Tuesday 16 May 2023

Mr Colin Clegg of More Hall Bolsterstone Sheffield (1878-1929) - Ewden Valley Waterworks Engineer

Following on from the penultimate blog on Ethel Theodora Clegg and the Clegg family, the following reports are in effect obituaries for her first cousin Colin Clegg and the last surviving son of Sit Charles Clegg, the President of the Football Association

Sheffield Daily Telegraph - Thursday 12 September 1929

WATERWORKS ENGINEER. 

Sudden Death of Son of Sir Charles Clegg. 

Mr. Colin Clegg, of More Hall, Bolsterstone, who was the only surviving son of Sir Charles Clegg, President of the Football Association, has died in London, following an operation. He was resident engineer of the Sheffield Corporation’s Ewden Valley Waterworks undertaking, and was well-known in local, social, and football circles. The news of his death, the age of 51, will come as a shock to many, but during the last month or two has not been in very good health. While in London on Monday he had to undergo an operation, and he died afterwards in a nursing home. 

It was only in July last that Mr. Clegg completed his great work for the Corporation at the Ewden Valley. This he began in 1913, and the tremendous waterworks undertaking has cost £1,700,000. The great responsibility which was upon Mr, Clegg's shoulders and the credit due to him can well be realised. Recently he had been resting, on holiday in Filey. At a meeting of the City Council on June 12th, 1915, when Mr. Clegg was appointed resident engineer of the new Valley waterworks,- Alderman Styring said “they would all express their appreciation of the fact that there was in the person of a son of Mr. J. C. Clegg (now Sir Charles) a gentleman who was qualified to undertake this work.” He was fully qualified for the post, having had experience while holding appointments at Leeds, Westminster, and in connection with the construction of the Ramsley reservoir for the Chesterfield Corporation. 

Mr. Clegg had an attractive personality. He was very popular with the staff and workmen employed on the construction of the reservoir, and on the occasion of his marriage to the daughter of Mr. Charles Castle (a former Sheffield Citv Councillor) the employees made a presentation to him. He inherited his father’s love of sport, and in his younger days was a capable amateur footballer, playing right full-back for the Sheffield Club and appearing for Sheffield in inter-city football matches. For the last four or five years, to the time of his death, he was a director of the Sheffield United Football Club. Tennis attracted him in recent years also, and he was a member of the local Rustlings and Norfolk clubs. An ardent worker in the cause of temperance, he took active part in the movement, and was well-known for his efforts in this direction He was treasurer of the Sheffield and District Sunday School Bund of Hope Union, of which his father is president. Mr. Clegg is survived by his wife, who was in London with him at the time of his death. There are no children. Sir Charles has now been bereaved of both his sons, for his elder son, Mr. O. W. Clegg, died three years ago. His daughter, Mrs. Paul Wilks, resides in Harrogate.

Sheffield Daily Telegraph - Saturday 14 September 1929

A LIFE WELL LIVED. Tribute to the Late Mr. Colin Clegg. 

FUNERAL IN SHEFFIELD. 

In his life, Mr. Colin Clegg, M.1.C.E., V.I.W.E., F.G.S., of More Hall, Bolsterstone, maintained the high traditions of his distinguished family, being to the forefront in work for the city of Sheffield, for sport, and for the temperance movement. Therefore it was not surprising that his funeral in Sheffield yesterday was attended by many mourners representative of the interests for which he did so much. 

For sixteen years was in charge of the constructive work of the Sheffield Corporation’s Ewden Valley Waterworks, and his death on Wednesday last, at the age of 52, came very quickly after the completion of that great undertaking. His engineering work there will, no doubt, be recognised at the formal opening of the works early next month, but it was significant and indicative of ius interest in religious and temperance work that amongst the many wreaths at his funeral yesterday was one from “The Women of Ewden.” 

The service, was held in Queen Street Congregational Church, before the interment at the City Road Cemetery, the Rev. Ernest Hamsou said Mr. Clegg entered into a very great heritage, following father and grandfather who stood for big things, and there was nothing trifling or small about him. Life to him was a joyous privilege, a great adventure, and he put into it something which made extremely straight and cleau. Many of those present, said Mr. Hamson, would think Mr. Clegg particularly in connection with his work for temperance. For him temperance meant teetotalism, and in these days of indecision concerning that matter it was refreshing for many of them to see the stand took. 

His passing and the recent deaths of several stalwarts of the temperance movement brought challenge to the young men and women of this generation, for there were many gaps to be filled. Referring to Mr. Clegg’s connection with sport, Mr. Hamson said such work was a family tradition. The Clegg family brought something which was clean and wholesome into the sport of our country, and Mr. Colin Clegg carried on that tradition. Sixteen years of labour in the Ewden Valley were part of his Christian ministry, for the mission hut in (he centre of the village meant a great deal to him and to the men and women there

 

Saturday 13 May 2023

"Oh, for God's sake, shut up! You are always on about the war." - the death of Alice Booth - June 15th 1940 Sheffield

 I came across this report dating from June 1940

ACQUITTED OF MURDER 

Sheffield Man Sentenced for Manslaughter 

John Henry Barton lorry driver, Longley Avenue Weet. Sheffield, pleaded not guilty before Mr. Justice Stable at Leeds Assizes today for the murder of Alice Booth, who had been living with him as his wife. The prosecution stated that that on the evening of June 15 the couple, in company with two women, were on their way home, from the Forester's Arms, Rutland Road. 


Forester's Arms, Rutland Road Sheffield

Barton said something about the war, which caused Alice Booth say, "Oh, for God's sake, shut up! You are always on about the war." There was a violent quarrel, and Barton, was alleged, pulled the woman down and kicked her head, making her unconscious. On the way to hospital she died from cerebral haemorrhage. 

It was alleged that Barton said, "I am the boss. Women can't boss" It was stated in evidence that Barton was under the influence of drink. Mr. J. S. Snowden, defending, submitted that there was no case of murder for the Jury, the fatality having occurred in a sudden quarrel involving neither lethal weapon nor premeditation. 

His Lordship agreeing. Barton was acquitted of murder. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter, and was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment, the Judge remarking that he had no doubt the tragedy would never have happened if Barton had not had too much beer.

Nine months for the loss of a life seems beyond excessively lenient. In fact why send John Barton to prison at all. The murder charge should not have been brought in the first instance bearing in mind that if proven John Barton would have received a mandatory death sentence. The charge should have been one of manslaughter in the first place - there was no pre-meditation or weapon involved but Alice Booth did die as a result of a vicious drunken assault and there are no mitigating circumstances to this fact. Kick a person in the head and there is always a chance they will die.

No doubt if John Barton had been sober the assault may not have happened as Mr Justice Stable stated in sentencing but it did. And drunkenness is in law no defence    

John Barton was very fortunate - I wonder how Alice's 3 children coped?

1939 National Register

Name: John Barton [Henry Barton]

Gender: Male Marital Status: Single

Birth Date: 18 Mar 1899 

Residence Date: 1939 Address: 39, Longley Road West Residence Place: Sheffield, Yorkshire (West Riding), England

Occupation: Rolling Mill Truck Driver

Line Number: 40 Schedule Number: 36 Sub Schedule Number: 2 Enumeration District: Kijs

Borough: Sheffield Registration district: Sheffield 510/3

Household Members (Name) Age

Alice Booth 51

John Barton 40

Thomas Booth 16

Mabel Booth 14

John Booth 11

Alice Booth Burial Record

Booth, Alice (Wife of Walter, age 53). Died at City General Hospital; Buried on June 20, 1940 in Consecrated ground;      Grave Number 18243, Section CC of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield. Page No 211 

It seems as though John Barton remarried after doing his time in Armley





Ethel Theodora Clegg (1891 - 1972)

 Many years ago I posted to the site an article titled The Cleggs of Sheffield. It centred around William Johnson Clegg (1827-1895) and his two famous sons John Charles and William Edwin. 

There was also a younger son Leonard Johnson Clegg who was also a fine footballer in his younger days and was the father of a daughter Ethel Theodora Clegg

A few days ago  a reader of the site contacted me and pointed me towards a well known internet auction site and an item that was for auction

"1900 portrait photograph of named girl Ethel Theodora Clegg

A named 1900 portrait photograph to card with lots of information to rear - Rear of card names her as Ethel Theodora Clegg (born 12th Mar 1891) and that she was later E.T.Leefe.  She was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire the daughter of Leonard Johnson Clegg and his wife Ethel Maud Clegg (nee Wilks). She married Thomas Oswald Leefe in 1920. 

Name: Ethel T Clegg [Ethel Theodora Clegg]

Spouse Surname: Leefe Thomas Oswald

Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1920

Registration district: Ecclesall Bierlow Registration county (inferred): Yorkshire - West Riding

Volume Number: 9c Page Number: 954

Photo measures 10cm by 10cm on a card mount 12cm by 10cm"



The 1939 National Register has the following entry

Name: Thomas O Leefe Gender: Male Marital status: Married 

Birth Date: 15 Aug 1896

Residence Year: 1939 Address: 134

Residence Place: Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, England

Occupation: Travelling Salesman, Totally Blinded, Ex-Serviceman

Schedule Number: 60 Sub Schedule Number: 1 Enumeration District: QEMB

Registration district: 394/1 Inferred Spouse: Ethel T Leefe

Household Members: 

Thomas O Leefe

Ethel T Leefe

From the records of the Register it appears that Thomas was blinded in the Great War. There is an entry in the burial registers that states he was a resident of St. Dunstans, a home for blind ex-servicemen in Brighton

Thomas Oswald Leefe

Died: 10 May 1952

Cemetery Brighton City Cemetery Middle Avenue Brighton, Brighton and Hove, England United Kingdom

Resident of St. Dunstans, a home for blind ex-servicemen in Brighton

Ethel died in Redbridge in Hampshire in 1972


 

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