On the same page that announced the opening of Sheffield's new Public Mortuary (see previous blog), The Sheffield and Rotherham Independent revealed that a new conservative club had opened in Walkley
The Opening of Walkley Working Men's Conservative Club - 12th April 1884
I have just posted an article to the site The Unknown Man in Sheffield's First Mortuary - April 1884
It is in a strange sort of way a sequel to an earlier article I posted in 2017 - it related to the deplorable scenes surrounding the inquest into the death of James Brady in 1880
There is a mystery attached to the first person to Be the subject of an inquest in Sheffield's new "dead house."
I have to find out is where the unknown man was interred. He would have been a charge to the local authorizes and so he would have been interred in a public grave. My own guess and it is that, is Sheffield's General Cemetery. Inmates of the Ecclesall Union were buried there in public graves and I feel that this is where he would be laid to rest.
This report appeared in the Manchester Guardian dated 4th March 1925. It is an inquest into the death of 14 year old John Wilson at Vickers Steelworks in Sheffield
WILSON John 5 Mar 1925 14 son of James 51 Yarmouth St Sheffield KB50gp
Many years ago I posted an article to the site relating to the the Smallpox epidemic in Sheffield 1887
Since then I have added additional information. In January 2026 I was approached by a reporter from BBC Radio Sheffield asking if I would make a contribution to BBC Sounds - Secret South Yorkshire.
They wanted the contribution to be centred on the smallpox epidemic in Sheffield in 1887. And so a cold Monday afternoon on Barber Place Sheffield the contribution was made
Secrets of Sheffield's plague-struck past
Ten years ago I posted an article to the site concerning the cricket ground at Darnall and a tragedy that occurred there on 27th August 1822 when scaffolding collapsed injuring 23 people.
Last week I received additional information in the form of newspaper reports including one for the sale of the land and facilities.
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Sheffield Independent dated 8th March 1928
The notice of sale referred to the passing of Mr George Steer who occupied the premises and so I tried to find out what caused Mr Steers death. I did find out and such was the nature of his death and the aftermath I posted a separate article to the site under the title
The Strange Death of Mr George Steer Sheffield November 1827
I have just posted an article to the site that I had "mislaid" for a number of years. It relates to the Civilian War Dead of Crookes and Walkley (Sheffield) 1939-1945
A check through West Yorkshire Index of the Civilian War Dead reveals that both the districts of Crookes and Walkley did sustain casualties. I have identified TWENTY fatalities in total, all of which occurred on the night of 12th-13th December 1940. Whilst it is thankfully low when compared to other areas of the city, it is still twenty deaths.
I received an email this week from the reader of the site who had come across the article on the death of Leonard Tingle in July 1955.
I had not added any additional information to the article since 2018 and so I took the opportunity to update the content.
"My mum has recently passed, and before doing so (with the normal protracted decline of an 88 year old), she talked about how many times she should have died (aneurism in the early 90s and given a life expectancy of 2 days in March 2025 - she died 4th December 2025). But she mentioned 3 occasions, so I questioned her. She lived in Ascot at the time, attending Windsor Grammar school. Because the race meets went across the road into the town/village, she and her friends were dropped outside the racecourse. They went to watch and were holding onto the railings in the rain. waiting for the race to begin. Just before the lightning struck they moved away from the railings and she recalled the lightning hitting the railings before travelling around the track and moving underneath the grass to strike those in the tea tent. I have no idea how truthful this account is and I didn't really believe her until I looked it up.
She was born in Welling, Kent, but spent her early years living on the outskirts of Sheffield, firstly as an evacuee and later with her parents and siblings, before moving back down South."
Her mothers recollections tie in with a report in the Weather Eye section of The Times newspaper
"In the UK, one of the worst lightning strikes in a sports arena was at Royal Ascot on July 14, 1955. On a hot and muggy day, a thunderstorm broke during the afternoon and sent crowds rushing for shelter as rain pelted down. Soon afterwards lightning struck a metal fence and, even though no one was struck, the voltage gradient from the lightning ripped through the ground and scythed down crowds packed in and around a nearby marquee. The aftermath looked like a battlefield, as the injured lay on the ground and others wandered around dazed and shocked. Two spectators died and 48 others were injured."
Manchester Evening News dated 18th July 1955
This report is from The Scotsman dated 20th December 1940. Bearing in mind That the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939 was in full force, I still find this disconcerting.
It is riddled with falsehoods and is in effect, a propaganda exercise on behalf of the local and national authorities.
I was researching for some information relating to one of the many articles on my website and I came upon the murder of one Rupert Poole Steed in Basingstoke Hampshire on 2nd August 1959.,
Brian Cawley pleaded and was found guilty of the murder of Rupert Poole Steed and was later sentenced to life imprisonment
From the press reports Cawley, a 30-year-old council worker lived, along with his wife and three children, rent free in a house owned by Rupert Steed, in New Road, Basingstoke. Rupert Steed was a 67-year-old retired grocer’s manager and bachelor who had befriended the family by helping them out financially.
However, Cawley started to drink and as a consequence lost his job. To compound his problems his wife left him, taking their children with her. One night Cawley returned home and this is what happened
Evening News 14th December 1959
Well this year I have only posted 20 items which is the lowest total since I started the blog back in 2010. And this post in the first in over two months.
I have been trying to tie up matters regarding my family tree which I have neglected for the last few years and in doing so I have uncovered more information which is pleasing to say the least. I am also addressing an issue that is more difficult to resolve - what to do with all the information and material I have collected over the years.
I have also assisted a couple of friends with their family history which as also been a pleasure
Anyway a big thanks to the many readers who have contacted me in the last year, I have been able to update a few of the earlier articles on the site with new information and content
And so all that remains is to wish everyone a happy and prosperous 2026
I came across this photograph that was mounted and features a large group of men sat on a rock formation. There is no caption or date to the photograph but I estimate that it was taken prior to the First World War. The clothing seems to indicate that this was an excursion rather than a sporting endeavour,
Excursions to the Peak District from Sheffield were popular in the early twentieth century as witnessed by this photograph
If anyone could throw more light on the photograph please let me know
