Question from Christine
Holgate March 2006
Dear Richard
I have a
piece of writing by one of my ancestors Polly Crowther, it is
a scrap of paper on which Polly has written several nursery rhymes, and
the addresses of friends and relations. At one point on the paper she
writes "Composition by Miss P. Crowther, Higham, Barnsley"
(the Crowthers lived at Higham Farm), She has also written her address
as Miss Crowther, T (or J) Dymond Esq., Burntwood Hall, Brierley,
Barnsley
. Do you have any more information about the servants living at
Burntwood Hall?
Kind regards,
Christine
Holgate
Reply
from Richard
Dear
Christine
I have
checked the 1901 census and found these three people called Polly
Crowther, Polly C. aged 9
born in Glamorgan Cardiff living at
Canton
, Polly C. aged 20 born in Bradford living in Bradford, Polly C. aged 44
born in
Halifax
living in
Halifax
.
The 1881
census has this for Burntwood Hall.
Thomas
Dymond aged 48 born in Brierley Coal Owner (he
died in
1900.) Anne Dymond 44 born in Thurlstone,
Catherine
5 daughter, Frances
3 Niece.
Servants
John
Richard aged 30 born in
Clipstone,
Butler
Herbert
Terry 14 Beaghall,
York
, Page
Elizabeth
Goodhind 26
Doncaster
Nurse
Mary
Cattes 36
Belfast
Cook
Anne
Cooper 16 Clayton In The Clay, kitchen maid
Isabel
Hope 32 Salford,
Lancashire
Housemaid
Amanda
Rowbottom 17 Markfield,
Leicester
Under Housemaid
And this
for Elms Farm Brierley
James
Dymond aged 46 born in Brierley
Coal Owner
Mary
Dymond 24 born in Ware,
Hertford
Frances 3
Brierley, Ethel 2 Brierley, Frank 7 months Brierley
Servants
Edith
Barrow aged 25 born in Epworth Cook
Selina
Pettrie 22
Edinboro
,
Scotland
Housemaid
Edith
Cowwell 5
Hull Nurse
Annis S.
Porteous15 Dewhurst
Kent
It is
probably T. Dymond on the letter you have, he owned Burntwood from about
1868 and died in 1900.
As I have
not studied the later history of the Dymond family I am not sure which
member of the family followed Anne Dymond at the hall. As you will see
the servants came from quite a range of places. Barnsley Archives at the
Central Library have the 1871 and 1891 census which may be useful to
you.
regards
Richard
Your
interesting enquiry has led me to do some more checking, is this your
family please?
1881
census Higham
William Crowther widower aged 83.
Handicap: Blind
Farmer Of 120 Acres
Joe
38 Crowther born in
Barugh Famers Son
Mary
36 Crowther born in
Richmond
daughter (in
law?)
Jane
11 born in
Higham granddaughter Scholar
Mary
8 born in
Higham granddaughter
Scholar
Timothy 6
born in
Higham grandson
Scholar
William 3
born in
Higham grandson
Emily
1 born in Higham
granddaughter
John Smith
19 born in Higham Farm Servant (Indoor)
George
Hirst 55 born in Higham
Farm Servant (Indoor)
Ann
Hinchliffe 46 born in Higham
Farm Servant (Indoor)
There is
also an entry in the Kelly’s West Riding Directory for 1893; Joe
Crowther farmer at Higham.
As Polly
can be a nickname for Mary I take Mary aged 8 to be your Polly Crowther.
If so she was of the right age to have visited Burntwood as a friend of
Catherine Dymond at the time Beatrice Tomasson was governess at the hall
c1890-1901. Please see my web page Beatrice Tomasson & Dymond Family
on my Brierley Yorkshire
England
web site at
http://www.brierley59.freeserve.co.uk/
Regards
Richard
Dear Richard,
Many thanks
for all your kind help. I have only just looked at my emails - Jane
Crowther was my Great Grandmother, and I already had the census details
for 1881, but did not realise that Polly was a nickname for Mary - this
has solved the mystery of who Polly was in the piece of writing that I
have from my grandmother. I also did not know that William had the
handicap "blind" on the census - my grandmother used to say
that Willie was blinded by the tail of a horse lashing at him - the
family bred horses. I will pursue this further in Barnsley Archives.
Thank you very much.
Kind regards,
Christine
