Hi Ann, I put Myers into the 1841 census index and brought up 86 of them... There is a small group of them at Smithy Wood,Ecclesfield . Where ever that is, but don't forget that Ecclesfield came all the way down to Hillsborough at that time. Myers Grove not being that far away so may indeed have covered that area. Others were in Sheffield and lots in Rotherham. Thats the best I can do I am afraid..... Maybe Hugh or Janet can help more. Sorry forgetting that it's Jeremy's neck of the wood also. Regards. Elaine in Ottawa. -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.322 / Virus Database: 266.11.16 - Release Date: 5/24/2005

Hi Judy, If you take a look at the 1841 census index you will find there are 5 Joseph Badger's... Have a look and make you choice...... Regards. Elaine in Ottawa Sheffield Indexers 1841 Census Cordinator http://www.sheff-indexers.thewholeshebang.org/1841census/ -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.322 / Virus Database: 266.11.16 - Release Date: 5/24/2005

Hi Has anyone done any research on the BADGER family of Sheffield in the late C18 to early C19. I have a G. Watkinson who died in India, mother of child unknown, who sent his son back to England to the care of the child's Uncle Joseph Badger. Joseph Badger was a painter and glazier and William Watkinson followed in this trade in Pinstone Street. I think that the mother was perhaps a Badger who married Lt. G. Watkinson in Sheffield or in India whilst they were there. Does anyone know where I could search for a marriage to any lady with Badger as a surname in the centre of Sheffield marrying a G. Watkinson. The name Godfrey is in the family but I have no idea what his real name was. I haven't looked at the Georgian church on Pinstone Street, St. Paul's I think. Unfortunately I am unable to visit Sheffield Archives and I wondered if anyone has the records of this church and could look for me. Also if anyone has the 1841 census Joseph Badger was still alive I think and I think his business was in Pinfold Street. If anyone could make any useful suggestions I would welcome them. Hoping with every finger crossed. Judy Elkington

Kay, Loved your stories, thank you for sharing. I had forgotten about eating yeast, I too liked that. About the porridge, we did have a spoonful of jam in the corner of the dish. This is a silly question but I am not too bright. What does OZ stand for? Margaret, in sunny Palmyra

>Hi List > > > >My main interest is MOORE (Sheffield 1840s - c. 1920) > > > >MOORES also married:- > > > >SHEPHERD (from Sheffield) > >WINDER (Rev John Harrison) who was vicar of St James's Church Handsworth. >Both parents died relatively young leaving several children - ? brought >up by WINDER uncles. Rev John Harrison WINDER was vicar of St James's Church, Woodhouse not Handsworth. Apologies and thanks to Bob for pointing it out Trish Brighton, Sussex

Pat, from Brighton Sussex wrote:- My main interest is MOORE (Sheffield 1840s - c. 1920) MOORES also married:- SHEPHERD (from Sheffield) WINDER (Rev John Harrison) who was vicar of St James's Church Handsworth. Both parents died relatively young leaving several children - ? brought up by WINDER uncles. HARRISON (from Sheffield) NICHOLSON (? From Sheffield) FISH -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have two MOORE marriages in my family tree. Both married BROOKS who were my mothers family. 1. Charles Moore b. 1858 married Elizabeth Brooks in 1880 and they had a son Frank Moore who married a Kate Morton in 1913. All Sheffield born. 2. Lucy Moore b. 1882 married Arthur Brooks in 1906 in Sheffield - and they then went to USA. I do not know what children they had. The Elizabeth and Arthur named above were brother and sister but I don't know whether the two MOORE's were related. Do these Moore's fit in with your family? Jill Human The Lake District. --------------------------------- Yahoo! Messenger NEW - crystal clear PC to PCcalling worldwide with voicemail

Thank you folks - you've given me some great leads there. Thank you all for your time, I really appreciate it. Cheers Jules

Hello List This is a 'just after the war' story. Those who live or lived in Sheffield may recall one or more of the fruit and florist shops that belonged to my parents. 'A.E. Bell, fruit and flowers'. By the 1970's, (as far as I can remember) they had shops on Surrey St. (now Lockwood's) at Broomhill, Ranmoor, Hangingwater Rd, Crosspool, Castle Market, Firth Park. Immediately the war was over my parents made the decision to buy their first shop on Langsett Rd, next to Hollidays Collectors Corner at the top of Bamforth St.and to go into business together. I was 4 and my brother was 2. It was 1946 and quite a risk I think as my father was really a fully qualified engineer working at Firth Browns. The story that has always stayed with me was the difficulties that they had in obtaining fresh produce. During the summer when food rationing was still in force my father used to take his car and trailer into Lincolnshire, the Wisbich area, chiefly to get hold of strawberries. These were not freely available and I believe he was indulging in the 'black market'. Apparently he would go to one or two farms on a regular basis and the farmer would send his children into the fields to gather strawberries and lettuce. The strawberries were put at the bottom of the trailer and then covered by lettuce and the bit of the story that always amazed me was that it was essential to be over the Lincolnshire Bridges by a certain time or the police would be on them checking for the kind of loads, my father was carrying.. The lettuce was legal but not the strawberries. He always made it and then of course the strawberries were 'rationed' to their regular customers or people were expected to buy other goods as well. Quite a weekly trip given the kind of roads and vehicles available then never mind the risks. I still wonder though why the police were only on the bridges after a certain time. Was it unofficial collusion? I also recall the evening when he first brought home brazil nuts and asked us what we thought they were. I thought they were small wooden bananas. It came back to mind when we heard in the news recently that many of to-day's children don't know for very different reasons the difference in appearance from a carrot and a parsnip. Pauline C.Bell Southwell, Notts Researching : Cooper Bell Bailey Froggatt Firth Barnsley Barber ----- Original Message ----- From: <ENG-SHEFFIELD-D-request@rootsweb.com> To: <ENG-SHEFFIELD-D@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2005 11:09 PM Subject: ENG-SHEFFIELD-D Digest V05 #205

Hi List My main interest is MOORE (Sheffield 1840s - c. 1920) MOORES also married:- SHEPHERD (from Sheffield) WINDER (Rev John Harrison) who was vicar of St James's Church Handsworth. Both parents died relatively young leaving several children - ? brought up by WINDER uncles. HARRISON (from Sheffield) NICHOLSON (? From Sheffield) FISH Pat Brighton Sussex

Hi All, I have a marriage certificate for 1857 of some relatives that has Handsworths Woodhouse as place of Residence for the Groom can someone tell me where it is, is it an area of Sheffield. Or where I would find the information. Also was it because of work in Sheffield that people from Ireland came to Sheffield. Regards Chris Prince chris.prince1@bigpond.com Researching Burnes/Byrne/Byrnes and Morris

hi, try this link; http://www.handsworth.org.uk/history/ ___________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Messenger - NEW crystal clear PC to PC calling worldwide with voicemail http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com

Thanks Jeremy, Hugh, Janet, and Tony for the information on the Sheffield Archives and Porter Street. It has been very helpful. On rereading my e-mail request I realize I wrote July 1 instead of June 1 -- hopefully they will be open more days while we are there. At any rate I'm going to try and book a microfiche reader for June 1. DeAnne Rosen from Lawrence, Kansas, but now in London

This may help: http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/WRY/Handsworth/more.html Kind Regards Kay-UK -----Original Message----- From: Chris [mailto:chris.prince1@bigpond.com] Sent: 25 May 2005 01:29 To: ENG-SHEFFIELD-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [SHEFF] Handsworths Woodhouse Hi All, I have a marriage certificate for 1857 of some relatives that has Handsworths Woodhouse as place of Residence for the Groom can someone tell me where it is, is it an area of Sheffield. Or where I would find the information. Also was it because of work in Sheffield that people from Ireland came to Sheffield. Regards Chris Prince chris.prince1@bigpond.com Researching Burnes/Byrne/Byrnes and Morris ==== ENG-SHEFFIELD Mailing List ==== DO NOT post VIRUS or OFF TOPIC messages to Eng-Sheffield. Off topic content messages should be sent to the list admin instead. For Virus help access http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/announce.html#virus ============================== Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.322 / Virus Database: 266.11.15 - Release Date: 22/05/2005 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.322 / Virus Database: 266.11.15 - Release Date: 22/05/2005

Interviews - Part 3 Jane Chesterfield (UK) Researching:- BARKER, BARTHOLOMEW, COOPER, CRAPPER, CRAWSHAW, EARNSHAW, HAWKE, HIBBERD, JESSOP, MILNER, STEAD(E), THOMPSON and WOOD, all in the Sheffield, Bradfield, Norton area. Granddads Memories of the Royal Air Force (RAF) When did you join and what did you have to do to join? I volunteered as soon as I was seventeen in 1944, at the RAF recruitment office at the bottom of Cambridge Street in Sheffield. I had to get my parents permission to do so. The main reason I volunteered was so I could get in the RAF, if you waited for call up they could put you in the army, or even send you down the coal mines in some cases. What training was required? I had to go on a training camp (for what was termed square bashing) where we were taught foot drill, how to use different types of firearms, bayonet fighting and unarmed combat. We were also put through assault courses, long route marches with full kit and physical training. I would think it took about eight or ten weeks and at the end we were extremely fit and ready for anything. I did have a bit of an advantage in some of the training as did some other’s, having been in the Air Training Corp (A.T.C.) for a time and spent weekends and odd weeks on RAF stations training After this we were posted to various air stations. I was taught how to pack parachutes at 13 M.U. Henlow but I re-mustered and went on an aircraft fitter training course at RAF Cosford. I did this because I had been training as an apprentice fitter in engineering before joining up. What work did you do? After I finished the course and qualified, I worked on different aircraft maintaining them and keeping them flying. I worked on Spitfires, Hornets, Typhoons, Tempests, Dakotas and several more. I ended up with the rank of Leading Aircraftsman. What was the uniform like? The uniform wasn’t bad. It was reasonably smart, hard wearing and the greatcoat was quite heavy and warm. We had what we called best blues which was our walking out uniform and then we had a battledress. We who worked on the aircraft or other jobs you could get dirty on had overalls. Our uniforms were nowhere near as good as the Yank's, neither was the pay. How much did you get paid? When I first joined we were paid 3/- shilling a day (30p) £1-10p a week, we did get fed and clothed but if you lost any equipment or it was stolen it came out of your pay. We were paid once a fortnight and most were hard up before next pay-day. The pay did increase gradually when you got your trade qualifications and higher rank. I joined the band in my spare time which gave me an extra 6d (2-1/2p) a day, we eventually went overseas from boarding ship I think if I remember rightly we received an extra one shilling and sixpence a day (15p), we felt quiet wealthy, never the less this extra was stopped as soon as we boarded ship to come home although we were many thousands of miles from home. What did you do in your spare time? We would spend some time in the N.A.F.F.I. playing snooker and darts, have a drink and a wad (sandwich or cake) until money became short. Sometimes we would go to a local dance or a night at the local; otherwise we would stay in billets. What were your working hours like? Working hours were full days like any other job; you had to work extra hours if and when needed, such as when the aircraft were not up to squadron strength. On the top of this you could pull extra duties like station night guards where you would do so many hours on and kip down in the guard room for an hour or so before going on again. You had to be back on normal duties by 10am the next day. Fire Picket was a full week which you started after normal duties after first having a meal and you finished around 10pm but there was no excuse being late for normal duties next day. Cook house duty was for a week and you were excused normal duties but you would be working different shifts throughout the week. All week duties were seven days. Where did you live? We lived in Nissan huts made of corrugated steel and wood which were very cold in winter with only one stove to heat them. Fuel to burn in them was in short supply and sometimes in the really cold weather you would wake up in the morning to find frost on the top of the blankets. Sometimes we used our greatcoats on top to try and keep warm. There were about thirty people to a hut. What was the food like? On the whole the food wasn’t too bad, although I couldn’t get used to eating potatoes for breakfast. There were some strange concoctions at times and plenty of baked beans, though we avoided these when we were flying which we had to do when a plane had been repaired by us and the crew were testing it before signing for it. What were the Aeroplanes like? The planes were excellent and apart from a few bad designs there were none better. The maintenance was first class, any work you did on the aircraft had to be signed for on completion on the form 700. If anything went wrong then and it was your fault, it was a Court Marshall offence. A lot of these planes are still flying today. The famous American Mustang only became that after it was fitted with the Rolls Royce engine which we had in most of our own fighters and bombers. I have not flown since leaving the RAF, have never flown in a jet, but I would fly in one of these tomorrow given the chance, as I always say the ones with fans on the front are my type of flying.

Interviews - Part 2 Jane Chesterfield (UK) Researching:- BARKER, BARTHOLOMEW, COOPER, CRAPPER, CRAWSHAW, EARNSHAW, HAWKE, HIBBERD, JESSOP, MILNER, STEAD(E), THOMPSON and WOOD, all in the Sheffield, Bradfield, Norton area. Nan's Memories of Childhood How old were you when the war started. I was 7yrs and 9 months old. When did you hear the war had started? As the war was imminent, our parents had switched on the radio to listen to the Prime Minister who was to broadcast to the nation at 11am Sunday morning the 3rd September 1939. What was it like growing up in the war? We didn't have TV's or computers, only radios which were not up to the same standards as today. We always played outside - Skipping, Hide and Seek, Hopscotch and Shuttle Cock. What jobs did your Mother and Father do? My father was a milkman with a horse and cart, it was his own business. The milk was in large milk churns and people used to leave jugs on the windowsill outside with a saucer on top of the jug. My mother used to help him. What was it like at school? The war broke out during the summer holidays, and when the schools were due to return, they were closed because there were no shelters at the schools. Instead, there was the Home Service. This took place 2 mornings or afternoons a week in the front rooms of one of the children's houses. In Crookes, our front room was used for this. Once the shelters had been built, the children returned to school. At school we used to have air raid drill. We had to line up in the school yard and march into a big air raid shelter that had been built there. We also had gas mask drill. Sometimes, when we were in the school yard at Crookes Endowed, a convoy of Americans would pass by the school and throw bubble gum over the wall for the children. What was the food like? Food was rationed because of shortages and we had to queue at the local shops for it. Eggs were scarce so they brought dried egg powder on the market. It wasn't as bad as it might sound - in fact we took rather a liking to it. We were lucky we kept hens, so we were alright for eggs. We also kept pigs so we were alright for meat and bacon but we had to give up our meat tokens, which was fair and to be expected. Fresh fruit was scarce and if a shop managed to get some, word soon went round and people rushed round to queue for some. What sort of clothes did you wear? Girls didn't wear trousers or jeans (jeans had not been sold here in those days to my knowledge). We wore dresses, blouse and skirt or shorts. For school I wore a gymslip and blouse with a school tie. I got my first pair of trousers when I was fourteen, after the war. Women painted carrot juice on their legs and drew a black line down the middle at the back because there were no stockings. How did you manage with clothing rations? We had to "Make-Do-And-Mend" our old clothes. When I joined Guides, my uniform had to be made from blackout cloth which was not rationed. I am third from left standing in the picture. The field we were in was on Lydgate Lane at Crookes and was used for a barrage balloon. We had parachute silk underwear if we could find any old parachutes. After the war, parachute silk could be bought at the 'Rag and Tag' market in Sheffield. What were the main things that were rationed? Lots of everyday food was rationed. Some foods like tinned foods, sweets, milk, eggs, meat, and tea could only be bought from the black market or with vouchers. Later in the war bread was rationed. 'Fish and Chips', potatoes, and carrots were not rationed. However cloth was rationed so men couldn't have trouser turn-ups. Skirts were shorter too so less cloth was used. You needed a special visa to get furniture. Where did you go when there was an air raid? When we had an air raid, we would go down and sit in our cellar which had been reinforced because we had nowhere to have an Anderson shelter which had to be sunk in the ground and covered in soil or sandbags. We only had a cobblestone yard. There were tunnels in between the cellars of the houses so if we needed to get out we could escape through next doors cellar. What did you do to pass the time in the shelters? We used to sing wartime songs such as 'Run Rabbit Run' and 'Siegfried Line' quite a lot. We also played cards and dominoes. What was it like to wear a gas mask? Did you need to use one? They were not very nice to wear but we had to have practices to make sure we knew what to do. To make sure they were working correctly they were periodically inspected. Thankfully we never needed to use them. Did any bombs land near you? One night during an air raid, we were sat in the cellar and my Dad got us singing "There'll Always Be an England", when all at once there was an almighty bang, and we all shut up. We found out next day the Germans had dropped a land mine on a house in Springvale Road, Crookes. NOTE: I found the words to "There'll Always Be an England" in a library book. The song was composed by Canadian Ross Parker with words by the British songwriter Hugh Charles in 1939. The most popular version was sung by Vera Lynn. There'll Always Be an England I give you a toast, ladies and gentlemen, I give you a toast, ladies and gentlemen, "May this fair land we love so well in dignity and freedom dwell" Tho' worlds may change and go awry while there is still one voice to cry. There'll always be an England while there's a country lane, Wherever there's a cottage small beside a field of grain. There'll always be an England while there's a busy street; Wherever there's a turning wheel a million marching feet. Red, white and blue, what does it mean to you? Surely you're proud, shout it aloud, Britons awake, The Empire too, we can depend on you, Freedom remains, these are the chains Nothing can break. There'll always be an England and England shall be free, If England means as much to you as England means to me. There'll always be an England while there's a country lane, Wherever there's a cottage small beside a field of grain. There'll always be an England while there's a busy street; Wherever there's a turning wheel a million marching feet. Red, white and blue, what does it mean to you? Surely you're proud, shout it aloud, Britons awake, The Empire too, we can depend on you, Freedom remains, these are the chains Nothing can break. There'll always be an England and England shall be free, If England means as much to you as England means to me. What did you do in your spare time? As I've said before I played outside a lot, went to the pictures, visited relatives and my Mum used to take me blackberrying when they were in season. How was your social life restricted? Transport was affected by the shortage of petrol. Buses stopped at about 9 p.m. and there were barely any cars. The trams were able to run later because they ran on electricity. The train system was affected as well. Trains had to pull on to side cuttings to give army transports right of way which meant that train services were late sometimes. Walking out in the dark was very difficult and dangerous because drivers couldn't see you. What are your memories of wartime entertainment? At the beginning of the war, all cinemas were closed and there was a ban on large gatherings which meant no concerts, dances or football matches. This did not last very long. At the cinema there were several shows or news items at one showing. During an air raid, you could choose whether to stay and watch the rest of the show or go home to your air raid shelter. During the intermissions, live singers would perform on the stage singing their own songs and sometimes war songs that the troops sang. Was anyone in your family involved in the forces? My brother Ron was in the RAF. He was based in South Africa. One night, when we were in the cellar, we heard heavy boots in the house, and then coming down the cellar steps. We thought that the Germans had invaded and we were terrified, but when the door opened, it was Ron (front row, left) who stepped through the door. He was back in this country and had been given 24 hours leave. Joan, who later married Ron shortly after the war, worked in the Admiralty as a telephone operator. Later on, while she was still at the Admiralty, she managed to get hold of some of the Irish Linen that the blueprints had been on. These had to be boiled to remove the plans from the linen, and that was what my underskirt for my wedding dress was made from in 1951 as things were still on ration. My cousins Stan and Geoff were in the army, and Geoff was posted in Reykjavik, Iceland. How did you hear the war was over how did you react? I was in the Crookes Picture Palace when they stopped the film and announced over a loudspeaker that the war was over. Everyone stood up and cheered and started dancing in the aisles. No one wanted to see the end of the film everybody went out onto the streets dancing, singing, clapping hands and cheering. It was marvellous to be part of it.

Hi Listers, I've not been doing very much Family History recently but still read all the postings and have enjoyed reading the World War II stories. Last summer, my daughter Sarah (then 13) did a history project on the war and part of it was interviews with my parents who lived through those years. She did a super project which I would love to post in full but it is far too large and has lots of pictures so with her permission and that of my parents I'm posting just the text part of the interviews (which I have also put onto the BBC site). I'll probably have to split them over several postings but I hope you enjoy them. Part 1 is below. Jane Chesterfield (UK) Researching:- BARKER, BARTHOLOMEW, COOPER, CRAPPER, CRAWSHAW, EARNSHAW, HAWKE, HIBBERD, JESSOP, MILNER, STEAD(E), THOMPSON and WOOD, all in the Sheffield, Bradfield, Norton area. INTERVIEWS I asked my grandparents about what life was like for them during the war - Nan was a child and Granddad a teenager. I asked questions about how their lives changed and how they coped with rationing, schooling and life in the air raid shelters. My Granddad told me he had joined Royal Air Force towards the end of the war so I asked him additional questions about his life in the service. Granddads Memories of His Teenage Years How old were you when the war started? I was about 12 yrs old. When did you hear the war had started? I heard at 11am on Sunday 3rd of September 1939 on the radio, most people were tuned in hear the prime minister tell us we were at war with Germany. It had been expected and was no surprise. What was it like growing up in the war? Things were different. There was the blackout to contend with - there were no street lights, house windows had blackout curtains, shop windows were unlit, no advertising signs were lit, the buses and trams had the windows almost covered except for a small round hole so you could see where you were and the lighting was subdued which also applied to the trains. Any vehicles that were allowed to run (petrol was rationed to only essential use) had to have masks on the lights which made driving at night hazardous. The cinemas were closed for a while because there had not been enough air raid shelters built in the city at the start. First off our parents didn't like us straying far so it ruled out going to Longley Park where we were used to playing football and ruled out our trips to sail our yachts at Millhouses Park. If you and your parents did go to town or visit relatives you had to be home early as the buses finished at 9pm. If you lived on a tram route you were o.k. because they ran late, except if there was a raid in progress. This was because the trolley wires used to flash and could be seen from the air. What jobs did your Mother and Father do? My Father was a foreman in a roll turning shop at Brightside Foundry Engineering Co, at Don Road, Newhall. The rolls were cast and machined there for the rolling mills that made the steel needed for the war effort. Mum was a housewife - she couldn't work because dad worked shifts and long hours. We were often on our own during the air raids, even on the night of the blitz. What was it like at school? We were still on school holidays when war started and we did not go back to school for a long time. This again was because there were no shelters for us. I seem to remember it was after Christmas that we got back to some schooling, and that was only two half days a week. We were taught in small groups at the homes of people who allowed us to have the use of their sitting rooms at no charge so we could at least get some schooling. We were still on this home service at the time of Dunkirk which was the end of May beginning of June 1940 and a lot of the troops who escaped were billeted at the same homes. We lived at Southey Green and we used to talk to them while at home service - yes these same people who lent us their homes for school gave a temporary home to our lads coming back from the hell of the beaches in France. My education was interrupted but I haven't done too badly with my life. I wasn't back at school full time for long because I left at fourteen and started work as an apprentice fitter at the same firm my father worked for (Brightside Foundry) only I was at Ecclesfield. It was while I was an apprentice I helped make parts for the Mulberry Harbour, though I didn't know this until several years later because it was kept secret. What was the Mulberry Harbour? It was a huge structure, built in sections, which when in place allowed the ships to sail right up and dock close to the beaches and unload their tanks and armoured cars. This was much better and quicker than having to unload them onto the small landing craft further out at sea. The harbour was built in sections so it could be floated across the sea pulled by tugs to the shores of France. What was the food like? The food wasn't so bad and we probably had a healthier diet than today. We had some strange concoctions at times - we ate horse meat, Woolton Pie (mostly vegetables), a meat called Spam (very tasty) and another new thing - dried eggs. When I started work I used to have dinner there because it was cheap. A three course meal (soup, main course, sweet and mug of tea) helped out with the rations at home. This was done through the Government because we were on war work. Fruit was in short supply and I never saw a banana until I went to India just after the war. By and large I don't think we fared too badly when you think of the problems that were faced getting it across the Atlantic. NOTE: While I was looking though some books granddad lent me I found the recipe for Woolton Pie which was named after Lord Woolton, Minister of Food from 1940-43. Recipe 1 lb diced vegetables 3 or 4 spring onions 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 1 tablespoon oatmeal Chopped parsley Method I. Cook vegetables together for 10 minutes with just enough water to cover. II. Allow to cool, put into pie dish and sprinkle with chopped parsley. III. Cover with crust of potatoes or wheat-meal pastry. IV. Bake in a moderate oven until golden brown and serve with brown gravy. The pastry could have been made with fat in which case it had to be eaten immediately, as fatless pastry went hard. What sort of clothes did you wear? I wore shorts and jacket shirt and tie for school right up to the last day at school. I did have some suits with long trousers but I felt more comfortable in shorts at school. When I left that was it was longs all the time. We had to economise on clothes now they were on ration so our mums used to make things out of blankets and blackout curtain material which was not rationed. The clothes we did buy were called utility trousers - they had no turn-ups which had been the fashion up to then, smaller lapels on the collars, no pocket flaps and the ladies had to have skirts or dresses just above the knee, a far cry from the mini of today. If they could get hold of some parachute silk they would make some underwear. Where did you go when there was an air raid? We used to go down in the Anderson shelter. The first time we used ours, it had not been in that long and as I jumped down into it I was up to my knees in water. After that dad put in a sump, a wooden floor, bunk beds and a paraffin stove. He also made a steel door for the entrance. At least we had a bit of comfort in the times we spent underground. What did you do to pass the time in the shelters? We had bunk beds in our shelter so we tried to get some sleep What was it like to wear a gas mask? Did you need to use one? Gas masks were issued in 1938, the year that Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in September returned from Munich after seeing Adolph Hitler waving a piece of paper, declaring peace in our time and that England and Germany would never go to war. The gas mask was unpleasant to wear but we had to have drills to make sure we knew how to use them. They were issued because poison gas was used in WW1. We were supposed to carry them whenever we went out, sometimes the A.R.P. (Air Raid Precaution) teams would drop a tear gas bomb in the most unlikely places to catch people out. It would be very unpleasant if you were. Thank heaven we never needed to use them. I did hear in later years that there was asbestos in the filters, true or false I would say if you ever come across one don't try it on. Did any bombs land near you? Yes, the nearest was in the Southey Hill / Kyle Crescent area. It was in the early part of 1941 after the blitz of the previous December. A raid had started and we were in the shelter. Dad was out fire watching in the area, Harry Rainsford from next door was on duty at the A.R.P. post at Southey Green School so we were in their shelter keeping his wife and mother-in-law company. There was a tremendous bang and we heard some thing hit the house wall, I was sitting at the far end of the shelter on a bunk when what appeared to be a tongue of flame licked through the entrance and I was lifted up and banged against the shelter wall. It was the blast from one of the land mines that were dropped by parachute. It landed at the top of Southey Hill opposite St Bernard's Church which was only a prefab type building and it was flattened. The houses across were completely destroyed and the families wiped out. One of the large families was the Redfern's - I knew the lads because they were at my school and one was in my class. We found out what the bang on the wall was. Dad was just coming back to see we were alright when the mine exploded and it was his steel helmet that had blown off. What did you do in your spare time? First off I mainly stayed in or went to one of my pals. Later on when the cinemas opened again we would go there about once week in the daytime. We would play the usual boys games - marbles, whip and top, tag, football when we were allowed to go to the park and I was always on my bike. When I left school and started work I went to night school three nights a week and on the Sunday did my homework. I did try a youth club for a short time but wasn't too interested. I eventually joined the Air Cadets and this was my main interest. I spent three nights a week there and Friday was social night. I joined the Squadron band and was later put into the Wing band, training Sunday mornings. We used to go to different air stations on some weekends and weekly camps sometimes. We worked with the ground crews and picked up a lot experience. After Cadets we used to gather at the chippy at Longley shops, chips were not rationed so it was our supper. Before the war they told people not to eat a lot of potatoes, in the war they told us to eat loads. We used to go about in a gang of lads and lasses (not the type of gang that hang about today) and Saturdays we would sometimes go to a local dance. Sundays we just walked around (no cinemas Sunday). Nearer the time I joined up, in the winter, we went to Glossop Road Baths to the Saturday night dance and in the summer the Cutlers Hall. When I came home on leave I could always find my friends at one of them. In spite of the war and rationing we still enjoyed life and made our own entertainment, despite having no telly or computers. Most of my teens were spent in the war years. How did you keep up to date with what was happening elsewhere in the war? One of the ways that we kept informed was by listening to the wireless. We could also watch the news at the cinema. There were the newspapers and posters as well. But some of the information that was broadcast was false for security reasons. We also listened to the broadcasts of William Joyce - also known as Lord Haw. Haw - who was an Irishman who made propaganda broadcasts from Bremen in Germany. The broadcasts began "Germany calling, Germany calling.........". He was working for the Germans and was hung for being a traitor when the war ended. Was anyone in your family involved in the forces? My Uncle Cyril and Uncle John and myself (pictured below) were in the RAF, although I joined in January 1945 (I volunteered as early as I could), I wasn't posted abroad until after the war in 1948. Uncle Bert was in the Army and Uncle Shirley was in the FAA (Fleet Air Arm). When I left the RAF, I was kept on reserve in case any trouble flared up again. I was never officially informed that I had been released. How did you hear the war was over how did you react? It was May 1945 I was in the forces and it was announced over the tannoy. We had been expecting it and we did have a bit of celebration but this was not quite the end. It was only victory in Europe and we had still to settle the Japs, which took until August. When the Atom bomb was dropped, we had been at war for six years all but a month.

"7-11, 1806" This means that he was bound apprentice in 1806 for 7 years and 11 months. Apprentices were often bound until their 21st birthday, so this may give a clue as to his age in 1806. Hugh in Sheffield ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lisa Evans" <levans44@yahoo.co.uk> To: <ENG-SHEFFIELD-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2005 10:28 PM Subject: [SHEFF] Cutlers Apprentice > Hi everyone, > > I am seeking some advice on the Cutlers "List of > Apprentices and Freemen". > > I have found a line which reads > > "Bolsover William, son of John, Mosbro'; to Styring > Charles, knife maker; 7-11, 1806" > > I think this is my 4th great grandfather William > BOLSOVER who was born in Mosbro' I have him as a > Cutler on the 1851 census. I am reading that his > father was John and that he was an apprentice to > Charles STYRING, does anyone know what the 7-11 stands > for, and does the 1806 mean that he started his > apprenticeship then. > > Hope someone can help, > > Lisa

Hi. Here are my surname interests. BIGGIN(S) BRIGHT. BROADHEAD. HALL. HEALD. (H)EATON. WILLIAMSON. All in Sheffield. HIBBARD in Sheffield & Ecclesfield. MILES in Sheffield & Bridlington. OXLEY in Sheffield & Bradfield. Barbara Horne. Sheffield.

Hi Lisa, I have just been given some burial index disks I found this on a disk labelled 'St Phillips including Wardsend Cemetery' James APPLEYARD died 14 March 1889 (abode) Wizewood (age) 77 This next bit I don't quite understand (extra) o (stas) WI (rela) James Kind Regards Jean New Zealand

Hello Barb, This sounds like a fascinating read and a real gem of a find. In the future if you ever manage to transcribe it to the computer would you consider posting it in instalments to the list, I for one (and I'm sure many others) would love to read it. Best Wishes Jeremy Crawshaw (Temp. List Admin) Crookes SHEFFIELD ---------------------------------------------------- Outgoing Mail protected by: NORTON Internet Security 2004 Updated: 21st May 2005 ---------------------------------------------------- ----- Original Message ----- From: "Barb Stevens" <genealogybarb@snet.net> To: <ENG-SHEFFIELD-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2005 12:10 PM Subject: [SHEFF] my PHOENIX story One day, she handed me a little notebook, like a daily dairy that would fit in a man's shirt pocket, with the comment "This probably is just junk but I thought you should take a look at it since you get mad if I throw out anything without checking with you!" I almost fell off the chair when I looked at it because it was a diary of Walter's 6 month trip to Sheffield in, I believe, 1921. I couldn't figure out why he would leave his family for so long and then realized his wife had died in 1917 so he apparently took his youngest son and went "home" for awhile. > > This is an incredible account of who he saw, where he went, what he bought > and even how much he paid for things. The daily weather is even recorded, > including that of the trip over and back on the ship. It gave us a > wonderful picture of both the ship life and relatives in Sheffield at that > time. > > Barb Stevens