We were filmed in the small gardens outside St Thomas’s Hospital,  Igor had a list of questions and the questions were aimed at either Kim or myself.  It was a nice day and it didn’t seem we were talking to a camera but to a friend.  About an hour later filming was done and we all headed out of the garden, just as the rain started to pour down.  We headed for a coffee and asked our cameraman to join us, sadly he had other commitments.

So, about 50 minutes of filming was cut down to about 3minutes and we start about the 12 minute mark. The programme ’Zhdi Menya’.

Since the programme aired there has been quite a bit of emailing going on but email and computer problems, on their side,lately have slowed this down.  We don’t speak Russian and my cousin in laws don’t speak English therefore, google translator has been getting a lot of use along with my daughters friends who have a smattering of the language.

Stop Press :- By the time I post this we will be on our way to Minsk  followed by Slonim, and as they say, treading in my mother in laws steps.  We will be seeing her homeland as she never saw it and visiting places that even google cannot find…… but what an adventure and what a tale we will have to tell on our return

See you when I get back !!

Augustus Dilberoglue – he was born on 13th January 1894, he was the son of Planton and Julia Dilberoglue who around the time of their sons death were living at The Lodge, 19 Southfields Road, Eastbourne.  The family had previously been living in Cairo as Planton had been a Judge of the Native Court of Appeal.  He was educated at Summerfields, Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, where he was when war broke out.  He obtained a commission and later attended Sandhurst.  1915 saw him being gazetted to the 3rd King’s Own Hussars.  Augustus served with his regiment in Shorncliffe, Ireland, with the BEF in France and Flanders and was KIA on 1 April 1918 nr Domart.  He rests in Hourges Orchard Cemetery Domart-Sur-La-Luce CWGC cemetery. His Commanding Officer wrote that he had a very high opinion of him, he was a fine young man and would be a great loss.  A fellow officer said he was of the finest character and a good friend.  He went on to say that he did not think he had ever met a more morally fearless character and that his squadron and troop fellow officers all loved him. While at Eton he had been captain of his house and in his last year captain of boars.  He rowed bow in the vii in 1912 and no 5 in the vii in 1913.  During that year he also won the School Pulling with G W Withington.  In 1914 he rowed no 7 in the Christ Church boat First Torpids.  He was a member of the Cavalry Club, the Vikings Club and of the Leander Club. Planton and Julia lost another of their sons – Richard Nicholas Dilberoglue who was also educated at Southfield and Eton and Sandhurst and joined the Coldstream Guards.  He was KIA when a shell exploded at his feet and he rests in Ginchy.  He also had wonderful tributes paid to him. Richard’s medal card, like his brother’s give their parents address in Eastbourne, but Richards gives a previous address of Buckingham Gate SW1. Richard and Augustus also had another brother serving in the Welsh Guards, Pandeli Dilberoglue who survived The Great War and lived until 1952.  

Sigurd MacCulloch (MacCullock) - Sigurd Harold MacCulloch was the son of John J and Matilda J MacCullochserved as a 2/Lieutenant  in the Seaforth Highlanders and died of wounds near Albert in 20 December 1915 aged 21.  He rests in Mailly-Maillet Communal Cemetery Extension.  An address on his medal card tells that the family lived at 8 Caurtfield Gardens, SW7.  The London Gazette for 4 March 1915 states that “The undermentioned Second Lieutenants to be Lieutenants” Sigurd H Macculloch’s entry had a note in brackets ‘(since died of wounds received in action)’. Sources:-De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour Ancestry CWGC Christ Church, Oxford.

Esmond Elliot –  Was born on 25 September 1895, to Gilbert John Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, Earl of Minto and his wife Mary Caroline Grey.  Esmond like the other young men in this entry he attended Eton College and was coxwain in the Eton College eight in 1911,12,13.  During the Coronatian year he was Page of Honour when the new King and Queen went to Holyrood.  He served in the Scots’ Guards with a rank of Lieutenant and acted as A.D,C, to the Major General commanding the Guards Division in France.  He Died of Wounds on 6 Aug 1917.  A note on his Medal Card dated 7 February 1922 has his mother, The Rt. Hon. Mary, Countess of Minto, of 48 Chelsea Park Gardens,  SW3, applying for her dead sons medals.on year, he was Page of Honour when the King and Queen  were at Holyrood.

My mum left me her handwritten recipe books from which I am now writing a book with the proceeds going to charity, aunty Dolly also gave me a book, about 7” x 5” and in dark brown mock leather.  As a child I just looked and thought no more about this little insignificant, slightly ragged, or well worn little book.

Before I tell you about the book I would like to tell you about my beloved aunt Dolly. She was born Frances Siddle on 16 September 1907 in Wakefield  to Agnes Siddle.  There was no father named on her birth certificate.  In April 1911 her mother married Ernest Wilkinson and later in the year she was Christened and between 1913 and 1929 three half siblings followed.  By 1950 she had met and married John C Kaye, a professional soldier, now he’s another interesting story.

Frances by now was known as Dolly or Do-Do and in her early 20’s worked as a barmaid in a public house at the Westgate end of Dewsbury Road.  Later, she trained as a nurse and later undertook extra training to become a mental nurse – Frances Siddle, R.C.N., R.M.N. abbreviations of which she was very proud.  In my lifetime aunty Dolly worked at Stanley Royd and was one of the shift Sisters in charge of Ward 18.  She was immaculate in her navy uniform with a starched white apron, starched cap, and when working on the ward she had her cuffs turned up with frilly white covers or when doing her office work she had her sleeves turned down with stiff white cuffs and always had her keys very close at hand.  When I, as a child, used to go with my uncle John to collect her.  We used to drive passed the gate house, where at the end of a shift aunty Dolly or Sister Kaye, would deposit her keys.  Go up the drive and then turn down towards Ward 18 under a small arch and uncle John would wait in the car while I would run to the large door and ring the bell and await the clunking of the key in the door.  Once inside I would either go into aunties office or go and sit with the ladies who lived behind the large locked door.

Aunt Dolly and uncle John became my second set of parents as I lived with them for many months while mum was in hospital with an injured leg – what more can you ask for –  one set of wonderful parents and then two others who dote on you.

Anyway, on my many visits to their house my aunt showed me the little book, I looked at the pages, thought how nice the pictures were and how I wish I could draw and paint like that, and that was that.  Now, many years later the little book has once again grabbed my attention, but as well as thinking how nice the pictures are I also wonder who wrote the words, drew the flowers and did the wonderful ink pen drawings.  How many times have I looked at the little book and never notice other

Edwin Siddle

people with the name Siddle. Two of my great uncles have written and signed in the book along with many other peoples ditiities.  My aunts Autograph Book is full of her friends.

Charles Ernest Siddle

Charles Ernest Siddle on 19 July 1919 wrote ‘What ? Write in a book, where people look, and critics spy, not I, I’m shy, Goodbye’  A few short years later he had died.  His brother Edwin wrote multiple entries but one that makes me smile is this ‘God made the bees, the bees make honey, the infantry fill the sandbags, the R.E’s get the money’.

Edwin Siddle

Others who have graced the pages include Nellie Winterbottom who on 22 March 1922 wrote ‘ Mary had a little watch, she swallowed it one day, now she’s taking Epson Salts to pass the time away’.  Gladys Bennett on 6 October 1922 wrote ‘ If every day was sunny, with ne’er a cloud in view, we’d soon be spending money to buy a cloud or two’.  Marjorie Holmes wrote ‘The happiest moments of all my life were in the arms of another man’s wife – my mother’.  M Harrison on 6 October 1922 wrote ‘ The butterfly has wings of gold, the firefly has wings of flame. The flea it as no wings at all, but it gets there just the same’.  I think M Harrison could have also have worked on Ward 18 at Stanley Royd.

C E B

Edwin Siddle

M Brear

G Moxon

M Brear

Names and initials on the pages are :- R W, M Brear, G C Moxon, E J Tingle, A Murgatroyd, NellieWinterbottom, Irene Stevenson, A Hutchinson, M Harrison, E Morton, Annie Fraser, Ethel Oxley, M Sykes, D M Meek, E Hemingway, H Asquith, Mary Murgatroyd, Gladys Asquith, C E B, Violet, V Bell, M Garrison, Marjorie Holmes, K Hudson (beautiful pen drawing), M Johnson, Gladys Bennett and finally, G F Smith B.A., L.L.B., L.L.D., A.C.P. who wrote ‘ England has saved herself by her bravery may she now save Europe by her example’.

One of the entries is a poem of sorts and covers three pages entitled The Barnsley Disaster.  At first I thought this was just a story but that proved to be wrong.

Barnsley Public Hall on Saturday 11 January 1908 was the setting for a tragedy when 16 children mainly under 10 years old lost their lives and 40 others were seriously injured. That will be another tale but what interests me at this time are the names.  Family history does after all starts with names.

 Ethel Oxley for instance was born in 1908, the daughter of Henry and Ethel Oxley who at the time lived at 19 Pilkington Street, Thornes Lane, Wakefield. Ethel at the time being the youngest of four children.

Gladys Asquith was not a local girl being born in Hereford.  Her grandfather, Benjamin Asquith was a market gardener born in Carr Gate, his wife Elizabeth was also a local girl and their son Walter.  But somewhere along the line they moved to Hereford where Walter met his wife Lily and Gladys was born in 1908 but in the next couple of years they moved back ‘home’ and Evelyn came into the world.  The census of 1911 index gives the impression that Benjamin and Elizabeth are the parents of the two young children, but I think otherwise and am taking Walter and Lily as their parents.  The family lived in a four roomed dwelling at 21 Carter Street, Wakefield.

Mary Murgatroyd – there are two Mary Murgatroyds that are within a decent age range but for some reason, call it gut instinct I am going with the younger of the two as her father was a Law Clerk for the County Council.  As you have previously read one of the entries in the book has legal initials after his name (maybe not a good enough reason but seems to fit better than the other entry).  The family were also living only a few streets away on Johnston Street.

Annie Fraser

Annie (Ann) Fraser, another writer in aunt Dolly’s little brown book was born in Wakefield along with her brother William, while the rest of the family were from Forfar, Paisley and Glasgow.  Annie’s father James was a boat builder, building seamless steel boats.  The family lived at 12 Caldervale Road, so James would have been very close to work.

Violet (Victoria) Bell was one of five children in the 1911 census to Ernest Edward Bell and his wife Lillian Gertrude – the couple being married thirteen years and he worked as an iron roller at Horbury Junction.  Again, a family that came into Wakefield.  Ernest was born in Louth, his wife in Tipton, Staffordshire  and their two eldest children hailed from Carlisle.  The family lived in three rooms at 14 Wellington St, Thornes Lane.

Nellie Winterburn was the daughter of George and Emma who lived at 3 Wellington Street, Thornes Lane.  George worked as a cloth scourer to feed his family in 1911.

I have now found out who some of the entries were written by but not how they are connected to my aunt – more research to be done. But one of the few names that evade me is G. F. Smith B.A., L.L.B., L.L.D., A.C.P – who is he and what connection did he have to my aunt.  Was the connection her friend whose father was a Law Clerk or what it a nursing connection?

Mr Smith’s entry

A quick search of the 1911 census has four entries for a Smith who is a solicitor, but none with the initials C. F. There is, unlike other entries, no date for Mr Smith’s entry but going by the others the dates are between 1918 and 1922.

Still more looking around to try and find the threads that crossed these peoples lives in the few years following World War one.  But as I write this something has just dawned on me.  Something I knew, but never thought of.  My aunt was almost a generation older than my father, being born in 1908 and my father in 1923.  I knew all about her but never until today did it click she lived through WW1 – she would have been there when my great grandma received ‘that telegram’ regarding her son Herbert.  There when my great aunt also received ‘that telegram’ regarding her husband George Albert Wheeldon. There when my great grandma lost another son Charles in 1926.  It sometimes takes writing things down to realise how the generations blend into one family.

So that’s the story of Aunt Dolly’s little brown book so far.

To be continued……….

“At Toronto, on 6th June, by the Rev. Alex. Topp, A.M. Mr Alex. Riach, farmer, second son of the late Mr Jas. Riach, farmer, Barflathills, Morayshire, to Isabella Campbel, County of Chateaugeauy, Canada East.”

Who were Alexander and Isabella?

Isabella, born about 1839 in Argyl.  She was the daughter of Dugald Campbell and Catharine McKillop.  At the time of her marriage she was living in Chateauguay, Quebec. Alexander on the other hand was born about 1841 in Elgin, the son of James Riach and Margaret Newland.  At the time of his marriage he was living in the Nelson Township. I’ve found 1 child born to the couple – Joseph Newlands Riach b 1 Sept 1872 at Wentworth   Memorial inscription for Alexander and Isabella at Greenwood Cemetery, Burlington, Ontario.

In memory of Sabella Campbell beloved wife of Alexander Riach died Sept 23 1896 aged 58 years. A native of Argyleshire Scotland. Alexander Riach 1840-1914. (back) James C Riach 1867-1944

The census of 1901 sees Alexander a widow and living in the home of Arthur Grey a farmerl

The 1911 census of Canada has Alex as a boarder in the house of William Hannon(?) and his family  on what looks like Maber Street, Burlington, Ontario.  Alex’s occupation was given as servant.

I don’t like lists of names or entries in bibles that are unknown, they should belong now as they did when their name was so tenderly written.  That could be why I’ve taken to transcribing war memorials – a name on a plaque or on a carved stone means nothing unless you know who they were in life.

So who were the Constantine family mentioned in the bible that had been given to the group and was put on display over Heritage Weekend ?

There were names and dates but sadly, no places and in one case just initials.  The names and dates were a start and I copied the names down to try and solve the mystery after tea.  After tea…….no now, while the curiosity juices are flowing…………Tea will wait !!!

The first entries in the bible were for William Henry Constantine born on 28 Sept 1823 and below the entry for his wife Ruth Elizabeth Constantine born 26 Sept 1855, followed by their children Martha Ann 22 Apr 1879 ; Nellie 1881 ; Lissey 1888 ; Wilfred 1890 ; Sarah 1883 ; Sam W 1885 ; Annie 1895.

The 1881 census filled in a few gaps.  Firstly, the family were not from Wakefield but Wortley or Armley – depending on which census you looked at and that William was a Sanitary Tube maker or worker. The other members of the family stated they were from Armley. Secondly, Nellie was Ellen and thirdly, Ruth could possibly be an Appleby as James Appleby, brother in law, was living in the household along with a Martha Ann aged 9 and giving relationship as niece.

A look on the Freebmd website confirmed the Constantine / Appleby link when William Henry and Ruth Elizabeth (Appleby) married on 31 Aug 1878 in the Leeds Registration District.

Going back to the 1861 census, hoping to find William H’s father revealed that William Constantine (1821) and Ann (Lockbottom) (1822) were the parents of William H. William like his son was a Sanitary Tube Maker and was born in Leeds. As well as William H the children were Joseph 1848 ; Sarah 1850 ; John Edward 1856 and Mary Ann 1859.

Further back to William’s parents – Samuel Constantine b 1788 and Ann Jackson b 1778.  The couple married at St Peter’s Leeds on 3 Jan 1809 and they went on to have 8 children.

But back to William Henry and Ruth Elizabeth in 1881 the family lived at 35 Parsonage View, Armley by 1891 they had moved just down the road to 23 but his employment had changed to that of labourer and all his children attended school except the Wilfred the baby and Elizabeth aged 2.  You may not remember Elizabeth from the list of birth but you may remember Lissey.

By 1901 they were now living at….. well on the census it looked like 13 Bowlingate Terr, but that did not give me a good feeling.  A visit to the Leodis website and search for Bowlingate revealed nothing.  But a manual search of Wortley itself and bingo …. Bowling Garth Terr.  I had a address so why not look at what it was like – no’s 7 – 13 looked to be decent enough houses with steps leading to the front door.  The oval fanlight was surrounded by two stone quadrants with a centre support/decoration.  The windows also had stone decorations above and below.  Partially below ground level was the cellar that looked to have two windows letting in light to what was probably the kitchen.  Back upstairs and there was a large window by the front door.  Upstairs was another large window and a smaller window over the door.  A picture of houses 3 – 5 gives a description of them being back to back, if no 13 an end terrace was back to back I don’t know.

We now know a little more about the family but the children in the bible – what happened to them.  Martha Ann  died in 1965.  Ellen married Ernest Boston on 24 December 1904 and had Harry in 1905 and Wilfred in 1915 (d 1960), again these entries were in the pages of the bible.

Samuel died on 3 August 1960, Elizabeth – did she marry or didn’t she only the people in the bible know.

William married Louisa Bannister and a search on Freebmd for a Constantine/Bannister child came up with Fred born in 1918 and Annie, she  married J H Marshall on 17 July 1920 in the Bramley District.  Who was J H ?  A look on Freebmd came up with no hits for his marriage but a search of the GRO on Ancestry came up with 50% of the answer – John H Marshall, well it was a start ! Back to Freebmd and a look at their birth transcripts and a possible hit for him of John Hemingway Marshall.

Now, J H and his wife are the people that have the Wakefield link.  John was born in Alverthorpe around 1880 and by 1901 was living with his siblings – his eldest sister, Ethel aged 22 was the head of the house, Elden House, Alverthorpe  and was the ‘parent’ to her other 9 brothers and sisters.  I suppose you could say she was helped by a 22 year old servant.  The previous census told that their parents were Charles H  and Annie S Marshall who lived at Silcoates, Charles being employed as a Mill Manager (woollen cloth).

Back to J H and Annie, they went on to have three children, Reginald b 1921 ; Ruth b 1922 and Harry in 1924 all being registered in Wakefield.  Both John and Annie must have stayed around the Alverthorpe area as Annie died in West Ardsley in the 1970’s

We now arrive at the third child of William and Ruth, Sarah born in the summer of 1883.  It was the year that a rumour spread around New York that the BrooklynBridge was going to collapse – resulting in a stampede crushing 12 people.  The year of the Victoria Hall disaster – a rush for treats resulted in 183 children being asphyxiated in a concert hall in Sunderland.  It was the year that the Zulu king Cetshwayo barely escaped a rebel attack and the year that the volcano Krakatoa erupted and it was the year that the Boys’ Brigade was founded in Glasgow.  It was also the year that little Sarah died – 8^th June 1883 in Armley, Leeds.

As this was not my family tree I did not want to delve too far back or get too curious as to what else they got up to with their lives but there was one more question I wanted to answer and that was did anyone else have them in their family trees ?  I normally check our Ancestry World Tree but this time just checked them via the trees on Ancestry and a couple of trees came up.  I was pleased that by just checking through the census, Freebmd and the GRO that I had everything they had BUT!!!! I had one thing more than any of them – I had Sarah.

Sarah being born in 1883 had missed the census, simply been and gone and only recorded on her birth and death certificates and in her local parish register when she was christened and buried on 30th June of the same year at St Bartholomew’s, Armley.

St Bartholomew’s Church from Wikipedia

How can she be forgotten, when we all know her name……………….SARAH

Sources

http://freebmd.rootsweb.com

www.ancestry.com

www.leodis.co.uk

To check woodkirk MI

St pauls alverthorpe pr’s

Wakefield was traditionally the centre of rhubarb growing with the Rhubarb Triangle covering the Wakefield, East Ardsley, Rothwell, Carlton and Morley areas.  For over 150 years the fruit has been growing here, as conditions were ideal. There was plenty of local fuel – coal, and a large number of market gardeners.

A large amount of rhubarb was grown in ‘forcing sheds’, they bring an early crop and some can still be seen locally.  It is said that in the sheds, lit only by candles you can hear the rhubarb growing and as candles are moved to keep the rhubarb straight the light green tops turn to face the light – this could be the noise heard by the growers as the leaves are still uncurling. themselves

Years ago rhubarb was sent to Leeds on overnight trains full of rhubarb for the London markets.  Along with Champagne, Parma Ham, Yorkshire Rhubarb has protected status and joins British foods such as the Melton Mowbray pork pie, Stilton cheese, Arbroath Smokies and Jersey Royal potatoes to name just a few.

p.s. keep the event quiet as I want to be able to get a parking space!!

Wakefield – history and heritage here

Facebook page

My dad also had photographs, not so many, but they also had either a few words or nothing.

In a moment of frustration of trying to find out who these people were Who Are You? was born.

Taken by C. Wilkinson

The pictures were scanned and then put into an online photo album with as much information about the picture as I could find on the reverse or deduce from the image.  I was loaned pictures, begged pictures, scanned them all and indexed them – cross referencing them if I knew they were from one place but the photograph was taken elsewhere.

All in all there are pictures of unknown and known people from the British Isles, Canada, America, Ukrkaine, Africa and a section of WW1 & 2.

Just to give you an idea as to some of the pictures – there is a family photograph in the Morley section of a couple and a small child written on the reverse is ‘ Aunt Mary ‘ but, who was Aunt Mary ? Is she the lady or is she the child ? Other images from the Morley section include members of the Donkersley  Worrel, Kershaw families  - most of the Morley photographs were handed to me as one group, so therefore I have kept them together and linked to other sections, but a photograph of a young man taken by Chas. A. Saylon, photographer, S. E. cor. Sixth & Penn Sts, Reading, PA. ( or South East corner of Sixth & Penn Streets). Who is this young man ? Was he visiting family or did he live in Pennsylvania ?

This section of my site Wakefield Family History Sharing has not been available for a while, but is now available and shortly with have the addition of extra pages with a connection to Victorian and Edwardian photographers.

Wakefield Family History Sharing

Who Are You?

]]> http://www.wakefieldfhs.org.uk/blog/2012/12/who-are-you-2/feed/ 0 http://www.wakefieldfhs.org.uk/blog/2012/12/christopher-saxton-dunningley/ http://www.wakefieldfhs.org.uk/blog/2012/12/christopher-saxton-dunningley/#comments Wed, 26 Dec 2012 13:23:52 +0000 carol http://www.wakefieldfhs.org.uk/blog/?p=640 Extracted from The Registers of Topcliffe & Morley

Dunningley, within half-a-mile due east of Topcliffe, is noted as being the birthplace of Christopher Saxton, an eminent cartographer, and also as containing the residence of a sweetheart of Nevison, the highwayman.  In Dr. John Dee’s Diary, 1596, appears this entry:- “July 10^th, Manchester town described and measured by Mr Christopher Saxton.”  Mr. J. E. Bailey, writes of this as follows :- “This Manchester survey which would be a valuable addition to out local topography, is not now known to be in existence.  C. Saxton was the author of the first maps of Britain from actual survey.  The series of maps was nine years in preparation and was first issued as a complete atlas of maps in 1579.  Thoresby remarked that the maps had never been surpassed, scarcely equalled for exactness.  Each map contains the arms of the Queen, who gave Saxton a patent for publishing the charts for ten years, and of Thomas Sackford, Master of Requests, who was employment, Saxton was at the date of the patent. Saxton was encouraged by Sir William Cordel, Master of the Rolls.  His skill as a chorographer is set forth in his epitaph”.  Thoresby says that in all probability he was buried in Batley Church.** Dunningley at the present time, consists of a few farm-houses, not remarkable for theit antiquity of picturesqueness.

** In Dugdale’s “Visitation of Yorkshire,”1666, “Birkbeck of Sheffield and Castleford” – Christopher Saxton, the geographer, here called Surveyor and Compiler of Maps of England, is said to have been of Dunningley.  The Saxton’s were to be found at Mirfield, &c., a century afterwards.

Photo D Knowling 2012

Additional Saxton information – Saxton probably born c1540 in the parish of Dewsbury and grew up in the hamlet of Dunningley.  He, as a young man, was in the employ of John Rudd the vicar of Dewsbury and Thornhill, a keen cartographer who passed his skills on to Christopher.  In 1570 he started a commission from Lord Burghley to survey the whole of England and Wales.  He died after 1610 as he is named in the will of his elder brother Thomas and before 1626 when the will of his son, Robert, was proved.

Wakefield – Its History and People says that Saxton was educated in one of the chantry schools within the town (Wakefield), before furthering his education at Oxford.

Much of Saxton’s work was used for many years and his atlas published in the late 1500′s was continually being re-issued and adapted until the late 1700′s. The issues were : William Hole and William Kip re-engraved Saxton’s maps and reduced them in size for the early 1600′s edition – Saxton being given credit for most of the map work. Later editions followed in 1607, 1610 and 16378.   The Atlas – Atlas of the Counties of England & Wales is in the Special Collections Department of Glasgow University Library.

Christopher was granted arms and received lands from the crown, both showing how he was respected for his work.  His grant of arms refers to him as “Christopher Saxton of Dunningly, gentleman”.  But Wakefield has also laid claim to him.

One in particular caught me attention, quite plain from behind and if I had walked the row behind this headstone would have missed its interesting front.  The stone is pale in colour and shaped like a medieval church window but the carving on the top is wonderful.

Who was this headstone remembering and why did they have such an elaborate memorial.  Were they much loved in the area or a character who would be sadly missed by the local people?

C Sklinar 2012

The headstone is to one Harry Mills born around 1840 in Emery Down, Hampshire. In the census of 1861  with his parents Thomas Mills aged 60 a gardener and his wife Ann aged 59.  There are other children including :- Sarah, 22 dressmaker, Lucy 18 ; George 14, scholar and Edward Mills, grandson aged 5.  There is an entry on the 1871 census for a Harry Mills b 1842 in Lyndhurst  with Thomas Mills aged 67 a general labourer and his wife Ann also aged 67 who works as a laundress.  Along with Harry there are 2 other children ; Lucy aged 26 a laundress and Ann who is aged 2 and classed as a daughter (is she the daughter of Thomas and Ann or of Lucy or of another child of Thomas and Ann?) all living at Clay Hill, Lyndhurst.

Harry was later to become well known as a hermit and snake-catcher – eradicating many local areas of their snakes.  He could be seen around the communities with his sack and a forked stick. Harry supplied snakes to London Zoo for their mammals, birds of prey and other snakes.  Harry was also said to have made potions, lotions and ointments from various parts of the snakes to help with rheumatism and boiled snakes to sell the skeletons. It is estimated that during his time as a snake-catcher he caught tens of thousands.

Harry, became a tourist attraction following an article in the national press and many curious tourists and visitors had their photographs taken with him and listed to his tales.

During this period Harry lived in an old charcoal burners hut near Brockenhurst but decided to build himself larger accomodation. The 1891 census has Harry as a single man born in Lyndhurst with his address as  ’hut at Westly Wood’. One night his hut was vandelised, it was thought this could be to stop Harry claiming squatters rights on the land and claim ownership as he had lived their for so many years.  After his home was destroyed Harry lived in one of the outbuildings at the Railway Inn, Brockenhurst and died shortly after  on 1st July 1905 aged 65 years.

C Sklinar 2012

The inscription on the headstone that was paid for by the locals reads:

This stone marks the grave of Harry Mills, (better known as “Brusher Mills”,) who for a long number of years followed the

occupation of  Snake Catcher, in the New Forest. His pursuit and the primitive way in which he lived, caused him to be an object of interest to many.  He died suddenly July 1st 1905, aged 65 years.

After Harry’s death a friend of his, George Waterbridge took ofer the task of snake catching and it is said he inherited the famous sack and forked stick.

The New Forest today is protected by both the Wildlife Act and local bylaws, so Harry would not be able to live or ply his trade in the forest

Last week I attended a local family history talk by Cyril Pearce about pockets of resistance within the West Riding – wonderful as I have an interest in WW1 and in ‘conchies’.

Always one for learning some new snippet or piece of information, nobody knows everything, even though some think they do, I listened with interest.  Although, most of the talk was based around the Huddersfield areas, the information fitted in with other places in different counties.

My information has been gathered from around the Derby area, based on my family, but this opened my eyes to the people who were involved and how they were accepted and treated within their communities.  One of my questions at the end of the talk, based on a copy of an Attestation Paper was ‘did all concientious objectors have an army service number’, to my surprise the answer was yes, as they were called up and therefore were allocated a number.  Many refused to sign and had to follow the consequences of this by either doing non-combatant work i.e. being in a reserved profession, by being in an ambulance corps., or doing aid work of sorts.  The Friends Ambulance Corps is one of these groups (Quakers).  But, saying that, many still refused to do any work that would help the nation at this time, even being in a reserved occupation was too much, and they would have been sent to varioius prisons including Wakefield and Dartmoor.

For the first two years of the war over 3,000,000 volunteered (up to 1916 there had been no conscription) but due to such heavy losses it was decided to bring in conscription.  At first it was only single men had the call, then as time went on and 1918 came, married men and men up to 50 were also included. So, after the passing of various Military Service Acts the No-Conscription Fellowship mounted a campaign against the punishment of objectors and in total about 16,000 men refused to fight.  A  large number of these men were pacifists who believed that killing another human being was wrong, either for religious or conscientious reasons.  The No-Conscription Fellowship had support from many public figures of the time  including : Bertrand Russell, Arthur McManus, Alfred Mason to name a few.

The areas of objectors in the West Riding seemed to be mainly from the woollen areas which seemed to be mainly non-conformist, the mining areas, mainly the traditional church seemed to be lightly affected.  You would think that the mining areas would have the same feelings as there were many Socialist and Labour groups involved with the organisation of objector groups.

Over 120 Huddersfield men appeared before a tribunal for their beliefs, one conscientious objector was Arthur Gardiner.  He was a gifted talker and when attending the tribunal likened himself to German workers who he felt he had more in common with than the men in Westminster – he lost his appeal, was sent to France, leaving the station to waving supporters.  One would think that a C.O. would not blend well back into a community after so many families had lost fathers, brothers and sons, but no, Arthur went on to become Mayor of Huddersfield.

What did I learn from Cyril’s talk, well that the C.O’s had various degrees of how much or how little they would do, or how much they would disrupt the every day goings on ‘at home’. I knew  there were many National groups who were organising anti-war feelings, but I did not realise how many small, local groups including Friends Meetings and Sunday Schools were involved.  Also, I knew there were the ambulance and first aid non combatants but I found out that many went to France to dig trenches, give aid and hand out tea.

Further reading

http://reporter.leeds.ac.uk/472/s5.htm

http://reporter.leeds.ac.uk/472/hudders.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bradford/sense_of_place/remembrance_huddersfield_co.shtml

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWncf.htm