Men of God, and of Commerce
Scraps that survive
Among my grandmother’s (Mabel Burnley nee Harrison) few surviving papers are some interesting items. There is a newspaper obituary of her father who died in 1933 and several letters about the business of clearing up his estate, but the oddest of all is a page from the Gomersal Book Society. This must date between 1904-1913 … Continue reading
Is it never finished?
Researching one’s family can be a lifelong hobby – especially as there are so many different branches of any family to trace back. But most of us aim to have a finished ‘product’ which we can circulate within the family or a wider audience. So when to stop following up those distant relatives? My family … Continue reading
A bizarre accident?
James Burnley (born 1831) died suddenly, age 36, in August 1867. James’ death and the birth of his seventh child, William, were announced in The Leeds Mercury on the very same day. There is a story that the cause was a bizarre industrial accident[1]. He was said to be near the top of a stack … Continue reading
Bath – the headquarters of Satan?
While I have been enjoying the current vogue for the Georgians, it does seem to be very gentry and metropolitan focussed. Far from everyone at this time experienced either grinding poverty or, if wealthy, had a pragmatic secular outlook and engaged in frivolous pastimes like dancing, card games and music. The trading and nascent industrial … Continue reading
Housing shortages – post WW2
Where did we post-war baby boomers live during the early years of our lives? There was a big shortage of housing when the war ended in 1945 – and not just in Britain – due to bomb damage, population growth, lack of investment during the war and restrictions on materials and skilled labour. The answer … Continue reading
Who is going to read this?
There may be many reasons why we begin to research our family history but what we all do with our findings is a big unknown. Some of us may be content simply to learn facts? Many of us will want to record what we have discovered for others to read. But who are these others? … Continue reading
Great-grandpa in Albion
Tracking the travels of my great-grandfather, Alfred John Liversedge, is proving difficult; in his adventures in sugar he hardly stayed anywhere long enough to leave a mark. There are some photographs but most have a minimal description, with the plantation name rather than the country and no date. But there are a few letters that … Continue reading
Gomersal Mills and the outbreak of World War One
The outbreak of the First World War would prove profitable for some textile businesses in the West Riding, as wars had in earlier centuries. They had supplied uniforms and other items for military use to this country, most of Europe, the Middle East and overseas territories for several hundred years previously. I think they clothed … Continue reading
Shell-shock and James Gordon Burnley
James Gordon Burnley enlisted in the Leicestershire Yeomanry in February 1915, with a reference from the august owner of Saltaire (the Salt family’s successor), Sir James Roberts, stating he was distinctly soldier-brained and would make an excellent officer. Seldom was a man more mistaken. James Gordon was a little above average height at five foot … Continue reading
Great grandpa and the overture to war (part two)
In my last posting I introduced the International Review of Commerce and Industry to which my great grandfather, Alfred John Liversedge (AJL), submitted articles in December 1913 and January 1914 in an attempt to see if there was any intimation that the Great War was imminent. In the next issue, January 1914, the editor kicks … Continue reading