Update - WW1

Well first may I wish my reader(s) peace and prosperity in the new year.

I've managed to publish a few articles to the site over the Xmas period, that are primarily based on the First World War
 - the Wrigley Family
- Clement Kendrick
- Second Lieut Edward Durnan

the last two articles require a bit more research to round them off. the most pressing is finding the action in which Edward and George Bonsall lost their life's. I even had the standard text on the 14th Yorks and Lancs here in the house - Barnsley Pals -  The 13th & 14th Battalions York & Lancaster Regiment by John Cooksey but there is no mention of Edward apart from recording the date of his death.

A Merry Xmas - not in Crookes

Well I'm afraid I'm not seeing much joviality and celebration in the streets of Crookes at the beginning of the festive period. In fact, everyone you see looks downcast and miserable.

And so in an attempt to at least bring a smile or even guffaw to people's faces, here are a couple of cards I have found in the archives. The first one is one of my all-time favourites

 

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Guy Gibson's Memorial - Steenbergen Holland -August 2013

A friend sent me these two photos he took in August this year on a visit to Holland,
They were taken in

Steenbergen-En-Kruisland Churchyard - Steenbergen - Noord-Brabant  Netherlands

 

They are a memorial to Guy Gibson and Jim Warwick who are buried in the churchyard. The circumstances surrounding their deaths have never been fully resolved but a brief summary.of the theories are on wikipedia   

Berni Inns

I cae across this advertisement for Berni Inns

and it certainly brought a few memories back. I knew that the Norton was a Whitbread pub prior to being a Berni Inn, and so  check on wikipedia revealed that after it was sold by Grand Metropolitan in 1990, it reverted back to Whitbread's ownership under their Beefeater brand

But what I did not know was that by 1970 Berni Inns was the largest food chain outside the USA. It had taken them just 15 years to achieve this

The Mitchell Family - 107 Pitsmoor Road Sheffield - 14th December 1940

I received the following mail this week

"I have spent ages looking through your wonderful sites and have come across the one about civilians who died in Pitsmoor during the blitz.
My sister in laws family were the Mitchell’s of 107 Pitsmoor Road.  I have looked all through the newspapers from the date of the blitz up to their burial on Dec 24th in Burngrave Cemetery and can find no mention of anything much about the blitz.  I can only conclude that this was not reported in full as the authorities did not want the full extent to be know.
Is there anywhere else I can look that will perhaps tell us what their story was ?
Hope you can help"

I check on the Sheffield Indexers site showed the full horror of the tragedy - 4 member of the family were killed hat night and are buried together. The funeral took place on Xmas Eve 1940


BREAN, Annie ((Air Raid Victim), age 22).
     Died at 107 Pitsmoor Rd; Buried on December 24, 1940 in Consecrated ground;
     Grave Number 4358, Section JJ of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield.
     Parent or Next of Kin if Available: . Remarks: Officiating Minister: E. P. Cook: Removed from Sheffield Parish.
    

LAYTON, Harry (Greengrocer, age 64).
     Died at 155 Skinnerthorpe Rd; Buried on April 16, 1924 in Consecrated ground;
     Grave Number 4358, Section JJ of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield.
     Parent or Next of Kin if Available: . Remarks: Officiating Minister, H.D. Mullett: Removed from St Cuthberts Parish.
    
MITCHELL, Agnes (air raid victim, age 54).
     Died at 107 Pitsmoor Road; Buried on December 24, 1940 in Consecrated ground;
     Grave Number 4358, Section JJ of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield.
     Parent or Next of Kin if Available: . Remarks: Officiating Minister: E P Cook: Removed from Sheffield Parish.
    
MITCHELL, Archie (shoe maker (Air Raid Victim), age 14).
     Died at 107 Pitsmoor Rd; Buried on December 24, 1940 in Consecrated ground;
     Grave Number 4358, Section JJ of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield.
     Parent or Next of Kin if Available: . Remarks: Officiating Minister: E. P. Cook: Removed from Sheffield Parish.

MITCHELL, Gordon (air raid victim, age 12).
     Died at 107 Pitsmoor Road; Buried on December 24, 1940 in Consecrated ground;
     Grave Number 4358, Section JJ of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield.
     Parent or Next of Kin if Available: . Remarks: Officiating Minister: E P Cook: Removed from Sheffield Parish.

I could not add any further information about the event - it is a fact that the press both locally and nationally were heavily censored by the Ministry of Information. And the information that was printed was at best "sketchy" and at worst just plain incorrect.

If anyone can throw any more light on the fate of the Mitchell family please let me know

 

















   

November 2013 Update

I've just got around to posting updates to some of the articles on the site.

George Lawrence - a request from Brian Ward for further information

The Shocking Xylonite Fire at Netherthorpe Sheffield 14th December 1921 I was contacted by the great-grandson of one of the victim's of the fire and was delighted to supply him with further information on the tragedy

A Grave Affair in Sheffield  in 1862 which covered the cemetery riots at Wardsend Cemetery. A student contacted me in the spring of 2012 and I was able to supply him with references etc. His finished dissertation has been added to the site in pdf format

and finally an actual eye witness account of the Zeppelin raid on Sheffield on September 25th 1916 

http://www.chrishobbs.com/sheffieldsfirstraid1916.htm

There are a couple more items that I need to post but a bit more research is required

The Flashing Lights

It has been well over three weeks since the last posting, but I can assure my reader(s) that I have not been idling about.

As most people know, everyday life has a habit of interfering with things you enjoy doing. I went for a long overdue eye-test last month - I have worn contact lens every day for nearly forty years. The optician noticed some slight inflamation around the pupils, and said that it was due to the lens sticking to the pupil rather than moving with the pupil. A new set of lens were ordered which was not unexpected as the last time I changed them was in 2010.( I inadvertantly washed them down the sink whilst I was cleaning my lens case!)

Anyway ever since the examination I have had what is termed "flashing lights" in my left eye. At first it was rather disconcerting but I am gradually getting used to them.  I "googled" the condition and ascertained that it was nothing to worry about - it should settle down in a month or two. But what was rather more perturbing is that they are yet another sign of old age!!.

Despite the "lights", I have manged to update a few articles on the website: the most noticable one being The Beighton Doodlebug - Xmas Eve December 1944.

A number of people have contacted me over the years regarding the raid on Xmas Eve 1944. The latest person was a researcher from North Wales who kindly sent me a newspaper cutting from the local paper about a V1 that landed at Rofft Wood near Foel y Crio. It was launched at the time as the one that exploded at Beighton, but this one did not explode. The lack of official records has caused some controversy amongst historians, but there is no doubt in my mind regarding the veracity of the incident.  

 

       

Gas Masks and Window Masking - Public Information

In the light of recent events in Syria, and the reponse of the international "community", I thought that this would be an appropiate time to remind readers of the procedures to adopt. The last time the British were threatened by a chemical attack the government published this advice in the form of a public information leaflet

Sadly to date the coalition government have issued no advice about what the public should do in the event of an gas attack. A sign of the times!.

Shocking Xylonite Fire at Netherthorpe Sheffield December 1921

Continuing with a theme of industrial tragedies, I have just posted another article to the site concerning a fire in Netherthorpe Sheffield - 14th December 1921 - which claimed four victims including a father and son. The son who died in the tragedy, Thomas Clark left a widow and seven children, with no means of support - an indication of how precarious life was for a worker's family in the 1920's

Sudbury Street 2000

.

Sudbury Street 2012

The fire took place at the Progress Works in Sudbury Street Netherthorpe. The works were demolished many years ago, and I have been unable to date to locate a photo of the place. Two points are worth mentioning - the first is that this tragedy was just around the corner from the site of the Sheffield Boiler Explosion of 1899. (see earlier blog) in which 7 workers lost their lives. And the second point is that I have been able to locate the graves of all 4 victims of the Sudbury Street fire

The Sheffield Boiler Explosion - 1st November 1899

I've eventually posted an article to the site that has been has been in the "digital in-tray" for nigh on two years.

The article on the boiler explosion and subsequent inquest appears in our first book but I have been able to expand it to incorporate additional information.The article also ties in with the tragedy at Daniel Doncasters that occurred 13 years earlier in August 1886.

The site of Messrs Southern and Richardson, Doncaster Street, with Shepherd Street in the background and Ellis Street in the foreground.

The current building, now out of use and boarded up, was most recently occupied by toolmakers Record Ridgeway (photograph 2012)

William Astwood's Contemptible Offence - Ecclesall Churchyard

Whilst I was researching the fate of a certain Arthur Gleave earlier this year, I saw this report of William Astwood's activities in Ecclesall Churchyard dating from 3rd September 1925

Obviously the offences that Astwood committed were that serious that they warranted a "special watch" by the police (two constables apprehended Astwood) . And the fine was heavy  as well - over £250 at current prices. In addition the presiding magistrate let his feelings be known in no uncertain terms
.
Nowadays I doubt if anyone would care one jot!

Starved to Death by the Germans - Charles Hurt 1915

I've just posted an article to the site that I came across in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph April 1915. I stated that I know very little about the British POW's in the Great War, but the circumstances surrounding Charles' death are quite harrowing. Their suffering seems forgotten now

Sgt Wilfred Billingham (1922 - 1943)

I came across this article that was published in The Sheffield Star on Friday 9th August 2013

 The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has this entry for Wilfred

BILLINGHAM, WILFRED
Rank Sergeant
Trade Nav./Bomber
Service No: 1233699
Date of Death: 05/02/1943
Age:  21
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Grave Reference     Sec. C. (Gen.). Grave 2829.
Cemetery SHEFFIELD (SHIREGREEN) CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of Joseph and Eliza Billingham, of Shiregreen, Sheffield.

The entry also notes that there are another 68 burials that

"are scattered throughout the cemetery. Two special memorials erected one on either side of the path between Sections G and H, on the right hand side, record the names of two servicemen whose graves could not be marked by headstones."

I wonder why not?? Yet another mystery

And on the excellent Findagrave website there are further details of the tragic accident that cost Wilfred his life, as well as a photo of Wilfred's last resting place

View From Another Hill - Friday 26th July 2013

These photos were taken from near the top of Townend Street Crookes on Friday 26th July 2013.
A clear blue evening sky and a warm breeze and tremendous views across the city

Incidentally the large stone-built house on the left used to be the house of Professor James William Edington, a Professor of Bacteriology at Sheffield University who was tragically killed in a car accident whilst driving home from a rugby match in April 1939

View From A Hill - 29th July 2013

We are in the process of having the wall at the back of our house re-rendered. I believe that it was last done in the 1950's and over the last few years the covering had deteriorated quite badly.

 
Whilst the scaffolding was up I took the opportunity to check the roof, clear the gutter out and revarnish the upper window frames. I also took the following photographs looking out over the city of  Sheffield

As you can see the the skyline is dominated by the Royal Hallamshire Hospital. You can also see the gathering storm clouds. Ten minutes after these photos were taken, a thunderstorm broke and it bucketed it down. Time to get down from the scaffolding!

I am hoping that the varnish does what it says on the tin - dry's in 30 minutes otherwise it is another trip up the ladder.

Hill 60 Zillebeke 1918

I'm still sorting through the photos that were mentioned in an earlier blog. One which is again not inscribed shows the British trenches at Hill 60 at Ypres.

I am unsure why the photo is in the box but it is only one of  two in the box. The other is of the Menin Gate in Ypres which is where those soldiers who fought on Hill 60 and have no known grave are comemorated. I wonder if there is a link between these two photos and the family?

THE WATCH TOWER - BRADFIELD St Nicholas Churchyard - Bradfield

Whilst I was scanning the aforementioned photographs I came across an old monochrome  postcard of the Watch House at High Bradfield

 
THE WATCH HOUSE - BRADFIELD
St Nicholas Churchyard - Bradfield

The Watch House at High Bradfield was built in 1745 as a place from which to guard newly buried bodies (from bodysnatchers) in the churchyard of St. Nicholas, Church. There are apparently only two or three of this type of building still in existence in the country and this is the only one left in Yorkshire.

The house is now a privately owned dwelling.

Old Photographs of Spring Hill Sheffield

Old photographs of Spring Hill Sheffield are not commonplace. And so I was surprised when my next door neighbour handed me a box of old photographs and other miscellanous items that the previous owner had left behind in his house well over thrirty years ago!!.

Over the last week I have been scanning the material found in the box into digital formats, and have found some fascinating content. Unfortunately many of the photos have no information on them whatsoever, but after some research I think I can identify some of the people in them. If I can get enough information I plan to put the information into a coherent form.

Anyway here are the two photographs of Spring Hill that were taken possibly in the late 1950's

 

The two girls in the photo that was taken in the garden of 35 Spring Hill may have been called Marilyn and Linda Hobson, and were the daughters of the owner at that time James Hobson. The second photo was taken from the front bedroom window of number 35 and shows the "View From the Hill" prior to the construction of the University Arts Tower   

 

George Herbert Lawrence - Hathersage 5th July 2013

For the first time in my life, I was invited to a presentation, or to be more precise, the unveiling of a plaque that was to remember and honour a person that gave so much to the community.

His name was Geoge Lawrence and details of his life and work can be found on my web-site. The Ceremony occurred last Friday and for once the weather was glorious.

The unvieling of the plaque was a fitting tribute to George's works, and as Brian Ward who wrote an excellent biography of George remarked, the title of  "forgotten philanthropist" may now have to be revised.

I was also given the opportunity to meet descendents of George and Elsie, and that was a most enjoyable and enlightening experience for me. It helped me to appreciate just how important George was to both his family and the community.