Rose Sanby (1894 - 1986)

I've just found my gran in the 1911 census after more or less giving up hope of finding her. Her mum, my great grandmother died in 1904 and her dad, my great grandfather died six years later in 1910. He literally coughed himself to death!. The supposition was that she went to live with one of her older siblings, but I traced them all and there was no sign of my gran living with any of them. I tried all the ususal variations associated with the name SANBY, and believe me there are a few, and still no success. It was a mystery.

But a relation of mine found her working as a 17 year old general domestic servant at a pawnbrokers shop in Attercliffe. And her surname was LANBY

1911 Census Record
Name     Rose Lanby
Relationship to Head of Household     Servant
Condition     Single Gender     F
Age     17 Estimated Year of Birth     1894
Occupation     General Servant Domestic
Employed     Yes Working at Home     No
Place of Birth     Yorks Sheffield
Enumerator Information
Address     Attercliffe Road Attercliffe Sheffield Parish     Sheffield Town     Attercliffe Sheffield
Type of Building     3 Shops
Number of Rooms     Five
Inhabited     Yes
Reference     RG14PN28000 RG78PN1600 RD510 SD7 ED12 SN258
Administrative County     Yorkshire (West Riding) Registration District     Sheffield
Registration Sub District     Attercliffe Enumeration District     12 

This was due to a transcription error but that is no surprise. The head of the householder (the pawnbroker) completed the form but his writing is difficult to decipher which I suppose was an asset in his profession, but it certainly has wasted a few hours of my life!

And now I've got to get some more information about the owner and his shop once I can find his name out.

 

Walkley Cemetery

As the crowds seemingly failed to appear for the publication of Sheffield's Shocking Past, I spent a few hours the following day in Walkley Cemetery helping the "Friends" clear some of the graveyard that has been inundated with every kind of bramble known to man.

The weather was "mixed" or "changeable" but it was nice to get out in the fresh air in a rather peaceful and tranquil setting. I spoke to Hugh and he passed me the following sheet that lists the forthcoming events in the cemetery

I can recommend the summer tours of the cemetery but would advise visitors to wear stout shoes!

 

Sheffield's Shocking Past

Well after 58 years I have finally managed to get a book into print. On Friday the 13th of April 2012 the publishing world was stunned by the publication of Sheffield's Shocking Past: Forgotten Tales of Murder, Mishap & Gruesome Misdemeanour by Chris Hobbs and Matthew Bell

 

I would like to have reported that queues had formed overnight outside bookshops, and police had to be called in to control the crowds of eager booklovers, but to date no reports have been received to this effect 

I have thought for many years that I would like to write a book but never got around to it. And if it was not for the sterling efforts of my co-author Matt, and publisher Neil, I very much doubt that the book would have come into being. It was a great team effort and what is more important, an enjoyable one.

I am really pleased how the book has turned out. Comprimises have been made with regard to length, format and style but these are inevitable if you want to keep the price of the book down to a level that is "affordable".

There is another similar book in the pipeline that will compliment "Sheffield's Shocking Past" but more about that in a later blog    

 

Secrets of the Past