Death at Woodburn Junction (Shefield) - The Fate of Richard Undy January 1884

I've just posted this article to the site - Death at Woodburn Junction (Shefield) - The Fate of Richard Undy January 1884. The information that started the article came from a family historian who contacted me to say that her great great grandfather was killed by a train at Woodburn Junction (Shefield) in January 1884

This is a photograph of the junction as it is today - not on a cold dark January night in 1884. And it appears that Richard's death was not the only accident that occurred there in the late C19th. They were a few!

There is also an interesting story relating to his young widowed wife Mary and their two children.

And this as a point of interest is the 301st posting to the blog since it was initiated in November 2010. Where does the time go?

70 Grove Street Pitsmoor Sheffield - December 1940

Many years ago I posted an article to the site listing thoae persons who had died in the Pitsmoor district of Sheffield as a result of enemy action in World War 2. Sadly the list was a large one.

In February 2016 I received this mail from a person in Australia whose family had experienced the full horrors of an air attack

" I just came across your article on the blitz in Sheffield and recognised 3 names I am sure are from my mothers family. Annie (Dutton) Bailey , Arthur Bailey and George Dutton. I know my mum told me her gran lost her son, daughter and husband in the Blitz …  the girl was Annie Dutton. I was trying to find where they were on Google Maps , but the street no longer exists. Do you have any idea where Grove St. Pitsmoor was? I can’t find any record of it.

I know my mum was bombed out of 3 houses , her step -sister told me she thought they were in Bedford St Sheffield and I have found that bomb marking on your map. It is amazing to actually make some
sense from all  the strands of information I have. I live in Australia and my mum died 16 yr ago , so filling in the gaps is not easy! I came to Sheffield two years ago and contacted my mums’ younger sisters for the first time … they don’t have a lot to go on. They had a different father and were a lot younger , so could not help much.

I couldn’t help but feel a terrible dread driving into Sheffield … the stories my mother told me were just so bleak and awful. She lost other family with the war as well - her cousin Ron (?) was an only child and went to the pictures. There was an air-raid and he took shelter at the theatre … his parents had just built a new shelter and all the neighbours went there for safety. It took a direct hit … he found his mothers' finger with her wedding ring intact .  My mum was about 12 at the time , she said everyone was terrified and people didn’t come home for days , as they had to take shelter wherever they were. The sky was on fire and they just kept coming , night after night.  I wish I had written down her story , I am so glad you have posted this .thankyou"

I replied that

"The family are buried together in Sheffield's Burgreave Cemetery. Here is the burial record from The Sheffield Indexers site for their grave

BAILEY, Annie (Wife of Arthur, age 37).
     Died at 70 Grove St. Air raid; Buried on December 21, 1940 in General ground;
     Grave Number 45, Section R1 of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield.
     Parent or Next of Kin if Available: . Remarks: Officiating Minister: G L Vigar: Removed from Sheffield
     Parish.
 
BAILEY, Arthur (Labourer, age 41).
     Died at 70 Grove St. Air raid; Buried on December 21, 1940 in General ground;
     Grave Number 45, Section R1 of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield.
     Parent or Next of Kin if Available: . Remarks: Officiating Minister: G L Vigar: Removed from Sheffield
     Parish.
 
DUTTON, George (Labourer, age 32).
     Died at 70 Grove St. Air raid; Buried on December 21, 1940 in General ground;
     Grave Number 45, Section R1 of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield.
     Parent or Next of Kin if Available: . Remarks: Officiating Minister: G L Vigar: Removed from Sheffield
     Parish.

DUTTON, Thomas (Labourer, age 65).
     Died at The Mental Hospital; Buried on April 10, 1947 in General ground;
     Grave Number 45, Section R1 of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield.
     Parent or Next of Kin if Available: . Remarks: Officiating Minister, GW Naylor: Removed from Sheffield
     Parish.

STOKES, John (Carriage Finisher, age 76).
     Died at 32 Brittania Rd; Buried on October 30, 1903 in General ground;
     Grave Number 45, Section R1 of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield.
     Parent or Next of Kin if Available: . Remarks: ~ Officiating Minister, C G Holt.

STOKES, Mary Ann (Wife of Jno Stokes, age 67).
     Died at Darnall; Buried on February 11, 1889 in General ground;
     Grave Number 45, Section R1 of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield.
     Parent or Next of Kin if Available: . Remarks: S.

A map of the cemetery is here

I am attaching a photo I took in Oct 2009 - Section R1 of Burngreave Cemetery (General Ground) is towards the back of the photo

Have a look at http://www.friendsofburngreavecemetery.btck.co.uk/

Here are the family in October 1939, just 14 months before the tragic events of December 1940

Bailey Household (4 People)
70 Grove Street , Sheffield C.B., Yorkshire (West Riding), England
 Start free family tree View original image
FIRST NAME(S) LAST NAME(S) DOB SEX OCCUPATION MARITAL STATUS

SCHEDULE SCHEDULE SUB NUMBER
George Dutton 03 May 1909 Male Railway Goods Porter Married 124 4
Arthur Bailey 18 Feb 1899 Male Permanent Wag Labourer Married 124 1
Annie Bailey 20 Jan 1903 Female Kitchen Help Married 124 2
Ronald Bailey 02 Sep 1927 Male At School Single 124 3
Ref: RG101/3527D/012/32 Letter Code: KIJN

I've attached the original from the 1939 Register for you

Also attached a photo taken in the late 1950's of 42 Grove Street - No 70 would have been similar. Th e houses were demolished circa Nov 1960

Grove Street no longer exists but when it did ran off Marshall Street and Fowler Street. Both of these streets ran off Pitsmoor Road. Grove Street was very close to Christ Church, Pitsmoor. I believe Fowler St is now Fife St. Have a look at this link

The Removal of Dust From Our Houses - The Plight of Dr Lennox Browne Portland Place London - January 1890

I came across this newspaper report the other week. It is from Lloyds Weekly News - London edition and is dated 19th January 1890. It concerns my great great grandfathers business Thomas Hobbs & Co who were based in North Wharf Road Padding ton London. They were "contractors to the council". I should add that the term "dust" used in this article is an euphemism for another four letter word ending in "t"

Dr Lennox Browne was clearly vexed that "dust" had not been collected from his premises for over 5 weeks. I am unsure how many people lived in the house but if it included servants it could be quite a few. And as we all know "dust" piles up. Thomas Hobbs' mitigation was that he and a "great number of his men" were suffering from influenza" and there was " great difficulty in supplying their places". Whilst influenza can be a debilitatating condition I think that is highly unlikely that the men would have been laid up for over five weeks. And I'm sure that as there was no social insurance, the men would want to return to work as soon as they could. And whilst I can imagine that collecting "dust" is not the most sought after occupation I am sure that they could have found some persons who would have undertaken the task.

But at least Dr Lennox Browne had some luck - it was the middle of winter and not the height of summer. It could have been a lot worse! 

The Death of Eliza Ann Boldock - Friday 21st May 1897

I've just posted an article on the death of Eliza Ann Boldock  She died on the day that Queen Victoria made her one and only visit to Sheffield. She was just 11 years of age and the eldest child of Abner and Emma Boldock

Of course Eliza did not receive her medal 

William Sterndale Bennett - A Sheffielder in Westminster Abbey

Adjacent to the article on the Roman Catholic Chapel in Sheffield's City Road Cemetery in the Sheffield Telegraph (17th March 2016) was one on William Sterndale Bennett.

His life and works are summarised in the article as is his musical legacy. But what is not mentioned in the article is the fact that he is the only person who was born in Sheffield who is buried in Westminster Abbey. In fact I am pretty sure that he is the only person with a "Sheffield connection" who is buried there.

I also did not know that he was honoured in Sheffield with a plaque on the wall of the Sheffield Novotel! I am not sure if that was a good idea

Roman Catholic Mortuary Chapel at City Road Cemetery, Sheffield

In August 2011 I posted this blog to the site concerning the Roman Catholic Mortuary Chapel at City Road Cemetery, Sheffield

Photo taken 6th June 2013 by Warofdreams

I concluded the post by stating

"It is a disgrace that such a striking and historic building should have been allowed to reach such a state. Sheffield is not over-endowed with Grade 2 listed buildings and so why was this chapel allowed to get in this state?"

I was rather surprised when I came across this cutting in The Sheffield Telegraph dated Thursday 17th March 2016

I raised my concerns in my blog five years ago and it is self evident that nothing has happened in the interim. The chapel has been in a state of disrepair and dereliction for many years but it took "a member of the public" to raise to matter with Sheffield Council. The Council don't seem to be proactive on this matter! 

However if you read the article closely it appears that the Council's £100,000 fund is just for "essential repairs" to a number of buildings - the chapel is just one amongst many buildings that the Council have left to rot over the years.

You can almost hear the dragging of "coucil bosses" feet over the repairs to the chapel. And it should be noted that there is no memtion at all in the article of renovation.

If the Council can't or won't renovate the building, why don't they sell it to some third party who will? I await "the bosses" decision with interest  

  

Death on the Chapeltown & Thorncliffe Railway (Sheffield) 1939 - 1945

In March 2016 I received this mail -

"I submitted a post to the Sheffield Forum and a member told me that I should drop you a line with regards to my posted topic that I need help with. Please have a read over my post below and kindly inform me if you would be able to help with this research enquiry.

I am currently researching for a 'pilot' television programme and have been drawn to the fact that during the WW2 era in Sheffield, there was an accident that occurred between the old Chapeltown & Thorncliffe Railway (aka 'Chapeltown Central Railway') on White Lane in Chapeltown and the former Tank Factory on Warren Lane in Chapeltown which belonged to Newton, Chambers & Co.

As far as I am able to find out so far, two or more servicemen were killed in a bomb blast whilst on a train heading to the old Tank Factory, as well as a third person who was killed on the actual platform itself.

The incident would probably have been reported locally between the years 1939 and 1945 that the old Tank Factory was in existence.

I have made contact with the present owners of the now disused railway station and they have been extremely helpful in working with me to recreate this particular time period, but the only two parts of my research that I am yet to find out now are as follows;
The names / ranks / numbers of the servicemen who were killed, i.e. their identities.
The locomotive (and driver?) involved in that specific incident.
If there is anyone out there who knows anything about what went on during this incident, knows anyone else who would be able to provide some help with this, please be assured that you will receive full credit on the broadcast programme for your participation."

A very interesting mail  and so I had a check on the digital newspaper archives for the Times, The Guardian and The Daily Mail via the University for the period 1939 - 1945 and found nothing at all. I realise that they may have been wartime restrictions and censorship but I expected at least the proverbial glimmer

I aso checked the CWGC site for service casualities who were buried in the local cemetery (Burncross/Ecclesfield) They were 4 WW2 casualities interred there but none fitted the bill.

I currectly have access to Find My Past and its excellent British Newspaper Digital Archive. I tried to find any relevant cuttings there but yet again there was nothing at all. Again a surprising outcome

I then tried this site which has helped me in the past and is quite comprehensive with regard to railway accidents

http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/
and also
http://orr.gov.uk/

but nothing again re the accident.

I replied to te reseacher

"that the only way forward in Sheffield is a trip to the Local Studies Library and a manual trawl through the local press(on microfiche). A very daunting prospect indeed due the the fact that no date is  given. I believe that the tank factory was involved in the production of Churchill tanks and that tank model did not come on stream until 1941. And so it may be better starting at 1945 and working backwards. Of course if the accident was censored (and I fear that this may be the case) it would not appear in any newspaper/newsreel.

I will put the information you supplied on my blog and ask for info if that is OK with you. If I get any response I will let you know. If you do get anywhere can you let me know - it looks a very interesting story"

He replied

Many thanks for your further kind assistance.

This is an extremely intriguing piece of research and one that I am determined to get to the bottom of.

I've heard that the servicemen who were killed in that bomb blast at the old Chapeltown railway still remain and haunt the area in a spiritual form, if you believe in that kind of thing, that their souls are trapped here.

With the amount of information seemingly non-reported or indeed 'covered up', as the case may be, it makes me ask myself why and what is so secret about all of this.

Please let me know if you happen to come across anything further that may help further this research."

And so of anyone reading this has any suggestions or better still information please let me know

The Eckington Drowning Tragedy - March 1895

I've just posted an article on The Eckington Drowning Tragedy - March 1895

In June 2013 a friend of mine was having a wander around Eckington Churchyard when he came across the grave and memorial of Alfred Williamson. Alfred lost his life whilst trying to rescue children from a frozen pond in March 1895.A fine memorial to a very brave man.   

The National Register 1939

I have been accessing the National Register of 1939 since 16th February 2016. Prior to that it was only available via an expensive credit - purchase option on the Find My Past website.

There was no official census in 1941 because of the war - the only census that has been missed since they began in 1801 - but the National Registration Act, passed on September 5 1939, resulted in a nationwide enumeration that was seen as a virtual substitute, though it was taken principally for the purposes of facilitating National Service callup, providing manpower and general population statistics, and

facilitating proof of identity for the purposes of claims for allowances and issuing food ration cards.

The actual  registration day was September 29th and the forms were collected nationally by enumerators the next day. However, serving members of the armed forces were excluded unless on leave and spending the night in a private house or hotel. 

It has been helpful to a certain extent in confirming exisiting information, but on the whole it is a disappointment mainly due to the fact records of people younger than 100 and still alive, or who died after 1991 are officially closed.  

As you can see from this example

The householder at no 10 was in the Metropolitan Police War Reserve which was a source of concern after the war!! 

Doris Laura Hill 1927 -1929

In September 2015 I posted to the blog and to the site information surrounding the tragic death of Doris Laua Hill in City Road Sheffield October 1929.

Today I have received two more photographs that I have posted to the article. The first is of Doris herself

and the second is of her father PC Fred Hill

He is standing in the middle of City Road just below the main Cemetery gates. The fact that he has white armbands and gloves seems to indicate that he was directing traffic possibly a funeral through the main gates of the Cemetery The lack of traffic behind Fred would support this theory. I would put the photo late 1920's early 1930's. It is quite possible that the photo was taken by a professional photographer - I have a couple of photos on my site of actual funerals which seems rather strange nowadays but not so in the early C20th. 

Nellie Spye Sheffield's leading cyclist June 1939

I came across this cutting from The Telegraph and Independent dated 12th June 1939 which refers to Nellie as "Sheffield's leading girl rider". Nellie was my gran Rose's niece but until I read this article I had no idea that she was a prominent cyclist in the city

Nellie was born in Sheffield in December 1918 and was the daughter of Francis Arthur and Ada Sye. Her school record is on the Sheffield Indexers site
Spye, Nellie (Student, dob 12 Dec 1918). Parent or guardian name(s): Archie (~), of 9 HighHouse Terr.
Admitted to Langsett Road Girls School, Hillsborough, as of 22 Aug 1927, until 17 Oct 1930, reason for leaving: Left District. Previously attended Junior Dept.
   
Spye, Nellie (Student, dob 12 Dec 1918). Parent or guardian name(s): Francis Arthur (~), of 9 HighHouse Terr.Admitted to Langsett Road Infants School, Hillsborough, as of 02 Apr 1924, until 22 Aug 1927, reason for leaving: Girls Depart. Previously attended None.

Nellie married a man called BILL GOW and at one time lived at 47 Crowder Avenue, Southey Green, Sheffield.

William James Sibbald - Western Road School Crookes Sheffield August 1920

This is a cutting from The Sheffield Daily Independent dated 4th March 1921

It refers to "tragic circumstances" in September last (1920)

I have located the burial record on the excellent Sheffield Indexers site

SIBBALD, Mary Clive (Daug of Olive, age 14). Died at Royal Infirmary; Buried on March 18, 1926 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 997, Section AA of Crookes Cemetery, Sheffield.

    

SIBBALD, Thomas (Traveller, age 79).Died at Ecclesall Institution; Buried on November 30, 1918 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 997, Section AA of Crookes Cemetery, Sheffield.

    

SIBBALD, William James (School Master, age 46). Died at 98 Mona Road; Buried on August 14, 1920 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 997, Section AA of Crookes Cemetery, Sheffield.

It notes that he died at 98 Mona Road and was buried on 14th August 1920 in Crookes Cemetery.(not September)

I cannot find out what these "tragic circumstances" were. And so if anyone can help me out on this please by all means contact me.I would also like to know what became of the large photograph of William mentioned in the cutting 

William and Lily Langler - Xmas Eve 1945 Hartford Ct

William and Lily Langler are my great aunt and uncle who emigrated to the USA in 1914. I posted this article to the site seventy years to the day after the tragedy. This is a cutting from the local press dated 31st May 1946

At the same time, I also posted an article that featured Lily's younger brother and my grandfather Clem. He appeared as a witness at an inquest in June 1934.  

The Sale of the Hobbs Family Business - 8th April 1907 Paddington London

I found this notice relating to the sale of the Hobbs family business. It is from the Essex Newsman dated Saturday 6th April 1907, and refers to the sale "without reserve" of the contractor's stock

Thomas Hobbs was ostensibly my great great grandfather

There was no mention whatsoever of my great grandfather JAMES HOBBS in Thomas Hobbs's Will of March 1907. The beneficiaries and the executors of the Estate are his two sons William and John and his daughter Susannah Emma. His bequests refer to his three natural children and not to James. The inference is that although Thomas had adopted James he was not his "natural" child and so would not benefit under the terms of his Will. However this is not to say that Thomas disowned James. His marriage certificate of 1882 and my grandfather Clem's birth certificate of 1894 both state that James worked as a Wharf Foreman at the family business of "Thomas Hobbs and Sons" and so they both must have accepted the situation to a certain extent.

The two sons who inherited the business wasted no time in dissolving it. hence the notice from a local auctioneers dated Saturday 6th April 1907.

If anyone has any further information on the sale I would be delighted if they would contact me

View From A Hill - 31st December 2015

This blog is the 50th I've posted in 2015 which is a lot less than in 2014. There a couple of reasons for this, but hopefully I may be able to to do a bit better next year. 

And so to sign off for 2015, a couple of images are published. The first one really amused my wife - I wonder why?

And the second is from a old copy of Viz 

And so all that remains is to wish my readers a Very Happy New Year!  

Commodore J. Stuart Blackton's Sheffield Connection

This report appeared in the Telegraph and Independent dated 6th September 1939

I must admit that I did not now that J.Stuart Blackton was "one of the greatest figures in the motion picture industry" but a check revealed a plethora of articles relating to his life and career. A couple of them are linked here Denis Gifford  and Vitagraph.

I wanted to know a bit about the Sheffield connection, and all I knew was that he emigrated to the USA from Sheffield in 1886 when he was about 11 years of age. But I found out the main reason why he went to the US lay in the callous and cruel nature of his father towards his mother, the rogue Henry Blacktin 

At the time the case caused a local sensation and was reported in detail in the local press. The article is called The Dark Heart of Henry Blacktin  - Sheffield 1875 

Smallpox and Police Court Humour - Derbyshire 8th March 1924

I came across these two articles in the Derbyshire Times dated 8th March 1924. They were adjacent to each other in the column but offer two very different perspectives to life in 1920's Derbyshire.

Thomas Hobbs Paddington London 1st April 1875

One of the curiousities of Family History research is that you never know what you will discover. On many occasions it will be a pleasant surprise but there are times when it brings you up short.

This report is from The Morning Post dated 1st April 1875 and refers to a court case in Westminster (London) - it is not was the family's greatest moments

Thomas Hobbs is supposed to be my great great grandfather but research has shown that this may not be the case. What we can say is that Thomas Hobbs was the person who brought my great grandfather James Hobbs up and employed him as a foreman in the Hobbs family business. The business was based in North Wharf Road Paddington London and by the mid-1870's was a sizable enterprise.

As you may have gathered.dust was a euphemism for a product that certainly was not dust. The "dust" the company collected from the streets of London was put on barges in Paddington Basin where it was shipped down river to Middlesex and put on "the fields to enrich the soil"

Of course this state of affairs could not last forever. But Thomas failed to heed the march of the internal combustion engine and by the early years of the twentieth century the business ceased to exist as a going concern. The fewer horses on the street, the less was the need for a "dust" contractor, simple as that. Thomas died in 1907 but left nothing in his will to my great grandfather James. 

Our side of the family entered into a era of  "reduced circumstances" which now seems entrenched - I think we are always waiting for the much vaunted "jam tomorrow" so beloved by successive UK governments.      

Crookesmoor Vestry Hall - 80 Crookesmoor Road Sheffield

I passed Crookesmoor Vestry Hall yesterday and saw evidence that someone was actually on the premises

For those who are not familiar with the building, it is Grade 2 building that has been allowed to deteriorate over the years by various parties. From my understanding, property developers bought the building with the intention of converting it into student accommodation, but their planning application was rejected by Sheffield City Council. And it seems that the developers just left the building to fall into a chronic state of disrepair, no doubt in the hope that it would become a dangerous structure.

I took this photograph in 2010 of the Vestry Hall, and I can assure you that this marvelous building has markedly deteriorated since then.   

Various persons in subsequent years have attempted to force the issue but a successful conclusion has proved elusive. This is from the old Liberal Democrats magazine Focus who proposed "Action on Empty Buildings" in the Crookesmoor and Upperthorpe districts. Sadly their attempts to promote the building came to naught (rather like their 2015 General Election campaign) 

I hope this new activity that I witnessed is a precursor to renovating this rather pleasant building. Time will tell!

     

Arthur James Walkden 1896 - 1948

I've just posted an article to the site regarding the life and death of Arthur James Walkden. Arthur had an "interesting" life for want of a better phrase but it ended on Monday 6th December 1948 at Sheffield's Nunnery Colliery. I am trying at the moment to find out the circumstances surrounding his death but it is proving to be difficult

Nunnery Colliery also appears on the site in a different guise. I posted an article many years ago on a tragedy that occurred on 3rd December 1923 at the colliery when seven men lost their lives