A very strange tale of survival!

A VERY STRANGE STORY !

As related to me by a lovely elderly lady. Whilst the story may have become embellished over time, I believe on balance, that most of it is true.

It was during WW2  in Wallasey (the Wirral, Cheshire) and Gertrude and her husband were in bed. They heard the planes overhead and then the terrible sounds of nearby house being bombed.

Her husband immediately got up and went outside into the street to help. He found a woman very shell shocked but alive, but the person she was staying with had perished. Being a good neighbour, Maurice brought the woman to their home. Gertrude, a nurse attended the lady, whilst Maurice a Sailor brought her whisky and hot water.

Gertrude noticed her husband making gestures at her – the sign to “zip it” and not to speak and she realised that he did not wish them to offer this stranger a bed for the night.   Gertrude was perplexed with his attitude but acknowledged that he was quite adamant about his decision.

“Why” she asked later?

“No way – she will not stay in our house, listen to this” he replied. “When she lived in London, her house was bombed, so she moved to live with friends the Midlands. In the Midlands the house was bombed, she was dug out, but her friends died. She then returned to London and the house she was living in was bombed, and yet again she survived. Now in Wallasey, yet again she has walked away unscathed from a bombing raid, when the person she was living with has died. Four times she has Survived.”

Maurice continued, “ There is more, she told me that when she was just a baby she was on passage to America, and the ship sunk. She was thrown to a couple in the lifeboat and they brought her up as their own child.”

Gertrude said “was this the Titanic?” “No” Maurice replied, “It was earlier than that.  Just listen to this, in 1912, when she was 21, her adoptive parents asked her what she would like for her birthday, and she said she would like to visit the USA to find out about her parents. They went on the Titanic, her adoptive parents died and she survived”. Maurice continued, “There is no way that woman would ever stay in our home”.

Maurice in fact took her to the collection point for people who had been made homeless. They had just missed the bus and another was not due for quite some time. Just to make sure that she didn't try to go home with him, he drove her 25 miles to the reception centre in Birkenhead and prayed all the way there that the bombers had returned to Germany.

Note, I have searched for shipwrecks circa 1891-1892 but haven't found anything conclusive. Perhaps the story has become enriched over time, but the old saying there is no smoke without fire is apt in this case.

Memories of a Cheshire Boy

Memories of my Father – Earliest days

My father's memory has faded and the chance to have a meaningful discussion on virtually anything has now gone forever. Old age has become senility, vascular dementia has dealt its' cruel blow and only his reminiscences that I have recorded remain for us. This is for you my family, friends and anyone that may find his life of interest.

Background

My father Frank Barker was born in 1918 in Middlewich, Cheshire. Second son of Nina Charlesworth and John Massey Barker. Nina was a daughter of Thomas and Hannah Charlesworth from Badington, near Nantwich Cheshire. A child of first cousins, the result of which, blighted not only her life but those of her siblings. Many not surviving the first few years of life, and the remainder expiring earlier than would be expected. Whilst we may consider this type of marriage very distasteful, it appeared far more commonplace in the affluent Cheshire farming families than I had expected. There could only be one reason, money!, with children actually encouraged to marry cousins to maintain land and assets within the family.

John Massey Barker was the youngest son of George J Barker, a farmer's and veterinary surgeons son and Sarah Massey daughter of Edward Massey, founder of Massey Bros. in Cranage, Cheshire. Tragically he was left an orphan at the age of 12 and was taken into the care of his Aunt, Lucy Manley (sister of his mother).

First Memories “Old Ned Sandbach”

A story of a close bond between a small boy and an Old Drover.

Dad's brother Harry, less than two years older than Dad, suffered dreadfully from Eczema and without the modern medications now available, needed constant attention. This resulted in Dad not having a great deal of parental attention and developing a close relationship with an old Drover, Ned Sandbach. Ned was a real migrant, and turned up every Spring at Croxton Bank, after living in Northwich Workhouse during the winter months.

Ned, was paid for work he did, lived in the barn, being fed buttermilk and tatties. Unlike other agricultural labourers he wouldn't sign up at the hiring fairs, but managed to survive without being in the system. Dad remembers his arrival in Spring, “Aye up misses hav e got any buttermilk and tatties” he would shout. He helped out at local farms undertaking droving work( taking the livestock to markets) and any other odd jobs he could find. On one hand all of Ned fingers were knarled and bent, the result of a severe horse bite left unattended due to the lack of money for “doctoring”. The earliest recollection Dad has, was when his brother was ill. Ned would say to Nina his mother, “Aye up missus put child'tin pram and I'll take him down Dane”. The Dane, being the river just past Croxton Bank. This relationship with the old drover lasted well into Dad's early teens and he gained from the old man, farming skills that would help him in the years ahead and "Old Ned" had a surrogate son, someone who loved him.

Notes:

1911 Census, Edward Sandbach aged 53 on the “Police Return of Homeless Persons” living at Sheriff House Farm, Stansthorne, Cheshire in a barn – born Middlewich, Cheshire.

LATCHFORD CHURCHWARDEN'S ACCOUNTS 1748

CHURCHWARDEN'S ACCOUNTS

The Mise of the Township of Latchford 1748

(From information originally published in the Cheshire Sheaf )

Trustees for Wm Blackburn Esq. for:	Old Estate Mr. Leigh's Land Longshaw's Land Doctors Crooks Wm. Hall's Doctors Oldfields Richd. Hall's Land
Mr Thos. Turner for:	Old Estate Rowland Hall's Land Mr Leigh's Lane Longshaw's flatts Ashley's Ackers Berwicks's House Longshaw's House Minshall's Tenement
Trustees of Mr Middlehurst for:	Old Estate Hoult's Lane Rowland Hall's Land Doctor's Land
Thos. Shakeshaft for:	Heys's Estate Lords Sparth
Richard Rutter Esq
Revd. Mr Boardman
Revd. Mr Moss
Heirs of Mr Morrice for:	Part of Stockton Meadow
Mr Wm Woodcock
Mr Nathan Caldwell for:	Mill and field
Hon. Richd. Barry Esq for:	House on the Green
John Merry
Thos. Harper
Alexander Markland, surgeon
George Hayward
Richd. Webster
Miss Hall
John Longshaw
John Hope for:	Downalls Bates
Mary Hall
Mrs Martinscrafts for:	Wilkinsons Heys
Mr John Middleton
Thos. Percivall
Thos. Clare
Gilmonds meadow

Grappenhall Churchwardens Accounts 1748

THE MISE OF GRAPPENHALL 1748

TRANSCRIPT FROM THE CHESHIRE SHEAF MAY 1916
Noting that:

The following is copied from a folio volume of Churchwarden's Accounts,&c 1748-1791 preserved at Grappenhall Church

The mise of the Township of Grappenhall (1748)

                                                                      

Richd. Rowson for Reddish Hall - 2s 1d                          

     do for Park Fields - 0s 3d

Wm Leigh - 0s 3 ¼d

Joseph Caldwell - 0s 4d
James Hackney - 0s 6d
John Highfield - 0s 4d
Samuel Picton - 0s 3d
Charles Stubs - 0s 3d 
Executors of Richd. Harper for one moiety of Davis's Land - 0s 0 ½d
Joshua Hamlet for the other moiety - 0s 0 ½d
Charles Speakman  - 0s 4d
John Harrison - 0s 4d
Robert Hardman - 0s 4d
Thomas Lythgoe - 0s 3d
John Smith for Cliff Bank - 0s 4d
Thomas Harper for the old Estate, Cross's,
Middlehurst's Caldwell's Knowl's, Gregorey's - 1s 11d
Peter Harper - 0s 3 ½d
Wm. Caldwell - 0s 1 ½d
Joseph Whitlow - 0s 1d
Mary Ingram - 0s 0 ¾d
Richr. Boardman - 0s 4d
John Bate - 0s 1d
John Hoult - 0s 2d
Richd.Boardman for Green Side - 0s 3d
John Caldwell - 0s 5 ½d
Rev. Mr Sutton for Dam Side 4d )
Heath Side                               ) -  0s 11d
Cliff Lane                                 )
Peter Leigh Esq - 0s 4d
John Wallsworth - 0s 5 ½d
Ellen Moss - 0s 0 ¾d
Heire of Mr Morris - 1s 2 ¾d
Mr Tho. Hart - 0s 6 ¾d
Mr Tho. Turner for Old Heys - 0s 1d
Thos Pickering Esq   - 0s 2d
John Hope - 0s 1d
James Warburton - 0s 1d
Mr Okel for Little Marfeney - 0s 2d
James Coe - 0s 3d
Executors of Richard Harper - 0s 1 ½d