Spending A Penny - Sheffield September 1988

In the same edition of the Sheffield Star (Tuesday 13th September 1988) that contained the brief obituary on Walter Holmes (1914-1988) - see previous blog, there was this article that was posted by the excellent Stephen McClarence.

In the 27 years since the article was published nearly all the public toilets in Sheffield have been closed down and in some cases demolished. This is mirrored throughout the country - it is estimated that 1782 toilets have been closed in the last decade alone with many coucils offering no public toilets at all.

There is no legal obligation at all for councils to provide these public facilities but it is an area where there needs to be a wholesale re-think. My own opinion is that comprehensive public toilet facilities should be mandatory in areas that are promoting themselves as tourist destinations, and more basic facilities should be compulsory in towns with a population exceeding 10,000 in number. 

The wholesale absence of these facilities in many towns and cities is not accepatable in Britain in the twenty-first century  

Walter Holmes - The First Man To Bring Television To Sheffield

I came across this article from the Sheffield Star dated Tuesday 13th September 1988. It reports the death at the age of 74 of Walter Holmes, a pioneer in the introduction of television to Sheffield after the Second World War. Until I read the article I was unaware of Walter's contribution to the city.

The same edition carried this notice in the BMD column from Walters family

Death in the Old Mans Hut - Abbeyfield Park Pitsmoor Sheffield - 17th January 1938

I've just posted another article to the site that seems a bit irrelevant at first glance. To me it is not. It concerns the sudden death of a former railway employee John Holland who collapsed in the "old mens hut" in Sheffield's Abbeyfield Park.(Pitsmoor)

John was 71 at the time of his death but I am sure not a day went by when he did not think of his son Ernest and the fate that befell him.

The Parental Neglect of Samuel and Annie Nicholson - Napier Street Sheffield 1903

When I received the call yesterday asking me to appear on BBC Radio Sheffield (see previous blog) I was just finishing this article and posting it to the site 

THE PARENTAL NEGLECT OF SAMUEL AND ANNIE NICHOLSON - SHEFFIELD AUGUST 1903

"My great grandfather's eldest brother WILLIAM HENRY SANBY married an ANN MACKEVOY in 1871 and during the course of their marriage had five children. As ANN was from an Irish family, the children were brought up in the Catholic faith. The eldest was a daughter who was born on 24th April 1872 and named after her mother ANN ELIZA SANBY.

I was researching material on Ancestry when I came across this entry from the Court Books of Sheffield - 25th August 1903. A researcher had placed this information in her family tree next to the entry for ANN ELIZA SANBY. Her married name was NICHOLSON by the way...."   

You can read about my reaction in the article! But thankfully for my sanity it was a case of a person not following the case through and as a result they ended up with a case of mistaken indentity. 

But once I had established the facts (and they were very sobering ones indeed) there were a number of surprises in the aftermath of the 1903 child neglect case especially regarding the fate of Samuel and Annie's eldest son Frederick Joseph Nicholson. 

Dr John Blakley of Crookes and his 1934 Trial for Murder - An Update

Many years ago one of the first articles I posted to tthe site was "Dr John Blakley of Crookes and his 1934 Trial for Murder". I came across the incident in a book by Robert Hancock

As I said at the time, "on the face of it this is just a small provincial drama that in most cases would have been forgotten in the mists of time. The reason why it was not forgotten lies in the life (and death) of Dr Blakely's youngest son David. David Blakely was shot and murdered outside the Magdala pub in Hampstead, London on Easter Sunday 1955. The person who pulled the trigger was Ruth Ellis who was hung for the murder  - the last woman to be hanged in England.

Yesterday I was asked to appear on BBC Radio Sheffield and talk about the 1934 court case and its ramifications.  I appeared on Rony Robinson's show this morning Thursday 19th May 2016 and thoroughly enjoyed talking about the 1934 case and its aftermath. For those who want to listen to the interview it is on the BBC Player for a month. It is about 66 mins into the programme after the 11 o'clock news.

I had not looked at the article for a couple of years and so after correcting a broken link or two, I realised that I did not know what became of Dr Blakely after the trial apart from being divorced from his wife in 1940.

Thankfully I was able to access the National Probate Index and found the following entry

Dr Blakely still lived in Crookes at the same address 203 School Road that he did when he started nearly 40 years earlier. He was 67 of age at the time of his death and left just shy of £29,000 in his estate. This is about £600,000 in today's money.

And whilst I was searching the Index I looked up the estate of his errant younger son David Blakely who was murdered by Ruth Ellis just over three years later. Probate was granted to his mother who divorced Dr Blakely in 1940 on the grounds of his (continuing?) adultery. She remarried the following year.  

The First Burial in Walkley Cemetery Sheffield - Mary Pousty (1806 - 1880)

As you may have gathered from the blog, I am a Friend of Walkley Cemetery and have been since the group's inception. A number of my and my wife's ancestors are buried there.

I came across these photographs that I took nearly eight years ago on 25th May 2008.

 This headstone marks the first burial in the Cemetery and is for a Mary Pousty who was born in Gleadless on 25th June 1908 and "fell asleep in Crookesmoor" on May 9th 1880. Mary was buried two days later on May 11th 1880 age 73 years

Here are a few additional details -

Household Record  1871 British Census Census RG 10 piece 76 Folio 5 Page 4
Shawfield St, St Luke, London Middlesex
Richard Lunn     Head     m          31     1840          Kent  
Martha Lunn     Mother           f     71     1800          Yorkshire    
Mary Pousty     Aunt               f     64     1807          Kent
John P Clegg     Boarder     m     22     1849          Staff
Rodes William P     Boarder     m     22     1849          Staff
Moreton Charles Z     Boarder     m     22     1849          Warwickshire

Household Record  1881 British Census 
Name  Relation Marital Status Gender Age Birthplace Occupation Disability
Richard LUNN   Head   M   Male   41   Bromley, Kent, England   Artist In Oil & Water Colours    
Elizabeth Valentine LUNN   Wife   M   Female   33   Armthorpe, York, England   Housewife    
Martha Annie LUNN   Daughter      Female   3   Sheffd, York, England       
Martha LUNN   Mother   W   Female   82   Gleadless, York, England       
Mary Ann POASTY   Cousin   U   Female   41   Gleadless, York, England   Nurse Dom    
Clara Ellen COATES   Servant   U   Female   20   Wisewood, York, England   General Servant Dom    
Source Information:
Dwelling   60 Barbour Rd Census Place Nether Hallam, York, England   Family History Library Film   1342117   Public Records Office Reference   RG11   Piece / Folio   4627 / 39   Page Number   27

1880 Death
Mary Pousty died 2nd qtr 1880 Ecclesall Bierlow, Yorks aged 73 (Derived birth 1807)
1880 Burial
Mary Pousty 11 May 1880 aged 73 Walkley St Mary, West Riding Yorkshire

 

Incidentally the headstone is in remarkable condition for its age - a testament to the skill and workmanship of the Victorian stonemason 

Holy Trinity Church (Wicker) Sheffield

 
 Last week I was contacted by a current member member of theChurch - it is now called The New Testament Church of God. I was asked if I could verify if there had been a graveyard and/or burials at the Church. 

I replied that I'm afraid I had no knowledge of any graveyard being on the site. I thought that it would be highly unlikely for two reasons. One it's very close proximity to the river and two, the "disquiet" about the state and condition of city churchyards at that time. Having said that there may have been special dispensation given for a person or family closely associated to the church to be buried either in the church or within its precincts. Again I have no knowledge of this happening at Holy Trinity.

However afterwards I was rather puzzled and so I did some research and found out that there had been a graveyard at the site but only for a short time. A total of nine burials took place in July and November 1859. It appears that the graveyard at Holy Trinity was opened and then closed after 9 burials because it was decided to use the land for a school building. There is no indication to date to say whether or not the graves were relocated elsewhere. If not they will still be under the school building    

The names of the nine burials are 

Surname                    Forename Title Day Mmonth     Year       Aged     Abode 

BROCKLEHURST  Joseph               06     Jul             1859     73         21 Johnson St
GREAVES                Septimus            21    Aug           1859     60         7 Nursery Lane
HILL                         John                  13     Nov          1859     6w        Andrew St
KILNER                   Thomas             04     Sep           1859     3           40 Marcus St
OSGATHORPE       James                 15     Jul             1859     43         23 Stone St
PRIDDON                James                29     Aug           1859     65         Walker St
SAMPSON               Jane                  18     Oct            1859     8           26 Joiner Lane
SCOTT                     Ann Elizabeth     05    Sep            1859     14m     11 Stockton St
TATUM                    William               26    Aug            1859     48         20 Spital Fields

The church is opposite the site of the former Laurel Works where eight people lost their lives on the night of the Sheffield Blitz on 12/13th December 1940

The Don Brewery Sheffield - An Update

A reader of the site came across an article that I posted many years ago. It recalled the death of Isaac Hornsey in June 1900 who was overcome by ammonia fumes at the brewery and died as a result. This additional information in many ways compliments the article. A big thanks to the reader!

I note your website has a piece on the now-demolished Don Brewery which stood at the corner of Penistone Rd/Green Lane/Shalesmoor. I know your focus is the 1900 Death by Ammonia Fumes story. However, you might find the information below useful or at least interesting.

Looking for something else, I came across a book called Amber Gold & Black (2010) by a chap called Martyn 

Cornell.

In the Barley Wine & Old Ale chapter, there’s a reference (p166) to Don Brewery’s Old Tom, a strong beer favoured by grinders, it seems. Hardly surprising that this particular trade took to strong ale.

Although there’s no Sheffield connection, I have to say the OBJ tickled me. Ditto Old Tom’s Grandfather.

Whilst delving into Amber Gold & Black you might also be interested in this more general Sheffield reference (p167). The specifics are new to me, but the general hardly surprises.

You may know that there’s a bit of H J Dearden’s High House brewery still standing at the bottom of Burton St, close to the old Capel St School (now the Burton St Foundation). Below you can see the remains of the brewery’s smoke stack.

 

Back to A H Smith’s Don brewery, it’s good to see a bit of it preserved. Well, not the actual brewery, but its warehouse/stores which sat between Infirmary Rd and Penistone Rd, just below St Philip’s church. You may recall the building.

1905 OS.Map

1.    Don Brewery main site.

2.    Don Brewery stores.

Above: 1985, just before the end of the warehouse/stores. Penistone Rd/front of stores; rear entrance was on Infirmary Rd opposite the (bottom) Wellington pub.

Below a picture I took the other day.

The term warehouse hardly does Wine Spirit & Cigar Stores justice, does it? Bet the smell was wonderful.

The Titanic Disaster at Heeley Baths Sheffield - August 1937

I came across this article from the Daily Independent dated 27th August 1937 relating to a gala night that was held by Oak Street Methodists Club at Sheffield's Heeley Baths the previous night.

From the brief description it seems as though the Club used a "steamer" as a substitute for the Titanic and some form of explosive device as a substitute for an iceberg. After the crash all that was left of the "steamer" was a "few blown-up tyres."

A couple of things do spring to mind. Firstly it seems as though this scene was enacted prior to the actual swimming and so I assume that the swimmers would have to make their way through the debris field of the Titanic when they were competing. But more importantly, the Oak Street Methodists Club seem to have trivialised one of the greatest losses of life in maritime history. According to the figures 1517 prople lost their lives when the Titanic sank but as far as I can ascertain there was hardly anyone with a "Sheffield connection.". And so why do it? I just cannot see the point of this rather half-baked spectacle.

There may have been some point if the Rev E. Hardy had at least said prayers for those that lost their lives but in the "darkened baths" he merely read a brief narrative that was succeeded by a "searchlight thrown on the water". Strange times!








 

Dolphin Street War Memorial (Sheffield)

In the course of writing about the UNDY family I came across a reference to a "street war memorial". The memorial in question was on what was Dophin Street in the Darnall district of Sheffield. This was the home in in 1884 of the UNDY family

Dean and Stuart on their excellent Sheffield Soldiers of the First World War site give further details of the memorial. In fact Dean reckons that this "street shrine" was the only one of its kind in Sheffield.

INSCRIPTION AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MEMORIAL READS: 

THEY ALL RECEIVED A GOOD REPORT AND GLORIOUS TRIUMPHED IN VICTORY NOT ONCE OR TWICE IN OUR ROUGH ISLANDS- STORY THE PATH OF DUTY WAS THE WAY TO GLORY 

Out of the 48 houses in Dolphin Street 55 served their country in the Great War. And ou of those 55, seven lost their lives and one was posted missing

One of the residents of the street a Mrs Bagnall inaugorated the memorial and roll of honour. and with the aid of neighbours and without ANY assistance from outside sources, erected a shrine to those that served their country 

Richard Undy (1755 - 1855) Clock and Watch Maker and Undy Hill (1886 - 1967)

I wrote an article and a blog about a Richard Undy who died in a tragic manner at Woodburn Juction (Sheffield) in January 1884

The same researcher, who kindly provided me with information about Richard and his family, sent me this material about his paternal grandfather 

"RIchard's grandfather (also called Richard) was a clock and watch maker in East Retford, Nottinghamshire,and some of his clocks still exist today - they will be around 200 years old now, and can sell for about £1000. 

If you look very closely at the clock face, you will see the name 'Richd Undy' and the words East Retford. Richard the clock maker (1777-1855) was also a farmer in later life, and he was quite a wealthy man - which could well be where the money came from, which Richard the grandson left to his widow, Mary."

CHRISTENING - 17 March 1778 - father Richard (1739 - died 1781

DEATH 8 JUL 1855 • Mattersey Thorpe, Nottinghamshire

I have also attached a photo of Undy Hill (1886-1967) who was born in Sheffield. Undy was the nephew of the Richard Undy you wrote about (1852-1884), but he was born after Richard died. 



Undy Hill worked in Renishaw Ironworks and the photo was taken in the 1940s or 1950s, according to his grandson. I think it's a great picture, don't you! It makes me wonder whether his uncle Richard looked similar to him."

The Upperthorpe Hotel Sheffield

I saw a friend of mine last week at Upperthorpe and he pointed out to me a piece of Sheffield's heritage that has been lost forever.

The Upperthorpe Hotel, like many thousands of other pubs in the country, shut its doors for the last time, quite a few years back. It remained boarded up and was then sold for conversion into private residential/commercial accommodation.

As you can see from the above photo which was taken inthe summer of 2011, the Hotel's frontage has a plaster sign advertising "Wiley & Co Wines and Spirits" and the name of the establishemnt "Upperthorpe Hotel".    

In December 2013 the new owners of the property instructed the building contractors to remove the signage "Wiley & Co Wines and Spirits" and "Hotel" and plaster over it. The only part left was "Upperhorpe" and this was painted over in a rather drab masonry paint. And so another very very small part of Sheffield's commercial heritage has been lost for good. No doubt the new owners had their reasons for the removal but personally I think they were mistaken. 

The Death of Abner Boldock - Skeltons Quarry, Normanton Hill Sheffield - May 1942

I posted an article last month on the tragic death of Eliza Ann Boldock who died on the same day as Queen Victoria made her one and only visit to Sheffield. I also posted details on the blog

Yesterday I received this information from a descendent of the Boldock family

"One of my Boldock cousins sent me some very sad information on what became of Abner Boldock, Eliza's father.

I have sent you the details at the bottom of this email - the story in brief is that Abner's body was found in a pond at Skelton's Quarry, Normanton Hill, in May 1942. He went missing and was found drowned, just as Eliza was - and the sad thing is, it was almost exactly 45 years to the day that Eliza had died, at the end of May 1897.

It would seem that Abner had chosen to end his life in the same manner that Eliza had died, suggesting that he had never properly recovered from her death and suffered from guilt for the rest of his life. How terribly tragic is that!

DATE 20 MAY 1942
PLACE Pond, Skeltons Quarry, Normanton Hill
ADDRESS 457a Richmond Road, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
CAUSE Asphyxia due to Drowning  -  Open Verdict
NOTE Dead Body found 24th May 1942 in Pond, Skeltons Quarry, Normanton Hill
Certificate received from Alan P Lockwood, Deputy Coroner for City of Sheffield
Inquest held 22nd May 1942

Small piece in Sheffield Newspaper reads:

BODY OF MISSING MAN IN POND
The body of Abner Boldock, aged 79 of Richmond Road, Sheffield, who had been missing since last Sunday, has been recovered from a pond at Skelton's Quarry, Normanton Hill.

Letter received from Office of H M Coroner, The Medico-Legal Centre, Watery Street, Sheffield S3 7ET:

26 February 2008
Abner Boldock (deceased)

Thank you for your recent email requesting information on your Great Grandfather's death.
Coroners are only required to retain records for fifteen years. Regrettably limitations of space mean that we do not keep very much beyond that and we do have nothing of substance beyond the twenty year mark. If I explain that we are dealing with some 4000 cases each year you may appreciate that there would be a very significant amount of storage space involved if we were to keep papers beyond the time required by law.
The only record that we have of Abner Boldock's death is in our 1942 register. This records that the case of Abner Boldock was reported to the coroner. A post-mortem was performed and an inquest was held returning an open verdict - death from drowning.
I am sorry that I cannot assist further.
Yours sincerely

C P Dorries
H M Coroner"

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