The Casualties of War

As we are coming up to Remembrance Day I thought I'd share the following cuttings sent to us recently by Arthur Heywood.

These newspaper clippings show the absolute heartbreak some families endured during WW1.

The following families lost 3 and 4 sons in the war.

I cannot even begin to understand how they coped with losing their loved ones.

Many thanks for sharing, Arthur.

Much appreciated.

Updated from

The Hyde In Wartime Book

At the end of July, 1915, Mrs Esther Long of Cheapside, Hyde, a widow, received from Buckingham Palace a letter, sent on behalf of His Majesty the King congratulating her upon the fact that she had six sons serving with the colours.   The eldest soldier-son was 46 years of age, and the youngest 25. Sergeant Major Thomas Long, George Street, the eldest, married, a volunteer and Territorial for 27 years, and served in the Boer War, and been wounded in France. The seconds son, Lance Corporal Walter Long, for many years with the old Hyde Volunteers, enlisted for active service about Christmas, 1914, and went to France in February, 1915. He died at a Rouen Hospital on the 17th December, 1915, from wounds received in action. His home was at Hallbottom Gate, Newton, and he was married. Private John Long, the third son, enlisted at Whitsuntide, 1915. He was killed instantly, at Dardanelles, on the 1st. January, 1916. The forth, Private William Long, an old soldier, unmarried, served some time in India, also in South Africa, after the Boar War, was in much fighting in France and was 'gassed' on the 2nd of May, 1915. Later he was discharged as physically unfit for further military service, after serving 17 years. The fifth, Private Henry Long, spent 6 years in India, was called up as a reservist immediately after the war started, and at once went to France. He fought at Mons; was taken prisoner, and was subsequently located in Hanover, Germany. He is married, and his home is at Winsford. The youngest of the six, Trooper Joseph Long, went to France in October, 1914, and as been in the thick of the fighting. At the end of February, 1916, he was still in France, having been there all the time, with the exception of one leave of about a week. 

The Boars Head

Here is a photo of The Boars Head which stood at 

145-147 George Street.

The pub which was commonly known as the "Boars Nut" was closed down in 1974 by compulsory purchase, along with many fine old pubs, to make way for the new motorway which split 

Hyde in two.

Many thanks to Tom for supplying the photograph and Paul for the information. - Great team work.

Silver Hill Farm

I thought I may have finally tracked down a photo of Silver Hill Farm but according to The History of Hyde, Silver Hill Farm was long gone when the book was written, so, I assume this photo just shows part of the Silver Hill House estate. :(


This was taken in 1933. 

It looks like the estate was slowly disappearing around this time as the new houses were being built around it.



Silver Hill Farm was located off Stockport Road, the entrance being opposite the Zion Church.

I was always interested in finding out more about it, although long gone, as the house where I was brought up was built on the Orchard of the farm.
Up until finding this picture, I had only ever seen the gate posts of the farm which were on a photo which has been previously shown on the blog.

There is still a house called Silver Hill on Stockport Road (middle left). This was a children's nursery school when I was growing up in the 1960's.

( I will add more history to the post when I can access it ).


Added by Maloney. :)

Jottings-Silver Hill, Gee Cross, Hyde. Saturday, April 13th 1867: The freehold known as Smithy Fold Farm, about a mile from Hyde Railway Station, comprising of dwelling house called Silver Hill, with entrance and lodge and outbuildings, and a quantity of meadow and farmland was sold by auction. On Tuesday, February 17, 1874: The saleLivestock farm emplements etc, took place at Whittaker's Stonepit, Silver Hill, Gee Cross. Auctioner was Thomas Acton. On Wednesday, 22 June, 1881, at the Norfol Arms, Hyde. All the Mansion House known as Silver Hill Estate, situated near Stockport Road, Gee Cross, then occupied by Charles Hibbert Esq, was sold by aution. The land was freehold, free from chief rents and contained 2,824 superficial square yards. On Wednesday evening, 3 August, 1899, at the Mechanics Institute, by order of the exec of the will of the late Peter Green-aformer Mayor of Hyde, the Silver Hill Estate was purchased for £3,620 by Miss Smith, one of the representatives of the on Silver Hill Farm

Many Thanks, Maloney .
Much appreciated.

Pre Mansfield Road Houses

Here is a good shot, taken in 1933, before the Mansfield Road estate was built.

The Railway is to the right of the photo with the Clarkes Arms pub showing bottom right.
The waterworks building can be clearly seen in the middle of the picture.
Mansfield Road is running from the left to the bridge in the top right. This is the bridge that joins Mansfield Road with Peel Street.
It looks like there were plenty of Allotments to be had ! Sadly these seem to be dying out as the land gets built on.

 So much open space !

As before, picture courtesy of Britainfromabove

Many Thanks.

Sweet Dreams in Godley

Here is an interesting little item that was lent to us by John H.

I have no information whatsoever on it. I haven't yet tracked down where the company was either.

Anyone who can help, please contact us.
Thank you.

EDIT

John Barnouin Rowcliffe was a wire manufacturer with a small workshop in Godley that employed 2 boys and 12 men. He was born in Tarporley, Cheshire, and married in Manchester in 1859. As far as can be ascertained the business operated from about 1865 until around 1878.

A little more about John Barnouin Rowcliffe. He lived on Mottram Road, before coming to Hyde he had been an apprentice draper,he was about 17/18 at the time. He then became a manufacturer of small miscellaneous items in Cheetham Hill, Manchester. This was in the late 1850's and early 1860's. He then took up wire manufacturing in Hyde,in the late 1870's he moved to Macclesfield. He died in Chorlton, Manchester, in 1916.

In February 1897, the partnership between John B. Rowcliffe, Fred Rowcliffe and Henry Jermy, carring on business as Engineers and Tool Makers, Levenshulme under the firm of Atlas Engineers was dissolved by mutual consent.

In August 1878, John B. Rowcliffeof Godley was given notice in respect of his invention for woven elastic wire web for matresses.

In 1865, his partnership with James Dillon, Manchester and elsewhere,as small manufacturers under the name J.B.Rowcliff was dissolved.

In 1860, the firm of J.B.Rowcliffe and company, Ducie Street, Manchester, granted patent for the invention of improvements in the apparatus for winding yarn or thread on pin bobbins.

Many thanks to Maloney for supplying the details above !

Much appreciated.

SSAFA Car Show 20 Oct 2013

I went along to the SSAFA car show on Sunday and there was a fair turn out of vehicles on show and spectators to admire them.

The Mayor of Tameside, Councillor Joe Kitchen was there

And as well as serving troops and cadets quite a few of the 'old brigade'

There were army vehicles both modern....

....and not so modern

A line-up of American cars from the 1950s.....

......included this 1958 Ford Edsel Ranger, a car which lost the Ford Motor Company several hundred million dollars, the blame for which was put by some people on the unusual styling

This 1951 Ford Prefect was in pristine condition

A Triumph Roadster from the late 1940s as seen in the 'Bergerac' television series

An Austin 7 Ruby from the mid-1930s

And lastly a couple of Royal Enfields amongst the motorcycle contingent

Meadow Street 1933

The following picture shows Meadow Street in 1933 before the Redfern's Rubber Works extension was built .

According to old maps, Meadow street used to run parallel to Stockport Road so I am assuming the houses shown ( now demolished ) were also a part of Meadow Street.

Stockport Road runs from bottom left of the picture and the Clarkes Arms pub can be seen bottom right.

I just love how the houses hung their washing out to dry on the railway embankment. 

They must have got rather sooty sometimes though.

Picture courtesy of www.britainfromabove.org.uk

SSAFA Car Show

JUST A REMINDER

SSAFA CAR SHOW

HYDE FC FOOTBALL GROUND
(EWEN FIELDS)

THIS SUNDAY 20TH OCTOBER

STILL NOT BOOKED IN YET? 

CALL MIKE ON 07506463621

A FUN PACKED DAY ALL IN A GREAT CAUSE

THANK YOU FOR YOUR MAGNIFICENT SUPPORT!

If you would like to know more about SSAFA please follow the link.

http://www.ssafa.org.uk/

 

A Celebration of Peace

Here are a few shots of a coin I found whilst sorting out some old stuff.
It seems to shows the commemoration of the end of WW1, complete with the name "Mirfin" who appears to have been the Mayor of Hyde at the time.

If anyone has anymore information regarding it please let us know!

Please note.
Posts may be sporadic in the next few weeks as I try to get my computer and scanner working properly.
I will endeavour to keep the blog going as much as possible though.

Thanks for your support.
Nancy.

Addendum (by Dave Williams)

'The History of Hyde' says this about John Mirfin, Mayor 1917 to 1919:

'John Mirfin in early life became overlooker at a silk and cotton mill in Newton Heath, but left the mill to become licensee of the Woodman Inn, George Street, Hyde. His quiet demeanour and upright conduct soon caused the inn to become one of the best conducted hotels in the town, and when he contested the Newton ward in the Conservative interest in 1906 he was elected to the Town Council, and was again returned at the head of the poll in 1909. In 1910 he became an alderman, and retained the position until his death. Mr Mirfin was the first licensed victualler to be made Mayor of Hyde, and up to that time there had been some feeling about the advisability of appointing a license-holder to the position of chief magistrate. But Mr Mirfin's quiet and conscientious performance of his duties won the respect and admiration of all classes, and for two strenuous years in the war period Mr and Mrs Mirfin as Mayor and Mayoress discharged the many difficult tasks that fell to their lot in a way which sustained the highest tradition of the offices. Mr Mirfin died in Preston on April 28^th, 1923, at the age of 57 years, but was interred in the Hyde cemetery, the Mayor and Corporation attending the funeral.'

The report in the book of the ending of the war includes the following:

'Peace Day was celebrated throughout the world on Saturday, July 19^th, 1919 and Hyde, in common with the whole British Empire, gave itself up to a full day of joy-making.'

And later on:

'Each child attending the day schools in the borough was presented with a medal as a souvenir of the signing of peace.'

I endorse Nancy's comments and I'll try to chip in with posts as and when I've got the material to do so.

Goodier House, Victoria Street, Newton

At last....The Goodiers.

This post is for Barry Lewis

Godley Hill and Walls

Pictures From 1938

Post Cards 'Hyde & Gee Cross

Today's post is from Susan

Susan say's: I'm sharing a recently acquired postcard of Hyde Chapel.  In my collection, I have many others of the chapel but none quite like this.  Unfortunately, as it was not posted I can't date it, but on the back is the printer's identity - Woolley, Tower Street Printing Works, Hyde.  I've never heard of them and wonder if anyone else has.  The card obviously has age to it, as the requirement is for a 1/2d stamp.

I'm also attaching another new recently obtained card of Manchester Road, below Newton Street along with its approximate location today.  What a difference!  Again, I can't date this card as it hasn't been posted, but looking at what the men on the right are wearing, I'd say late 20s early-mid 30s.  As a child I remember a shop on the left of the picture called Busy Bee which sold children's wear.  You can just about pick out the corner of Newton Street where, I suppose Garbett's shoes were there even at that time.

Aerial View of Hyde.

I posted the above picture last weekend...  it was part of the 'ICI' post. I've come back to it this weekend to show you the top of the picture when zoomed in... great views of Old Hyde.

Top left, Gee Cross Mill , just below it is St. Georges, just to the right of centre top can be seen Provident Mill, below the mill and again just to the right is the Town Hall. Bottom left, the arches at Newton Station,  complete with Steam train. Bottom and Top Rows, middle centre right I can make out St Pauls R.C. Church. I'm sure others will be able to pick out more.

Bottom, Newton Train Station,  closer view of St. Paul's and again the Town Hall helps to pin-point where things are.

The road in the centre bottom is Victoria Street and the white building on the right The Duke Of Sussex. Across down Clarendon Road is the Grammar School to the right and the woods of Hyde Park behind it.
Left of centre middle are the houses around Donneybrook. The gas works and Haughton Green and Denton beyond.. 

Centre bottom, Garden Street, Newton Mill to the right Hyde Park running through the middle of shot, and beyond to the right Ashton Brothers. 

Sorry for the poor picture quality, but considering these all came from the top picture, which was taken in 1946 they are not bad at all. 

S.S.A.F.A. 1940s Day

For today's post we have the pleasure of promoting the following event , I hope it goes really well and gets lots of local support. I'll do my best to be there and get some pictures of the event.

S.S.A.F.A.

Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, And Families Association

1940s Day in aid of SSAFA.

OCTOBER 20th at Hyde Football Ground

After the success of our Car Show and 1940s day at Hyde Football Ground in October last year. It has been decided that we will repeat this fund raising day.

Please support this worthwhile cause all money raised goes to SSAFA

TO ALL CLASSIC VINTAGE CAR CLUBS

WE NEED YOU SUPPORT

Costume’s Optional, Prizes for Best Male & Best Female Costume.

Trophy’s for Cars & Bikes

Entrance Fee £3 all proceeds will go to SSAFA.

Open to the public from 11am 

(come along in 1940s costume, optional)

We provide whatever support is needed for the Forces family

We provide lifelong support to anyone who is currently serving or has ever served in the Royal Navy, British Army or Royal Air Force. We are here for you and your family, whenever and wherever you need us. We will always treat you with dignity and respect.

Run by Volunteers

Contact Mike Radcliffe on 07506463621 or email mikecr1894@sky.com

Contact Christina on 07854179171 or email christina20@btinternet.com 

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FROM 11AM TILL 4PM

St George's School Photo's

A few photographs of St George's school activities around 1953. Unfortunately none of the children or staff names are known. I'm sure someone out there will come up with some names, if so let us know.