"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

 

.

 

Annie Elizabeth Lush 1879-1879 - Granville Street Park Sheffield

Turners Hill leading down to Granville Street Sheffield

This small article appeared in the Sheffield and Rotherham Independent dated  Saturday 27th December 1879 and it refers to a death that occurred the previous Saturday - 20th December 1879

The death of a baby or young infant by accidental suffocation was not an uncommon occurrence, Given the grinding poverty and houses that were little more than hovels many families resorted to body warmth as a means of keeping young babies and children as warm as they could. Sadly the death of their child through suffocation was always a possibility and in this case the risk manifested itself

The inquest on Tuesday 23rd December 1879 was held at night at the long gone Station Hotel on Granville Street. Night inquests were not uncommon either - the jury members were employees and could not take time off work to attend inquests during the day. And by holding the inquest in a pub which again was a common feature of the time they could refresh themselves as well as conduct their duties as jurors.

   

John Ruskin and Sheffield

I was going to place an article on the site relating to John Ruskin and Sheffield but I came across this article on the Guild of St George website which is very informative on the subject. Needless to say it was not worth pursuing this  avenue  - I could not add anything to this well researched article   

However I did have this cutting from The Manchester Guardian dated 05 March 1953 which explains why John Riskin decided to locate his museum in Sheffield in 1875  

 

The Death of Elias Armitage - Canal Basin Sheffield March 1908

 I have just posted an article to the site regarding the death of Elias Armitage in March 1908 in the Camal Basin at Sheffield

The inquest that was held on Monday 06 April 1908 was a strange one inasmuch as the Coroner directed the jury NOT to return a verdict of suicide on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence to prove that this was the case. He then goes on to say that the case points strongly to the fact that the victim did commit suicide and he had "no doubt that Armitage did commit suicide." If that was his strong belief why did he not convey this to the jury? But he the goes on to say that it was possible for Armitage to have fallen into the canal unintentionally. The jury must have been by this time been totally confused by the Coroner's musings and returned an open verdict. This was of course the correct verdict as no one could say for certain what caused Elias's death.

The only thing I am perplexed about is that I can find no record of a burial for Elias after the inquest or if indeed he had any family. 

The Revill Family Tragedy - Sheffield August 1925

The excellent Sheffield Indexers site has this entry for two burials for a father and son at Sheffield's City Road Cemetery. They are buried  in the same grave and their burials were just five days apart 

REVILL, George (, age 27).      Died at Royal Hospital; Buried on August 31, 1925 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 24241, Section II1 of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield. Plot Owner: ~ ~ of ~. Page No 18

REVILL, George (Son of late George, age 10mths). Died at 2 Red hill; Buried on September 5, 1925 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 24241, Section II1 of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield. Plot Owner: ~ ~ of ~. Page No 18

On the face of it it just seems a horrible co-incidence but if you read the Sheffield Daily Telegraph dated 29th August 1925 the death of the father takes on a whole new dimension

It refers to an inquest that took place the previous day

The cut was described as "slight" and "small" and one that "often happened" in the workplace, Nevertheless happen it did, and it did not receive any treatment at all. This neglect resulted in the onset of Septicaemia (sepsis) and the death in hospital of George from the condition. His death was preventable        

I do not know how his son died but it was at home 2 Red Hill Broad Lane, His mothers grief must have been unimaginable!

Good Friday in Sheffield - 19th April 1889

 This is again from the Sheffield and Rotherham Independent dated Saturday 20th April 1889 and refers to the events that occurred in Sheffield the previous day Friday 19th April 1889 - Good Friday.

It is interesting to note that at "the big works and factories the men were busily at work." although many shops banks and business in the city were closed. 

Good Friday Customs and Legends

 This is from the Sheffield and Rotherham Independent dated 20th April 1889 and from the byline it seems as though this was a syndicated article from the Daily Chronicle

 

Alonzo Hemsworth - A Callous Driver - South Street Sheffield - August 1910

The previous blog on the dishonest apprentice referred to my mother's maternal grandfather Fred Shirt but the following refers to her paternal grandfather and my great grandfather Alonzo Hemsworth.  

Once again  the first I knew about this incident is when I discovered it in the British Newspaper Archive  Needless to say it never came up in family conversations!

It is from the Yorkshire Telegraph and Star dated 8th September 1910 and refers to an accident that occurred on 21st August at South Street and Cemetery Road in Sheffield

Reading the report it does not appear a first glance to be favourable towards my great grandfather. The girl was carried "some distance on the front of the car" and when he eventually stopped he refused to take the girl to hospital. He was according to the prosecution travelling at between 15 and 20 miles an hour which was deemed excessive given the nature of the road. This I find difficult to believe - if he was travelling at that speed the girl would have in all probability been killed or at best seriously injured.

My great grandfather said he was travelling at 5 to 6 miles an hour and skidded 6 inch.

At that speed the girl would have and did survive and there is nothing to indicate that she sustained any major injury or trauma. I am more dubious about the 6 inch claim as I am about him travelling some distance with the girl on his bonnet. Also the fact that he did not take to hospital points to the fact that her injuries if any were superficial.

But he lost his licence for 6 month and was fined £2 which is about £165 in todays money.  

And so thanks to the BNA I have discovered that both my maternal great grandparents had a criminal past 

   

Fred Shirt - A Dishonest Apprentice - A Long History of Thefts - November 1897 Sheffield

Over the last few years many thousands of historical newspapers have been scanned and digitalised. Sadly it many cases you need a subscription to access them. For the last few months I have had access to the British Newspaper Archive which I have to admit is a tremendous resource in research.

Last month I was bringing my maternal family history up to date and I found this cutting from the Evening Telegraph and Star dated 19th November 1897

Fred was my mothers maternal grandfather and my great grandfather. I never met him as he died in 1944 in Sheffield's Northern General Hospital from lung cancer. He was 67 years old. Needless to say until I read this cutting I was unware of my great grandfathers criminal past and I am sure my mother wasn't either. In fact was anyone? 

Fred did have a difficult and poverty stricken childhood but his spell in prison probably sorted him out so to speak. I cannot find any other record of criminal activity and in the same year he was released from prison 1898 he married Florence. They proceeded to have ten children but two died in infancy. One who did survive was his daughter and my grandmother Lily 

 

Frederick Sanby (1856 1931) Walkley Sheffield aka The Pansy King and Old Fred

 I have just posted an article to the site relating to the life of my great grandfather Edwin Sanbys twin brother Frederick. 

He celebrated his golden wedding on 27th May 1928 and was featured in the local newspaper the following day. It appears that he was a very keen gardener and enjoyed many successes in local horticultural shows. In fact he was so successful he became known as "The Pansy King"  

FREDERICK died on 22nd May 1931 at the age of 75, his wife ELIZABETH had died two years earlier. His death warranted two small pieces in the local press 

Sheffield Independent - Friday 29 May 1931

All local and district anglers will be sorry to hear of the death of Mr. F. Sanity, a well-known angler, and father of Mr. Fred Sanby, assistant secretary to the Sheffield and District Anglers’ Association. 

Sheffield Daily Telegraph - Friday 29 May 1931

Passing a Local Sportsman. A wide circle of anglers will learn with regret of the passing of Mr. Fred Sanby. “Old Fred,” he was known to host of intimates, was a keen and capable angler, several times figuring prominently in local matches. Although 75 years of age. he retained all his faculties until a few weeks ago. when a stroke supervened. Mr. Sanbv's son is assistant secretary to the Sheffield and District Angling Association, Ltd, 

There is no mention of his gardening prowess but the obituary revealed that he was "a keen and capable angler, several times figuring prominently in local matches". It also said that he was known to all his friends and colleagues as "Old Fred." 

The house where Old Fred and his wife Elizabeth lived 8 Parsonage Crescent was demolished many years ago and replaced by a modern building. The views from the rear of the property are amazing!

Herbert Sanby and his pigeons - Walkley Sheffield August 1942

 I have managed to resolve this after quite a long time. The problem was that there were three Herbert Sanby's in my family tree - one was born in 1892 the next in 1912 and the last, four years later in 1916.

The one born in 1892 was my great grandfathers nephew and he had a son also called Herbert in 1916.

The one born in 1912 was the son of Walter Sanby born 1886 (also my great grandfathers nephew), who was the older brother of Herbert born 1892.

But the reason for sorting this out was that in August 1942 Herbert Sanby was prosecuted for buying beans for pigeon food without surrendering the appropriate ration documents. It appears he bought a quarter of a ton of beans for the sum of £8 5s (abt £272GBP ay todays prices)    

It is inferred in the report that this was one of the first of many prosecutions that were going to be initiated by the authorities for breaching the rationing regulations. He was found guilty and fined £4 (abt. £130GBP at todays prices). Seems a bit steep to me.

But going back to the beginning of the article I did not know which of the three Herbert's was prosecuted - my only lead was that Herbert lived on Walkley Road. But I have just come across a probate record from January 1960 and it confirms that it was the Herbert born in 1892 my great grandfathers nephew who was the miscreant and not the other two.

His estate was just over £6000GBP 

    

    

What Happened To Lady Jones? - Whirlow Brook Hall, Sheffield 1946 - An update

Quite a few years ago I posted an article to the site that related to the sale of Whirlow Brook Hall to Sheffield City Council. As the headline stated at the time Sheffield Corporation bought Whirlow Brook and nearly forty acres of grounds for £15,000 which in current values amounts to circa £440,000. But the bulk of the purchase was financed by grants from Trusts leaving the Corporation to find a mere £1500 (£44,000). Surely it must have been one of the most astute pieces of municipal acquisition that the Corporation has ever managed. The seller was Sir Walter Benton Jones a prominent industrialist.

The one problem that needed to be resolved was the removal of Sir Walter Benton Jones's late wife Dame Lily Marguerite Jones who was buried in the gardens of the Hall eight years earlier.

The exhumation must have occurred before the sale went through but for years I was unable to ascertain where Lady Jones was re-interred. This week purely by chance I had another attempt and was fortunate to locate her final resting place

The excellent Find A Grave site carried an entry for St Andrews Churchyard in Irnham in Lincolnshire 

Name: Lily Marguerite Jones
Birth Date: Apr 1879 Birth Place: Sheffield England
Death Date: Sep 1938 age 59
Death Place: Irnham, South Kesteven District, Lincolnshire, England
Cemetery: St Andrew Churchyard Burial or Cremation Place: Irnham, South Kesteven District, Lincolnshire, England
Spouse: Walter Benton Jones

This is the inscription on the grave. 

IN THIS DEDICATED GRAVE IN THE GARDEN IN WHICH SHE 

LOVED AND IN WHICH SHE SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF 

HER LIFE LIES THE BODY OF 

LILY MARGUERITE

BELOVED WIFE OF WALTER BENTON JONES

BORN APRIL 1879 DIED SEPTEMBER 1938

SHE ENDURED MUCH SUFFERING WITH GREAT COURAGE

AND ACQUIRED A SINGLENESS OF MIND THAT

 ENDEARED HER TO ALL

BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART FOR THEY SHALL SEE GOD

What I believe happened is that this memorial was in place over her initial resting place at Whirlow Brook Hall because "it was in the garden in which she loved and in which she spent a great deal of her life." When he body was exhumed from the garden in 1946 it was re-interred in the graveyard at St Andrew Churchyard Irnham, South Kesteven District, Lincolnshire, England. Irnham Hall was the home of her husband's family and she was finally laid to rest there. 

The memorial from Whirlow Brook Hall also accompanied her on her final journey.  

 

A New Year Query - Maria Laycock

 Yesterday I received an email titled "Maria Laycock" that stated

"Hi Chris

I read with interest this piece on Maria just found out she was a family member I have had her mourning card a long while and a piece of paper came to light that my dad had written on about past  family members with dates of birth and death like you no one mentioned the murders.

I wondered if there was a picture of Maria I have a lot of old family photos  but a lot have no names on. I am thinking one of Marias siblings must have married into our family do you know how many she had.

I think I might be related to you as one of the names that is on the list is a David Hornby born 1834-   13-12-1907.Here are some other names

Charles Weaver  Alfred Harry McCormack  s

Sgt C Wheeler Elizabeth Wilson nee Oates John Oates

Sgt Sidney Albert Taylor Ann Karson wife of Tom Mary Stevenson William Stevenson

Thomas Stevenson Catherine Colton Henry Colton John Alfred McCormack

Charlotte Pearson wife Sam Pearson Annie Pearson

Do any of these appear in your family tree I am on a laptop so I only look daily"

I replied

"I am a bit confused - is it the Maria Laycock I refer to in my article on The White Croft Murders 1884

https://www.chrishobbs.com/laycockmurder1884.htm

If so I can say that I have no photo of Maria and I am not related in any way to the Laycock family. None of the names you list are in my family tree as far as I can see. I have a database of names etc and none of those names you appear on it"

But the problem appeared soon after I replied. my mail was returned with the messgae

"Address not found

Your message wasn't delivered to outlook_049F1A600CED0E51@outlook.com because the address couldn't be found or is unable to receive email."

The person who sent me the email was unable to receive my reply because their email client was incorrectly set up to receive mails . It does happen on occasion and there is no way I can reply and so the sender will think that I have ignored their request which is not the case.

If anyone can find me a solution to this communication problem please let me know

  

View From A Hill - 31st December 2022

This blog is the 45th I've posted in 2022  which is an increase on 2021. I have also managed to post a few more articles to the site, one of which was Sheffield 1931. It was based on a newspaper cutting from ninety-one years ago today and reviews the year in Sheffield. I must admit I had a wry smile at times at the antics of Sheffield City Council.

It is a shame that that articles of this nature have more or less disappeared - when the local press could review the successes and failures of the city. Of course this year would be "interesting" with the closure of major city centre stores and the installation of shipping containers on one of Sheffield's main thoroughfares. There have also been a plethora of "green initiatives" which normally involve costs and disruption to the people of Sheffield. The people of Crookes and Walkley have been vexed this year  with "low traffic neighbourhoods" whereby the Council placed plant holders in the roads on an ad-hoc basis and blocked access to properties and businesses

I fear it will only get worse in the years to come

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 which is always a pleasure  

And so all that remains is to wish everyone a happy and prosperous 2023

Sheffield's First Air Raid Victims of World War 2 - 28th-29th August 1940

One of the first articles I placed on the site many years ago was one about the loss of life that occurred on 12th December 1940 when the Marples public house in Fitzalan Square was flattened by a Luftwaffe bomb. It was the single biggest loss of life in Sheffield during the whole war.

But there were a number of other occasions when lives were lost as a result of Luftwaffe activity. The last two people to lose their lives in Sheffield were George Macbeth and William Trevor Wilde. They were killed on Clarkhouse Road in Sheffield on Monday 20th October 1941 but their deaths were caused not by a German bomb but by an anti-aircraft shell that exploded in the road near to them. The Last of 631 Fatalities - Sheffield 1939-1945.

And so to round the articles off I thought that it would be fitting to ascertain who were the Sheffield's first air raid victims of the Second World War. I have just posted the article to the site

Friday 30th August 1940

Of the three fatalities I noticed that two victims were taken to Sheffield's Royal Infirmary and it was at the hospital that they died from their injuries some hours later. But ALFRED ASPINWALL died at his home at 25 St Stephens Road which seems to indicate that he died at the time the bomb hit the property. And so ALFRED ASPINWALL was the first person to die in Sheffield from an air attack in the Second World War. 

For those with a long memory I posted a blog in March 2014 regarding Sheffield's first air raid victim Frederick Stratford who died in the Zeppelin attack of September 1916  

Private Herbert Greaves (1889-1917) - 6th Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Battalion:

A young soldier who died on the Western Front during World War 1 has finally been laid to rest just yards from where he was found.

This was the strap line that appeared in article that appeared on a government website in November 2022 - Sheffield soldier of the Great War laid to rest 105 years after his death

It is quite a poignant article but ultimately an uplifting one as well. I wanted to know whereabouts in Walkley the Greaves family lived - and the 1911 UK Census provided an answer - 58 Channing Street. The Street is still there but the house was demolished in the 1960's. Channing Street is in Lower Walkley and now forms part of the Langsett Estate

 

Name: Herbert Greaves

Birth Place: Walkley, Sheffield

Death Date: 15 May 1917

Death Place: France and Flanders Enlistment Place: Sheffield

Rank: Private : King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Battalion: 6th Battalion

Regimental Number: 28126

Type of Casualty: Killed in action Theatre of War: Western European Theatre

1901 Census

1911 Census

The Grief of Alice James - Douchy-les-Ayette, France August 1925

 Quite a few years ago whilst I was in the Local Studies Library in Sheffield I came across this small report from a local newspaper which I scanned and saved. I found it profoundly sad that Alice had passed away whilst visiting her sons graves in France. It was nearly seven years after the war had ended and her grief was still there.

I came across it again the other day and after searching the British Newspaper Archive I found this article from the Evening News dated 19th August 1925 which gives a fuller account of the circumstances surrounding her death

The articles are misleading inasmuch as they state that Alice collapsed whilst visiting the graves of her two sons. I checked with the CWGC site and found the following

LIEUTENANT RUPERT FREDERICK JAMES

Regiment & Unit East Yorkshire Regiment 11th Bn.Date of Death Died 27 March 1918

Age 35 years old

Buried or commemorated at DOUCHY-LES-AYETTE BRITISH CEMETERY II. H. 4. France

Commonwealth War Graves Commission - Headstone Placeholder

Country of Service United Kingdom

Additional Info Son of Frederick John and Alice Augustine James, late of Seaview, Isle of Wight.

Personal Inscription REST AFTER TOILE PORT AFTER STORMIE SEAS

LIEUTENANT CECIL ARTHUR JAMES

Regiment & Unit Canadian Infantry 1st Bn.

Date of Death Died 15 June 1915

Buried or commemorated at BEUVRY COMMUNAL CEMETERY 50. France

Commonwealth War Graves Commission - Headstone Placeholder

Country of Service Canadian

Additional Info Son of Frederick John and Alice Augustine James, of "Woodstock," Seaview, Isle of Wight, England. Born in Surrey.

Personal Inscription REST AFTER TOILE PORT AFTER STORMIE SEAS

The two sons are buried in different cemeteries. Alice collapsed and died whilst visiting the grave of her son Rupert. Her grief must have been overwhelming  

 

The Suspicious Death of Jadish Chandera Bhatta - Brinsworth Rotherham Friday 1st May 1931

I have just posted an article to the site - The Suspicious Death of Jadish Chandera Bhatta - Brinsworth Rotherham Friday 1st May 1931.

Jagdish's suspicious death was not the only one that occurred in Sheffield around that time. The deaths of Elizabeth Alice Smith in 1922 and Florence Hargreaves in 1926 are covered my site  - both deaths aroused controversy, and the verdicts that where delivered by the coroner and his jury were highly questionable. It is the same in this case.

The other interesting point to note is that I found it difficult to find local press coverage of the case. The above cutting is from the Scotsman dated 8th May 1931 and I found two more from the Manchester Guardian and Observer. The only notification on-line was from a Singapore newspaper - The Straits Newspaper dated 22nd May 1931 dateline Sheffield 9th May 1931. I could have used the cutting but I would have run the risk of ending up in Changi Goal for copyright breaches. The prohibition notice on the site was a fearsome one and a rather worrying development 

Walkley Cemetery Midwinter Tour (Sheffield) - Sunday 8th January 2023

 Well worth having a walk around this Sheffield Cemetery in the New Year

Here is the flyer that was issued by the Friends of Walkley Cemetery

The Origins of Philadelphia Sheffield England

The photograph below was taken in November 2021 and shows Infirmary Road in Sheffield. The building in the centre is the former George 1V public house and to the left Paget's Builders Merchants. But for many years this area was known as Philadelphia - the name is rarely used nowadays and I am unsure why this is the case. The area is usually referred to by its street names Penistone Road and Infirmary Road and/or adjoining areas such as Shalesmoor, Upperthorpe or even Hillsborough  

But the other day I came across this correspondence I had years ago with a fellow researcher who was also interested in the name Philadelphia and how it came to be used as a name for a district/area of Sheffield. These are our thoughts!

The Quaker-Pennsylvania connection is interesting reading,, I realise that religious movements have been very significant engines of change. But back to the name Philadelphia. If I've understood your theory correctly, you are linking 'Phil' from St Philips (church) and a version of 'delph' from a dig, dugout area or similar. This does have the appeal of simplicity. 

 However, for me I would need to see a clear connection between the specified geographic area and the church's arrival. If, for example, we have a reference to Philadelphia that predated the 1828 St Philips consecration this theory would be dead in the water. The absence of such a reference may simply be that we can't find one, not that one doesn't exist. Incidentally, how do you know that the church owned this land, certainly prior to it being entitled Philadelphia? 

 I could easily buy the delph bit as it seems almost impossible that early development in this area, be it industrial or residential or both, was not accompanied by some sort of digging or earthworks. It could be that such a dig connected to raw materials for local industry, such as iron-ore or coal. This said, I still find it too much of a leap to actually get to the name Philadelphia without the local name's 'inventor' being unaware of the Pennsylvanian place. This was clearly in existence by the mid-to-late 1700's. Not only that, but given Philly's role in the developing colony, I find it hard not to suspect that even in late-18th century England, including Sheffield, the colonial Philadelphia was quite well known here. 

 My hunch is still that there is a connection [if only by name] with Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I agree with you that I doubt Sheffield's Philadelphia was so named because of some steel connection.

 My suspicion is that our Philadelphia connects by religion. This might not be a formal link, for example between a specific Sheffield Quaker church and the developing trans-Atlantic Friends movement of the 17th & 18th centuries. However, it could be that local Quakers looked to important developments in Philadelphia Pennsylvania and took the name for their community. 

For this, however, I need to establish that there is some Quaker connection with the land around Gilpin Street. This could be a place of worship or it could be a concentration of Quaker residents. In itself this wouldn't prove my theory, but it would be strong circumstantial evidence. 

Another key might be if the Gilpin Street area was being developed at the same time as the big push in the US to have their Philadelphia as a key Quaker location. This period, from your helpful link, seems to be the late 17th century/early-to-mid 18th century. I would have thought that by the third quarter of the 18th century the still colonial Philadelphia would be fairly widely known in England, particularly amongst English Quakers. The Friends would probably have looked to it as a key spiritual reference point.

In my 1841 Whites Sheffield Directory it lists the following names which are initially listed under the road "Penistone Road" and then under a separate heading for "Philadelphia."

(Philadelphia)

Philadelphia Steel Works

Co.; J.J. Spurr, agnt

MOORWOOD J. tanner

ROBERTS A. beer house

LARNER H, beer house

RODGERS W, millwgt

OWEN R, cooper

LAROM Rev. C.

RAWSON Miss M.

SHAW Mrs. E.

IBBOTSON Mr. T.

DIXON J. vict

PEACE C. file mfr

FRETWELL Thomas

THOMPSON George

GREEN Misses, school

BATTIE A. bookpr

RILEY H, whsman

FLETCHER Rev. J., A.B.

LOMAS Mrs. S.

GWYTHER Rev, J., B.A.

FRITH Eliz. vict

All the names listed on Penistone Road before the Philadelphia Steel Works are listed with a house number but all the names after (as shown above) are not. I don't know if this meant that these people lived within the works grounds or that they lived on Penistone Road or the Philadelphia area, do any of the surnames look familiar?

I have just checked the directory section of the book and as an example it lists the following names from the list above,

PEACE, Charles, file manufacturer; house, Long Row, Philadelphia

LAROM, Rev. Charles, Baptist Minister, Philadelphia

RODGERS, William, millwright and engineer, Philadelphia

Did you know that 

1) the name Philadelphia is derived from the ancient Greek term for 'brotherly love.'

2) the walls of the city of Philadelphia in Turkey are rumoured to be built from the bones of the christians that perished in the holy wars (actually a very porous rock)

 3) Philadelphia was also an ancient city of Asia Minor northeast of the Dead Sea in modern-day Jordan. The chief city of the Ammonites, it was enlarged and embellished by Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-246 B.C.) and named in honor of him. 

 4) In addition to the well known city in Pennsylvania, there are other US name-sakes in Mississippi, New York and Tennessee

 5) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania the "City of Brotherly Love," was founded in the late seventeenth century as a Quaker colony by William Penn

 6) In the UK, Philadelphia is a village in Wiltshire just outside Bath, a district in Newcastle and of course a certain well know location in Sheffield

The Death of Mr Walter Cawthorne 36 Liberty Road Stannington Sheffield December 1931

I came across this article from the Sheffield Daily Independent dated 31st December 1931. I was unable to ascertain the circumstances of the "street accident" that led to Walter's death but it must have been in the days running up to Xmas for there is a burial record for Walter at Christ Church Stannington Sheffield 

CAWTHORNE Walter 26 Dec 1931 55 36 Liberty Rd D

He was buried on Boxing Day 1931

However what I was unware of was the fact that the Sheffield Daily Independent newspaper ran a FREE INSURANCE SCHEME that covered both husband and wife for for fatal accidents and certain non-fatal accidents. In this case, Walter's widow Harriet received a payment of £50.00 just days after the funeral. At todays prices that would be nearly £2400 which must have been a useful sum especially if Walter was the sole income provider.

The other thing of note is the speedy settlement of the claim - four days after the funeral. How times have changed!!

Mr. Frederick Phoenix - The Phoenix Theatre, Langsett Road, Sheffield

Many years ago I posted an article to the site on The Phoenix Theatre Langsett Road Sheffield. And like many other articles on the site I have added information and material as it becomes available..   

I was researching another article just recently and I cam across this obituary for Mr Frederick Phoenix, the proprietor of The Phoenix Theatre 

From the Sheffield Daily Telegraph dated 25th September 1926

What I did not know is that The Phoenix Theatre was the first "Picture Palace" in Hillsborough and only the third in the whole of Sheffield. The first "Picture Palace" in Sheffield was the Tivoli in Norfolk Street Sheffield 

An Obituary of Sir Montague Maurice Burton (15 August 1885, Lithuania – 21 September 1952, Leeds)

I came across this obituary in a newspaper which mirrors more or less the entry in Wikipedia.

But what I did not know was that !his name forms the origin of the expression The Full Monty." which is of course the name of the film that portrayed Sheffield in all its glory in the 1980's. 

I was also unaware that the headquarters of his business were in Sheffield. His store was at 582-588 Attercliffe Road. This was one of two Burton stores on Attercliffe Road; the other store was located at 787-783 Attercliffe Road. A foundation stone was laid at no. 582-588 by Stanley Howard Burton in 1931. The upper floor was known as Burton Buildings and it is this floor that I think may have been the headquarters of his business.

"Sir Montague Maurice Burton (15 August 1885, Lithuania – 21 September 1952, Leeds) founded Burton, one of Great Britain's largest chains of clothes shops.

Born a Lithuanian Jew (Moshe Osinsky) in Kaunas province, he came alone to England in 1900. In 1901, he was staying in Cheetham, Manchester. He started as a peddler, then set up as a general outfitter in Chesterfield in 1903 selling readymade suits bought from a wholesaler. Following his marriage to Sophie Marks in 1909 the name of the company was changed from M. Burton to Burton & Burton. They had one daughter (1910) then a son (1914). On the birth of twin boys in (1917) he gave his name as Montague Maurice Burton. However, he had not changed his name legally, which caused problems during the First World War.

By 1913 he had five men's tailor shops with headquarters in Sheffield and manufacturing in Leeds. He had four hundred shops, and factories and mills, by 1929, when the company went public. His firm made a quarter of the British military uniforms during World War II and a third of demobilisation clothing.

He was knighted in 1931 for "services to industrial relations" and was a Justice of the Peace for many years. He died while speaking after a dinner in Leeds. The funeral was at the Chapeltown Synagogue.

He endowed chairs in industrial relations in the University of Leeds and Cardiff in 1929 and Cambridge in 1930. He also endowed chairs of international relations in Jerusalem (1929), at Oxford University (1930), the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) (1936) and The University of Edinburgh (1948).

He is commemorated in the Montague Burton Residences, which are student flats at the University of Leeds.

It has been suggested that his name forms the origin of the expression The Full Monty."

There is a fuller biography of his life and influence on the excellent Hidden Treasures site 

The Effingham Street Gasworks Explosion 24th October 1973 - Sheffield

I was contemplating posting an article on The Effingham Street Gasworks Explosion 24th October 1973 but found that there was some material on-line and I could not really add to it. The only information missing was the inquest into the \fatalities but I located a copy of the Times report of the inquest which took place in Sheffield on 2nd May 1974. This was over six months after the tragedy that claimed the lives of six men.

  The Times 3rd May 1974

Thomas McGravie (1893 - 1956) D Company 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders

 I was going through some old photos that were left by my late Grandmother and came across this 

On the back was the inscription "Thomas McGravie D Company 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders 

I have no idea why my grandmother had the photo but she did work in the Great War in Wharncliffe Military Hospital and I wondered if she had met Thomas there. There is certainly no family connection and so it is a bit of a mystery why she had the photograph

I found some information on Thomas and his family from a subscriber on Ancestry including his medal cards and they tie in with the inscription on the photograph. 

Name: Thomas McGravie

Military Date: 1914-1920

Military Place: England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, United Kingdom

Regiment or Corps: Gordon Highlanders

Regimental Number: 537, 2865193

Birth 1893 • Edinburgh Scotland

Birth of brother Walter McGravie(1895–1964) 1895 • Edinburgh Scotland

Birth and death of sister Euphemia McGravie(1897–1897)

1897 • Twin Mary Birth and death of sibling Mary McGravie(1897–1897) Twin Euphemia

Birth of sister Winifred McGravie(1898–1977) 24 April 1898 • Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

Birth of sister Margaret McGravie(1900–1973) 7 Feb 1900 • Edinr, Edinburghh

Residence Edinrgh St Cuthberts, Midlothian, Scotland

Birth of brother Michael (Mick) McGravie(1904–1987) 24 May 1904 • Edinburgh

Birth of sibling Colin Methven McGravie(1905–1953) 13 Oct 1905 • Edinburgh

Birth of sibling Wm John Douglas McGravie(1908–1966) 4 Nov 1908 • Edinburgh

Residence 1911 • Colchester, England Marital Status: Single

Birth of sibling Charles Watson McGravie Anderson(1913–) 28 Feb 1913 • Edinburgh

Military 1914-1920 • England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, United Kingdom

Death of wife Margaret Milne Brand 1935

Death of father Thomas McGravie(1865–1943) 1943 • Church Street, Edinburgh, Scotland

Death of mother Margaret Douglas(1866–1948) 21 May 1948 • Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

Death of sibling Colin Methven McGravie(1905–1953) 28 Aug 1953 • Edinburgh Scotland

Name Thomas McGrovie Register Type Cremation Death Date 19 Apr 1956 Burial or Cremation Date 21 Apr 1956

Burial or Cremation Place Edinburgh, Scotland

The Heartless Conduct of Ernest Bromhead - Sheffield - Nottingham 1914

I have just posted an article to the site with the title "The Heartless Conduct of Ernest Bromhead - Sheffield - Nottingham 1914"

"The children had been found by the inspector to be very badly clothed, with only "apologies for boots"

"it was one of the most shocking cases the Bench had ever had before them"

The case came before the magistrates in Nottingham but the destitution and squalor took place in Edgar Street Pitsmoor Sheffield  

Edgar Street circa 1970

It was a bit challenging getting the right person - the surname BROMHEAD is often a BROOMHEAD. But I believe I have the right person and family. But what I found was that the information on "Ancestry Family Trees" was misleading to put it politely. In fact of the 16 trees that included Ernest Bromhead all were incorrect to a lesser or greater extent. None of them mention his second wife and a couple of the authors have given him a totally fictitious family based in Huddersfield. 

And of course none mention his "heartless conduct"    

The Millthorpe Aircrash - Derbyshire 12th May 1955

This report appeared in the Times dated 13th May 1955

I was going to research the circumstances surrounding the crash at Milthorpe near Holmesfield but I found this excellent article. It is an impressive piece of research.

It names the pilot as 19 year old Pilot Officer Robert Anthony Tritton of Stonehouse, Gloucestershire who was killed instantly in the crash. It also identifies the site of the crash as Brookside Farm on Mill Lane, Millthorpe in the Parish of Holmesfield, Derbyshire.  

 Mill Lane, Milthorpe, Holmesfield, Derbyshire 

I have just found that there is a website Milthorpe Air Crash Memorial that covers all aspects of the crash and its aftermath

Another Overturned Charabanc - Sheffield 1907

 Many years ago I posted an article to the site about the tragedy that occurred at Moscar near Sheffield on 25th August 1907

But there was an earlier incident that year involving a charabanc outing from Sheffield. This report is from The Scotsman Friday 14th June 1907

The Derwent Valley Water Works at Birchinlee is covered in Graces Guide. and was a popular day out for the people of Sheffield. The report does not state where the accident occurred but thankfully there were no fatalities. But eight people sustained injuries that required hospital treatment.

I am also wondering if this was the first incident of it's kind in the Sheffield area - it pre-dates the Moscar tragedy by two months. 

Bertram Kirk's Wooden Shed - Meadow Head Allotments Sheffield - February 1926

This is also from The Sheffield Daily Independent dated 26th February 1926, the same edition that carried reports of the late Florence Hargreaves inquest and the prosecution of Sheffield's first licence evader. 

It appeared that due to a severe housing shortage in 1920's Sheffield, Mr Kirk and his family took to living in a wooden shed on Meadow Head Allotments which contravened so many local by-laws the corporation were compelled to seek the demolition of the wooden building. 

"LIABLE TO £400 PENALTY. 

Wooden Building on Meadow Head Allotments. 

When Bertram Kirk was summoned at Sheffield yesterday for failing to remove a wooden building- from the Meadow Head allotments within the period allowed by the local authority, Mr. G. H. Banwell, prosecuting, said the maximum penalty which could be imposed was about £400. 

Mr. Banwell said that on January 25th last year, defendant was told not to use the building as a dwelling house. He received the formal notice to remove the dwelling and afterwards was convicted before the Court. 

The period which had expired since the date of conviction was 211 days (the penalty which can be imposed is £2 per day). Mr. F. W. Scorah stated that defendant had a wife and child, and had applied to the Corporation fo» a house, but his name was about the 6,600th on the list. 

Although the Corporation wanted to turn him out they were not prepared to find alternative accommodation. 

He asked for an adjournment that defendant could make an appeal to the Ministry of Health. 

The magistrates (Mr. Peter MacGregor and Sir Henry Hadow) said if defendant wished to lodge a local appeal they would allow him 14 days to do so.

The case was taken up by the local MP Mr Frank Lee who raised the matter in the House of Commons. a couple of days later.

From the report it appears that Sheffield Corporation had been making strenuous efforts over the preceding months to ensure that the Kirk family were without a roof over their head. But the fault according to the report is that when faced with notice of eviction and demolition of his home, Mr Kirk did not follow the correct appeals procedure 

Mr Neville Chamberlain (yes the peace in our time man) had specifically referred in December last to the appeals procedure under the Housing Acts but to date, no appeal had been received. He therefore declared that Sheffield corporation were now at war with Mr Kirk's family (sorry I just could not stop myself writing that!)

There was a vague undertaking that Mr Chamberlain would look into the matter but Sheffield corporation accused the minister of appeasing the soon to be homeless! 

The fate of the wooden building and the Kirk family are unknown  

 

"Pirates of the Ether" - Sheffield's First Licence Evaders - February 1926

 I have just posted to the site another piece of Sheffield's "criminal past". I came across it after a conversation with a neighbour earlier this week. I am a bit mystified why I missed the article in the past because it appears next to the report of Florence Hargreaves inquest (see The Strange Death of Florence Hargreaves - Sheffield 1926). 

The Sheffield Daily Independent dated 26th February 1926 carried this report of  these miscreants who listened to their radios in the comfort of their modest dwellings. One can only applaud the magistrates for their leniency towards these wrong-doers

Of course Helen was the first of thousands of Sheffielders who were to face the the wrath of the magistrates for failing to obtain the appropriate licence.  

 

  

Maurice Madden's Last Day - Friday 02 July 1915 Nether Edge Sheffield - An update

Earlier this summer I posted an article to the site that centred around the death of a 10 year old boy Maurice Madden who was killed by a motor vehicle in July 1915. 

The Madden family lived on Montgomery Road Nether Edge Sheffield

The tragedy was fairly well documented in the local press at the time. However in November 2021 there was an article that was written for The Grapevine Magazine by Mr. Jason Heath of the funeral directors John Heath and Sons. In the article there was a request by the author for further assistance in identifying the road etc and two months later in January 2022 there was a response under the title "Lost Funeral Found"

  

I believe that the photo of the funeral was taken in Montgomery Road but it may not be that of the boy Maurice Madden. The reason for this is that his father also called Maurice Madden died more or less two years to the day after his only son Maurice. (July 1917).

I think that the only way the funeral can be identified is by referring to the weather for the day of the funeral. The son's took place on 4th July 1915 and the father's funeral on 7th July 1917. If one of those days was "a gloomy Sheffield day" then it just may identify whose funeral it was.

     

The 1871 Census - Sheffield

 This is from the Manchester Guardian dated 20th April 1871 and shows the census returns for Sheffield

Between 1861 and 1871 the population of the six townships that comprised Sheffield had increased by nearly 30% whilst the population of Crookesmoor had increased by 62%. It is a phenomenal rate of increase in just ten years

But the greatest increase occurred in Attercliffe where the population more than doubled. In fact it increased by a staggering 120% in the space of ten years  

Suicide at Winnats Pass, Castleton, Derbyshire. - January 1927

 I have had this article for quite a few years. It is from The Scotsman newspaper dated 12th January 1927 and is a report of an inquest that was held into the deaths of Miss Marjorie Stewart and Mr Harry Fallows. They were found in a cave at Winnats Pass, Castleton, Derbyshire 

I was going to research the tragedy by accessing the British Newspaper Archive to see if I could add further information to the events that unfolded. However I found this article on The Monocled Mutineer website that is very informative and explains fully the events that led up to the tragedy and the aftermath. It is an excellent piece of research  and one I could not better