nearly-midnight

The Punjab and Sind at 1900 approx from a missionary standpoint

2011-09-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

This page is made up of scans from a variety of books in my possession. The are dated from approximately 1880 to 1900+. The main source of reference relates to Robert Clark.

I have also included copies of photos in my possession they can be found here.

Feel free to copy and download any of the pictures. Although I believe I own some sort of copywrite I would love to have a link back to these pages.

The clergy at the Consecration of Bishop Lefroy 1899

The key to the photo above. Robert Clark has the long forking beard, centre right.

Lord Lawrence, Sir Herbert Edwardes, Rev H Perkins, General Reynell Taylor, Colonel Martin

Punjab Christian Schools

Map of Punjab and Sind, Afghan Border

Punjab Missionaries

New Testament Revision Commitee

Missionary Converts

Brucefield - Truro

2011-08-10T13:06:00.000-07:00

Brucefield

This is linking 2011 with the 1920's to '30's.
I have the good fortune that my father made diaries of the times he spent in Cornwall as a child. His parents died young and he was brought up with his sister Lucy by his two maiden aunts, Edith and Grace Rodgers, known as Tig and T'Edith. (A page will be dedicated to these two) Both children were sent away to boarding school and spent their summers in Cornwall. Both at "Brucefield" in Truro and then "Sundew Cottage" in St Agnes. I do believe that Bruciefield must have been sold for the Aunts to move to Sundew. I do recall visiting Sundew as a child with my parents in the early 1950's. I do recall eating toast that my father made for me - cut into soldiers. It may have been my first serious encounter with marmalade. We visited for quite a few years after that.

My aunts lived a frugal existence. Edith loved to paint and I accompanied her on many of her little trips with her water colours about the local countryside. Sadly they both died and a link with Cornwall was broken.

The spirit of Cornwall never left my father and we made several visits back. We shared the driving - the traffic was horrific the, we normally made a stop around Wells. I worked at Lanhydrock House for a summer. I never visited again until my wife and I visited the Eden Project in the early 2000's.

It did seem familiar visiting it this July (2011). I was very hesitant knocking on the door. I knew it was a rented holiday property now. The people could not have been more delightful and after their initial shock and wondering about my story could not have been more charming. The ambience of Brucefield is clearly still there. There is information on the wall about Roberts the next owner. I have the address of the current owner and I intend to write in the near future.

The scanned pictures from the diaries and the photographs are in the Datastore here. There are more photographs of Sundew to be added as well as St Agnes and the church

The cover to the Diary - I think this is Edith's writing

The entrance to "Brucefield" now

This is the photo from the garden. As you can see there is no balustrade around the porch
There is a photo showing this in the Datastore and below

Quite possibly a similar shot as the previous photo - Showing balustrade Koko clearly in charge

My Dad's first job

2011-06-15T14:22:00.000-07:00

My father could get extremely hot under the collar about injustice. He must have been extremely irate about the condition of the school to even consider saying anything publicly let alone to the newspapers. I hadn't realised that he had been at the school longer than "Billy" Orrell. Got to admit that I don't think he had much time for the man. This is a paper clipping from the "News Chronicle" Wednesday, October the 5th 1955. He must have been in something like the second year of teaching - he loved the kids dearly. I know my father left the school later. I do not think the condition of the school had too much to do with the move. He did get an excellent reference from Billy Orrell in the end.


Walshaw School 1955

This is the transcript of the article:

BRITAIN SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THIS

Every day a cracked bell summons 180 chilren at Walshaw, near Bury, behind the high, prison like walls of a school that has been described as a "disgrace"

It is the Church of England villiage school and no one has a good word to say about it. After narrowly rejecting a suggestion by Major W.S.Cain that the school is in such a disgraceful condition that that it should be closed immediately, Rossendale Education Executive is sending a deputation to discuss the matter with the school managers.

One of the executive members , Coun. W.H.Nuttall said he found it hard to believe that the children were being educated in such a disgraceful building.

The headmaster Mr. William Orrell who had been at the school for 2 years said: " The lavatories are grim. One of the roofs is dangerous but repairs are in hand."

"The County Council are responsible for the interior decorationbut I expect that they don't think that it is worthwhile doing that until the school managers have done the exterior repairs."

"An unsuccessful attempt was made to get a separate dining room. The food attracts rats and mice. But I think there are schools that are just as bad."

Staff Comment

One of Mr. Orrell's Staff, Mr Andrew Martyn-Clark, added "I have seen the school deteriorating during the three years I have been here. It has got galloping consumption."

The Rev. A.H.Phillips, Vicar of Walshaw and chairman of the school managers declined to make any comment.

"The picture above is an enlargement from the school hall picture (left). One of the Masters, Mr Andrew Martyn-Clark, shows a patch of paintwork peeling from a wall. In the hall children are taught in the dull atmosphere of this decaying room."

Notes: The Orrells were a local family of some note, they occupied Turton Tower at one point in their history. A web search will find many links with the Orrells and Walshaw.

Rev A.H. Phillips seems to have disappeared into the mists of time as far as the internet is concerned.

However Councillor Nuttall fares little better in the excerpt from the Rossendale free press

"DESPITE protests from parents, Cowpe Primary School was to close and the pupils were to be transferred to Waterfoot. This was confirmed by Rossendale Divisional Education Executive by 13 votes to nine, after a vain bid to save the school by Councillor W H Nuttall. He said it was causing a great deal of concern in the village, but councillors said pupils could travel to nearby Waterfoot School instead." Dated July 1956

Major Cain was at the withdrawal of "B Company" from the beach at Dunkirk. There is information here. My father was also at Dunkirk - I wonder if they ever spoke. It was very raw in my father's mind - possibly all his life.

The Greenmount Primary School years

2011-04-05T16:28:00.000-07:00

1956?

1960?

Two more pictures of my class at Greenmount. Pretty sure that the "youngest" of them was when we were in Mrs Meadley's class, which makes us juniors. That must have been close to the year she set fire to the Christmas tree. I do recall being a very small person then. I cannot even remember anyone else at the school. We could only play in the small persons playground. I recall lessons occasionally being outside. For some strange reason I have really natty socks. It seems that Alan Read and I shared heavy head syndrome. Never managed to stamp it out - some of my students still have it! The photo on the top right must be dated about 1960, We all look faintly superior as if nothing could touch us. I can recall some of the names. On the back row: don't recall the chap at the far left, me, Timothy Burrill, Alan Taylor, Martin Capstick.

A Postcard from Greenmount

The middle row, the three big lads in the middle were Alan Read, Paul Hassell, Peter Jones? - not quite clear about the surname, and Jack Tebay - I believe Jack rode a motorbike from Australia or something. I can only recall he had the best den ever. He taught me how to shoot an air-rifle. I shot a hole in his dad's best bucket and he was absolutely livid. I also stood on a nail in his best den ever and it came all the way through my foot. Either my mother didn't believe me or she thought I should be able to handle it! Hurt for months. Life was dangerous around Jack. I spent a lot of time with Alan Read, went back to his house a couple of times - I believe he worked on the milk in the mornings. I don't remember the girls, there was a Helen, Jane Rowland, pretty sure she must have been there, my Grandmother taught her piano, Christine Ashworth. Stayed away from them!

The outdoor toilets are right behind Martin, a door slammed against my hand and I lost a nail. They were freezing. In fact the photo has an air of freezing about it! The toilets have now been knocked down - If you revisit the school it's about the only thing that's changed in 50 years!

The postcard dates from about the same time. The top left photo is from the middle of the road between the school and the Bulls Head pub looking towards Bury down Brandlesholme road. The 5 white panels on the left were the Railway bridge. The train still ran when I was at school. Just beyond was a sweet shop. They had identical twin girls who were at the school for a while, further down on the left the white building was the Nab's Head pub, worked there over a Christmas. The top right picture looks toward Greenmount. The church on the left is the Congregational church where some of my Lomax ancestors are buried. The majority of the the fields are now covered in houses. The bungalow was owned by an elderly couple called Bradshaw, just below that was our garden. and a little bit further on was Brookhouse farm which was connected to the Quaker movement.

The bottom left photo is from Turton road. The big building in the middle is Hollymount Convent. Greenmount is to the right. The bottom right picture is from right outside the Bulls Head facing what was known as the finger post which leads towards Hawkshaw and Ramsbottom. Peel tower is clearly seen. To the left is the Church and to the right is the Co-op. Alan Read lived in the houses to the left. Jack Tebay lived very close to church on the left. I actually think he had a pond outside his back door too. A den and a pond! The middle photo is looking straight up to the church. The Bulls Head clearly on the left, and the school on the right. The Nabs Head was just below. I always wondered why it was the only building at a tilt in the whole village! The cricket club is on the left. More photos here, not much has changed. Added some pictures in the datastore of the school now - not much has changed

We are visiting Cornwall

2011-03-17T16:18:00.000-07:00

Feock, Friends Meeting House

Dug out a beautiful postcard of Feock. Its on the opposite side of the county to which my father normally visited. The actual picture shows the "Come-to-Good" Quakers meeting house. I think the picture must have been taken in 1937, this is one year later than the Francis Frith pictures. This picture is from a different angle than those. There is a very full description at the Genuki website. I do not recall any visits to Feock with my father, but certainly St Just and Trellisick. Visited the Eden centre and hope to return this summer. There are many memories to publish from Perranporth and also St Agnes.The Meeting House was built in 1710, was in use up to 1993, still stands and is under the patronage of the National Trust.Lately I visited the Burial Ground at Sunbrick in Cumbria. This is where Margaret Fox was buried in 1702. There are several inconsistencies in the 2 inscriptions there.

The second postcard in my possession is a 1950's photograph of the ferry between Fowey and Bodinnick. Not only had my father and mother spent time there after they were married. I visited in the late '60's when working for the National Trust at Lanhydrock house. When my wife and I visited Cornwall, we didn't renew the family's relationship with this beautiful little village on the south coast.

My direct ancestor - my mother

2011-03-12T14:02:00.000-08:00

Pat Lomax and "the gang"

reverse

My mother was most certainly social. She went to London to study music and like her son, found the man(I found a woman!) to spend the rest of her life with. The big city seemed to suit her. However she returned to Tottington via (Whitelegg Street) Woolfold near Bury, and settled back into the family residence of Brookhouse, just inside Tottington by virtue of being the Tottington side of the stream. But of course she was a great tennis player and represented her university at Wimbledon. The pictures below, I guess are separated by about 15 years. The names are quite familiar to me - and I met these people quite frequently as I grew up. I really do remember Basil, his second name was Brown. He and his wife, Barbara had 3 children and I spent a lot of time with them. Nicholas the oldest became the proprietor of the hardware shop opposite the library. I think he was older than me. Tim was a good cricketer, don't recall any representative honours, but I recall that he was linked with Lancashire Cricket club in his teens. There was a sister too, Zoe - quite a bit younger than me. We spent a lot of time going up the "cat steps" to see "Nick and Tim". I recall my Dad looking after the garden when they went away on holiday. There was a Xylophone in the garage, which we all seemed to manage to make noise on.
They had quite a big garden with a pond in it at the top by the main road. There was a large lawn with a crab apple tree overhangit. My mother used to take the crab apples and make jelly. Invariably us kids threw them at each other - which used to seriously peeve her. Their house was at the top of the path that led from the "Cat Steps" and their drive led onto Turton Road. There was a little side entrance half way up the drive. No idea what happened to them. I suspect that Nick, Tim and Zoe are still around.

I suspect this photo must have been taken around 1940. I would also suspect that these were all Bury Grammar School ex pupils too. I recall the women in the photo more clearly Brenda was a particular friend, she had a daughter called Pamela who I was expected to play with! We went round to Vera's house quite regularily - I could find it now if I had to. Don't really remember Hazel. My mother and I walked everywhere. It was quite a while before the family had a car.

Pat Martyn-Clark - Tennis prizes

My mother was married at this time, also smoked, you can see a cigarette in her hand. I also remember this extremely garish dress. Most of her clothes she made herself, with my Gran's help, She was really quite frugal. However she played for Bury Tennis club and we had a mantelpiece and a cupboard full of cups. She played at a high standard and was really competitive. She also had a fearsome grip, this may have been because she used a man's racket. She bought a Dunlop Maxply every year.

I recall Betty Ray being her partner in the Ladies doubles. The names of Gordon McNeill and Gordon Hargreaves were also familiar. She called them the "two Gordons" I suspect that all four of them played mixed doubles too. I was never sure of what my father made of this tennis malarkey. Got to admit I never thought about it. He was quite a loner, good runner in his time, I'm told. He was an avid reader, liked classical music on the radio and worked on his lessons. I suspect he would not have wasted his time. There's time to do a mini biography on my father. There are some more pictures of Pat's early days here

No! its not Colin Firth

2011-03-04T14:07:00.000-08:00

George VI and Queen Elizabeth at Royal College of Science

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1945 visited College to commemorate centenary of Royal College of Science, oldest forerunner to Imperial.

King George said: "You students here assembled - men and women who soon will be going out from the Imperial College to your work in the world - have not only an opportunity but also a responsibility greater than men of science have known before. To you, I say: Regard your knowledge and your skill always in the light of a trust for the benefit of humanity, and thereby ensure, so far as in you lies, that science may never be put to uses which offend the higher conscience of mankind."

This information is copied from the Imperial College Website, but the photograph belongs in our archives! My mother was at the Royal College of Music, but she did attend the centenary. As far as I know this picture is an original. There is no-one in the picture I recognise except the King and Queen. This is a reduced version of a good scan. Please email for a bigger(better) scan.

Lets go to Harmston!

2011-02-21T13:03:00.000-08:00

Although I want to return to the wilds of Parbold, Wigan and the rest of that rolling, but very muddy Lancashire plain, our journey takes us to Harmston, Lincolnshire, equally flat but where my fathers side of the family originates. Henry Martyn-Clark wrote the biography of his father, Robert Clark. I enclose the first chapter of his book. Tells me much about this side of the family. Up to 1990, I knew nothing except that Henry Martyn-Clark was shrouded in mystery, We had snippets of mail and written records, some transcribed. My fathers parents had died and he was "farmed" out to his aunts, his mothers sisters. They will have a chapter to themselves too. However the Internet changed so much of that. There is no way you can miss "Henry Martyn-Clark" if you search, but finding the biography for sale at a reasonable cost in America, and reading it was possibly the biggest eyeopener of my genealogical career. I include the earliest photograph of Robert, He is fittingly the one standing behind his father, Henry. He also fittingly deserves a Chapter to himself. I am indebted to my Great Grandfather for writing the book.

Rev.Henry Clark seated centre with wife Mary to his left Sons: -Left to right: Hamlet,John,Robert,Roger,Henry Daughters:Mary (standing),Elizabeth(seated in chair) Susan(seated on floor)

Both Hamlet and Roger followed Robert to India. Up to Chapter 12 has now been added.
Click on this Tab to read the biography

Susan (Susanna) married Joseph Harris, Rector of Sheepy. A more complete rundown of her is on The Harris Family section of Church of the Martyrs website.

Elizabeth Catherine Clark married the Rev Thomas Simcox Lea, the eldest son of Reverend Frederick Simcox Lea of Astley Hall, in the county of Worcester, and The Lakes, Kidderminster, Master of Arts of the University of Oxford.

Henry Clark married Charlotte Jones, there is more information on this website - thanks to Tim Clement-Jones.

Affetside Article in local paper

2011-02-05T05:37:00.000-08:00

A skull in Affetside

I think this may have been published in the Bury times or the local BoltonEvening News in the late 60's. However this clipping was kept by my mother Pat Martyn-Clark(nee Lomax) and deserves the light of Day! (Further info available at http://www.affetside.org.uk/pub.htm) Anything in brackets are my additions) Cannot easily find a reference to Anne Thomas working for the Bury Times or the Bolton Evening News. The article is reproduced in its entirety.

A Skull at the Bar – written by Anne Thomas.

Licensee Mike Hilton has a skull for company behind the bar of his 15^th Century inn at Affetside, near Bury. And it's a distinguished fragment of bone, a gruesome relic of a famous executioner who seemingly has a few unpleasant tricks up his ghostly sleeve.

A skull, black and polished with age, isn't something that you expect to see in your local pub.. But regulars at Affetside's ancient Pack Horse Inn are used to it.. From a special shelf high in the back wall of the bar, this grim relic surveys the nightly festivities with a tooth smile or a grisly grimace , depending on where you stand. It's not just any old bit of bone either, but all that's left of a man who earned himself a footnote in many a history book. “That's George Whewell”, explained Mike Hilton, “The man who executed the Earl of Derby.”

Staunchly Royalist Lord Derby led a 2000 strong army in support of the King. Defeated near Wigan, he was later captured and and sentenced to death at Chester Castle. But Parliament thought revenge would be sweeter if the execution was held in Bolton, where the King's troops had earlier taken bloody reprisals in the town.

Lord Derby was brought to an inn where he could see the scaffold through a window. There was a delay before he was led to the block. No-one wanted to be the executioner, until George Whewell – his family was massacred at Bolton – (It seemed his family were dissenters) volunteered to do the job.. Lord Derby felt the edge of the axe and gave him money”This is all I have,” he said “do your job well.”(1651)

George Whewell came to a similar end later and his head, thinks Mike Hilton, “was brought to the Pack Horse immediately after his execution. He was an Edgeworth man (http://www.winnersh.demon.co.uk/Family_History/fhisch3.htm) a village only two miles away, and perhaps the inn was one of his favourite haunts.”

George's skull is still supposed to do a spot of haunting. A local man who stole the head and left it on his bedroom dresser paid the price. He claimed he was woken at 3 am by a blow on his nose. “ I sat up and saw something bobbing up and down, like a great moth, in a ghostly blue colour, shining like phosphorous and with two blazing red eyes.”

Respect

And if the vision was nothing more than the result of a late cheese supper, it was enough to to make him return the skull to its usual resting place at the pack horse. Mike Hilton admits to treating the skull with respect. “We don't tempt fate by taking it out of the building,” he told me. “We’ve never seen any ghostly figure, but we do hear odd noises, especially footsteps in the room above the bar. Two doors opened of their own accord. One was an outside door and could have been blown by the wind. But the second door was a sliding door into the little room by the bar. It was a Saturday lunch time and the regulars stared , drank up and hurriedly left without a word.”

The Pack Horse was a flourishing inn over 500 years ago, when its front door opened onto the main pack horse road to the north. Affetside was a market village , and later developed as a mining community – the row of cottages next to the inn were built for miner working narrow drift mines nearby.

The stone column and round base that jut awkwardly into the road are a mystery. An old market cross, perhaps, or a pilgrims shrine? Or maybe a mile post for the Roman road a few feet away underground, or a marker for a Roman staging camp on the way to Ribchester? “ They excavated the the Roman Road a few years ago” recalled Mike, “but there wasn't much to see, just a few cobbles.”

In his snugly renovated cottage Alan Needham, offered another explanation. “ As a tall post on high ground it could have been a long distance marker for packhorse traffic, or it could just mark the the fact that Affetside is traditionally the half way point between London and Edinburgh.”

He also suggests, with a little tongue in cheek, an explanation for the village name . “Affetside, with a little imagination, could be a corruption of Half Each Side, meaning the half way point between the two cities.”

Restored

Alan is chairman of the Affetside Society, a sure sign that it is no longer the quiet, slow moving , out of the way place that it was not many years ago. Newcomers have moved in, buying the old cottages, renovating and restoring with vigour, modernising and improving and in the process sending property prices smartly upwards. We aim to preserve the village and improve it where we can.” Alan explained.

Dunn's in Tottington

2011-02-02T15:04:00.000-08:00

Jane Dunn

Roger Dunn

The first photo is a picture of my maternal grandmother Jane Dunn, married Thomas Lomax. He was also a Tottingtonian. As far as I am aware this was the earliest photo I have. The date on the back of the photograph is 1901. I suppose that she would be 3 or 4 at the time. Stand to be corrected if others appear. Sometimes she was known as a Dunne. As Tottington was a close knit community she was known as Jennie Dunn,even after 30 years of marriage! However I want to go back a bit further. I have quite a lot of early Dunn Photographs which I have scanned. Big huge files.

Sarah Ann or Sadie Dunn

The first picture is of Rodger Dunn, died at the age of 26. I have discrepancy here with my mother and with ancestry. My mother has written on the reverse of the photo died at the age of 26. Ancestry claims 23 years.
He was however the son of William Greenhalgh Dunn and Hannah Baker Yoxhall.

Walker Dunn

Greenhalgh's figure a lot in the history. The Lomax's married into the Greenhalghe's, whether they were the same line I do not know. Research has been going on for a number of years and I really do not have any satisfactory conclusions. His Brother William was my direct ancestor. He would have been my grandmother's uncle. Taking a leap of faith here. I believe that this lady, known as Sadie is actually Sarah Ann Dunn, a brother of Roger. The photos have always been kept together. This would of course have been my Grandmother's aunt. The final picture of these three is another Dunn of the same generation. Walker Dunn. There has been a long line of Walker Dunns. His father was a Walker Dunn too. He was born in 1854 and died in 1929.

Tracing the line back includes a Walker Dunn who was killed in 1916 at Pozieres in France. He is commemorated on the War Memorial in Walshaw.

These 3 siblings were 3 of 9 children. All born in Tottington. The names of the other 6 were Alice, Eliza, John, Jane, William, and Hannah. William was my Grandmother's father reputed to have a fearsome temper and a great singing voice. William married Ann Walmesley Forrest. Another post will show the pictures I have. This is where the plot thickens as far as being able to trace relatives. I am going to add 2 pictures of Walmsley Forrest' that do not appear on any of the searchable websites.

Mr E. H. Holden

2011-01-23T12:05:00.000-08:00

I have no idea how this photo has found it's way into my mother's photographs. A search of the Internet revealed two E H Holden's in the north-west, not including numerous cars! The first reference is a science teacher at Bacup and Rossendale Grammar School. Quote from "Seventy-Five Years" A history of Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School. "Mr. E.H. Holden had been appointed in 1913 to teach Chemistry in the day-school and also to be head of the Technical Institute housed in the new building. Anyone
who served under Mr. Holden would expect him to succeed, and to keep the school heading in the right direction. "

E H Holden

"There was no science taught, so I started afresh with Chemistry under Mr. Holden... It was due to Mr. Holden's enthusiasm for his subject that I went on to do a degree in it at Manchester University later. In our year Annie Earnshaw, W. Watson and I all went together - two women and one man - to do Chemistry Honours. We were two out of only about six women at Manchester in that year, so that speaks well for Mr. Holden's drive. This was 1917."

"Mr. Holden firmly believed in keeping noses to the grindstone. No "resting on one's laurels" was permitted in the Lower Sixth, for the subjects to be taken as "Principal" (normally three in number) were normally offered at "subsidiary" level at the end of the Lower-sixth year, just to keep the candidates (not to mention their teachers!) on their toes. As Dr. Ormerod points out, the classes at this time were considerably smaller, since it was then possible for pupils to leave at 14, but there were full-scale school examinations and reports every term, also half-term tests, with lists in order of merit on each occasion. Never a dull moment for the staff!"

The other EH Holden was an MP, duly knighted. He represented Heywood about the same time. Actually sooner. He was instrumental in persuading the powers that be to allow the building of a secondary school in Heywood.

"Through the offices of the local M.P. Mr E H Holden, they succeeded in arranging a meeting with the Board in Whitehall, circumventing the LEC. Mr Holden supported their cause vigorously, and three months later the Board relented, and wrote to the LEC agreeing to the proposal, but perversely demanding that the premises be considerably extended even beyond the plans submitted. Had there not been room for expansion on the existing site, it is doubtful if the School would have been sanctioned, as the cost of acquiring new land and of building afresh would have been prohibitive. In the event new plans were submitted to the Board, which finally approved them in March 1908."

It seems that both EH Holden's were heavily involved in education in the early part of the 20th Century. My gut feeling is the picture relates to Bacup and Rossendale. We had family up the valley as my mother would say.

Having passed the 11 plus in 1960, I had the option of going to Bacup and Rawtenstall or Stand Grammar School. As I went to Stand Grammar School, it seems I had a narrow escape!
Both excerpts are taken from Histories of the respective schools. Easy to find on the Internet.

Tottington Methodist Church

2011-01-18T12:49:00.000-08:00

Hopefully I have added this school picture in the right area of the blog. It refers to the Wesleyan school in 1909.
My Grandfather Tom Lomax is top right.
However there are some other names on the names on the reverse which may help people.
These are the ones I can make out, starting from the top left. F K Kenyon, Fred Lonsdale, Warburton, Ger. Anson,Tom Lomax,
J Winterbottom, Ella Danes, Alice Shaw, Annie Howarth, Robin Nuttall, Lizzie South, Ethel Howarth, Arthur Butterworth, Eleanor Holt, Edgar or Clifford Pilkington, Nellie Howard.
The Teachers were Mr W H Stanton and Miss Florence Holding.

My Aunt Irene took herself off to school when she was 5, so the story goes. She was a dedicated learner, she stayed in education until her retirement. I had the strange distinction of being a student at Bury Technical college when she was Head of Department, quite scary, no opportunity to fool about then. However these pix have come into my possession via my Aunt Irene or my Grandmother. Jane Dunn married Thomas (Tom) Lomax. Irene Lomax (Cosgrove) was my aunt.

The photograph above is called "sermons 1934 ish" Again no certainty about the people in the photo - however I think my Aunt is on the back row.

The photo to the right has no annotation on it whatsoever. Suspect it is a school play or for a pageant, suggest the same date.

The bottom picture is labelled Reverend and Mrs Whittle, Donald and Christine. I am "assuming" that he was the incumbent at the time. Very difficult to say the year. 30's perhaps! A search on the internet including Ancestry reveals ... nothing

Loom Women

2010-03-19T14:24:00.000-07:00

This picture is one from the archives. There is no writing on the reverse apart from my mother's labelling. I called it Loom Women. Clearly though only one or two of them would be old enough to be considered women. These are 2 cotton looms back to back. They were heavy made of cast iron. I presume that the the photograph was taken in the factory. Clearly a national celebration because of the flags there. The ladies in question are wearing what appears to be their Sunday best too. I have to presume my Grandmother or my Aunt kept the picture because it had family on it. There does not appear to be any cotton worker in my immediate family say 1920s, but that's a guess. Have a close look at the sullen "little" girl in the very middle at the front. As usual the picture has been tweaked a little in PS4 to bring out details. Left the sepia tones as they are.

Market Street, Tottington

2010-03-15T14:35:00.000-07:00

This are 2 old photographs of Market street in Tottington. The first picture is a hand coloured tinted version of the second one. I have given both of them the Photoshop stuff. The colours in the first are not mine. They were already on the picture. I suspect the colours may be reasonably accurate as the pictures have been in the family quite a while.

My Guess this is at the high point of the Village opposite to where the Coop stands. I do not remember it, I also guess that it is dated about 1900. However I do recall a picture house, Movies to you and me standing in its place. I went once, some sort of soppy film about a man on the run visiting his pregnant wife in hospital. A paper shop stood in its place later and I believe a health centre now stand there. As you carry on to the right the road forks at what was the Printers. The left fork is Turton Road - goes to Bolton, Affetside, Edgeworth. The right hand fork goes to Greenmount, passes Brookhouse and would go to Holcombe and Ramsbottom. The village centre is about a 10 minute walk from Brookhouse.

This picture is from the same spot. The view is down Market Street towards Bury. Bury is about 3 miles distant.

Whether the picture is from the exact same time I do not know. If you look closely you can see Club Row labelled. Further down on the right hand side of the road, the Wesleyan church was to be built. I think the church would be visible. The shops on the left when I was young ( The ones I remember!) were a greengrocer/fishmonger - Read. I think the old owner was called Frank. He was grooming his son for the top position! The left-hand side of the shop was fruit and veg and the right hand side was fish. Their daughter Helen was killed in a road accident.
It shook the village and my Grandmother(Jane Dunn) cried too.. My Family were very close to the Reads. My grandfather Frank was up at 5.30 every morning bar Sundays to collect the fish from the fish shop. My Aunt cooked it, I also recall my mother cooked it as well. For a few years the house stank of cooking cod. No surprise I had trouble making friends. A little further down was the butcher. I believe he was called Sam Smith. He had been in the Guards, I was told that he had quite a distinguished war record. He was the tallest man I had ever met, but as a 7 year old everyone was tall! He had this walk in fridge. If he wasn't really quite a jolly chap, he would have been seriously scary! He seemed to take great delight in sharpening his knives, hacking stuff, and of course there was always blood down his apron. A proper blue and white striped one.

Tram on its way to Tottington from Bury. The road to the right goes to Kay Gardens. In the gap behind the two trams is the Rock, which eventually disappears to Walmsley and Rochdale. To the left of the photo is a statue of Robert Peel and also the parish church. The Two Tubs is also there. The advert on the front of the tram has Geo. Brown. He had a hardware shop in Tottington opposite the library, which had been Tottington Hall. I believe one of his sons took over (Basil). I used to play with his two sons Nick and Tim

The same tram nearing its destination. The library is on the right hand side. On the left is the Gas Board shop. A little further up is the post office. It was split into 2 parts. The front of the shop was a sweet shop - one of my favourite places. Further inside was the post office proper - manned I believe by a chap called Brian. The tram had not far to go - anothe 200 yards brought it to an island turned right round and headed back to Bury. This is still used as a bus terminus now. I turned round infront of the "Hark to Towler" pub. If you continued down the road it brought you to Tottington station.

Not sure where this is. There is a shop called Clemshaws there. More research needed.

There is always a need to update. There are 3 photographs of Trams below. I can just about recall the trams from my childhood. The tram rails were certainly there for a long time after the trams departed. I actually believe some of the old lamposts still survive even now.

Affetside

2010-03-14T14:10:00.000-07:00

Facing towards Bolton

Facing towards Tottington

The Lomax part of my family were brought up in Affetside. They were sheep farmers and hand loom weavers. One of them died of sunstroke I believe. It boast a Pub- The Pack Horse, and a church which is attached to the local very small school. I believe there was a campaign to save the school which was successful. Many of my Lomax relatives are buried in the local churchyard. It has indeed been really useful in "unpicking" some of the relationships that were heresay or had got jumbled in my near relatives heads. This cross is sited on Watling Street., a Roman Road. Yes it is straight! As a small boy it was a fearsome ride to the summit on the bike - up the steep side! and an awesome ride down the other side. The view is looking towards Tottington from the village Centre.

The top photograph was taken in March 2010. Obviously the picture is facing towards Bolton. From first appearances little has changed in 100 years outwardly. I stored some more pictures to show which I also took on the same day.

The entrance to Affetside.
This is on the right-hand side of the road
as you head up the hill towards Bolton

This view is taken in the early morning heading from Tottington towards Affetside. This is all uphill. The path joins Watling street just about 400 yards before the cross

The Cross looking towards the Jumbles
An early January morning. This picture is taken
from the middle of the road the houses are to
my back. The path continues down hill towards Bolton

Visited Affetside frequently with my mother there were many paths across the fields from Greenmount and Tottington. At one time the horse that featured in the "Black Horse" adverts was stabled nearby. I bought my first motorbike from a chap who lived in the farms just below the top of Affetside. The cross is one of the Markers in the 2 Crosses challenge event usually held in January of each year. Organised by the East Lancs LDWA. It starts from Tottington Community Centre.

The inscription which is close to the cross.

This is the inscription:
"Affetside Cross marks the route of the Roman road from Manchester to Ribchester now known as Watling Street. The stone shaft has a socket cut into the top which originally supported a cross head or stone ball. The structure would have served as a market cross for Affetside and surrounding hamlets and possibly as a place for preaching and public proclamations. This form of standing cross would have been relatively common in medieval settlements. However they were largely swept away in the reformation during the mid 16th and 17th Centuries making Affetside cross a relatively rare survival.

Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979

Affetside Cross is designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument under the provisions of the Above act (National Monument No 25721) It is an offence to carry out any unauthourised works to the monument, or damage in any manner. All queiries with regard to this Act should be directed to Bury Metropolitan Borough Council


A Mark 2 Pillbox. This is situated between Turton and the A666 Couldn't resist adding it! But it's on the 2 Crosses route!

The Wesleyen School Tottington

2010-03-02T15:11:00.000-08:00

Construction of the Old Wesleyan School. This was the school that my Aunt Irene attended. There is a picture of her later down the blog. As you can see the Reverse of the postcard has been annotated by mother with the date 1905. My guess that she is right. Who the postcard refers to is difficult to work out, but I am sure that it relates to family members. The address is clear 135 Holcombe road is Brookhouse, Clearly pictured further down the blog. I will add another picture of Brookhouse and add it next to the other picture.

Grant's Tower, Ramsbottom

2010-02-28T12:56:00.000-08:00

Understandably never saw it, as it collapsed on the 22nd of September 1944. It was constructed in 1828. There is more information on the Grant family at this site. I have personally never seen a photo of the tower apart from this one. This is not to be confused with Peel Tower which was built to repeal the corn laws, I think. There are many references to the Grant family in Ramsbottom, not least the Grant Arms in the centre of "Tup's Arse". Played guitar and sang several times in the top room at the pub. The landlord must have tried to start a folk club up there. Must have been early '70's. Appeared on the same bill as Bob"I'm nearly famous" Williamson. Very amusing chap, and he did make national TV(Wheel Tappers and Shunters club! ) unlike me!

Grant's Tower has a mention in the Public Monument and Sculpture Association register However I copy from that site here a reference to Edwin Waugh. He is mentioned in another part of this blog " The tower was built at Top o' the' Hoof above Walmersley Road overlooking Ramsbottom partly in memory of their parents. While convalescing in a room in the tower, Edwin Waugh was said to have written his famous dialect poem "Lie thi' down laddie." It did seem that there was attempt to use lottery money to rebuild it in 1994.

View towards Peel Tower.
The rise on to the right of Peel Tower is Bull Hill.

I did think I had the only "real" photo of the tower, but now I believe there are others.

The colour picture is from very close to the ruins of Grant's Tower. The Houses below is the town of Ramsbottom. It is not clear but the Helmshore road snakes along under the tower and curles round Bull Hill. It then splits into two. The lefthand fork goes to Blackburn and the righthand fork continues up "the Valley" eventually arriving at Colne.

Birkenhead Photos

2010-01-24T05:39:00.000-08:00

This is a mystery.
My mother was into singing in a big way.

However all I have is 2 photos of her with people who are not really her generation. The people seem similar and the place where they were photographed were similar too. The only clue on the back is a Stamp with Birkenhead on. My mother was known as Pat Lomax at the time. I don't recall any links with Birkenhead. She is the one that is so obviously youthful as compared to all the others. The date would be late 1940's I guess

Greenmount Primary School

2010-01-09T13:21:00.000-08:00

I went here in the late 1950's. The primary school teacher was called Mrs Meadley - forgetful woman, once lost her glasses, searched everywhere but were on her head all the time! She also set fire to the Christmas tree. However she taught me to read, not so much success with sums! I recall one of the pupils dying whilst I was at school. Not at school. I do remember a lot of sadness - a girl I think, must have been about 1956. Most of the kids in the class just moved up, all at the same time. Moved to middle school. I think the teacher was called Miss Platt, I must have been about 8 at the time. I remember being taught joined up writing. At the same time the school started to cook its own dinners. I have a feeling our class room was commandeered as a canteen at this time. And a life long aversion to rice pudding was started. The used to keep us in if we didn't eat our dinner - just one spoonful!!! What use is an extra spoonful of rice pudding. The head was called Mrs Sally Crompton, She always appeared quite frightening and powerful to us small people. She and my grandmother were good friends, played golf together, I stood no chance! I recall being in the Christmas play as one of the Kings. I also recall the annual football match with Hollymount School. I also recall being given some enormous footy boots by my Great Grandfather, He was a good footballer (Frank Lomax) and I picked up my nickname "Cloggie" Which for some reason I never liked. Not as bad as some of the stuff I've been called over the years. However some names. Alan Taylor, I think he had a sister, Alan Read (Alan and Alan -as Sally Crompton used to say - always found it funny) All three of us used to have to sit at the front. Timothy Burrill, Martin Capstick, He cut his leg very badly climbing over the back wall fetching a football. Jane Rowland - knew my Grandmother through music. I do pass the school regularly. I think it is a community centre now. The photos!!!! Thats me in the top photo wearing an extremely natty tartan Waistcoat!! Not surprisingly "Billy no mates" on the back row of the second photo. Added some pictures in the Datastore of the school as it is now.

Walshaw Primary School

2010-01-06T15:50:00.000-08:00

Taken on the Playground at the front of the school

My Father's class. It must have been the late 50's or very early 60's. I recall him applying for jobs at his time, he had not long since qualified at Huddersfield College. The school is still there and I believe little has change to the outside since. This area is on a steep right angle bend and I think there is quite a drop at the other side.Walshaw was only 2 to 3 miles away from where we lived. He probably walked to school at this time. I recall my father taking and passing his test first time. He bought a black Morris Minor convertible, which had the roof renewed. It used to crack on the supports at any speed. It was not possible to have a conversation in the car. I fail to recall any of the names of his pupils from this time. Sure one was called Stewart Leigh. I met him at Stand Grammar School. I think they were preceding me by about 10 years. Who are these people?

There is another link to the school here.

Brookhouse about 1900

2010-01-05T15:30:00.000-08:00

Brookhouse, taken from the Greenmount side.
Brookhouse is the furthest building. The girls are standing on the old bridge.
It was replaced with a wider bridge.
The nearer buildings were cottages and one looks like a shop.
My family remembers these cottages. I feel that the line of the road has not changed. The road widening must have been on the left.

This photo is of Brookhouse near Tottington. I moved here when I was 5. Lived initialy with my Grandmother. Jane Lomax nee Dunn(e). The postal address was 133 Holcombe Rd, Tottington. The cobbled road was replaced with a tarmacadamed surface. The view looks towards "Totty" from the Greenmount side of the stream. The upwards slope is called Stormer Hill. There are some steps leading up on the right to Kay's cottages. They were designed by my Grandfather Tom Lomax, Jane's husband. The Bridge was widened, and the cottages demolished. There are 3 children in the picture a small boy? is leaning against the entrance to the house. From the back of the photographer the road bends up towards Greenmount, but it splits to the right and heads towards Greenmount Golf Club. More info to follow. But who are the people in the photograph? The First entrance looks like a shop. In front of the end gable of Brookhouse is a pathway that crossed a bridge and continued up Hollymount lane. Hollymount convent was a school when I remembered it. It was later turned into an old folks home. The field at the lefthand side of the road belonged to Bernard Ellis of Brookhouse Farm. He bred Arabian horses. He also kept guinea fowl and he paid me real money to collect the eggs. They laid anywhere. But mostly by the side of the stream.

Opposite Brookhouse was a large garden. The family gardened there for 3 generations. Frank Lomax, Jane Lomax and my mother and father. My father was partial to Himalayan plants. He grew the first blue poppies that anyone had seen in the Bury area. A large lawn on the upper level. The soil was very stony. However many interesting and exotic plants were grown in the 100plus years the house and gardens were occupied by the Lomax Family. The house was originally bought at auction by Frank's wife Lucy(Dodes) My mother knew her as Grannymax. My mother had the same relationship with her grandmother as I had with mine.

Grannymax - top left with Auntie Hilda
Lucy Dodes

Personal recollections of Brookhouse.
We moved into Brookhouse when I was about 5. I remembered being able to sit in the removal van's cab on the drive from Whitelegge street to Brookhouse - seemed like a big adventure. Frank was there when we arrived - He wasn't really very tall but he possessed immense strength. When the removal men could not lift my mother's piano over the bannister - he just grabbed it and lifted it over on his own. Initially my bedroom was the backroom, possibly the the largest room in the house. A great big skylight was in the middle of the ceiling, under was a great big cast iron bath. I dont recall the bath going. The skylight was covered over by a sheet of corrugated plastic. I think I recall a very expensive carpet square in the middle of the room, Axminster or something similar. It was pink, but my mother had it dyed blue - it was purpleish. Where the carpet didn't fit was varnished! The house probably still smells of varnish to this day. The back window looked up the valley. Fantastic view. There were cows on that pasture in the late '50's before it became a country park. Must have spent hours just staring. Saw pretty much every British mammal over 15 years. The squirrels hadn't arrived though!

Jim and Irene Cosgrove, Must be a pier somewhere

Wedding Photograph

My Grandmother lived in 131, my Aunt Irene Cosgrove and her husband Jim Cosgrove lived in 135. Her father Frank lived there too. Myself, my mother and father lived in the middle, 133. I did feel that I had the run of the house then. Probably spent more time in my Grandma's than my own house. Grandad Frank frightened me a great deal. I couldn't/daren't go in the cellar on my own. It stretched all the way under all 3 houses, very dark and there were only 2 lights. There were also strange stairs and hidey holes too. Jim was a very kind man. Spoke as I recall with just the faintest of an Irish brogue. Frequently, and it must have been the weekend - he used to give me a florin (2/-) or half a crown (2/6) to clen his Corgi motor bike parts - he was a chauffer for the CWS in Manchester. Never saw the car, so he must have ridden in to Manchester everyday! I recall the day or at least the period that he died. I also know that in true Lomax fashion - things were done and life carried on. I have a feelig that my Aunt went straight back to work both after his death and after his funeral. The funeral wake was held in our part of the house. I presume Jim's family came. Lots of strangers and I remember awkwardness and strange dialects. But life continued.

Frank Lomax - Irene and Tom's Father
My Great Grandfather. The cat was called Twinkie. She died in a road accident outside Brookhouse.
My aunt was devastated. He is standing in the garden that was across the road.

At the end of the wall on the left a lane disappears down to an old factory. It was run down and us locals played there. It was bought out by Cormar Carpets. The sent quite large wagons down the lane. There was a 20 ft drop into the stream, none fell down to the best of my knowledge. The knocked down our corner on several occasions. I believe my Aunt sold them 20 sq yards so they had a better turning circle.


The "other" cottages at Brookhouse. These are just to the top left of Brookhouse on the map. This image is from the Bury Image Bank. It is the thumbnail blown up. Not sure if the person who uploaded the image really understood the significance of the picture because there are several objects in this picture that are no longer there apart from the cottages!

This picture has been taken from the left hand corner of the bridge that crosses the stream. Right heads towards Greenmount. Facing you in the photograph is the bridge that crosses the stream. (The Army blew the bridge up about 1960!) in a flood. Brookhouse cellar was already flooded - there was all sorts of garbage floating around in there including chickens from the abbatoir up Stormer hill. He got into terrible trouble for disposing dead chickens down the drain as I recall!

Until I saw the map I did not even know the existence of the cottages. It is almost impossible to tease out who lived where! I shall be diving in and trying to find out the identity of the people who lived there.I am not sure my mother recalls them. The other cottages were mentioned but these were not.

The picture of these cottages reveals 3 cottages in a line. They would stretch from the edge of the lane to Hollymount to the stream edge as it heads up the valley. The stonework on stream edge is still here. The map shows access or gardens to rear. Seems to make sense from what I remember.

Map off the Brookhouse area. Don't know the year. The streams are in blue
Holcombe road goes from south to north-east. Eventually to Greenmount, Holcombe Brook and beyond. The road thet heads off north-west goes to Hollymount Convent and Greenmount Golf Club. The top right building is Brookhouse Farm.
The very large building on the right is Brookhouse Mill, which is now Cormar Carpets.
This map will be updated.

This is looking down Stormer Hill. The faint buildings at the end of the road are
the cottages that my family remembers.
The wall on the righthand side had not been built at this time.

Apart from a copy of the actual deed, that I will publish I have some names from the internet that I have tried to join up as being resident at Brookhouse over the years. They will be sorted in time but for now a rough draft.

Robert and Sarah Tickle 1782
James Rothwell between 1830 and 1838
Probably Ann Rothwell upto October 1935

The names below are from the Cousins-Family Website, I will be wading my way through the census - to see if there is any more info at the censuses. I feel that these names may not have lived at Brookhouse itself.

Thomas Smith born abt 1841 Residence 30 March 1851     Age 10 (approx)
                                               Residence 7th April 1861      20 years Cotton Weaver

Betty Smith born abt 1852 Residence 7th April 1861           Age 9 (approx)
                                            Residence 2nd April 1871        Age 19 Stitcher at Bleach Works

Eliza Smith born abt 1857 Residence 2 April 1861
                                                    Residence 2nd April 1871   Age 14 (approx) Cotton Weaver

This is the entire 1981 Census that was living at "Brookhouse"

Joshua ROBERTS	Head	M	Male	42	Tottington, Lancashire, England	Bleacher And Finisher
Mary E. ROBERTS	Wife	M	Female	36	Stalham, Norfolk, England
Norman B. ROBERTS	Son		Male	13	Tottington, Lancashire, England
Herbert H. ROBERTS	Son		Male	10	Tottington, Lancashire, England
Harold K. ROBERTS	Son		Male	8	Tottington, Lancashire, England
Edith M. ROBERTS	Daur		Female	6	Tottington, Lancashire, England
Frederick J. ROBERTS	Son		Male	2	Tottington, Lancashire, England
Ellen MURPHY	Serv	U	Female	35	Wexford Ennisessthy, Ireland	General Servant

-----------------------
Miah GREENHALGH	Head	W	Female	63	Tottington, Lancashire, England	Annuitant
-----------------------
Alice SMITH	Head	W	Female	71	Tottington, Lancashire, England	Annuitant
Betty SMITH	Daur	U	Female	30	Tottington, Lancashire, England	Bleach Works Labourer
----------------------
Joseph NUTTALL	Head	M	Male	25	Tottington, Lancashire, England	Bleach Works Labourer
Mary Ann NUTTALL	Wife	M	Female	22	Tottington, Lancashire, England
Robert NUTTALL	Son		Male	3	Tottington, Lancashire, England
Charles NUTTALL	Son		Male	5 m	Tottington, Lancashire, England
-----------------------

Samuel BOOTH	Head	M	Male	62	Tottington, Lancashire, England	Print Works Labourer
Margarit BOOTH	Wife	M	Female	60	Bury, Lancashire, England
William RAMSBOTTAM	Lodger	U	Male	60	Tottington, Lancashire, England	Print Works Labourer
James JARRETT	Lodger	U	Male	32	Bolton, Lancashire, England	Bleach Works Finisher
----------------------

James ENTWISTLE	Head	M	Male	31	Bank Lane, Lancashire, England	Cotton Weaver
Mary ENTWISTLE	Wife	M	Female	34	Bank Lane, Lancashire, England
Elizabeth A. ENTWISTLE	Daur		Female	12	Bank Lane, Lancashire, England	Scholar
John ENTWISTLE	Son		Male	9	Bank Lane, Lancashire, England
Richard ENTWISTLE	Son		Male	1	Bank Lane, Lancashire, England
-------------------------

Thomas LEACH	Head	M	Male	37	Bury, Lancashire, England	Cotton Spinner
Betsy LEACH	Wife	M	Female	35	Bury, Lancashire, England
Anne Maria LEACH	Daur		Female	9	Tottington, Lancashire, England	Scholar
John Robt. LEACH	Son		Male	7	Tottington, Lancashire, England	Scholar
Harriet E. LEACH	Daur		Female	2 m	Tottington, Lancashire, England
------------------------

Lawrence NUTTALL	Head	M	Male	40	Tottington, Lancashire, England	Farm Labourer
Jane NUTTALL	Wife	M	Female	41	Tottington, Lancashire, England
James NUTTALL	Son	U	Male	10	Tottington, Lancashire, England	Scholar
Mary NUTTALL	Daur		Female	9	Tottington, Lancashire, England	Scholar
Maria NUTTALL	Daur		Female	6	Tottington, Lancashire, England	Scholar
Alice NUTTALL	Daur		Female	2	Tottington, Lancashire, England
------------------------

William H. LUND	Head	M	Male	41	Ewood Bridge, Lancashire, England	Print Works Mechanic
Ellen LUND	Wife	M	Female	41	Ramsbottom, Lancashire, England
Thos. LUND	Son		Male	14	Ramsbottom, Lancashire, England	Printworks Labourer
Chas.Ed. LUND	Son		Male	11	Ramsbottom, Lancashire, England	Printworks Labourer
Edward LUND	Son		Male	9	Ramsbottom, Lancashire, England	Scholar
Elizabeth LUND	Daur		Female	5	Ramsbottom, Lancashire, England	Scholar
Mary LUND	Daur		Female	7	Tottington, Lancashire, England	Scholar
William LUND	Son		Male	3	Tottington, Lancashire, England
Rachel SCHOLES	Serv	U	Female	17	Radcliffe, Lancashire, England	Cotton Weaver
------------------------

Samuel ISHERWOOD	Head	M	Male	32	Tottington, Lancashire, England	Cotton Overlooker
Martha ISHERWOOD	Wife	M	Female	31	Tottington, Lancashire, England	Cotton Weaver

-------------------------
Jesse HUTCHINSON	Head	W	Male	39	Tottington, Lancashire, England	Print Finisher
Emily HUTCHINSON	Daur		Female	10	Tottington, Lancashire, England	Scholar
Ernest HUTCHINSON	Son		Male	6	Tottington, Lancashire, England	Scholar
Martha BUTTERWORTH	Serv	U	Female	31	Tottington, Lancashire, England	General Serv
------------------------

William BROWN	Head	M	Male	31	Ramsbottom, Lancashire, England	Commercial Clerk
Ellen BROWN	Wife	M	Female	29	Ramsbottom, Lancashire, England
Sarah Jane BROWN	Daur		Female	4	Tottington, Lancashire, England	Scholar
Kitty BROWN	Daur		Female	2	Tottington, Lancashire, England
Alice BROWN	Daur		Female	4 m	Tottington, Lancashire, England
-------------------------

John MORGAN	Head	M	Male	60	Bolton, Lancashire, England	Out Labourer
Hannah MORGAN	Wife	M	Female	63	Bolton, Lancashire, England
Hannah Jane MORGAN	Daur	U	Female	24	Bolton, Lancashire, England	Bleach Works Finisher
Elijah MORGAN	Daur	U	Male	20	Bolton, Lancashire, England	Print Dryer
------------------------

Alice HEAP	Head	W	Female	64	Tottington, Lancashire, England	Annuitant
Ann HEAP	Daur	U	Female	32	Tottington, Lancashire, England	Annuitant
Elizabeth HEAP	Daur	U	Female	24	Tottington, Lancashire, England	Annuitant
Margaret A. HEAP	Grd Daur		Female	3	Tottington, Lancashire, England
-----------------------

James GRIME	Head	M	Male	28	Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, England	Manager Print Works
Jane Ann GRIME	Wife	M	Female	27	Church, Lancashire, England
John Fister GRIME	Son		Male	2	Tottington, Lancashire, England
Alice FISTER	Visitor	W	Female	64	Oakenshaw, Lancashire, England	No Occupation
E.A. KERR	Visitor	U	Female	26	Glasgow, Scotland	Confectioner
William GRIME	Son		Male	1	Tottington, Lancashire, England
-----------------------

Job HOLLAND	Head	M	Male	26	Radcliffe, Lancashire, England	Cloth And Yarn Agent
Sarah E. HOLLAND	Wife	M	Female	24	Tottington, Lancashire, England
Annie HOLLAND	Daur		Female	1	Tottington, Lancashire, England
Mary HUTTON	Serv		Female	14	Skelmersdale	General Servant

This is 16 households. Brookhouse proper will have consisted of 3 households. Probably the Grimes, Holland and Heaps.The other 13 will have been split between the Farm - although there does not appear to be a farmer in the list and the remainder of the cottages. The farm was probably split into cottages anyway. Research to continue!!

West Hartlepool UDC

2010-01-04T15:37:00.000-08:00

Picture of the officers or West Hartlepool circa 1930 to 1935. My Grandfather (Tom Lomax) is on the top-right corner. This was his second appointment as he climbed up the "Borough Surveyor" chain. He later moved to Rhyl in North Wales. He was the designer of the sea wall there. He used a comparitivly unknown and untested contractor for this job. George Dew always delivered a fine turkey at Christmas to Tom. One year it would not even go in the oven!

Tottington Wesleyan School 1922

2009-12-30T14:04:00.000-08:00

This picture has my Great Aunt Irene Lomax on it. She is 3rd from the left on the top row. This school was attached to the church. Of course many of the family and close relatives are buried in the churchyard. I was raised in "Tottie". And still consider it my home town, I have spent the last 40 years on the Fylde coast.
She remained in the area, married James Cosgrove in the church, taught at the Bury Tech. She died at Highbank nursing home in Walshaw. Who are all these other people!

Changes to format

2009-12-28T17:10:00.001-08:00

I am unable to resist changes to the format of this blog! I made the blog wider and tweaked the art work slightly

Robert Eric Noel Martyn-Clark

2009-12-28T13:54:00.000-08:00

I'd thought I'd use this blog to update my family history shenanigins. So I have posted 2 pictures of Graylingwell Hospital, together with its incumbants. The "suit" in the centre is my grandfather Robert Eric Noel Martyn-Clark. He was a doctor, and he served on the front line, towards the end of the war, he must have opted for a life dealing with combat scarred troops. Eric was born on Christmas day and coincidentally died on Christmas day too. His wife Ethel survived him by a few years and my father and his sister were brought up by his Mum's sisters in Cornwall. The final photograph is Robert Eric in service. Does seem a little peculiar that every person on the photo is in a different uniform. It does actually seem that they may even be different nationalities. Robert is on the top row, second from the left. He was always known as Eric in the family.