brampton RoH or just the RoH. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There are 100 names listed on the RoH, 22 of these men (and they are all men) were killed in the First World War, the others survived to return home to their families. I have found census data allowing me to establish who these men were and where they lived for 91 of these names and military information for 73, an increase of one since my last post. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have also begun to collect a list of men from the area covered by this memorial, ie the Concrete Cottages and Wath Junction, who served in the war but who were not listed on the RoH. There were three additional names on the <a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-brampton-parish-roll-of-honour.html">Cortonwood Wesleyan Methodist Roll</a> of Honour (found online) which are not on the Brampton RoH, 29 more men were marked as Absent Voters in the 1918 Electoral Roll for Brampton or Wombwell South (the wards which include Concrete and the Junction and which available on Ancestry.co.uk) and three more have been found (so far) in the local newspaper, the Mexborough and Swinton Times (MST). </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Mexborough and Swinton Times was added to the <a href="https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/mexborough-&-swinton-times">British Newspaper Archive </a>this month, June 2020 (also available on sister site Find My Past). It covers the southern part of Barnsley including Wombwell, Great Houghton, Thurnscoe (all within the modern Barnsley boundaries) plus Brampton, Wath, Swinton, Mexborough and Conisbrough. In the last two days, purely with a search on the word 'Concrete' I have added three more names to my research list, including one man from Concrete, George Clark, who was killed.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
One odd thing about these additional names is that they include men who are the brothers of men who are listed on the Brampton RoH. We could suggest a couple of reasons for this, maybe they moved away from the area before the list was compiled? Possibly so, but many of the men listed on the RoH, despite living in Concrete earlier in their lives, were already living away from the area in 1911. Maybe their families did not want them included - which is strange if one brother is listed but not another.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9zzdMIJLgEOIN8W_AdzUEvcWS9-ntqtR-sSd1DRl2MwqZhZhZl8bOYlptBnYpX6SwaL0wWbQuYTgClqrv4znUb26mwooD9hDHUMD91jbEfZX3gQbFxhhm-irpqm-g0So5sDWqA563XA/s708/Crawford+names+on+Cortonwood+Wesleyan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="92" data-original-width="708" height="53" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9zzdMIJLgEOIN8W_AdzUEvcWS9-ntqtR-sSd1DRl2MwqZhZhZl8bOYlptBnYpX6SwaL0wWbQuYTgClqrv4znUb26mwooD9hDHUMD91jbEfZX3gQbFxhhm-irpqm-g0So5sDWqA563XA/w400-h53/Crawford+names+on+Cortonwood+Wesleyan.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James and Albert's names on the Cortonwood Wesleyan RoH</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
For this post I am focusing on James (b.1896) and Albert (b.1891) Crawford, brothers who were both killed in the war. James Crawford is named on the Brampton RoH, Albert Crawford is not, but I had found him on the Cortonwood Wesleyan RoH alongside his brother. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
They were living at home, 11 Wath Road, Wombwell Junction, with their parents James snr and Emily Crawford in 1911. Also listed on the census return is another brother, William (b.1893) and a sister Rose (b.1901). The return states that Emily has been married for 20 years and has had five children, one of whom had died before 1911. A search of the <a href="https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/login.asp">General Register Office</a> (GRO) indexes tells us that Ann Crawford was born in 1895 and died the same year. These searches can be carried out in five year chunks using a surname and mother's maiden name. They are very useful for discovering the absent children that the 1911 census additional information tells us about. According to the census only Rose was born in Wombwell, the other children having all been born in Worsborough Dale.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
James Crawford snr and Emily Pickard had married in Worsborough Dale (the second 'o' was lost from the area name in the early to mid 20th century), about five miles from Wath Junction, on 31 December 1890. James was originally from Thirsk, North Yorkshire and Emily from Otley, West Yorkshire (according to the 1901 and 1911 census returns), although in the 1891 census when James and Emily were living with her parents in Worsborough Dale, all her family (including James Crawford) are listed as being from Worsborough Dale itself. This is an error as the 1881 census tells us that Emily's father William Pickard was from Otley, her mother Hannah from Darfield, Emily and Samuel, the older of three children, from Otley and Herbert, the youngest child, from Darfield. So the family moved around quite a bit, Otley being about 44 miles from Darfield. It is always best to cross-check information found on a source as transcriptions or information given to the census enumerators or even to clergy for marriages, baptisms or burials can often be in error.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Cortonwood Wesleyan RoH helpfully tells us that James was in the K.R.Rif., the King's Royal Rifle Corps, and gives us his Service number 467. This information tallies with his Service Records which have fortunately survived (60% of these records were destroyed in the blitz during the Second World War) and his entries on Soldiers Died in the Great War (SDGW) and the <a href="https://www.cwgc.org/">Commonwealth War Graves Commission</a> (CWGC) website. He was killed on 18 June 1916 and his CWGC entry confirms that his father was James Crawford, of 11 Wath Road, Wombwell, Barnsley and that he was buried in the Cambrin Military Cemetery in France. His SDGW entry adds that he was killed in action and that he was born in Wombwell - which is therefore in disagreement with the 1911 census return. The information about his regiment reminded me of another memorial in Wombwell - the <a href="http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/2014/02/wombwell-st-marys-church-wombwell.html">Church Lads Brigade memorial</a> in St Mary's Church which was affiliated to the King's Royal Rifle Corps. Sure enough a Crawford, J. is listed there as well. He is also listed on the <a href="http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/2014/05/wombwell-wombwell-reform-club-members.html">Wombwell Reform Club Members RoH</a> in the Killed in Action section at the top alongside a Crawford, A. Pte. Y.L. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9dmP9ASaFTW_oGkzu89a0YeUkeTAlgQpsreXHCtywS6hzqsz5UlCPk8keSBncbRemQYeVAyk7Njle7CYbxQuIr8gWQyxP1gA_kcOAHj7q9NdVzGUgTIRgAblqXEy2z27JlAMQfo-Ypm4/s930/James+and+Albert+Crawford+on+Wombwell+Reform.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="930" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9dmP9ASaFTW_oGkzu89a0YeUkeTAlgQpsreXHCtywS6hzqsz5UlCPk8keSBncbRemQYeVAyk7Njle7CYbxQuIr8gWQyxP1gA_kcOAHj7q9NdVzGUgTIRgAblqXEy2z27JlAMQfo-Ypm4/w400-h216/James+and+Albert+Crawford+on+Wombwell+Reform.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two Crawford men named on the Wombwell Reform Club RoH</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
According to the Cortonwood Wesleyan RoH Albert was in the R.N. Lanc. Regt., Service number 31329. Tracing Albert's records was more complicated. His CWGC entry tells us that he was in the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment Service number 42151 (could someone have confused Loyal with Royal when preparing the Cortonwood RoH?) - this is the correct man as his parents are listed as Mr and Mrs J Crawford of 11 Wath Road, Wombwell. We also discover from this record that Albert was married, to a Mabel F. Crawford, and that her address at the time the CWGC information was collected was 4 Hough Lane, Wombwell. Bear in mind that the addresses for widows do not necessarily reflect the place where a soldier lived before he enlisted. Widows often moved after a man's death, maybe to return to their parents' home, or after re-marriage. Albert's SDGW entry adds that he was formerly in the York and Lancaster Regiment Service number 44591 and that he was born in Worsboro' Dale - which is correct according to the 1911 census return. He was killed on 4 November 1918 and was buried in the Mazinghien Communal Cemetery in France. Interestingly the additional documents on the CWGC page for Albert Crawford include a <a href="https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/321290/crawford,-albert/">Graves Registration form</a> which tell us that he was one of eleven Loyal North Lancs men killed on that day buried in
that cemetery which suggests that a significant action had taken place
(in my opinion). There seems to have been some confusion about his identity at some point as the type written entry reads 42151 Crawfers Pte.A. which is overwritten in ink, 44591 Crawford. Note that this is his Y&L Service number! </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6QAn2CP-ASX3fSBwuPJdJ_PgyeFuLtHX2t3kZCQIoJiiRMcSV2bKPVXKqK5Mc0hFC5GWQBV1KmV2txugwBOdaHSwX3sJ9cMeExRNhqtpy1wHL4NKd9qd-ibRx-zEQxnMd05jBZzZCFtw/s819/CWGC+graves+registration+entry+Albert+Crawford.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="819" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6QAn2CP-ASX3fSBwuPJdJ_PgyeFuLtHX2t3kZCQIoJiiRMcSV2bKPVXKqK5Mc0hFC5GWQBV1KmV2txugwBOdaHSwX3sJ9cMeExRNhqtpy1wHL4NKd9qd-ibRx-zEQxnMd05jBZzZCFtw/w313-h400/CWGC+graves+registration+entry+Albert+Crawford.jpg" width="313" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graves Registration for Mazinghien Communal Cemetery CWGC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now having the information that Albert had initially served in the York and Lancaster Regiment the Wombwell Reform Club entry makes sense. Both James and Albert are also listed on the main Wombwell memorial outside St Mary's church - but as these names were renewed and updated in the last 10 or 20 years (see a <a href="https://wwwapplications.barnsley.gov.uk/librarydigitisation/details.aspx?imageID=2755">photo from the 1930s on the Yococo website</a>) it cannot be ruled out that they were added during the update.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Albert Crawford and Mabel Florence Hazzard had married on 23 May 1918 at Wombwell Parish Church and that record states his occupation is miner. So when did he join the Army? If it was after their marriage he was not long in the forces before he was killed. Barely enough time for initial training compared to the men who enlisted earlier in the war. After his death two death notices appear in the Mexborough and Swinton Times (MST) on 23 November 1918, one from Mabel and one which names his parents, James and Emily, giving their address at 11 Wath Road. Albert's photograph appears in the newspaper the following week, although it gives his regiment as the York and Lancaster, despite the death notice the week before more accurately reporting him in the Loyal North Lancs. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Albert and Mabel do not appear to have had any children. Mabel remarried in the September quarter of 1923 to Samuel Wardell (according to FreeBMD) and bore him two children, Albert in Q3 1924 and Mabel in Q4 1926. It is touching to see that her first child was named after her previous husband. In the 1939 Register the couple were living at 25 Cemetery Road in Wombwell with Albert and a redacted entry, probably young Mabel. In the comments column at the far right it was noted that Samuel was an Air Raid Warden. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu52ITSIfB-I-d8r2xtpCs4wLT4OFULrB_G2flAUky1076nMkBJG_kQ07COixLXE2Fxz1ACH6rtQdQp4J-gkU6trFJFWavvcEcS0S7N1kKEfnl-945PsKNIek9SJ_YwGSRsdIlaAZ5U5c/s835/Crawford%252C+Albert+%252842151%2529+b+smaller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="835" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu52ITSIfB-I-d8r2xtpCs4wLT4OFULrB_G2flAUky1076nMkBJG_kQ07COixLXE2Fxz1ACH6rtQdQp4J-gkU6trFJFWavvcEcS0S7N1kKEfnl-945PsKNIek9SJ_YwGSRsdIlaAZ5U5c/w400-h254/Crawford%252C+Albert+%252842151%2529+b+smaller.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Albert Crawford's Pension Card from the WFA website</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So why was Albert not included on the Brampton RoH? It could be that his wife Mabel did not know about the RoH or did not want him included. It could be that at the time of the compilation of the memorial there was some uncertainty about Albert's death. However Albert's Pension Card (on the <a href="https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/ancestry-pension-records/">Western Front Association</a> website and also available via Fold3 on Ancestry) states that his death was notified on 27 November 1918 which is not a long delay. This tallies with the date of the death notices published in the MST on 23 November. On the Pension card Mabel's address has been changed from 4 Hough Lane, Wombwell (the address we saw above on the CWGC entry and the address from which she married in May 1918) to Laurel Dene, Lepton, Huddersfield so maybe she was living away from home for a while (there is no mention of her second marriage on the card). But why would his parents James snr and Emily omit him? It seems unlikely that a list of 100 men was compiled as soon as the Armistice was announced - and that the news of Albert's death came too late for him to be added. Could it be because he enlisted so late? Was the RoH compiled before his enlistment? </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
James and Albert are listed side by side on the Cortonwood Wesleyan Methodist RoH and the Wombwell Reform Club RoH but not on the Brampton RoH. And what happened to their brother William (b.1893), he was the right age to have served in the war and but I have found no military records for him yet. More questions that require further research if I am ever to understand this document. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
William Crawford married Winifred Carr in Q3 1918 and I have found them in the 1939 register. They had two children, Albert b.1920 (another named after the Albert who died in the war?) and Joan b.1923. I have also found them in the 1939 register living in Hemingfield near Wombwell. William dies just two years later from the same address 16 Garden Grove, aged just 48. He predeceases his parents James snr, who dies in 1945 and Emily, who dies in 1948. They are buried in adjacent plots in Wombwell Cemetery. Sadly whilst searching in the Cemetery records I discovered that Rose Crawford who had married Lionel Hawksworth in Q1 1919 died in January 1922 and was buried from 11 Wath Road, her parents' home. This means that James snr and Emily outlived all their children. The only consolation that I can find is that Rose gave birth to a daughter, Bessie, in 1920, who in 1939 is married and living with her widowed father and his mother in Wombwell. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have not yet confirmed which organisation compiled the Brampton RoH or when it was drawn up. It was apparently discovered in a poor state in the papers of a Brampton Parish Clerk as he handed over to a new incumbent very recently. The discovery of the document was reported in October 2018 in the local parish council magazine where it was also noted that the former Parish Clerk had retired on 31 March 2018 after 32 years service! So the RoH had been hidden away for many years. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Thank you for reading.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>References:</b></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br />
1939 Register, Find My Past, <a href="https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/1939-register">https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/1939-register</a>, accessed 16 June 2020.<br />
British Army Service Records, Ancestry, <a href="https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/1219/">https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/1219/</a>, accessed 17 February 2020.<br />
Census returns, Ancestry, <a href="https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/categories/ukicen/">https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/categories/ukicen/</a>, accessed various in February - June 2020.<br />
Commonwealth War Graves Commission, <a href="https://www.cwgc.org/">https://www.cwgc.org/</a>, accessed 16 June 2020.<br />
Cortonwood Wesleyan Methodist Roll of Honour, My Methodist History, <a href="https://www.mymethodisthistory.org.uk/topics-2/war_memorials/a_further_204_late_returns/cortonwood">https://www.mymethodisthistory.org.uk/topics-2/war_memorials/a_further_204_late_returns/cortonwood</a>, accessed 9 March 2020.<br />
General Register Office, Online Ordering Service, <a href="https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/login.asp">https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/login.asp</a>, accessed 16 June 2020.<br />
Mexborough and Swinton Times, British Newspaper Archive, <a href="https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/mexborough-&-swinton-times">https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/mexborough-&-swinton-times</a>, accessed 15 June 2020.<br />
Parish News, Issue 21, October 2018, Brampton Bierlow Parish Council, <a href="https://www.bramptonbierlow-pc.gov.uk/sites/default/files/pdf_docs/brampton_bierlow_oct_18_3_0.pdf">https://www.bramptonbierlow-pc.gov.uk/sites/default/files/pdf_docs/brampton_bierlow_oct_18_3_0.pdf,</a> accessed 16 June 2020.<br />
Parish Records for Worsborough Dale, Yorkshire Marriages, Find My Past, <a href="https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/yorkshire-marriages">https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/yorkshire-marriages</a>, accessed 16 June 2020.<br />
Pension Records, Western Front Association, <a href="https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/ancestry-pension-records/">https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/ancestry-pension-records/</a>, accessed 16 June 2020.<br />
UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, Ancestry, <a href="https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/1543/">https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/1543/</a>, accessed 16 June 2020.<br />
West Yorkshire, England, Electoral Registers, 1840-1962, Ancestry, <a href="https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/3057/">https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/3057/</a> accessed 22-28 May 2020.<br />
Yococo Image Database, Barnsley Council Online, <a href="https://wwwapplications.barnsley.gov.uk/librarydigitisation/details.aspx?imageID=2755">https://wwwapplications.barnsley.gov.uk/librarydigitisation/details.aspx?imageID=2755</a> accessed 16 June 2020.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-19112686419139861992020-05-11T12:06:00.001+01:002020-05-30T06:50:44.815+01:00I'm a real PhD Student at long last!<div style="text-align: justify;">
It has been my ambition for many years, since completing my first degree back in 2000 in fact, to continue my studies to Postgraduate level. I finally achieved that this year with a Pass with Merit for my Masters degree in The History of Britain and the First World War at the University of Wolverhampton. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibMpBJwBxc7oBo7g9Z3SgwAGnu_a7O-Fqkx5aCgWaWTHx5yXhgrDBrxmQh94E4XJ52j5WKfXMPwh0Hz20k-XX7GGZM-Hi2lIPoYP0LPqIEEDKwtEGtrEk2U1c0AywRawyAsPLixqregA/s1600/20200427-Offer+redacted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1229" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibMpBJwBxc7oBo7g9Z3SgwAGnu_a7O-Fqkx5aCgWaWTHx5yXhgrDBrxmQh94E4XJ52j5WKfXMPwh0Hz20k-XX7GGZM-Hi2lIPoYP0LPqIEEDKwtEGtrEk2U1c0AywRawyAsPLixqregA/s320/20200427-Offer+redacted.jpg" title="A screen shot with redactions of an Unconditional Offer from the University of Wolverhampton" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Unconditional Offer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
With that under my belt I applied for and was accepted to study for a part-time PhD, also at Wolverhampton, and officially enrolled a week ago. This is going to keep me occupied for the next six years.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It is funny, but way back in 1978, when I was doing my UCAS application for university, my back up choice, just in case I didn't get the grades to go to my first choice, was Wolverhampton Polytechnic. Which is, of course, the same institution that I am now attending, if in physical form only a couple of times a year. I can still remember the day in 1979 that I went for the interview, but not the interview itself - what sticks in my mind much more is that it was the day I bought Meatloaf's Bat Out of Hell album!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Unfortunately I failed my A levels in the summer of 1979 (long story) and had to wait until 1998 to start a degree course with the Open University. I used my Radiography Diploma as transferred credit, added some history modules and graduated in 2000 with a First Class BA (Hons) Open Degree. That was enough to get me an offer of a fee waiver for a part-time MPhil at Sheffield University (on Freehold Land Societies in 19th Century Heeley, Sheffield) and a good job with prospects at Sheffield Hallam University (SHU). Sadly I wasn't able to balance work, childcare, living on the Manor in Sheffield (horrible, horrible, horrible) and research so I withdrew from the MPhil after a year. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFl1th5UMYwbv83k6s9emmykTDhA8XlEStmku3JTzHOszQ-06cK-Bn1S-aj5d72z9AeylJDZui9Ywm2wfFgy0VyaH0x0d7OBR1oHZ_Vg88i6NRIuJshHkFvD6jBTWhDpsME9aujDs2rnY/s1600/Sheffield-Hallam-LOGO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="147" data-original-width="425" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFl1th5UMYwbv83k6s9emmykTDhA8XlEStmku3JTzHOszQ-06cK-Bn1S-aj5d72z9AeylJDZui9Ywm2wfFgy0VyaH0x0d7OBR1oHZ_Vg88i6NRIuJshHkFvD6jBTWhDpsME9aujDs2rnY/s320/Sheffield-Hallam-LOGO.jpg" title="The logo, title and strap line 'Sharpens Your Thinking' for Sheffield Hallam University" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I continued to work at SHU until I became ill in 2008/2011. I worked my way up from a lowly envelope stuffer and tea maker to a role in the Registry working on the Student Records system SITS. During my time there I took some other OU modules, things more relevant to my day job, and these I did manage to fit in with working. After I had to finish work, due to my progressively worse ill health, I was able to take a few more history modules to complete another undergraduate degree in 2014! This time it had a subject title, a BA (Hons) in Humantities with History - Upper Second Class. Somewhere along the way I fitted in a PGCE in Life Long Learning (I had hoped to become a part-time IT tutor for the elderly), and although my illnesses meant I only completed three-quarters of the course (all the written work, but not the final full time placement - impossible with my chronic health conditions) I have a nice University Certificate from Huddersfield University (Barnsley Campus) to say I tried.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Other things had come along to interest me in the meantime, I did my first public talk in February 2013 on Researching Barnsley Soldiers in the First World War for the Friends of Barnsley Archives and over thirty others up to the autumn of 2016 at which point sadly I had to call a halt as I had become so ill that I could not guarantee I would be able to turn up to a booking. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
You will have noticed that my health has prevented my from
continuing or completing a few things in recent years. Since I left
work I have been trying to get my (very small) pension released on the
grounds that I am unable to work any more - however it seems that
studying, even part-time, indicates that I could hold down a 37 hour a
week job with similar duties to my role at SHU (there is no
chance of that!) and that I will be fit enough to return to work within three years. I have been refused it on two occasions so far, with applications three and six years after I finished work. You would think they would have noticed that I am not getting any better and that I have been unable to work, even part time, since I left SHU. I assume there is no point me trying to apply for it again this year, my nine year anniversary of leaving SHU, as no doubt doing a part-time PhD, working at home for a few hours a day no more than three or four days a week, means that I will be (magically) well enough to go back to full time work again soon. My opinion of the panel doctors who work for the South Yorkshire Pension Fund is very low.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCo9lOYR_wtIpAwmsAxmLiUBajWaNE8UUChTGsSroWZpdsmw_d0wGjnI9U7MGcrOXlKqJXw2WKiE9KOtd1beXvxj_FXJg9y1VBQGF3TnbRFEvL0aXb999GZb3UNaz65t3YoQ5KJT2pJf4/s1600/LFWW+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="92" data-original-width="351" height="83" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCo9lOYR_wtIpAwmsAxmLiUBajWaNE8UUChTGsSroWZpdsmw_d0wGjnI9U7MGcrOXlKqJXw2WKiE9KOtd1beXvxj_FXJg9y1VBQGF3TnbRFEvL0aXb999GZb3UNaz65t3YoQ5KJT2pJf4/s320/LFWW+1.JPG" title="The logo of the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War site (original incarnation) with the word 'Support' on the right" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Then there was the volunteer work for Barnsley War Memorials Project (BWMP) and as an official remote volunteer supporting the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War, which fitted in better with my fluctuating health conditions and really got me interested in the huge number of different kinds of memorials there are and how Barnsley has a lot more than anyone who hasn't looked into it (or been to one of my talks) could ever imagine. At the last count there were 805 within the boundaries of Barnsley Borough and another 40 on the borders in villages which had, in the past, been in Barnsley. This is not including all the memorial benches that have been installed during the Centenary - I lost count of them a couple of years ago! Sadly the above projects officially drew to a close in late 2018 and early 2019.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMva9qoPMfaJtl4rFzQcwLHnrkcsD5IjR0mAAftcnCPFJp9ow64MqE-9sugwlwNa_RDRVb6fKOxHqtwh8aqNGuJXJ2JM-lQIxWhrULKDcUH8SCxr9XSJdHeEeZEypIE5uTTgPfGBILSk0/s1600/b52b3408-d15b-4aca-bffd-a026ad7e4807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="265" data-original-width="400" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMva9qoPMfaJtl4rFzQcwLHnrkcsD5IjR0mAAftcnCPFJp9ow64MqE-9sugwlwNa_RDRVb6fKOxHqtwh8aqNGuJXJ2JM-lQIxWhrULKDcUH8SCxr9XSJdHeEeZEypIE5uTTgPfGBILSk0/s400/b52b3408-d15b-4aca-bffd-a026ad7e4807.jpg" title="An older ex-military gentleman leaning over a metal commemorative bench with a poppy wreath." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of Barnsley's many new Commemorative benches - from the <a href="https://www.barnsleychronicle.com/article/cemetery-chosen-as-fitting-location-for-pals-memorial-bench">Barnsley Chronicle</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In early 2017 I noticed that Postgraduate Loans for Masters degrees had been made available. I have no problem with Student Loans (well, their administration leaves a bit to be desired, but as they are more like a graduate tax than a debt I can't see the problem). The increase in tuition fees had made my fees on my last few modules at the OU dependent on my 'transition' status - in other words because I was an existing student I had the opportunity to finish that second degree at the old prices providing I didn't break my study. However the increase did mean that the fees for a Masters, even with the OU, were way beyond my means as a non-working disabled person in 2014. The new Postgraduate Student Loans suddenly made it all possible again.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I chose Wolverhampton because I was following Professor Gary Sheffield on Twitter due to my interest in all things First World War. He had written some interesting pieces on the Centenary which had caught my eye. At that time I knew that my PhD subject (maybe after I officially retired) had changed to be about War Memorials as I had accumulated a mountain of information in Barnsley Archives while volunteering for the BWMP which was crying out to be written up. I knew that I didn't know enough about the First World War's other aspects - the dates of battles, the way the army was organised, why we actually went to war in the first place (when I studied the First World War as a small part of my final OU module my lack of general knowledge about it had become obvious) so it seemed a good idea to take a taught Masters course to give me a good background for a PhD and refresh my academic writing skills. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I was able to start studying in autumn 2017, part-time, with only a few visits to Wolverhampton for Saturday Schools necessary (huge thanks to my OH for taking me to Wolverhampton and making every trip - even the one in the heavy snow - a great adventure for someone normally confined to the four walls of our home). I was part of a great cohort of mainly mature students from varied backgrounds with interests in all kinds of aspects of the First World War and enjoyed lectures from many well known historians. The cherry on the cake was a big conference at Wolverhampton in September 2018 when I met Jay Winter who has written some of the best (in my opinion) books there are on Remembrance. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVgqnbMLP58d4NvTZVoggEIlc-dNuQVEqtIiLQmI-ee5zrXrQ2VH2KiDgqyReVMaHaiVOiqoPVzVHhbLBWJdwMU3i8lbqeJy3uilLbnciHv_XWtvpmdZUVVT1Hmclo75m9AMP7M89dG8/s1600/screenshot-2019-05-06-at-080704.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="401" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVgqnbMLP58d4NvTZVoggEIlc-dNuQVEqtIiLQmI-ee5zrXrQ2VH2KiDgqyReVMaHaiVOiqoPVzVHhbLBWJdwMU3i8lbqeJy3uilLbnciHv_XWtvpmdZUVVT1Hmclo75m9AMP7M89dG8/s320/screenshot-2019-05-06-at-080704.png" title="A middle aged smartly dressed man (Gary Sheffield) with a poppy display in the background" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Professor Gary Sheffield</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Gary Sheffield was my supervisor for my MA dissertation which was on War Memorials (of course) and I am very happy to say that I got a Distinction for that. The trouble was it was only 15,000 words and it barely scraped the surface of what I knew I could write on Barnsley's First World War commemoration and remembrance experiences. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Gary was unable to accept me as a PhD student, he already had his quota and also thought I needed someone who had a greater experience in my particular topic. However he did promise to write me a glowing reference! His field is much more the military side of the history of the First (and Second) World War including morale and leadership, but he doesn't cover a great deal of cultural history or memory studies. Gary became the <a href="https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/latest-news/may-2019/professor-gary-sheffield-pays-tribute-to-his-predecessor-as-honorary-president-of-the-western-front-association-professor-peter-simkins-mbe/">president of the Western Front Association in 2019</a> (the image on the above is from their website) taking over from Peter Simkins who also lectured on our course.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Eventually, and on his recommendation, Professor Laura Ugolini accepted me as her student. She writes about the more social and domestic aspects of the First World War and is already supervising at least one student who is researching commemoration. I had met Laura at Wolverhampton when she lectured on our course. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
My PhD Student Loan is just enough to pay my fees for the next six years, and because I am a University of Wolverhampton alumni I get a 20% discount - enough to pay for some more books, much to the OH's relief.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Last week Laura set me my first proper task - a 10,000 word literature review on the historiography of commemoration particularly concerning physical war memorials (leaving remembrance events for another time). I wrote a first draft yesterday, mainly headers and notes and a list of some of the books and authors that I intend to discuss. That came to over 3,000 words (not counting the bibliography)! I look forward to honing my research and critical writing skills over the next few years and working towards writing my thesis - 80,000 words sounds like a lot, but once you start outlining themes and chapters it really breaks it down into manageable chunks. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzlfj6_mFxo1Yz1R1ExDSL6uARBInk7c6muX0JXdOWevOyAZ9yxIiKrk4xjIOrDPDH5Xmoru6HJgQbVyyrud-ySvF5tJRrgB_GeJbwtj_-DBUNYbqp9D8aeQL9-jrTSrLvbSpOFM0AKuU/s1600/20200321_reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1485" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzlfj6_mFxo1Yz1R1ExDSL6uARBInk7c6muX0JXdOWevOyAZ9yxIiKrk4xjIOrDPDH5Xmoru6HJgQbVyyrud-ySvF5tJRrgB_GeJbwtj_-DBUNYbqp9D8aeQL9-jrTSrLvbSpOFM0AKuU/s400/20200321_reading.jpg" title="A pile of books, mostly First World War cultural studies, with some medicines to the right hand side of the image." width="342" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a few of my newer books by the side of my bed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Cross fingers my health becomes no worse and this current pandemic situation is resolved as soon as possible. Research in Archives is out of the question at the moment, but I have lots of books to read. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Do you see the top one on this pile? That's Laura's book Civvies. It's about middle class men on the Home Front during the First World War. I thought I should read it as she's going to be looking after me for six years!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I am still in touch with many of the people in my MA class and look forward to seeing them all again when we finally have a Graduation ceremony. Although your guess is as good as mine when that might be!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Thank you to Gary and all his team for the past two years, it was very enjoyable and I learnt a lot. I feel well prepared and ready for the next step. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Wish me luck and thanks for reading this. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-35675908679155265722020-03-28T09:23:00.000+00:002020-03-28T09:29:07.590+00:00Distant connection - the Brampton Parish Hall Roll of HonourIt was bound to happen eventually ... I have found a connection between some of the men named on the <a href="https://commemorationremembrance.blogspot.com/2020/02/brampton-parish-hall-roll-of-honour.html">Brampton Parish Hall Roll of Honour</a> and my husband (aka the OH). As I have been researching the OH's family history for the past twenty years or so I have come to realise that Barnsley really isn't that big a place. If your family has a line that stretches back two hundred years in the area, just beyond the census returns and into the realms of the parish records being the best available sources, there is a very good chance that you are connected to everyone else in the area who has equally long lines.<br />
<br />
Quite a few years ago now I discovered that the OH's father and one of his best friends, who had for many years, with their wives, been accustomed to taking Tuesday nights off and going out for a drink together, were fifth cousins. I have shown that the OH is related to a number of his own friends, admittedly in some cases with marriage links rather than blood lines, and using the OH as an intermediary one of my BWMP (Barnsley War Memorials Project) colleagues was related to her husband! These connections are usually via the OH's paternal grandmother Mary Blackburn; I have determined that thirteen of her great-grandparents (out of a possible sixteen) were born in the Barnsley area between 1800 and 1831. In comparison, on his mother's side not a single one of her great-grand parents were born in Barnsley!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8slVyEdGw3UxQnPw7idp1whfhHohFnrauRR-ivZAmxJtkoRxRT6qUxIwR_W1-BT1fb4u5hyFUCuFPdhhG1fM7A9iGV4ulyg4bE8Jtv4vwXxmK5WEXkL8D1wtbwe3w2ph1L95AN6H3osg/s1600/Savage+names+from+RoH.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="400" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8slVyEdGw3UxQnPw7idp1whfhHohFnrauRR-ivZAmxJtkoRxRT6qUxIwR_W1-BT1fb4u5hyFUCuFPdhhG1fM7A9iGV4ulyg4bE8Jtv4vwXxmK5WEXkL8D1wtbwe3w2ph1L95AN6H3osg/s320/Savage+names+from+RoH.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cropped section of the Brampton Parish Hall RoH <br />
showing Joseph and Walter Savage's names</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The connection with the Savage family is via a marriage link. In 1957 the OH's great aunt married into the Savages, a family who have been in Barnsley since about 1819. George Savage, born 1767, his wife Mary and at least three of their eight children (that I am aware of) moved to Barnsley in time for the birth of their youngest son Joseph in 1819. They had previously lived in Newark in Nottinghamshire and George, head of the family, was a weaver. The OH's connection descends from that Joseph Savage born in Barnsley in 1819 and the two brothers on the Brampton Parish Hall Roll of Honour descend from his older brother, George Savage, born in Newark in 1806.<br />
<br />
A short history of the Savage family by Vivian Thomas can be found in <i>Moving Lives: Stories of Barnsley Families </i>(Barnsley
Family History Society, 2007). Vivian is the granddaughter of Walter
Savage who was listed on the Roll of Honour and her article includes a
photo of Walter in uniform. I confess that I have only just noticed this, my only excuse is that I bought the book years before I really started researching the OH's First World War relatives.<br />
<br />
I have been researching the names on the Brampton Parish Hall Roll of Honour since the beginning of February. At a rate of one or two men a day, and with a hundred names on the list, it is not a quick job! Yesterday I reached Joseph and Walter Savage. I did wonder about them as Savage is not a common name in Barnsley, but with them being in Brampton I didn't immediately assume there was a connection to the Barnsley family I knew were related to my husband.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMt4hbdHf7eld-3o7zuLVFSZMzVAphC-P7l_1lr6Pg2WZNMY2s2SVQrwM14Lac1fktri1MpCay3_mVr038VzoZv4V6NnKmbTL1AhCKV3V6-gT5Og4Ch_kdS9cClaOeeFAanjFaZAMRkA/s1600/1911+George+Savage+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="229" data-original-width="1600" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMt4hbdHf7eld-3o7zuLVFSZMzVAphC-P7l_1lr6Pg2WZNMY2s2SVQrwM14Lac1fktri1MpCay3_mVr038VzoZv4V6NnKmbTL1AhCKV3V6-gT5Og4Ch_kdS9cClaOeeFAanjFaZAMRkA/s640/1911+George+Savage+cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1911 census for 6 Wath Road, New Wombwell (from Ancestry)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My first search was in the 1911 census where I found the two men, obviously brothers, living at 6 Wath Road, New Wombwell, with their father George, mother Mary Jane and two other siblings, Charles and Sarah. The address is in the vicinity of most of the others I have traced on the Roll of Honour and therefore I accepted that I had found the correct men. In a <a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/02/researching-re-discovered-roll-of.html">previous post</a> I explain how most the men named (that I have researched so far) appear to come from a small area around the Concrete Cottages and Wombwell Junction.<br />
<br />
I noticed that George Savage, the father of the assumed soldiers, was born in Barnsley in 1866, and my suspicions were aroused. It was fairly easy to find his marriage to Mary Jane Skiffington at St George's Church in Barnsley in 1886 on Ancestry and I saw that both he and his father Charles Savage were described as Publicans. I remembered that the Savages in the OH's family tree had run a few pubs so I tracked back one more generation. Charles Savage married Sarah Naylor at St George's Church in Barnsley in 1864 and his father was George Savage 'Inspector of Nuisances'. Yes, they were connected to the OH! I wrote a <a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2013/07/tombstone-tuesday-retired-barnsley.html">post about the family in 2013</a>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj693u_fBqoJigJK-OTCOp0PzRvuEfhwO0AeQqDCKWz06L2Qse2xqbM-So6DIRuOdoJaHGxYa8QBy60cSPqyP1-4Uoc614zz9PsKYuU48JlROwmQdlhpaI82rzC8mFieauc9lkiCmRFGvg/s1600/1891+Charles+Savage+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="1190" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj693u_fBqoJigJK-OTCOp0PzRvuEfhwO0AeQqDCKWz06L2Qse2xqbM-So6DIRuOdoJaHGxYa8QBy60cSPqyP1-4Uoc614zz9PsKYuU48JlROwmQdlhpaI82rzC8mFieauc9lkiCmRFGvg/s640/1891+Charles+Savage+cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1891 census for 1 and 2 Wombwell Junction, Guide Post Inn (from Ancestry)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In 1891 Charles Savage was running the Guide Post Inn at Wombwell Junction. George, his son, already married to Jane (aka Mary Jane), was still living in his father's household along with his sons Charles and Walter. Charles had previously run the Melbourne Hotel on Sheffield Road in Barnsley which is where I found him and his family in the 1881 census.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbWFxnuD3yIe32bmNWCQTQYBVq3NudyvGh3pDQLCbeOTq_Z0TnjnDoPsSlTjQsCu9bEfDS0brxgJW3dRyFlLYYbTeWxf-oCEcUPllIP23NgNiNiaTRVVUPPBL4mkK2kmFx7wlEQUNPxQ/s1600/1905+map+Wath+Rd+showing+Guide+Post+Inn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="504" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbWFxnuD3yIe32bmNWCQTQYBVq3NudyvGh3pDQLCbeOTq_Z0TnjnDoPsSlTjQsCu9bEfDS0brxgJW3dRyFlLYYbTeWxf-oCEcUPllIP23NgNiNiaTRVVUPPBL4mkK2kmFx7wlEQUNPxQ/s320/1905+map+Wath+Rd+showing+Guide+Post+Inn.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1905 map snip of the Wombwell Junction area <br />
(from <a href="https://maps.nls.uk/view/100949606">National Library of Scotland</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Vivian Thompson, in her article in <i>Moving Lives</i>, refers to the triangle of houses with the Guide Post Inn at the apex (see map on left) as 'the three cornered hell' which seems a little harsh. She does not explain from where she got this term.<br />
<br />
There is a picture of the pub on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/old.barnsley/photos/guide-post-wombwellvisit-and-like-our-page-to-keep-up-to-date-with-barnsleys-pic/641115109248687/">Old Pictures of Barnsley Facebook</a> site which probably dates from the 1960s as the houses behind it appear to have been demolished. In several of the comments attached to the picture the term 'three cornered hell' is also mentioned.<br />
<br />
Walter Savage enlisted in the Royal Artillery in 1909 giving his address as 6 Wath Road, Wombwell and his occupation as Colliery Trammer. His place of birth was New Wombwell, which I have noticed is the term used for the area covered by the Junction and the Concrete Cottages.<br />
<br />
You might have spotted that in 1911 he is listed as a Soldier in his father's census return. As George also includes a deceased child, Tom Savage, he appeared to interpret the census instructions very broadly, including all his children whether at home or not, so the presence of Walter on the return does not mean that he was living at home in 1911.<br />
<br />
A further search of the 1911 census, now that I know Walter had enlisted in 1909, uncovered him in Kirkee, India (now known as Khadki) in an army barracks with the 81st Battery, Royal Field Artillery. Some information on the 81st Battery and the 5th Brigade of which it was part can be found on the <a href="http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-royal-artillery-in-the-first-world-war/batteries-and-brigades-of-the-royal-field-artillery/v-brigade-of-the-royal-field-artillery/">Long, Long Trail website</a>. Walter's Medal Card, service number 54143, informs us that he reached a theatre of war (unspecified, so it could be Egypt or France) on 6 November 1914, which qualifies him for the 1914 Star. His rank was Gunner. The Barnsley Chronicle on 13 November 1915 reports that he had a brief return home to Wombwell.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Corporal Walter Savage, R.F.A., on Wednesday, made an unexpected re-appearance amongst his family and friends at Wombwell Junction, Wombwell, after being absent for over six years. At the outbreak of war Savage was serving in India. The regiment was recalled after the outbreak of war, and he was drafted to France in October without having the pleasure of paying a visit to his home. He has seen a great deal of heavy fighting, but, fortunately, so far has received no injury. He was given a great reception by his old friends. Savage was once prominent in local football circles.</blockquote>
He was discharged on 1 January 1921 and the address he gave at that point was 74 Hawes Side Lane, Blackpool. He had married Faith Hope Charity Pearson (lovely name!) on 24 December 1920 at Marton in Lancashire, presumably whilst on his final leave from the army. Marton is now a suburb of Blackpool and is very close to Hawes Side Lane. By 1939 he had moved around the corner to Powell Avenue. Walter and Charity (Vivian refers to her by this name) appear to have only had one child, Alice born in 1922 in Wombwell oddly enough.<br />
<br />
Joe Savage, Walter's younger brother, enlists into the Territorial Force in June 1915 and joins the (West Riding) Royal Horse Artillery, service numbers 4050 and 831644. Joe's Service Records have survived and can be viewed on Ancestry and
Find My Past. He was a tall man for the time, 5 feet 11.75 inches and
with a 38 inch chest. He gives his father's address as 6 New Wombwell, but I assume this is the same as 6 Wath Road. He lands in France on 23 May 1916 and is wounded in the right leg in September 1917, but this does not appear to cause any lasting disability. He was discharged on 13 March 1919 and gives his address as 6 Wath Road, New Wombwell. He marries Nellie Count on 21 September 1919 at St Mary's Church in Wombwell. They have three children, Betty who dies young, Jessie and George. In 1939 the family is living at 80 Wath Road in Wombwell. Joseph is listed as a Licensee - but of which pub? Vivian's article helps again telling us that the Guide Post Inn was run by three generations of the family (although not continuously), Charles, George and Joseph before its closure in 1968. Joseph apparently ran it for 38 years!<br />
<br />
It is always nice to link the OH to pubs as he is a longstanding member of the Campaign for Real Ale (Barnsley Branch). But he hadn't heard of the Guide Post Inn before so I look forward to telling him his tenuous connection.<br />
<br />
Thank you for reading.BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-68810807905464877592020-03-11T11:28:00.000+00:002020-03-11T11:28:53.409+00:00Four brothers Moorhouse from the Concrete Cottages in Brampton who Served in the First World War<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are 100 names on the <a href="https://commemorationremembrance.blogspot.com/2020/02/brampton-parish-hall-roll-of-honour.html">Brampton Parish Hall Roll of Honour</a> and the men appear to have come from a small community focused on the 106 Concrete Cottages which were on the boundary of Brampton and Wombwell [now] in South Yorkshire. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now that I am about halfway through the list, having reached 'M' for Moorhouse a few days ago, I have discovered that the connections of the men with the area are sometimes more obscure - but in every case I have researched, at some point, the man or his family have lived in either the Concrete Cottages or on Wath or Brampton Roads nearby. The families sometimes intermarried and brothers, cousins and in-laws have been remembered together.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1uMS1j0lnFcIcRToLRtjTltGKgf-Ms-K4Rx8he8E-2C84rtAiaxrx3GkCU47DCHlMXGHhoAekCW1yeaT0OcrOtiqttENo4JfBdj1YA8xS84jR7x79rJWn66zzqjkmRcXCHpcJ1hitnQ/s1600/1955+map+from+NLS.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="643" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1uMS1j0lnFcIcRToLRtjTltGKgf-Ms-K4Rx8he8E-2C84rtAiaxrx3GkCU47DCHlMXGHhoAekCW1yeaT0OcrOtiqttENo4JfBdj1YA8xS84jR7x79rJWn66zzqjkmRcXCHpcJ1hitnQ/s400/1955+map+from+NLS.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1930 amended 1955 map of The Junction and Concrete Cottages. <br />From the <a href="https://maps.nls.uk/view/189182964">National Library of Scotland</a>.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This map from 1955 shows the Concrete Cottages. Compared to the 1907 map </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in my first post about <a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/02/researching-re-discovered-roll-of.html">researching the names</a></span> the school and chapel have moved south down Knoll Beck Lane. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I know that the cottages were built in 1876 for Cortonwood Colliery, and judging by an <a href="https://maps.nls.uk/view/189182961">Ordnance Survey map from 1964</a> available on the
National Library of Scotland's website they had disappeared by the 1960s and been replaced by Garden Drive, which according to Street View on Google Maps is a street of council style bungalows and houses. An aerial photograph dated 1958 published in the 'Barnsley Memories' magazine for Winter 2007 appears to show the Concrete Cottages partially demolished. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It would be interesting to discover whether the people from Concrete Cottages were rehoused locally and if anyone can remember them or indeed used to live there.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In my last post I discussed the <a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/02/brampton-parish-hall-roll-of-honour.html">possible origin of the Roll of Honour</a>. I am satisfied that it was not a Cortonwood Colliery related document, but it may be connected to the Methodist Chapel or school associated with the Concrete Cottages. Someone who used to live in the area might know the origin of the Roll of Honour - or even have donated it to the Parish Hall.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Four Brothers Moorhouse</span></b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGufMC4BCTi0qfBCs8LzuWpB95ioQii6Jpl2e6Fol4CMabuXDuNmclMHvXZufG9hNKEVY9tqE3-ek6XDdndSXj233r9D3lR-iOdus3-hc3IGzbn5vnaSrpxNq598rLZwb6iccNAQAF1E/s1600/Moorhouse+names.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="213" data-original-width="613" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGufMC4BCTi0qfBCs8LzuWpB95ioQii6Jpl2e6Fol4CMabuXDuNmclMHvXZufG9hNKEVY9tqE3-ek6XDdndSXj233r9D3lR-iOdus3-hc3IGzbn5vnaSrpxNq598rLZwb6iccNAQAF1E/s400/Moorhouse+names.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Four men named Moorhouse on the Brampton RoH</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Roll of Honour lists four men with the surname Moorhouse. I suspected that it was possible they might be brothers, but now my research has proven that this was indeed the case. Sydney Moorhouse b.1881, William Moorhouse b.1882, both born in the Wakefield area and their brothers John Moorhouse b.1892 and Henry Dean Moorhouse b.1894 were born in West Melton, were four of the sons of George and Julia Moorhouse who had married in 1880 in Wakefield. The family lived at 49 Concrete Cottages in 1891 and 46 Concrete Cottages in 1901. That, in itself, suggests that John and Henry were actually born in the cottages. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CN8c7U0KT1eAtvLnETAYlQLais6nf3vx8LamekztyOxKAUrDBVzk0eKeuZCbujyr2n-E6d7OG_Sz9d_D8fRYcd4xPMIi_ge045M1imbTb6Y3StgjKZa2_zbaX9CJLBN_-O5TStjsfSE/s1600/1901+Moorhouse+family+snip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="632" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CN8c7U0KT1eAtvLnETAYlQLais6nf3vx8LamekztyOxKAUrDBVzk0eKeuZCbujyr2n-E6d7OG_Sz9d_D8fRYcd4xPMIi_ge045M1imbTb6Y3StgjKZa2_zbaX9CJLBN_-O5TStjsfSE/s400/1901+Moorhouse+family+snip.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1901 census snip for 46 Concrete Cottages (from Ancestry)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The family included another son confusingly also called Henry in the 1901 census. He was born in 1884 in the Bramley near Leeds and registered and baptised as Harry Moorhouse. It could be that his listing in 1901 as Henry was an error on the part of the census enumerator. To complete the household in 1901 there were four daughters, Ethel b.1887, Gertrude b.1890, Laura b.1896 and Doris b.1899. A further daughter, Mabel b.1886, was living a few doors away at 65 Concrete Cottages, as a boarder with the Simpson family. She was listed as a Domestic Servant, and may have been there to help the wife, Maria, with her 7 month old baby. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEv21gd4xts7FYuaelw63YB5Qo17JXFkoglLkmLMVcZfB2tzsHnmv1CsVHakfTWn-2DLHJoG6wy6R2BGjddyZG7uLTqlH0npHsPR1fSjG5bWTXkEs-Zg1zw_qv-g7Gt2nWOckaUhHdmBM/s1600/1911+Ray+and+Moorhouse+family+snip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="605" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEv21gd4xts7FYuaelw63YB5Qo17JXFkoglLkmLMVcZfB2tzsHnmv1CsVHakfTWn-2DLHJoG6wy6R2BGjddyZG7uLTqlH0npHsPR1fSjG5bWTXkEs-Zg1zw_qv-g7Gt2nWOckaUhHdmBM/s400/1911+Ray+and+Moorhouse+family+snip.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1911 census snip for 16 Concrete Buildings, Wombwell (from Ancestry)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Unusually for a family of so many children, 10 that I can trace, none had died in infancy. George Moorhouse, the father of the family, died in unfortunate circumstances in December 1902 and Julia remarried in early 1905 to Joseph Ray. She and six of her Moorhouse children were living at 16 Concrete Buildings (aka Cottages) in 1911. She has added another child to the family, Charlotte Ray b.1906.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sydney Moorhouse presumably moved out of the family home when he married on 25 December 1902 at Christ Church in Brampton, to Lydia Hunston who had lived at 72 Concrete Cottages. The terrible thing that I noticed about this connection is that Lydia was named in the newspaper report dated 9 December 1902 that relates the circumstances of George Moorhouse's death. It seems that Julia borrowed a bottle of laudanum from Lydia (her daughter in law to be) on Monday 1 December when George came home from work sick and unable to rest. He became progressively more ill during the following week and with the bottle of medicine left at his bedside he made a dreadful mistake on the Friday evening. Instead of taking a drink of the whisky his wife had also left for him he had taken the remainder of the bottle of laudanum, and he died the following morning. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVa7uLkhpW6kdnxv65iJfT2Vvj65Cl9YS4gdK43cc6_jLYXkslRIVj7FQI91oEMy-Nai_7VuHuNWUiU8ZlHxhdJiGnijlukI0JOQtJdKTyXvhrwcEYyAnDCAqaHmWPWXtki0NOxIt5zz4/s1600/1911+Sydney+Moorhouse+snip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="556" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVa7uLkhpW6kdnxv65iJfT2Vvj65Cl9YS4gdK43cc6_jLYXkslRIVj7FQI91oEMy-Nai_7VuHuNWUiU8ZlHxhdJiGnijlukI0JOQtJdKTyXvhrwcEYyAnDCAqaHmWPWXtki0NOxIt5zz4/s400/1911+Sydney+Moorhouse+snip.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1911 census for 6 Concrete, Wombwell (from Ancestry)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sydney and Lydia Moorhouse are living at 6 Concrete [Cottages] in the 1911 census. Sydney's occupation was Colliery Banksman, a surface worker. They have three children, George b.1906, and presumably named for his father, Ivy b.1908 and Gertrude May b.1910. In the following years were added Arnold b.1912, Walter b.1914, and Stanley b.1917. Their children also appear to survive the dangerous childhood years.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the outbreak of the First World War there was a flood of volunteers to serve in the forces, but this had slowed by late 1915. Following the Derby Scheme which encouraged men to attest that they were willing to volunteer for the war, conscription came into force in early 1916. Sydney Moorhouse had attested on 26 October 1915 for the York and Lancaster Regiment, but was discharged the following April as 'not likely to become an efficient soldier'. His service number was 23788. His discharge records show that he had been suffering from arthritis for several years and that he was 'edentulous', ie lacking teeth, in his upper jaw. Sydney would have been 34 years old in early 1916 and the family were still living at 6 Concrete Cottages. I can only presume that he went back to work at the colliery. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I have previously found that there are gaps in families when men join up to serve in the First World War, but Sydney was not away from home long enough to make a great deal of difference. The only observation I can make is that Walter was born in December quarter 1914 and Stanley in December quarter 1917, so at least Lydia had slightly more time to recover than she had with her earlier children who appear to have arrived regularly at two year intervals.</span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OdKrZ1l6H4ZKU0B2P6a3VJ_8uLXZSQ_mkyGrmIwABmMs6fc9efTO4m80MhtgyO1Wm0CUl-c-s48SeiZ1VpsqdgL5e6gNEF_LDM7g66gtEwrQ4QYUTmBWmjnN5SrFKjDCZV9nkdYZZe4/s1600/William+Moorhouse+family+in+service+records+snip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="665" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OdKrZ1l6H4ZKU0B2P6a3VJ_8uLXZSQ_mkyGrmIwABmMs6fc9efTO4m80MhtgyO1Wm0CUl-c-s48SeiZ1VpsqdgL5e6gNEF_LDM7g66gtEwrQ4QYUTmBWmjnN5SrFKjDCZV9nkdYZZe4/s400/William+Moorhouse+family+in+service+records+snip.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">William Moorhouse's family in his FWW Service Records (from Ancestry)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first of the brothers to join up had been William, who enlisted on 4 September 1914, just a month after the war broke out. He served in the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) and his service number was 15536. He was 31 years old. William had married Mary Ellen Eyre on 26 December 1911 at Rotherham Register Office. In the 1911 census, taken in April, William's occupation had been Coal Miner - Hewer, one of the better paid roles in a colliery. It is a puzzle therefore why William and Mary Ellen had not married before this, especially in light of the information in his Army Service Records which shows that he and Mary Ellen already had one child together, Mabel Moorhouse Eyre, born 25 October 1910. Mabel was clearly registered under both names suggesting that despite being born before they were married William was happy to accompany Mary Ellen to the Registrar and have his name put on the birth certificate. Two days after they were married William and Mary Ellen's daughter Ethel was born. We know this because when she was baptised on 29 April 1912 at Christ Church Brampton, her birth date, 28 December 1911, is given in the margin. Maybe having one child out of wedlock was enough and Mary Ellen was unwilling to have another, managing to get William to the Register Office just in time! Sadly Ethel died aged one year in early 1913.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">William and Mary Ellen had a son, George William in early 1913, but he is not mentioned on William's service records either for he died only a few months later. The couple had lost two babies in the same year. The burial records on Find My Past (FMP) for Brampton are only available up to 1911 so I am unable to be more specific about the dates that Ethel and George William died or were buried. A daughter, Lottie, was born 26 June 1914, so at the time William enlisted his wife had a four year old and a very young baby to care for. Her address, as William's next of kin is given as 50 Concrete Cottages. I do wonder what prompted William to volunteer with such a young family and presumably his wife in a fragile state after the loss of two previous children - sleepless nights maybe!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The next brother to enlist was John Moorhouse who joined the 14th Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment. This was better known locally as the 2nd Barnsley Battalion. As this battalion started recruiting in November 1914 and John's service number is 182, which is fairly low, we can assume he joined up in November or December 1914. His Service Records do not appear to have survived. John was not married and was 22 years old. There was still a wave of enthusiasm in late 1914 and a worry among some young men that the war would be over before they had had a chance to join in. John may have been one of these. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Henry Dean Moorhouse attested for the York and Lancaster Regiment at the same time as Sydney, October 1915, as his service number was 23791, just three numbers on from his brother. He would have been 21 years old. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The choice of Sydney and Henry Dean Moorhouse to attest in late October 1915, two years after their brothers had volunteered, may have an underlying reason. William Moorhouse's Service Records, which include his Pension Records, have survived. He was granted a pension in March 1916 after being wounded in action on 26 September 1915 at Loos. He had suffered a gun shot wound to the head with 'a gap in the skull on each side of the middle line in the upper occipital region'. This is a bone at the base and back of the skull. As a result William has lost almost all vision. He had been discharged on 29 February 1916.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">William's wounding had been reported in the local newspapers. From the Sheffield Daily Telegraph on 20 November 1915:</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Bomb-thrower Blinded</b><br />Private W. Moorhouse, 25, Concrete Cottages, Wombwell, had the misfortune to be shot through the head whilst engaged in bomb-throwing in France. He is now in hospital, and in spite of careful nursing has not yet regained his sight. It is feared that he has been permanently blinded. He formerly worked at the Dearne Valley Colliery.</span></span> </blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Did the wounding of their brother prompt Sydney and Henry Dean Moorhouse to enlist? It is certainly possible. In the book 'Barnsley Pals' Jon Cooksey relates a story told to him by one old soldier, Frank Lindley, who enlisted aged 14, after his brother's ship was sunk. He clearly stated that his motive for enlisting had been to 'avenge' his brother's death.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">William Moorhouse died on 20 March 1918 aged 35 and his death was registered at Hampstead in London. I suggest he might have been in hospital in that area. The cause of his death is noted on his Pension Card as Cerebro Spinal Fever. William had been discharged from the army in February 1916 and had received a pension of 25/- a week for six months plus 2/6 for two children. I assume this continued until his death and his card notes that at that time he was in receipt of 36/8 per week. In his Service Records, as seen above, a son, Jack, is born to the couple on 4 January 1917. As Mary Ellen receives no pension for this child we could assume he died young, unless pension was not payable for a child born after a soldier's discharge.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After his death Mary Ellen received a grant of £5 in July 1918 and 25/5 a week from 11 September plus a lump sum for the arrears owed. The dates of birth for Mabel and Lotty were noted on the Pension Card, and their entitlement to pension will have ended when they reached 16 years of age.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">William is not remembered on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website, although if the cause of his death can be shown to be attributable to his wound a case could be made via the '<a href="http://www.infromthecold.org/index.asp">In From the Cold</a>' project to have him added. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the time of William's death the Moorhouse family had already suffered a loss. Corporal John Moorhouse was killed in action on 25 July 1916. He was 24 years of age. As he was not married his next of kin was his mother Julia Ray, and according to his Pension Card she was living at 87 Brampton Road, Wombwell. She received his back pay, a war gratuity and eventually a pension of 15/- for life. John is buried at Rue-du-Bacquerot No.1 Military Cemetery, Laventie, in the Pas De Calais area of France.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I
cannot imagine the worry that Julia must have suffered whilst her sons
were at war. She and Lydia must have been relieved when Sydney was sent
home. The loss of John at such a young age must have hit her hard,
especially after the news of William's serious wounds. Mary Ellen and
Julia must have suspected that William would not come home, and I hope
that they were able to visit him in hospital in the years between his
wounding and his death. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There
was more bad news to come. Henry Dean Moorhouse, aged 24, died of
wounds in France on 27 May 1918. As he too was not married his mother
was his sole legatee and the recipient of a gratuity in lieu of pension.
In his surviving service records (available on both Ancestry and Find My Past) there is no record of the cause of his
wounds, however the Mexborough and Swinton Times (available on the <a href="http://wombwellandbrampton.dearnevalleyhistory.org.uk/article/soldier-moorhouse-h-d-died-from-wounds/">Dearne Valley History website</a>) notes on 8 June 1918, that he died 'in a casualty clearing station in France of wounds received in action the previous day'. He is buried at Bagneux British Cemetery, Gezaincourt in the
Somme area of France. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5b-q_DkRda7i408yvxNoxbI0hZzSO3gGZx1qPpPylCUYYq43kJ29stIRKSPQXOCy9C_Nxhx5uL-OeMN5wL2-ZlwZM0pdkKIhLK-EVHpTMQMkrbwMXChvtaRJ-5wwsE-DFFihM4lzn2H8/s1600/Service+Record+next+of+kin+Henry+D+Moorhouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="744" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5b-q_DkRda7i408yvxNoxbI0hZzSO3gGZx1qPpPylCUYYq43kJ29stIRKSPQXOCy9C_Nxhx5uL-OeMN5wL2-ZlwZM0pdkKIhLK-EVHpTMQMkrbwMXChvtaRJ-5wwsE-DFFihM4lzn2H8/s400/Service+Record+next+of+kin+Henry+D+Moorhouse.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Army Service Records Next of Kin form for Henry Dean Moorhouse <br />(from Ancestry) </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In his records is a copy of the form his mother
completed in September 1919 listing his next of kin in order that his
commemorative plaque and scroll be sent to the correct person. His
brother Sydney, aged 38, is living in Cortonwood Cottages, presumably
the Concrete Cottages, his sisters Ethel, Gertrude and Laura have
married and are living not much further away. His other brother Harry
aged 34 and Doris, his youngest full sister, aged 20, are still at home
as is his half-sister Lottie Ray, now 14 years old. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOTSaiTWmlcPmllxVdWoZ-NYq7dyoTG6lZZtvEufS8Cot4rBvvG5Xr3SiXXrv-BRtnnYBt3-HcNruFBAR5rWn562ECUF9ig08KG3TpZN_v9qxHHBSBUYV4YnEhJqVl4hrECmdNa8nRGg/s1600/Moorhouse+John+and+Henry+Dean+Fold3_Page_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1002" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOTSaiTWmlcPmllxVdWoZ-NYq7dyoTG6lZZtvEufS8Cot4rBvvG5Xr3SiXXrv-BRtnnYBt3-HcNruFBAR5rWn562ECUF9ig08KG3TpZN_v9qxHHBSBUYV4YnEhJqVl4hrECmdNa8nRGg/s400/Moorhouse+John+and+Henry+Dean+Fold3_Page_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pension Card for John and Henry Dean Moorhouse. <br />On the Fold3 website and accessed via the Western Front Association.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">John and Henry Dean Moorhouse's details appear on the same Pension Card. These cards can be accessed via Ancestry by paying an additional subscription to the Fold3 website, or as a member of the <a href="https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/">Western Front Association</a> (WFA), as part of their membership package. There is actually one card for each man but both have their brothers listed as well. Their Pension Ledger entry, from the same source, lists the amounts of pension paid to Julia Ray.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mary Ellen Moorhouse, William's widow, remarries in 1924 to an older widower named Edward J Sale. At the time of her marriage she was living at 25 Concrete. It was common for widows to remarry after the First World War, especially if they had dependent children. Mary Ellen's daughters Mabel and Lottie were still only 14 and 10 years old respectively in 1924. Jack, presuming he was still living, would have been 7 years old.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mary Ellen is listed with Edward Sale in the 1939 Register at 19 Orchard Street in Goldthorpe. Also in the household is Lottie Freeman, married, born on 26 June 1914, who must be William's last child. Mary Ellen was 41 years old when she remarried, but also listed in the 1939 register is a Mary Sale, single, born on 24 September 1925. So despite her age she was able to bring at least one child to her new marriage. It could be more because two of the entries for the address are redacted meaning that the people named there might still be alive.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Julia Ray dies in Q2 1939 (Apr May Jun) aged 76, so before the 1939 Register. In that census substitute, Sydney, Julia's eldest son is listed living with his son Walter at 12 Knoll Beck Lane, not far from the Concrete Cottages. With the information from the Next of Kin form in Henry Dean Moorhouse's service records we could track down Julia's daughters as three of them give their married names and addresses in 1919. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Julia may have had many grandchildren, but the pain of the loss of three of her sons in the Great War must have always been with her. Mary Ellen Sale dies in Q2 1962 aged 79, we can hope that she too had grandchildren as a consolation for the loss of her husband after such a short marriage. Researching what happened after the war is not really part of this story, so I will finish here.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thanks for reading.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span> BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174929485671993677.post-9599801853141019782020-02-26T16:00:00.000+00:002020-02-26T16:00:58.344+00:00Brampton Parish Hall Roll of Honour, Cortonwood War Memorial and a Name Listed Twice in the Same Census<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am continuing <a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/02/researching-re-discovered-roll-of.html">my research into the men named on the Roll of Honour (RoH) at Brampton Parish Hall</a>. A recent contact with a retired member of the Parish Council did not really shed any light on its provenance but we have agreed to meet face to face along with an interested local historian to see if we can work it out. My contact was under the impression that the Roll of Honour was a forerunner to the 'Cortonwood Cenotaph' as he called the memorial now situated outside the Parish Hall. However of the 100 men named on the Brampton Parish Hall RoH (I will continue to call it this for now, but the current Parish Hall is not old enough to have been the original home of the document) only 58 men (including some possibilities with common surnames) are listed on the massive Cortonwood memorial. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxAOCqbPSloi8YJc8iVF5bcwWFsmg_XTz2ebPPGpaz2tVNIsWxFYny0SEFoztJjdVGtflzOX8r7cquTIHqEXF_PdyH0_800qn0L5a1BZEp6TGqcJhXDhHTTCJmvz6k0To53C6PMEhMCM/s1600/Cortonwood+memorial+and+pit+wheel+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="702" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxAOCqbPSloi8YJc8iVF5bcwWFsmg_XTz2ebPPGpaz2tVNIsWxFYny0SEFoztJjdVGtflzOX8r7cquTIHqEXF_PdyH0_800qn0L5a1BZEp6TGqcJhXDhHTTCJmvz6k0To53C6PMEhMCM/s400/Cortonwood+memorial+and+pit+wheel+cropped.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cortonwood Colliery war memorial and memorial to the Colliery 1873 to 1985. <br />The Parish Hall is the low brick building behind on the right. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cortonwood Colliery War Memorial</span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a result of the current investigation I was prompted to complete a task that has been on my 'to do' list for some time. This was a transcription of the names of the men who served listed on the Cortonwood Colliery memorial, as only the names of the Fallen appear on the <a href="http://www.barnsleywarmemorials.org.uk/2014/02/cortonwood-colliery-ww1-knollbeck-lane.html">Barnsley War Memorials Project's page for the memorial</a>. I started this as a Microsoft Word document but it soon became apparent that keeping my place amid the host of names as I typed required some kind of double checking system so I decided to lay it out in an Excel spreadsheet in columns as presented on the memorial. This way I could check the rows of names for accuracy as well as the columns. I did make a few mistakes, but the new system enabled me to spot them fairly quickly. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80R8XnDlesSsBZCjr4Myi7ystXtEsOB-kI7Nmw_HRexUxg9dCPnqVzOowsFrByCpD813YN9Lo3257VR2WhQuqVqefjylc9s45_QiUf6Ap1VQuMN1hQQmq3AcOT5HLiy-utd3N3syAGo4/s1600/Cortonwood+Panel+4+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1098" data-original-width="651" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80R8XnDlesSsBZCjr4Myi7ystXtEsOB-kI7Nmw_HRexUxg9dCPnqVzOowsFrByCpD813YN9Lo3257VR2WhQuqVqefjylc9s45_QiUf6Ap1VQuMN1hQQmq3AcOT5HLiy-utd3N3syAGo4/s400/Cortonwood+Panel+4+cropped.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Panel 4 of the Cortonwood memorial</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are four panels on the Cortonwood memorial. The first, for “Men of the Cortonwood Collieries who have Fallen During the War” lists 94 names and there are three for “Men Who Joined H.M. Forces from the Cortonwood Collieries”. The second panel lists 162 names, mainly surnames A to Gr, the third lists 165 names, mainly surnames Go to Po, and the fourth 171 names, mainly surnames Pl to Wo. I say mainly because the names are not in a completely alphabetical order and at the end of each panel are a number of names obviously added later and from across the alphabet. The final panel in particular lists, at its foot, 33 names that are totally out of order. This gives a grand total of 592 names. I was able to use the Find facility in Excel to search these names in my new spreadsheet for each of the men named on the Brampton Parish Hall RoH. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Cortonwood memorial lists initials and surname only. The Brampton Parish Hall RoH gives most, but not all, of the men's forenames in full. This makes it easier for me to research them, but means that a tally between the two memorials is, in the cases of common surnames, a matter of some guesswork. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Roughly
12 of the 16 men who fell who are named on the Brampton Parish Hall RoH are
also named on the 'Fallen' panel of the Cortonwood memorial. Roughly 46 of
the remaining 84 men named on the Brampton Parish Hall RoH are listed as
'Men who Joined' on the Cortonwood memorial. Therefore just under half the names
on the Brampton Parish Hall RoH are NOT listed on the Cortonwood
memorial. The 4 fallen men who not included on Cortonwood's memorial are all listed on memorials in Wombwell - but so are a number of the men who ARE listed on the Cortonwood memorial. It is very complicated!</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a result of this analysis </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am fairly sure that this RoH was NOT a forerunner to the 'Cortonwood Cenotaph' as my contact suggested. Further research necessary!</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Fred Kelham - Named Twice in the 1901 Census</b> </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Returning to investigating the individual names on the Brampton Parish Hall RoH I was fascinated to see an example of a person (actually one man who was named and his younger brother) being enumerated twice in the same census. I have looked at a lot of census returns over the past 30 years and this is not a common occurrence. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span><br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhiocA74HvwF-FhC1KovRh6LMk6yQ9nEdSVwxYRsgb1aZsaU2nEM23WgmuMWgMH2ReVxYQjUYIwbv6Pw5DPcBYkrF0HTwtP6o1cFR97Ra73eSbW9tXXsnav6F-Bx9hq7rnLPpXHVQRhc/s1600/Fred+Kelham+name+on+RoH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="608" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhiocA74HvwF-FhC1KovRh6LMk6yQ9nEdSVwxYRsgb1aZsaU2nEM23WgmuMWgMH2ReVxYQjUYIwbv6Pw5DPcBYkrF0HTwtP6o1cFR97Ra73eSbW9tXXsnav6F-Bx9hq7rnLPpXHVQRhc/s320/Fred+Kelham+name+on+RoH.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Four names from the Brampton Parish Hall RoH</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fred Kelham is clearly named on the Brampton Parish Hall RoH (see right). It is an unusual name and I hadn't expected much difficulty finding him in the census returns. Fred is also named on Cortonwood Colliery war memorial, the <a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/47578">Roll of Honour in Christ Church Brampton</a> and the <a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/52965">Wath Wesleyan Church memorial tablet</a>. He survived the war.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The image above, including Fred's name, shows an example of the damaged state of the Brampton Parish Hall RoH. There is a tear, maybe on an old fold, right across the lower third, and a flake of paper has been lost obscuring part of one surname. There is a lot more flaking damage around the edges of the document and a dark stain on the lower left (see the photo on <a href="https://commemorationremembrance.blogspot.com/2020/02/brampton-parish-hall-roll-of-honour.html">this other post</a>).</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I searched for Fred in the 1911 census on Ancestry I did not find him immediately. It later transpired that the family had been transcribed as Kelhan, rather than Kelham. My secondary strategy was to search the 1901 census with similar search parameters, birth 1892 +/- 10 years, living in the Wombwell area. This is where it got confusing. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUlQjNwBHTEO9KD13fJD6dTIODYto29Ve-LBxQQziEAoxsyfHC-izzcfqlHbgo6Z5Xk9Qm9g3TZpfPEaZBs9hBVoiBry1WVxmzioTpDcl9d0KvpOvcv-q2CUo5EFANO7twk90xC2rFJU/s1600/Fred+Kelham+1901+Concrete+snip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="742" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUlQjNwBHTEO9KD13fJD6dTIODYto29Ve-LBxQQziEAoxsyfHC-izzcfqlHbgo6Z5Xk9Qm9g3TZpfPEaZBs9hBVoiBry1WVxmzioTpDcl9d0KvpOvcv-q2CUo5EFANO7twk90xC2rFJU/s400/Fred+Kelham+1901+Concrete+snip.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1901 census for 6 Concrete, Wombwell, in the Parish of Brampton Bierlow</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I found a possible candidate, Fred Kelham, aged 6, living at 6 Concrete Cottages (described in my <a href="https://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.com/2020/02/researching-re-discovered-roll-of.html">previous pos</a>t) in Wombwell with his younger brother, William aged 5 and their grandparents, William and Elizabeth who had both been born in Sudbrook, Lincolnshire. The boys had been transcribed by Ancestry as the sons of John W. Kelham, aged 28, who was in turn the son of William. John was the third listed occupant of the property. As John was described as 'S' for single it seemed a bit strange that the two boys were his sons. If he had been a 'W' for widower I would probably have thought no more about it, as it was common for widowed young men to return to their parents' homes for assistance with childcare. John W Kelham was described as being born in Barnsley, whilst Fred and little William were described as having been born in West Melton.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1vA0nGv6cmVsUray2vV_GtSpLDU77UEwuS1UXVyMajB_ik5WgIKv9mE7bBXk6ja-r5l495q8BsYT_EjxqW051zG4a3nDXyPK4LhhfrUpTrKsGQoOzIviuVG25UGOHNeWM_kVQu9AiPw/s1600/Fred+Kelham+1901+Rotherham+snip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="148" data-original-width="757" height="77" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1vA0nGv6cmVsUray2vV_GtSpLDU77UEwuS1UXVyMajB_ik5WgIKv9mE7bBXk6ja-r5l495q8BsYT_EjxqW051zG4a3nDXyPK4LhhfrUpTrKsGQoOzIviuVG25UGOHNeWM_kVQu9AiPw/s400/Fred+Kelham+1901+Rotherham+snip.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1901 census for 55 Castle Avenue, Rotherham</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There was a second hit in the 1901 census for a Fred Kelham of the same age, but this time in Rotherham at 55 Castle Avenue. This address is about 1.5 miles south of Rotherham town centre in an area called Canklow. This second Fred Kelham, who was described as having been born in Wombwell, was living with his parents Fred snr and Bessie along with younger brother William aged 5 and younger sisters Daisy aged 2 and Ethel aged 1. There is a distance of about 8 miles between the addresses for the two Fred Kelham hits. The co-incidence of a brother called William in Rotherham also the same age as the one found in Concrete Cottages was sufficiently interesting to keep me poking around to try to find an answer.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With Fred only being 6 years old in 1901 the only other option was to look for him again in the 1911 census, as he would not have been born at the time of the 1891 census. With the additional family information from the 1901 census Fred snr, Bessie and their children, starting with Fred, William, Daisy and Ethel, were much easier to find in the 1911 census.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSnDMB6A5SsDk6HcPOQFnhrT8lFVYQ41KyqQfPhwG3qwKKzF9pzWJQHGCWZzCwH34paERxlR8EV23mG3KdY_dLq1mpVNDlMSyvKr22TW9dEZUw_kH8swRGpCEc39_Uk4Hxo8BqZb8obM/s1600/Fred+Kelham+1911+snip+Concrete.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="743" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSnDMB6A5SsDk6HcPOQFnhrT8lFVYQ41KyqQfPhwG3qwKKzF9pzWJQHGCWZzCwH34paERxlR8EV23mG3KdY_dLq1mpVNDlMSyvKr22TW9dEZUw_kH8swRGpCEc39_Uk4Hxo8BqZb8obM/s400/Fred+Kelham+1911+snip+Concrete.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1911 census for 4 Concrete Cottages, Wombwell</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The address for the family was 4 Concrete Buildings or Cottages, Wombwell. The addresses vary between the actual schedule, which states Buildings and the schedule's cover sheet which states Cottages. This may reflect a different understanding of the address by the occupier, William Kelham and the census enumerator who distributed and collected the schedules. William and Elizabeth had been living at 6 Concrete Cottages in 1901 but they were no longer at that address in 1911. This entry is the only hit for the combination of Kelham family forenames and ages, adding some corroboration to the theory that the boys Fred and William were enumerated twice in 1901. Examining this entry it is not surprising that Ancestry transcribed the family surname as Kelhan, the final letter of the surname is unclear.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As
we now know that Fred snr and Bessie married in 1894 (this year is just
visible in column 6, completed years of
marriage, but has been over written with 17, the correct format for that field), it was quite straightforward to find a record of their
marriage in the indexes. Fred Kelham married Bessie Drew in the first
quarter of 1894 in the Rotherham Registration District which includes
Brampton. There is no sign of a parish record for their marriage on
Ancestry or Find My Past, which suggests they may have married in the
local Register Office. In 1911 a John H Drew aged 41 is listed as a visitor on Fred and Bessie's census return, could this be Bessie's brother? Their birthplaces are both given as Crediton, Devon, so it seems likely.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The probable reason for grandparents William and Elizabeth's absence from 6 Concrete Cottages is that William
Kelham snr, who had been enumerated as 68 years old in March 1901,
appears to have died in the fourth quarter of 1901
in the Rotherham Registration District. A William Kelham was buried at
Christ Church in Brampton, aged 66 from 58 Concrete Row on 22 December
1901. Despite the slight difference in ages and address it is very
likely that this is Fred jnr's grandfather as there are very few families named Kelham in the area.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was able to find Elizabeth Kelham in the 1911 census, </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> aged 74</span></span>,
in the household of her son John William Kelham aged 38, the
same John W Kelham who had been living with William and Elizabeth in 1901. Their
1911 address is 24 Gower Street, Wombwell, less than a mile from the
Concrete Cottages. The </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elizabeth Kelham who dies in the fourth quarter of 1920 aged 83, in the Barnsley Registration
District is probably Fred's grandmother as this age fits with the age given for her in 1911. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I
imagine William's death in late 1901 could have prompted the return of
Fred jnr and little William to their parents as their elderly grand-mother
would now have been entirely dependent on her son John for
support.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Note that in April 1911 Fred snr and Bessie have 6 children living with them and in the marriage information fields they state that 11 children had been born to them in 17 years of marriage, 5 of whom had died prior to the 1911 census. Bessie had borne at least 4 children by 1901, possibly more, if some of 5 deceased children were born and died between Fred jnr, William, Daisy and Ethel. She may have been pregnant again in March 1901. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Further research could be done on this question by using the General Register Office (GRO) online birth indexes which now give mother's maiden name for the period 1837 to 1920 (updated each year to include the last 100 years). A search for Kelham births with mother's maiden name Drew should result in a list of Fred and Bessie's children, although still born children were registered differently and any early miscarriages may not have been recorded at all by anyone but Fred and Bessie themselves. <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The pressure of continual pregnancy and small children to care for may explain why grandparents, William and Elizabeth, are caring for Fred jnr and little William in 1901. </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The reason for the double enumeration may have been that Fred and Bessie interpreted the instructions of the enumerator to mean that they should list all the members of their family. William and Elizabeth included Fred jnr and little William on their schedule because they spent the night of the census in their house, which is the correct interpretation. </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Fred and Bessie Kelham's family - did she really have 11 children?</b></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fred jnr was baptised at Christ Church, Brampton on 5 August 1894, at the most seven months after Fred and Bessie's marriage. As only the quarter date of their marriage is known for certain they could have married at any time in January to March 1894. The fact that Bessie was already pregnant with Fred jnr is another reason they may have chosen a Register Office wedding. It would have avoided calling the banns in the local church and kept the actual date of the wedding out of the public eye. The address given at Fred jnr's baptism is simply 'Concrete'. Of the six children in the 1911 census with Fred snr and Bessie all were born at 'Concrete' except Ethel who was born in Rotherham in about 1900, which fits nicely with the 1901 census information. There is a gap between Ethel and the next surviving child Elizabeth, who was born about 1908 at 'Concrete' so it is difficult to say exactly when the family returned to Brampton/Wombwell from Rotherham. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A search for children born to surname Kelham, mother's maiden name Drew between 1894 and 1915 was carried out on the General Register Office (GRO) site. Despite Fred and Bessie declaring a total of 11 children up to 1911 the search only produced 8 birth registrations. As Rotherham Registration District (RD) includes Brampton and Canklow this information doesn't assist in working out when Fred and Bessie moved to and from Concrete Cottages. The birth of Jim Kelham in 1905 in Barnsley RD is the only variation.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fred Kelham born Q2 1894 in Rotherham RD</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">William Kelham born Q3 1895 in Rotherham RD</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">John Kelham born Q1 1897 in Rotherham RD</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Daisy Amelia Kelham born Q3 1898 in Rotherham RD</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ethel Kelham born Q1 1900 in Rotherham RD</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jim Kelham born Q3 1905 in Barnsley RD</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elizabeth Kelham born Q1 1908 in Rotherham RD</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Emily Kelham born Q4 in Rotherham RD </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A search of the burials at Christ Church, Brampton on Find My Past (FMP) revealed a burial for one of these children. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">John Kelham [Abode] Concrete [When Buried] 3rd July 1897 [Age] 6 months</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This must be John born Q1 1897. Concrete will be the Concrete Cottages, which lie in the Civil Parish of Brampton, in Rotherham RD, despite the enumerator and the householders (in 1911) all adding Wombwell to the address. Burials at Brampton are only listed by FMP between 1855 and 1911 and this is the only relevant Kelham burial. If there are other Kelham family graves at Christ Church the information will be in the parish registers, which are apparently not in the collection at Doncaster Archives. The later burial register(s) may still be in the possession of the church. This burial does suggest that Fred and Bessie were still living in the Concrete Cottages in mid 1897.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A search of burials in Wombwell Cemetery (the <a href="https://www.cemeteries.org.uk/">Dearne Memorials Group's Barnsley Cemeteries Project</a> provides a search facility, but full results require a small payment) uncovered a burial which fits with the children found above.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">KELHAM Jim [Burial plot] Con 9 4117 [Date of Death] 16-4-1906 [Date of burial] 18-4-1906 [Age] 9mths [Place of Death] 14 Gower Street, Wombwell</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This must be the child born Q3 1905 in Barnsley RD. So was Gower Street in Barnsley RD? It was only one mile away from the Concrete Cottages. <a href="https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/places/index.html">UKBMD provide a downloadable index places in Registration Districts</a>, and sure enough Wombwell was in the Barnsley RD between 1850 and 1938, whereas Brampton (also known as Brampton Bierlow) was in Rotherham from 1837 to 1938. 'Con' in the entry above means Consecrated.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There was another Kelham burial from the same address:</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">KELHAM Infant U/C CPG no entry 25-3-1904 Stillborn 14 Gower Street, Wombwell</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stillborn children were not registered in the same way as live births until 1926, which is why there is no correlating entry for this child in the GRO index. In the entry above U/C means Unconsecrated and CPG means Children's Public Grave. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Assuming this stillborn child was born to Fred and Bessie Kelham that brings the total number of children found to nine. The problem here is that the instructions on the 1911 census say to only declare children 'Born Alive', so stillborn children and miscarriages, which the couple may have thought ought to count, should not have been declared. This burial entry also suggests that Fred and Bessie have returned from Rotherham by early 1904. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A search of deaths on the GRO site between 1894 (when Fred and Bessie married) and 1925 revealed a little more relevant information. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The early death of another of their children.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Name: Age at Death (in years):</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">KELHAM, DAISY AMELIA 14 <br />GRO Reference: 1913 M Quarter in ROTHERHAM Volume 09C Page 1012 </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And the deaths of Fred Kelham snr and his wife Bessie.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">KELHAM, FRED 55 <br />GRO Reference: 1925 M Quarter in ROTHERHAM Volume 09C Page 850</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">KELHAM, BESSIE 65 <br />GRO Reference: 1932 M Quarter in ROTHERHAM Volume 09C Page 926</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">None of the three above deaths correspond to burials at Wombwell cemetery. The spreadsheet which I have access to contains entries into the 2000s. This suggests that the family moved out of Gower Street at some point before Daisy died in 1913.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This brings the family of Fred and Bessie Kelham to a conclusion. This section has been a very interesting puzzle to solve and gives a clear insight into some particular challenges, mobility, fertility, frequent childbirth and infant deaths, faced by working class families, especially women, at the turn of the century.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This story began with Fred Kelham jnr's name on the Brampton Parish Hall Roll of Honour. His story continues, but will have to wait for another day. In a tiny sneak preview I can reveal that Fred jnr's Army Service records his father's address (as his next of kin) as 15 Hoober Street, West Melton in 1915 and 1919. So the family did move again, and back into the Rotherham RD, maybe to the address at which Daisy died in 1913. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thank you for reading. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Acknowledgments</b> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Photos of the Cortonwood war memorial by Nigel Croft 8 February 2014.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Photos of the RoH at Brampton Parish Hall by Andrew Taylor on 2 February 2020.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>C</b></span>ensus images from Ancestry. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Census and Parish Register information from Ancestry, Find My Past and FreeBMD.</span></span>
</div>
BarnsleyHistorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706725823398288376noreply@blogger.com0