Question from Tina
Schofield from Pulloxhill Bedford, February 2006
Hi
Richard,
I’ve just found your web site about Brierley it’s very interesting.
My grandmother was born in Brierley in 1898, she was Gladys Needham, she
left in 191?. She was in service with a vicar (Rev Forbes?) who moved
and she went with them to Bugthorpe. I remember visiting her sister Maud
Vaux b 1894, when I was a small child. She lived in a little cottage
just along from the Co-op, New Row? I can remember visiting her as a
small girl. The houses were pulled down and she moved to a new old
person bungalow round the corner it was on a hill overlooking??? .
I’ve found a picture of the cottages on your web site.
My
father has supplied me with information about his Aunts and Uncles there
were 10 in all.
George
b1887
/ Ethel b1880 d 1910
/ May b 1890 d 1897/Maud
b 1894 d 1986 married Edgar Vaux daughter Dorothy still lives somewhere
in the area/
Gladys b 1898 d 1986 my Gran/
William b1901/ Gerald b 1902 d 1903/
Jessie b 1902 d 1903/Florence
b 1908
Then
there was Harry but I can’t find anything about him he was older.
I’ve tried the census but without luck. I was wondering if you had
access to other local records that might throw so light on him. If you
do I would be very grateful if you would have a look for him. Not a lot
to go on really. I think that Harry’s daughter was Florence May
Needham (you have 2 photos of her wedding on your web site)
I
was going to send you some pictures that I scanned but the files are too
big. I have postcards of Brierley Church interior & Exterior. I seem
to have pictures of 2 different churches on with a tower and another
with a spire. The Institute outside and then interior of large hall. I
understand from my father that his grandfather William Needham had a
joiner’s workshop, which was pulled down, and the Institute was built
on that site. At that time William then went to work as a joiner at the
colliery. The picture is of very ornate gothic building with a bell and
look vaguely religious and then another one of Holgate Cottages? where
William lived after his wife died. These last 2 photos might be
connected.
If
you are interested in the photos I should be able to compress them.
Please let me know.
Look
forward to hearing from you
Tina
Schofield
Reply from Richard
"Dear
Tina
Thank you
for your enquiry. I knew Maud Vaux quite well she was a friend of my
wife’s family.
Yes
the Cottages near the Post Office were called New Row but they are on
the 1854 6” Ordnance
Survey map of Brierley.
They were new at one time, there is a
New Road
in Woolley built in 1820 as a by pass for Woolley Hall the home of
the Wentworth family. Maud Vaux moved from New Row to live on
Grange Road
overlooking Cudworth, Shafton, and much more. There is a very open view
from that part of Brierley. Dorothy Foster her daughter lives at Shafton
but she is not well now.
I
have found George, Ethel, Maud, Gladys, and a baby called William on the
1901 census together with William Needham and his wife Ann. On the 1881
census I have George Needham aged 50 born in Finningley working as an
agricultural labourer in Brierley.
He is
listed as born in Rossington on the 1901 census. Finningley and
Rossington parishes share a common boundary. His wife Hannah aged 44 was
born in Felkirk parish as was his son William a joiner aged 22. William.
F. Curtis aged 4 and born in Pontefract was at the same address. They
lived on Church Street
opposite the Church and School, next to Godfrey Cordeux who is mentioned
in my online booklet Brereley a History of Brierley.
Harry
was not on the 1901 census for Brierley he may not have been born, or he
may have been away from home the night of the census. Have you tried the
General Register Office index’s, they have all births in
Great Britain
recorded from 1837 and are available in quite a few reference libraries
on microfiche. I know they are available in Barnsley, Sheffield, and
Leeds
libraries. Once you know the year you can apply to
Barnsley
registrar at the Town Hall for a birth certificate.
There is
no Rev. Forbes or similar name listed as Vicar of Felkirk with Brierley,
or for
Brierley
Methodist
Church
do you know which village he lived in?
I
have forwarded your email to Gary
of Brierley Village web site as he deals with photos, my
speciality is pre 1900 research.
My
local history web site ‘Brierley Yorkshire
England
’ is at http://www.brierley59.freeserve.co.uk/
Update
March 2006
Here
is a sequel to the Tina Schofield email. I found the Harry she was
looking for was George Harry born 1887. He was already on her list
of names but not recognised