Fred Holding - A Barnsley Boxer

This photograph fell out of a book I bought at a sale a couple of years back. On the reverse someone had written "Fred Holding Barnsley 9st 0lb." I did not place it on the site as I could not find a Sheffield connection and his boxing record shows that he never fought once in the city

The statistics of his boxing career reveal that Fred could be classed at best as a "journeyman" boxer. He won just 7 of his 23 fights in a career that lasted 13 years. He lost 14 fights, 5 of which ended in knock-outs. He drew 2 fights. And all of those fights were in either in the North or the Midlands - the furthest south Fred traveled was Smethwick Market!!    

Ted Catlin's medals - May 2006

I have just come across this cutting from The Sheffield star - May 2006

 

I was going to  post an article about it but when I checked on-line there was quite a bit of information on Ted and his career  and so I decided to put the cutting on the blog instead

 

After the war Catlin returned to Sheffield and became chief scout for Sheffield Wednesday for a time. He then became a pub landlord, running four pubs in the area, "The Anvil" at Malin Bridge, the "Rose and Crown" at Wadsley, the "Kelvin Grove" at Upperthorpe and the "The Magnet" in the Southey area of Sheffield.[7] He also ran a boarding house in Blackpool for a time. Ted Catlin died aged 80 on 28 November 1990. In May 2006 Ted's 1935 FA Cup winners medal came up for sale at Sotheby's in London and sold for £3,600, also in the same sale was Catlin's first England cap which sold for £1,100

An Elephant on a Pub Roof

I was way on holiday last week in North Norfolk. We have been going there for over 25 years and for what it is worth it is one of the best places in the country, But I'm not sure whether I could live there on a permanent basis. I have lived in a city all my life and so I'm not sure if village life would suit me

But even in North Norfolk you can be surprised. The is a pub on the quayside at Wells next the Sea called The Golden Fleece. It is an old pub which for years served the local fishing community. But recently it has been "gentrified" and re-positioned as more of a gastro-pub for tourists than a pub serving the community.

But on the roof of the pub to the rear of the premises, the owners have positioned an elephant. But not content with that, they have painted a montage of flighty young women on the side of the elephant. The effect is stunning. My first impression was one of stunned surprise at the tackiness of it all. But after a while I began to laugh which can't be bad 

 But why did they put an elephant on the roof when the pub's name is the Golden Fleece, surely a sheep would have been more appropriate!

  

The Wrigley Family - Sheffield

I received  the following e-mail from someone who has read both the site and the latest book
Long Shadows Over Sheffield - Forgotten Voices of the Great War

"Congratulations on your website and also your excellent book "Long Shadows Over Sheffield. I notice you have a chapter on my grandfather's family the Wrigleys of Langsett Road. I thought you might be interested in some more info and a few additional pictures."

Needless to say I responded and thanked him for his kind comments and said I would be delighted to receive any additional information on the family.

John replied and sent me some marvelous photos of the family as well as more details about their lives both before and after the Great war

 

I have  updated the page on the website - John kindly gave me permission to post the photos as well. A tremendous gesture  

 

Events for Walkley Cemetery 2014

This is the calendar for events up to August 2014

Friends of Walkley Cemetery

Herbert Fretwell - Walkley Cemetery

It was our monthly workday at Walkley Cemetery last Saturday (26th April 2014).

We were clearing part of what is called the new section (opened 1922)

Whilst clearing the section I came across the grave of Mary Fretwell who died in April 1930 at the tragically young age of 21. The headstone was laid flat and as I uncovered the stone, I realised that firstly it was a beautiful stone and secondly that Mary's parents were buried with her.

But what struck me was that the headstone stated that her father Herbert was killed at work on 8th July 1941. And so the next time I am in the Local Studies library I am going to see if there is a record of how Herbert was killed.

His wife Eliza died less than two years later in 1943.

Victoria Hall Sheffield Monday 28th April 2014

I did another talk this week at Sheffield's Victoria Hall. It was for the Sheffield Townswomens Guild. The talk was based on our first two books on Sheffield's Shocking Past. I had not been in the Hall for over forty years and it is a great venue with good facilities.

 

The talk centred on material that did not make the books and the reasons why they were not included. It was very well received and the organiser was pleased and so all in all a successful event      

William Domkowicz (a.k.a. Wilhelm, and also Domkowies) 1820 - 1898

In April 2014 I received this information from someone who was researching Walkley Cemetery in Sheffield 

"Just came across your site, looking for information on those who are buried there. I attach a document giving a brief outline to William Domkowicz who was buried in the cemetery on 16 August 1898.

An unremarkable man, but interesting in that he was one of the first 28 refugees to arrive in Sheffield from Hungary in 1851. A newspaper article, to which he has put his name (amongst others) is also shown in the document."

I contacted the sender and he kindly allowed me to place the document on my website. 

In addition Hugh Waterhouse who has access to the records of Walkley Cemetery was not only able to add further information to the document but also locate William's grave in the Cemetery

C section no 444. - William's final resting place - That part of the section is in the most overgrown in the cemetery and as William was buried in a public grave there is no headstone/mi. It is just two rows behind the mostly covered headstone to the right in photos

Edith Dolphin nee Mills (1907 - 1961)

This small report appeared on the front of The Star dated Thursday 13th April 1961

 

Edith was my wife's great aunt. But what the report does not mention is that Edith had a severe hearing impairment and literally might not have heard what hit her. Even so it was a tragic death

Deaths Jun 1961   DOLPHIN     Edith A     54     Sheffield     Volume 2d   Page 211

Kenneth Steel's painting of Sheffield Castle 1950

A fellow researcher sent me the following photographs on Saturday of  Kenneth Steel's painting of Sheffield Castle

I am a great admirer of Kenneth's work but I don't think that this is one of his best. Why? It is due to the aerial perspective and more importantly it seems rather trite and idealised. Just not for me I'm afraid

Harry Poole 1894 - 1916

Just posted Harry's will to the site.

 

It is one of the saddest documents I have placed on this site knowing what waitedin store for Harry the following year

Rab Howell 1869 - 1937

I've just updated the article on Rab. A fellow researcher kindly sent me some newspaper reports about the match against Sunderland that Rab was supposed to have thrown by scoring two own goals. But in the light of these reports and Rab's "activities" off the field this view should now be questioned

"You ask on your website if anyone has any information on Rab. I have done quiet a bit of research and written a novel about him. Official launch on 22nd Feb at the Copthorne, Sheffield. I've put more stuff on my website 

He didn't marry the second time: to Ada. They just lived together. She was Ada McGrail: family ran a fruit and veg shop on Bridge Street. One of Rab and Ada's great grandsons still lives in Preston.

I don't believe he was sacked due to match fixing. There is no evidence for it. Match reports do not give a reading to anything other than bad luck at the Sunderland game. Also I do not believe that Needham would have even mentioned him in his book if there had been such corruption at the heart of it. I believe the match fixing rumour was made up to fit known facts at the time. The bigger scandal, that required the club (founded on good Methodist principles) to cover it up, was him going off with another woman whilst still married."
 

It is a perfectly feasible explanation and one that would be churlish to ignore. Rab had always been a thorn in the side of the United directors, and it is possible in the light of the Sunderland game that they "played up" Rab's performance and inferred that he thrown the game. It is also true that Sheffield football at the time was dominated by men who had strong Christian and Temperance beliefs and they would have been aghast at the way Rab was conducting his life off the field.

 

Furnace Park Shalesmoor Sheffield - 22nd March 2014

I did my first ever open-air talk last Saturday afternoon at Furnace Park Shalesmoor Sheffield

Furnace Park occupies the site where an appalling tragedy took place on Wednesday 25th August 1886 when a wall collapsed on a group of children playing killing 8 of them. I placed the article on my site many years ago and was asked by the organisers to speak about the tragedy and its aftermath.

I really enjoyed the event and met some of the descendents of those poor children who were killed that day. And I also learned something - always put you notes on a clipboard. With the microphone in one hand and my notes in the other, the gusty wind kept blowing the notes apart which did not help my delivery.

Still I think those present found the talk interesting and informative, I certainly did

 

Sheffield's First Air Raid Victim - Frederick Stratford September 1916

Many years ago I posted an article to the site on Sheffield's First Air Raid on 26th September 1916. And here is a photo of the grave of the first victim 49 year old Frederick Stratford who was struck by shrapnel whilst in bed

 

The grave is in Sheffield's Burngreave Cemetery not far from where the first bomb to be dropped on Sheffield landed - it demolished a boundary wall. The grave record is as follows

STRATFORD, Frederick (Boiler Fireman, age 49).

     Died at 11-1 Danville Street; Buried on September 30, 1916 in General ground;
     Grave Number 47, Section O2 of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield.
     Parent or Next of Kin if Available: . Remarks: Killed in Zeppelin raid: Officiating Minister G G Swann, Removed from Pitsmoor Parish.
    
STRATFORD, Harriet (Widow, age 82).
     Died at 109 Southey Green Rd; Buried on February 23, 1942 in General ground;
     Grave Number 47, Section O2 of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield.
     Parent or Next of Kin if Available: . Remarks: Officiating Minister: R W Fitton: Removed from Sheffield Parish.

Information supplied by Sheffield Indexers

It is a sobering thought that Frederick was the first of nearly 700 Sheffielders to lose their lives in German air attacks on Sheffield during the twentieth century

Book Acknowledgements

My website has been on the go for over 15 years and over that time many people have contacted me over the articles that I have posted to it. I have always tried to help people out with their research and answer their questions as best I can.

A few have used the material I have supplied and kindly taken the time and trouble to include an acknowledgement in the books they have published.

I have finally compiled a list of the books that feature an acknowledgement - there may be more but these are the ones that I know about. I can of course recommend them all and would like to thank them for the enjoyment they have given me in assisting them.

BOOK ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Beautiful Game - David Conn Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Yellow Jersey; New Ed edition (4 Aug 2005) ISBN-10: 0224064363 ISBN-13: 978-0224064361

Herbert Chapman: The First Great Manager - Simon Page     Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Heroes Publishing (18 Oct 2006)     ISBN-10: 0954388453     ISBN-13: 978-0954388454

A Fine Day For A Hanging - Carol Ann Lee Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Mainstream Publishing (6 Sep 2012) ISBN-10: 1780575262 ISBN-13: 978-1780575261

George Lawrence - The Forgotten Philanthropist - Paperback: 76 pages
Publisher: Hucklow Publishing (9 July 2011) ISBN-10: 0956347339 ISBN-13: 978-0956347336

Ghosts & Gallows True Stories of Crime and the Paranormal - Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: The History Press (1 July 2012) ISBN-10: 075246339X ISBN-13: 978-0752463391

Forging History: The Story of George Barnsley and Sons Toolmakers and the Family Members Who Helped Forge Local and National History Paperback: 152 pages
Publisher: Arc Publishing and Print; 1st edition (27 Aug 2010)
ISBN-10: 1906722161 ISBN-13: 978-1906722166

Swifter Than the Arrow: Wilfred Bartrop, Football and War [Paperback]
Peter Holland (Author)
Paperback: 121 pages
Publisher: Matador (10 Dec 2008)
ISBN-10: 184876068X ISBN-13: 978-1848760684

The Sheffield Workhouse - Margaret Drinkall
Paperback: 160 pages Publisher: The History Press (1 July 2010)
ISBN-10: 0752459635 ISBN-13: 978-0752459639

Ring the Bell in the Gaols of Brecon: "Canwch Y Gloch!" Centuries of Barbarism, Rape, Murder and Incarceration in the County of Brecon
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Gwasg Carreg Gwalch (15 Feb 2006)
ISBN-10: 1845270274 ISBN-13: 978-1845270278

Sheffield's Shocking Past: Forgotten Tales of Murder, Mishap & Gruesome Misdemeanour [Paperback]
Chris Hobbs (Author), Matthew Bell (Author)
Paperback: 204 pages
Publisher: ACM Retro (13 April 2012)
ISBN-10: 1908431083 ISBN-13: 978-1908431080

Sheffield's Shocking Past: Forgotten Tales of Murder, Mishap & Gruesome Misdemeanour [Paperback]
Chris Hobbs (Author), Matthew Bell (Author)
Paperback: 198 pages
Publisher: ACM Retro (16 Nov 2012)
ISBN-10: 1908431199 ISBN-13: 978-1908431196


    

My First Outdoor Talk - Furnace Park 22nd March 2014

Our publisher contacted me with regard to the following

"I had meeting with a colleague from Sheffield University today - I think I might have mentioned her before. She's called Amanda and she has been busy getting funding for 'Furnace Park' - an arts/ leisure space on the site of the Matthew Street accident.
Anyway, a lot has gone on since I last spoke to her!
On Saturday, March 22, at 2pm she's planning an event to mark the tragedy/plant a tree etc.
She has a performance artist doing an event based around the accident. I'm saying a few words as a descendent of Clifford Anderson and we wondered if you'd be willing to speak about the event/promote the book?
I think we could get a lot of interest.
There's now a website about Furnace Park 

The accident took place in 1886

APPALLING DISASTER AT SHEFFIELD - Eight children killed

Matthew Street, Sheffield - 25th August1886

Long Shadows Over Sheffield - Forgotten Voices of the Great War

Our third book is now going to be published on 21st March 2014 but unlike the first two this is focused on the First World War 

Long Shadows Over Sheffield - Forgotten Voices of the Great War

"The Great War had a devastating effect on Sheffield. Hundreds of the city’s young men were slaughtered on the first day of the disastrous Somme offensive. A shocking German Zeppelin raid dropped death from the skies above Sheffield in September 1916. Church Rolls of Honour and War Memorials still bear their names but their stories are largely forgotten, until now.

Long Shadows over Sheffield unearths some of the most jaw-dropping tales of the men who willingly gave up their civilian jobs to make the ultimate sacrifice for King and Country.
From the 67-year-old Sheffield resident who became one of the oldest men to die in the war, to the 15-year-old from Nether Edge whose fascination with the sea led to his death in battle.
The suffering didn’t end with the cessation of hostilities. Survivors – including three of the city’s holders of the Victoria Cross – relived the unspeakable carnage for the rest of their lives, whilst the grief of wives and parents is laid bare in previously unpublished correspondence.

Graphic newspaper reports are mixed with rare photographs and a Sheffield soldier’s personal war diary to provide a memorable tapestry of hardship, heartbreak and horror that was the result of the Great War which began a century ago."

Long Shadows Over Sheffield - Forgotten Voices of the Great War can be bought direct from the publisher ACM RETRO

 

Ronald Ludwig 1931 - 1933

This is the burial record of Ronald Ludwig
 
LUDWIG, Ronald (son of Matthew, age 2).
     Died at 12 Herries Rd; Buried on August 28, 1933 in Consecrated ground;
     Grave Number 7771, Section U of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield.

 Ronald's death appeared in The Times Friday August 25th 1933

BOY'S DEATH FROM TETANUS

Death form tetanus following an accidental abrasion was the verdict at an inquest in Sheffield yesterday on the body of RONALD LUDWIG aged two, whose mother stated that the boy had a small abrasion on the left heel, caused through wearing shoes without stockings. A  doctor expressed the opinion that the child contacted the infection through running about without shoes and stockings 

Of course there is a slight problem here - Ronald's mother stated that the abrasion was caused by wearing shoes without stockings whereas the doctor stated that he contracted tetanus by not wearing shoes.

What probably happened is that the ill-fitting shoes caused the abrasion and to lessen the irritation and pain, young Ronald took his shoes off, and in doing so, contracted tetanus through the sore(s)

Long Shadows Over Sheffield: Forgotten Lives of the Great War

As you may have gathered from the postings that I have made so far this year there has been an over-emphasis on events relating to World War One. The reason for this is quite simple - a third book is due hopefully for publication in the spring.

The title " Long Shadows Over Sheffield: Forgotten Lives of the Great War"

At work reading the proofs!

Most of the material was taken from articles on my website but myself and co-author Matthew Bell have conducted some additional research to ensure that the articles are rounded off. I'm currently proof-reading the final draft and it is something that I do get perturbed about. You can alter a webpage at anytime but with a book any errors are there for posterity and so you have to ensure that it is both factually and grammatically correct.

It is also slightly shorter than our earlier two books which may please some readers!

One of the main problems we had was deciding the orders of the chapters but in the end we decided to leave it random. I was initially in favour of it being in alphabetical name order or even chronological but after reading the proof I warmed to the random nature.

And the final photo is rather poignant

Clifford Lawrence Mann 1896 - 1915

I was at a workday for the Friends of Walkley Cemetery a couple of weeks ago and was tackling a section of the cemetery that was overgrown - see photo

In this section I uncovered a memorial that was in remarkable condition for its age

And at the base of the memorial was this dedication to James and Caroline's grandson Clifford who was killed in action on 8th May 1915

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission database gives the following details

MANN, CLIFFORD LAWRENCE

Rank:Private

Service No:11136

Date of Death:08/05/1915

Age:19

Regiment/Service King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry 1st Bn.

Panel Reference Panel 47.

Memorial YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL

Additional Information: Son of William E. and Lucy Mann, of 19, Wynyard Rd., Sheffield.

Of course Clifford was one of many thousands who have "no known grave" and is remembered on Ypres Menin Gate. 

But he is now remembered in Walkley