George Robert Patchett 1903 - 1974 Sheffield

A couple of years ago I posted an article to my website relating to the tragic death of a five year old girl Doris Hill in a traffic accident on City Road Sheffield on 8th October 1929.

Decsendents of Doris kindly provided me with information which I was able to incorporate into the article. And at the end of the article I asked that if anyone could assist me with any further material to contact me.

In response to my request I received an e-mail from a reader of the article who stated that he was the grandson of George Robert Patchett, the driver of the vehicle that fatally injured Doris.

" I read with sadness and interest the article on your blog at the following link.

George Robert Patchett was my own grandfather, and he was deeply affected by that tragic day for the remainder of his life.

He had two children of his own including Robert Valen (my father) who was an RAF officer killed in tragic circumstances in 1969.

George has (had) 3 grandchildren, myself, my brother Mike and also a granddaughter Samantha who was herself killed in 1967 at the age of 18 months in similar circumstances to little Doris.

Smanatha had been sitting with myself and a group of young friends outside our house in RAF Little Rissington. I ran across the road to get some money from the house as an Ice cream van had just turned up, Samantha followed and was run over as the vehicle reversed back.
My Grandfather was haunted till the end of this days by this event - believing it was payback for what happened to young Doris all those years previously."

The newspaper reports of the time show that Doris's death was just a tragic accident but it clearly affected George for the rest of his life. The loss of his own granddaughter Samantha in 1967 must have been unbearable for George, given the circumstances of her death

Sheffield's Treasures Are Put In Dustbins - September 1939

I came across this newspaper article from September 1939.

Apart from acknowledging the foresight and ingenuity of the Curator, it would be interesting to know where the dustbins were stored once they were full.

The Funeral of Mr G Middleton - Burngreave Cemetery Sheffield - 16th September 1920

Yorkshire Telegraph and Star dated 20th September 1920

The remarkable feature of this cutting is that Mr G Howell worked for the same company in Sheffield for over 40 years. Howell and Co were based at Wincobank in Sheffield and were Tube manufacturers. A fuller history of the company can be found in the excellent Graces Guide.

The Wicker Congregational Church where the funeral took place was at the junction of Burngreave Road and Ellesmere Road. It was demolished in the mid 1960's

Although not mentioned in the report his christian name was George. When I checked his burial record I found that his son William died less than nine years after his father in 1929. He was just 36 years old

MIDDLETON, George (Secretary, age 57).
Died at Cardigan Nursing Home; Buried on September 16, 1920 in General ground;
Grave Number 347, Section KK of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield.
Parent or Next of Kin if Available: . Remarks: Officiating Minister, A Dring: Removed from Sheffield Parish.
 
MIDDLETON, William (~, age 36).
Died at Brinkburn, Grenoside; Buried on March 16, 1929 in General ground;
Grave Number 347, Section KK of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield.
Parent or Next of Kin if Available: . Remarks: Officiating Minister, J.A. Halfpenny: Removed from Sheffield Parish.

The Last of the Dennis Dominator Buses - Sheffield June 2006

The following cutting is taken from The Sheffield Weekly Gazette dated Thursday 15th June 2006 and is a report of the last Dennis Dominator Buses to run in Sheffield

City Bids Farewell To A Tramp - Cyril Griffin Sheffield January 1976

I have just posted a brief article to the site that I obtained from The Guardian dated 5th January 1977

There was a brief thread on the Sheffield Forum in 2005 which added some more information but it was the burial record that I found rather poignant. Cyril is buried in a public grave in Sheffield's City Road Cemetery along with 12 other people - some of the burials go back to the late C 19th.

GRIFFIN, Cyril (Electrician, age 52).
Died at British Home Stores Haymarket; Buried on January 6, 1977 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 7031, Section V2 of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield. Page No 230 

BMD References

Births Sep 1924 quarter Griffin Cyril Mothers Maiden Name Howe Sheffield Volume 9c Page 839 

Deaths Dec 1976 quarter - GRIFFIN CYRIL Born 19JE1924 SHEFFIELD Volume 3 Page 2047 

It states that he "Died at British Home Stores Haymarket" when the truth is that he died in the "doorway" of British Home Stores and not the actual store. A whole world of difference on a bitterly cold night in December. 

A Bulldog at 167 Crookes Sheffield - 15th September 1924 - The Heroism of Joshua Greatorex

The above cutting is from The Manchester Guardian dated 2nd December 1924 and refers to the actions of Joshua Greatorex at a house at 167 Crookes. The report ends by stating that he "undoubtedly saved the boy's life". I wonder what happened to the boy whose life was saved.

The house at 167 Crookes where the attack took place no longer exists. It was demolished after the war and replaced with flats   

As for Joshua, I have found out that at the time of the attack he would have been around 63 years old. He was to live for another 19 years before passing away in July 1943. He is buried in the cemetery at Crookes

GREATOREX, Joshua Frederick (Retired, age 82).

Died at 52 Newlands Drive; Buried on July 31, 1943 in Consecrated ground; 

Grave Number 5159, Section JJ of Crookes Cemetery, Sheffield.