Alfred Bell's Fatal Attempt To Imitate The Star Diver - Rotherham 21 st June 1868

This blog relates to the ancestors of Olive Bell who was the wife of noted Sheffield artist Kenneth Steel. Olive wad a victim of the Sheffield Blitz in December 1940

A researcher sent me this information as he is distantly related to Olive (3rd Cousin x 2 Removed.) and thought that I should record it in the Blog. He was right!

The events that led to Alfred Bell's tragic death had their origins in this fatal accident as reported in the Bridport News dated 16th May 1868 

"Kenneth (Steel) as you know married Olive Bell. Olive is from my Bell line her father was Harold Alfred Bell b. 10 Jan 1893 d. 07 Jun 1965 who married Aloysie Henriette "Louisa Henrietta" Frölich in 1914. Louisa was b. 30 Aug 1891 and d. In Q4 1990 aged 99. She was born in Manhattan, New York the daughter of German immigrants.

Olive's fathers middle name Alfred was from his grandfather who while in a drunken state took a bet to dive into the River Don from the Bow Bridge in Rotherham and died as a result of it on 21 Jun 1868. He was my 3rd great-granduncle and his brother John Swinden Bell was my 3x G Grandfather".

Sheffield Daily Telegraph dated 22nd June 1868

Sheffield Daily Telegraph dated 23rd June 1868

Sheffield Independent dated 23rd June 1868

Frederick Nodder - A Child Murderer from Sheffield - An Update

 Many years ago I posted an article that culminated in the execution of Frederick Nodder at Lincoln Gaol on 30th December 1937. 

It was followed by an article that I put together in an attempt to correct some of the misinformation that surrounded his early life.

I have also put additional information in this blog in 2011 and 2017.

But last week some more information came to light that was surprising to say the least.

I located a copy of his baptism record and also his entry in the marriage records of St Marys Church Walkley Sheffield

His address is given as 130 Howard Road in the marriage record which still stands today. It was adjacent to the now demolished Howard Road Methodist Church. and can be seen on this photograph. It is on the right hand side just about where the pedestrian is.

I have never been able to locate a service record for Frederick Nodder but in the 1921 Census his family are living at 61 Providence Road which is at the other end of Walkley

1921 Census

First name(s) Last name Relationship to head Sex Birth year Age in years Birth place Occupation Employer

Frederick Nodder Head Male 1887 33 Sheffield, Yorkshire, England Motor Mechanic T Greatorex Tripe Dresser 8 Mitchell St Sheffield

Amy Nodder Wife Female 1887 33 Sheffield, Yorkshire, England 

Margaret Nodder Daughter Female 1914 6 Sheffield, Yorkshire, England

Frederick Nodder Son Male 1916 4 Sheffield, Yorkshire, England 

It was sometime after this that Noddder deserted his wife and family and began his path that led to his date with the hangman in December 1937.

As for his family, they stayed together and they prospered. The 1939 National Register reveals that they moved to 112 Westwick Road, a three bedroomed semi-detached house in the Greenhill area of Sheffield. 

Frederick Nodder (his son) is now a Quantity Surveyor, a professional person who looks as though he is making a life for both himself and his mother and sister. 

 

Tommy Wards Grave - Crookes Cemetery Sheffield

 A few years ago (2018) I was going to post an article on the site on the life and achievements of Thomas W Ward, a prominent Sheffield industrialist but when I checked recently there was great deal on content online and some excellent articles. Not wishing to duplicate material I decided to post details of his last resting place in Crookes Cemetery Sheffield

But first a brief summary

Thomas Ward was born in 1853, started work at 15, became a coal merchant and then, because the time was right for it, a scrap metal dealer in Sheffield. In the early 1870s there was a big demand for scrap metal. There were many big engineering projects and Thomas Ward developed an expertise in dismantling big structures including ships. He had breakers' yards at ports round the country and became the biggest scrap dealer in the country, taking apart old warships and redundant luxury liners. These included the Majestic, sister ship to the Titanic, which was broken up at his yard at Morecambe, and the Olympic, which was finally towed to Inverkeithing.

Thomas Ward Ltd of Sheffield opened its ship dismantling department in 1894 and soon became the largest supplier of scrap metal to the growing steel industry. The keynote was efficiency - everything on board a ship was dismantled and resold. Ships' fittings and equipment were sold at the showroom in Sheffield. Books, lamps, toilets and carpets were all dismantled. It is said that even the timber was turned into garden furniture.

During the First World War, Thomas Ward's was heavily engaged in war activities. There was a shortage of horses which had been sent to the Front and in 1916 Ward leased an elephant (and a man to look after it) from a circus. Circuses had been stood down for the duration of the war. The firm had the elephant for a couple of years, stabling her near the factory and using her for hauling heavy loads of steel around Sheffield. The elephant's name was Lizzie and the records are full of anecdotes about her - eating a schoolboy's cap, putting her trunk through a kitchen window to help herself, and pushing over a traction engine.

The firm carried on until the early 1980s.  

Dated 10th February 1926

Photographs taken 11th July 2018

The burial records are from the excellent Sheffield Indexers site

HAYTHORNTHWAITE, Gerald Graham (Retired, age 82).

     Died at 22 Endcliffe Crescent; Buried on February 27, 1995 in Consecrated ground; cremated.

     Grave Number 1181, Section BB of Crookes Cemetery, Sheffield.

     Parent or Next of Kin if Available: ~. Remarks: Ashes. Plot Owner: of ~. Page No 181

HAYTHORNWAITE, Ethel Mary Bassett (~, age 92).

     Died at 22 Endcliffe Crescent; Buried on April 23, 1986 in Consecrated ground; cremated.

     Grave Number 1181, Section BB of Crookes Cemetery, Sheffield.

     Parent or Next of Kin if Available: ~. Remarks: Cremated remains removed from Hutcliffe Wood           No. 24457.Plot Owner: of ~. Page No 136

WARD, Gertrude Miller (Retired, age 94).

     Died at Ranmoor House Retirement Home; Buried on August 16, 1989 in Consecrated ground;               cremated.

     Grave Number 1181, Section BB of Crookes Cemetery, Sheffield.

     Parent or Next of Kin if Available: ~. Remarks: Cremated remains. Plot Owner: of ~. Page No 154

     WARD, Mary Sophia (Widow, age 92).

     Died at 60 Endcliffe Vale Road; Buried on December 29, 1955 in Consecrated ground;

     Grave Number 1181, Section BB of Crookes Cemetery, Sheffield.

     Parent or Next of Kin if Available: ~. Remarks: ~.      Plot Owner: of ~. Page No 245

WARD, Thomas William (Director of ? Company, age 72).

     Died at Endcliffe Vale Road; Buried on February 13, 1926 in Consecrated ground; cremated.

     Grave Number 1181, Section BB of Crookes Cemetery, Sheffield.

     Parent or Next of Kin if Available:  Remarks: Cremated Remains. Plot Owner: ~ of ~. Page No 157

Ethel Haythornthwaite was Tommy Wards daughter and Gerald his son in law. Both were noted environmentalists 

 

An Illicit Still in Gertrude Street Sheffield - May 1880

 

This cutting is from the Sheffield and Rotherham Independent dated 15th May 1880 and refers to the discovery of an illicit still in Gertrude Street which was off Infirmary Road in Sheffield

On the face of it it is just another case of common criminality that was rife in late Victorian Britain and also demonstrated the keenness of the authorities to disrupt activities of this nature.

But the reason why I posted this article on the blog was because the Isabella Buckley who appeared before the magistrates in this case also features in an article I posted to the website many years ago

The article was entitles "Alleged Violence in a Sheffield School 1878" and refers to the death of a schoolgirl who was also called Isabella Buckley. The Isabella Buckley that was involved in the illicit still was the grandmother of Isabella who died two years earlier. Her son Robert was the father of the dead girl.

The case caused quite a furore at the time and I am still not convinced with how the case was conducted. Here is the link to the article  

Donald Morton's 9th Birthday Card - Northfield Road Crookes Sheffield

 This card appeared on a well known auction site in February 2020. Of course that was a month before a series of measures were introduced by the UK government which will have repercussions long after I leave this mortal coil

It is from his Aunty Ethel and Uncle Harry on the occasion of Master Donald Morton's 9th Birthday Card at 121 Northfield Road Crookes Sheffield. It is postmarked Sheffield 15th February 1939 and the cost of the postage was 1 old penny

The house is still there in fact I passed it today - it just up from the Jet Petrol Station on Northfield Road

Here are a few details of the family from BMD and Ancestry - the dob of Donald would mean that the card was sent a month after his birth date

Births Mar 1930   

Morton Donald Johnson Sheffield 9c 778

Surname First name(s) Spouse District Vol Page 

Parents Marriages Sep 1924   

Johnson Laura A Morton Ecclesall B. 9c 806   

Morton Fred Johnson Ecclesall B. 9c 806

Birth 12 Jan 1930 • United Kingdom 

Birth of Brother Brian Morton(1935–2007) 12 Jul 1935 • Sheffield

Residence 1939 • Yorkshire (West Riding), England Marital Status: Single

Marriage Oct 1955 • Huddersfield, Yorkshire West Riding, United Kingdom

Death of Mother Laura A Johnson(1905–1970) Mar 1970 • Sheffield, Yorkshire West Riding, England

Death of Father Fred Morton(1903–1973) 03 Dec 1973 • Sheffield, Yorkshire, England

Death Jul 1990 • Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England

Surname First name(s) Mother District Vol Page 

Births Mar 1925  

Morton Fred Johnson Ecclesall B. 9c 728 28 Dec 1924 - died 2005   

Births Dec 1926  Morton Gladys Johnson Sheffield 9c 831

Died 22 Oct 1926 • 69 Ravencarr rd, Sheffield

Births Sep 1931  Morton Margaret Johnson Sheffield 9c 753

Births Sep 1935  Morton Brian Johnson Sheffield 9c 651

12 Jul 1935

Name

Donald Morton Birth 12/01/1930 Death 07/1990 Sheffield South Yorkshire England

 
 

The Death of Harry Blackhurst Southey Sheffield - December 1932

 In Sheffield's Shiregreen Cemetery, there is a family grave that is recorded on the excellent Sheffield Indexers site

BLACKHURST, Annie Maria (Widow, age 76).     Died at Royal Hospital; Buried on April 15, 1958 in Unconsecrated ground; Grave Number 639, Section A of Shiregreen Cemetery, Sheffield. Parent or Next of Kin if Available: ~. Remarks: Removed from Basegreen. Plot Owner: ~ ~ of ~. Page No 28

BLACKHURST, Henry (Son of James Hill, age 16). Died at 45 Gressingham Road; Buried on December 15, 1932 in Unconsecrated ground; Grave Number 639, Section A of Shiregreen Cemetery, Sheffield.

BLACKHURST, James Hall Williamson (Engineer, age 59). Died at 45 Everingham Road; Buried on October 17, 1935 in Unconsecrated ground; Grave Number 639, Section A of Shiregreen Cemetery, Sheffield.

WOLSTENHOLME, Albert Eric (son of Albert, age 2). Died at 1 Wordsworth Crescent; Buried on March 7, 1940 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 639, Section A of Shiregreen Cemetery, Sheffield.

The Guardian dated 14th December 1932 carried a report of an inquest into the death of the son Henry (Harry) Blackhurst age 16 who died on the previous Saturday. The verdict was accidental death but given the circumstances of his death the verdict should have been death due to inadequate education!!

The Opening of Tinsley Park Golf Club Sheffield - Saturday 17th July 1920

The following article is from The Scotsman dated Monday 19th July 1920 and refers to the opening of Tinsley Park Golf Club Sheffield on Saturday 17th July 1920

Henry and Emily Swan - Walkley Sheffield

 I have just received from the author the following book

John Ruskin’s faithful stewards, Henry and Emily Swan, made a practical success of an educational ideal. They were the curators of Ruskin’s art-treasures at St George’s Museum, in Walkley. Local metal-workers and visitors from across the world were greeted with courtesy, enthusiasm, and deep knowledge.

In the first biography of the Swans ever to be published, Stuart Eagles digs into the archives to reveal the fascinating story of a couple who embraced Quakerism, vegetarianism and spiritualism. Born in Devizes, Wiltshire, Henry moved with his parents to London. In a life of extraordinary energy and innovation, he became a writing engraver, devised the ‘Regent Method’  of musical notation to teach singing, embraced spelling reform, learned shorthand, and printed some of Isaac Pitman’s publications. An early adopter of the bicycle, he sought to make boomerang-throwing an athletic sport. He was among the first students at the London Working Men’s College, where he met Ruskin, and copied illuminated manuscripts for him.

But it was in the world of stereoscopy, a form of 3D photography, that Swan first made his mark. He invented the ‘Clairvoyant’, a hand-held stereoscope. Then he patented the ‘crystal-cube miniature’,  a self-contained, hand-coloured 3D portrait which he marketed through his Casket Portrait Co.

Crucially, Henry and Emily Swan were two of Ruskin’s most dedicated and consequential disciples. Together they helped shape both Sheffield’s cultural heritage and Ruskin’s enduring legacy.

Stuart has a dedicated website that is well worth visiting 

Air Raid Precautions Sheffield - April 1937

 This cutting is from the Daily Independent dated 17th April 1937 

I was surprised when I first saw this as I was always under the impression that Britain in general and Sheffield in particular were not fully prepared for was in the summer of 1939.

But this article contradicts that viewpoint but you cannot help thinking that Britain was extremely nervous about the impact of enemy air raids and the causalities that would entail from such raids.

This was the prevailing thinking throughout the Thirties and stems from the British PM Stanley Baldwin

"The bomber will always get through" was a phrase used by Stanley Baldwin in a 1932 speech "A Fear for the Future" given to the British Parliament. His speech stated that contemporary bomber aircraft had the performance necessary to conduct a strategic bombing campaign that would destroy a country's cities and there was little that could be done in response"

Resurrection Day Service - Walkley Cemetery Sheffield - 9th April 1939

Walkley Cemetery Sheffield - 27th October 2012

Resurrection Day Services were not that common in the United Kingdom but it appears that the first one to be held in Walkley was in 1902. Traditionally associated with the Easter period and the Resurrection of Christ the service also had another purpose. Taking place in a cemetery it was an opportunity for attendees to celebrate the lives of their family and friends in that particular cemetery, whose graves they dressed with flowers. And such activities meant that the cemeteries would avoid falling into neglect  

As stated above the Rev Sydney T.G. Smith of St Mary’s Church, Walkley, conducted the first Resurrection Day Service in the Walkley Cemetery on Easter Sunday 1902. Five years later research found an official count of 12,764 people attending the Walkley Resurrection Day Service

Thirty two years later over 5000 were still attending the Resurrection Day Service in the Cemetery

Walkley Cemetery Sheffield - 9th April 1939

The Resurrection Day Service was still in existence in 1950 This cutting is from the Yorkshire Post dated 9th April 1950

I am unsure when the annual Resurrection Day Services came to an end in Walkley 

Golf in Sheffield - May 1925 - The State of Play

 I came across this in the Sheffield Daily Independent Daily Independent dated Friday 22nd May 1925

I was considering expanding this article as it had some interesting points about the history of golf in Sheffield. But when I had a look I found this excellent site that covers the origins of municipal golf in Sheffield in a most comprehensive manner