1 April 2001

Hello Gary

Just having a look at your site, it's getting better all the time!

On the Horseshoes trip photo that's on your "new" list, the little old lady who is stood directly behind Charlie Burdett and Tony Evans is Mrs Whittington, who lived at number 4 Co-op Row many years ago. I never knew her first name, as she was quite an old lady when I was at school.

Hope this helps, and keep adding the photos. I think it's great that a small village like Brierley is enjoying so much recognition on the web (thanks to your hard work.)

John Draper

2 April 2001

Hi Gary

Kevin Bates put me on to your web site. Your school photos brought back some memories. I am a few years older than you, at Brierley school I hung about with your brother Ken although I think he was more my brother's age. I was the Halford brother who lived in Shafton Green but now live "down south" in sunn(?) Hertfordshire. My brother Chris lived on Common Road but now lives in Greasebrough. Don't you have a sister (Brenda)? I think we were in the same class at school.

Bye for now.

Paul Halford

pauldarrell.halford@ntlworld.com

P.S. Sorry, the e-mail address is a bit of a mouthful

I can remember you now! If I am correct, you were a member of the video club that I ran on Church Drive Brierley about 10/11 years ago and yes I do have a sister called Brenda. She worked in the mills upon leaving school and then joined the forces with Linda Cooper. She met an army chap and they have been married now for 25 years. They are living in Cudworth.

5 April 2001

Hi Gary

My name is Christopher Halford, and I'm 45 years old.

Although I always lived in Grimethorpe, both myself and my brother Paul attended St Paul's junior school at Brierley.

My memory is terrible for dates and years so I cannot gave you precisely when I attended, but, I do remember that I was in the first class that Mrs Horton taught when she replaced Mrs Bristow and that some of the names that were constantly in the same class as myself were:

James (Jinx) Nash, David (Crock) Higgs, Amanda Burton, Pamela Watson (I think that's correct, but she was Amanda's best friend), Neil Tibble, Sheila Day, Caroline Brown, Ian Brazier, Stephen Foster, Paul Beard, Ann Stirling, Garry Wilmot, Gary Seston and June Watson. If I remember any more I'll let you know.

My older brother, Paul now lives in Harpenden, near London, and it was he who discovered your site and e-mailed it to me.

The photo of David Keith & his sister in the schoolyard when they were leaving for Australia is very familiar because I was on one of the pictures taken. I cannot tell if it is the one that you were showing as it was too small to pick people out.

I now run a theatrical agency with my wife in Greasebrough, Rotherham after spending the past 7 years as a professional musician.

If I can be of any assistance to your cause, please e-mail me back.

Good luck

Chris Halford

Hi Christopher,

I had seen you and your Brother Christopher's names elsewhere on the Internet and I had you both mixed up with each other. I recall most of the names you mention but I think you might have a couple mixed up. Jimmy Nash (Last heard of Jimmy was living in South Kirby about 10 years ago). Crock Higgs lives in Doncaster and is doing quite well for himself. He has been a Teddy boy for a number of years and he has his own mobile Rock 'n' Roll Disco, I have heard he is in big demand. I was speaking to Amanda Burton's mum recently and she tells me Amanda is living in Sheffield and as recently given birth. I remember the Tibble family well, and I believe they left the village before they left Brierley School, but I don't know where too. Sheila Day is now Sheila Goose and living in Brierley Park. When you say Caroline Brown I think you may mean Marilynn, I don't know where she got to. I speak regularly with Ian Brazier's mum and dad, Ian is married and living in Worksop. I don't know what happened to Stephen Foster or his brother Christopher. Paul Beard is still living in Brierley. Ann Stirland still lives locally. I think you mean Barry Wilmot who still lives locally. My friend Gary Wilson informs me that Gary Seston was last heard of working and living in Singapore. June Watson is now June Asquith and has just left Brierley to live in Minsthorpe. I was brought up on the same estate as June (Hillside) and she remains a firm friend of mine to this day.

I have a class photograph with most of the people on it that you have named. Although it was reproduced from a not very good scanned image, I have put it on the photograph page under class 1963/64 for you to view.

You may be interested to know that both Mrs Horton (Minsthorpe) and Mrs Thorpe (Brierley) both attended my last photograph exhibition in December 2000. They are two ladies who I have a great deal of respect for, as I did with all of my former teachers from St Paul's School. Sadly Mrs Fox passed away, and the last news I heard of Mr Balmforth the Head was that he was very poorly in a nursing home. That was about three years ago.

7 April 2001

Dear Gary

To complete the names in the picture, the gent on back row, right, smoking the pipe is Charlie Dove (deceased) of Hemsworth. He regularly attended festivals and flower shows at the Shoes.
In your picture of Brierley Village FC 1967, the player back row extreme right is Ray Dyson not Keith (his brother).

Regards
Colin Yoxall
Barnsley Rd
Brierley

11 April 2001

Hello Gary

It's been a while since we talked. Has your Society got off the ground yet? Have you managed to enlist any real help with your Main Project- have you managed to sweet talk anyone into sparing a couple of hours per week to gather details in the Churchyard yet?

On my weekly visit this week, I took more details for my paintings, and I noticed with very great interest that, the Main Gate fence area is now down leading into the old Pit yard in the Village.

I can confirm from memory that my assumptions during my visit to your house, on the old Pit Yard position of the Shafts and winding gear is correct. During one of the many visits to this area either on the way to or from school, it's not something that I could forget. I walked down from the gate area today and passed both Winding sheds on my right - it was just like "yesterday".

Keep up the good work

Cliff Lloyd , Tadcaster

Thanks for your E-mail and keeping in touch.

The History Society looked like being a long drawn out process, but this week I received news and an offer of premises in Brierley Hall. So far so good.

I am still waiting to hear from the funding people, but expect the news in about 2 - 3 weeks time. I am fairly confident of obtaining the funding. Once these items have been finalised and I have set the office/volunteer room up (I would expect about 6 - 8 weeks), then I will gather all the volunteers together and highlight the ideas I have. One of them of course is your churchyard project, but I will have to sit with you when the office is open and discuss your exact requirements. It may be a good idea actually to arrange for you to visit the churchyard with the volunteer/s yourself. Please be patient with me Cliff. Another good thing for the History Society is that people like yourself visiting the village can pop in for a chat and a cuppa and see how things are progressing, and also for you to meet with your volunteers and see how the work is going on. I am getting really excited about it all. I am at the moment trying to do so many things on my own that time is just not on my side. It will be such a relief when the society is up and running.

I am also at the moment just about completing my book Brierley remembered No 1 from 1901 to the present day. I have put a small piece in there about the Spiritualist church and informed the readers that with your help and your guardian mothers diary, I hope to have the complete history on the church written for my next book which will be out next year. As I am having to print the books myself due to the high cost of professional printing, the books will be a limited edition of 100 and priced at £3.50. So if you would like me to reserve you a copy please let me know as the one I printed last year on similar lines for my exhibition sold out within 2 weeks, and people are still asking for copies which I can no longer print.

12 April 2001

13 April 2001

Dear Gary

My Uncle whose mother was a Marsden from Bolton-on-Dearne is a descendant from the Marsden's of Burntwood Hall. He told me that the Marsden's owned the Hall from 1707 till sometime in the 19th century. I would be very grateful on any information you could give me.

Ben Fletcher

The information regarding the Marsden's that I have in my possession is on its way to you by separate E-mail, It is too lengthy to place on this page. For the benefit of the readers, a few details on the Marsdens of Burntwood are as follows.

William Marsden purchased Burntwood Hall around 1700, although at that time it was just a farmhouse with a few outbuildings. He was an attorney serving the noblemen and the gentry of his time. He was reported to be worth around £30,000 on his death in 1718, a huge amount of money in those days by anyone's standards. Before buying Burntwood Hall he also occupied Brierley Manor, although further research would have to follow to see if he was a tenant or the owner. He also purchased the Manor of Bolton-on -Dearne and an estate in Craven and indeed many other estates. Burntwood Hall remained in the Marsden family for nearly 150 years until it was sold to Mr. S. H. Taylor who built most of the present Burntwood Hall.

13 April 2001

Hello Gary

I have received your e-mail regarding the information on the Marsden family

Good god that's something. I had no idea that the Marsden's were as well to do as they were. I have been looking on the Internet for more information. I will forward all I get to your good self.

Best wishes Ben Fletcher

16 April 2001

Dear Gary
Even though I am relatively new to Brierley (I have lived here for 10 years), I find the website very interesting and praise the effort that has gone into it. I don't think other local villages are as fortunate as we are. My husband is from the Havercroft/ South Hiendley area and as yet, we have not found a web site that covers either local history or up-to-date news, so I suppose Brierley is quite lucky! Keep up the excellent work - you never know in about 100 years from now, people may be fascinated by looking at photos of us or learning about how we lived.
I would be grateful if you could reserve a copy of your new book for me as I missed out on the first one.

Alexia Cook
Church Drive, Brierley.

18 April 2001

Hi Gary,
How are you doing? I tried to ring Hilda the other day, but I surmise everyone has been busy for the Easter Weekend. The site below is one I mentioned to Hilda on the phone, it's for my great granddad (Hilda's Granddad). We look forward to meeting you all, we'll be flying into Manchester May 4th, so we'll tee up a time as soon as we arrive. Let Hilda know I'll try to call again soon.

Thanks much,
Bill Mielke Canada

If anyone as been following this story and you live local, you can meet myself and Billy in the Three Horse Shoes on the night of the 4 May. It would be nice to see a few of you there to give Billy and his family a good old Brierley welcome.

30 April 2001

Thanks Gary - no problem. I do not think there is anything that you would be able to do for me at this point.

I appreciate the reply, Mariella

Mariella Alexander
North Carolina

FRONT ROW L-R :Jean Horsefall, Katherine Harris (married Roy Jagger), Pat Jackson, Pat Audin (my best friend), Margaret Bates, Jose Crick, Pauline Scott, Doreen Smith, Jean Armstrong and myself.

MIDDLE ROW L-R :Ann Harding, ? Neil White, Barbara ?, Peter Kay (Taught at Cudworth Sec), ? , ? , Michael Haigh, Carol Hince, Tony Hince and Sylvia Law

BACK ROW L-R :? , ? , John ? , Raymond Dye, Wilfred Oliver, ? , Malcolm Crick (Jose’s brother), Terence ? ,Gordon Steel, ? , ? , Anthony Spaxman and Peter Dawson

We are new comers to cyber space so please let me know if you receive this.

Regards Christine Johnson (Beard) Perth Western Australia

I was really grateful for your information Christine because I had actually approached Rosy Conroy (nee Pickering) regarding the photograph and she also claimed that it was not her in front of Mr Balmforth. It is nice that you have managed to name some of the other people on the photograph, I will update the information as soon as I get the chance. I actually spoke to Terry on the morning that I received your e-mail as I had just photographed the St John's Ambulance competition at Grimethorpe for the Barnsley Chronicle the Saturday before. I think that Terry and Ian Walker do an extremely first class job for the kids in the area. I only hope that sometime in the future they will bring their talents to the kids of Brierley as well as Grimethorpe.

Once again thank you for your interest in the web-site and I do hope you keep in touch

28 April 2001

Dear Gary - how's your neck? I introduced one of my patients who I see at the Wakefield practice to the web site because her uncle used to live a couple of doors from the shops (I think the old house where he lived is no longer there). The old man is now suffering from ill health but loved some of the photos and stories that his niece printed off for him to look at - it's amazing how it jogs their memories. If you have any books left; can I order one for her uncles please (that's 3 now!).

At this rate - I should be on a commission!

Hope to hear from you soon. Alexia Cooke

My neck is doing fine (Since I received Alexia's e-mail I have visited her in her role as an Osteopath and I would recommend her to anyone with back or neck problems. It is nice to hear that I have made an elderly ex pat of Brierley happy. You will have to tell your client to e-mail with their father's name and where he lived and see if I can dig up any more photographs for them from the archives.

4 May 2001

Dear Gary, It was great to hear that my sister Christine Johnson (Perth W.A.) has been in touch with you, She was very excited about her class photo on your Web site. She had lost her original copy years ago and it was good that she had managed to help identify a few of the missing names. She as asked me to find out if you have still got the original photo, she would love to have a copy. Of course Terry and I would pay for it and see to posting it off to her in Australia. I'm sorry that I have been unable to find my class photo from Brierley School, (I am still searching). I wondered if you had asked Dorothy Francis, as I'm sure she has the same photo. Also thank you for your kind words about Terry and Ian' work for the St. Johns, (re: in your answer to Christine). If you can let me know about Christine's Photo I would be very grateful.

Thank You. Marlene Haynes

Hi Marlene, I am always pleased to hear from any of the readers of the web-site especially ex pats of Brierley like your sister. It is also very pleasing when they get involved with the site by naming other people in the photographs. I have the negative of the original photograph as I do with all the photographs on the web-site. I am a little bit busy at the moment and I don't get into my darkroom as often as I would like, but when I do I will reprint one of the class photographs for you. If anyone else as tried to download and print a copy without success (which I don't mind as the photographs are for everyone's enjoyment), then I can provide any photograph you like in the good old-fashioned way. They are 10 x 8 black and white and 8 x 6 colour. They are priced at £5 each (plus p+p). Any profit from the sale of these is always used towards collecting and reproducing more photographs for the Baipip archives. E-mail with any orders you may have.

Hello Gary, I hope you had great success with your new book. I am planning on visiting Yorkshire in the Summer (mid July)

Best Wishes Ben Fletcher

The book has already sold 60 copies Ben. I look forward to meeting you in the summer by which time I hope to have the Brierley Historic Society up and running and perhaps I can arrange for you a tour of your ancestral home. I haven't forgotten about the book you are wanting. I am just wondering if I ought to leave it now while you come over?

11 May 2001

Hi Gary I have finally had a chance to locate some of the places mentioned months ago by Trevor Limbert. Its not a full list but hopefully will help. Brierley Grove:

Brierley Grove farm was owned by the Vamplew family and at one point Mrs Ida Scott's grandparents lived there.  The farm was situated about half way down the new by-pass on the left (Hemsworth side).

Folly Hall is now a dog kennels and is on the right hand side of the road as you leave Brierley, heading towards Hemsworth.  (Just before the Bare Well Hill roundabout on the new by-pass)

Ringstone Hill is the point of Brierley Common opposite the Robin Hood pub where Brierley Manor house stands.

I believe Brierley Manor is owned by the Roberts family and is a working farm.

New Park Springs : This area is actually in Grimethorpe and stands adjacent to the new link road between Grimethorpe and Great Houghton.

Ferrymoor farm was situated in Grimethorpe on Ferrymoor Common, which is the area around where the new SASH factory is.

Ivy House was situated in Shafton at the bottom of Dog Hill on the left side of the road.  The Cooper family who had connections with Felkirk Church owned the house.  (Jonathan Carnley Cooper was I think the warden or sexton of the church).  My wife was actually born at Ivy House!!!

Today Hugh Livett my wife's cousin has built a bungalow on the site of the old house where he was also born!!!

Elms farm was owned by the Dymond family and stands on Common Road opposite the children's playground and football field.  The row of stone cottages on Common Road was built for the workers of Elms Farm. The Dymond family also owned Burntwood Hall on Brierley Common.

St Peters School House : The building, which stands on the left side of South Hiendley Common as you enter the village on Frickley Bridge Lane from Brierley, was a school house which my wife's mother and auntie attended and I think it was called St Peters School. There was also a one-room building standing in the yard of Felkirk Church, which was used as a school, but I don't know if this was also part of St Peters School. Hope this is of assistance

Regards Gary Wilson 

Thank you for your information Gary. I will pass it on to Trevor straight away.

11 May 2001

Hello Gary , Following last weekend I must express our sincere thanks for all your efforts and time spent organising the visit for Bill and Elly Mielke to meet the mayor at Barnsley. My mum along with her cousins had a memorable day and was really gob smacked (as was Bill) when they went to the Town Hall. Bill was overwhelmed with the friendly open welcome he and Elly received from the people of Brierley. Bill had spent ten years looking for any surviving relatives in England and he was amazed to say the least when your web site led him to find my mother!!

Thanks again Gary (especially from my mother)

Regards Gary Wilson

Thank you Gary for your appreciation. I can assure you that I enjoyed every minute of meeting Billy, Ellie and your family. Please pass on my kindest regards to your mother and father and also my thanks for the meal they treated us to at the Three Horse Shoes. All the hard work I put in on the website makes it worth the while when it can achieve what it did for your family.

1 June 2001

  Gary, I have been doing some research into the formation of Barnsley Rugby Club.  It is our centenary next year.  In an old journal, which was written for a collection for the departing President, I have found a reference to Alphonse Wood (who incidentally donated 10/-).  On searching the web I came across your article on Brierley Hall and a mention of him.  As the Wood Brothers were active in the club I can only assume that he is one of them (Frank Wood is also mentioned).  The mystery is that you say he died in 1909 yet the journal I have is dated 1926.  Perhaps the Alphonse you have is his father?  Food for thought.

Regards, Mick Marshall Hon. Secretary Barnsley RUFC

Thank you for your E-mail. The Alphonse Wood in your old book would have probably been the one who purchased Brierley Hall. As I was not researching Alphonse Wood in particular I haven't really got any details other than an Alphonse Wood is mentioned in the deeds (he bought the Hall from Ms Hoyland in 1912), which are kept at 18 Regent Street Barnsley. Another Alphonse Wood is listed elsewhere as dying in 1909. All I am suggesting is that they are probably from the same family. Thank you for your interest shown in the web site.

10 June 2001

Hi there Gary, This message is from Carrol Bates the girl in the photo that Kevin Bates identified as his sister. Second row up on the right, the first geekie looking one.  If you are interested in up dating, my name is spelt Carrol not Carol and now I am living in South Australia, I have two adult boys, a husband and son who are deceased.  At present I work at a charity organization for the disadvantaged and needed, I'm waiting for a position at a local funeral parlour as a parlour assistant. I don't know whether you will up date this on the photo, but that is the latest. 

Regards Carrol Bates

Thank you for the update on the photograph Carrol. I will certainly update it when I find the time. At the moment I am working on starting up the new Brierley Historic Photographic Society group and I am not finding much time to update the photograph page, but it will be done shortly. Please be patient.

PS. Have you any photograph requests I can put on the site for you?