Hello Gary. 

Hope you are well. Here's four photographs of the Bower family hope they are of some use to you.1/The Laburnums as it was when we lived in the village.2/Mum and Dad Bower. 3/Myself, Tony Spaxman and Clive Dye.4/My brother and sister-in-law on their wedding day (Arthur and Hilda) they eventually had seven children. Unfortunately Arthur is no longer with us but Hilda is still around. 

Kind Regards Brian Bower Doncaster.

Hi Gary

I understand Geoff Osborne has asked about me. Please forward him my details which are enclosed. 

Ray Dyson Leeds

Sorry Ray but I have lost a number of email addresses and Geoff's is one of them. If he gets in touch with me again I will pass on your details.

Hiya Gazza, 

I have been looking for my photo on your web site, cant find it any where. R u winding me up or what? 

Luv Becci Sanderson Brierley.

As if I would Becci, check this pic out.

Hello Gary  

This is Nicky Cinderey-Smith from Brierley in the Forest of Dean. Where is your Brierley?

Regards, Nicky

Gary

I have just come across your website, while searching for information on Rev Bancks.  He was rector of Hartley, Kent where I live, from 1902 to 1934. I am interested in all aspects of Hartley's history and I note the e-mail you received from Chris Green about Rev Bancks and his family, and I was wondering if you could forward this e-mail to him.  I have for example copies of the many articles he wrote for the parish magazine from 1923 onwards.

Hi Gary

Thanks so much for the kind words and the picture on the site, its great. It made me laugh smile and cry. The photograph brought back many memories as I don't have any pictures of them both and as years go by, your memory does fade a little but their memory will never be forgotten. Once again thanks for putting the photo on your site.

Take care from Darron, Cudworth (David's son and Eddie & Nellie's grandson, they are all truly missed).

It was my pleasure Darron. Also check out this pic.

Hi Gary

Can you do me a favour and put this picture I've attached in one of your displays and see if you can get me some names. It includes my father so I would think its either a team from Brierley or Grimethorpe.

Cheers

Les Parry Brierley

No problems Les. Follow the link to see the picture.

Hello Gary,

Hope you are well, nice to see the site up and running again. My name is Brian Bower I was on your site before it closed down. I lived at The Laburnums ( Barnsley Road) from 1943 until 1959.We then moved to Hemsworth. I worked at Grimethorpe Colliery until 1970 I then moved on to work at Doncaster Royal Infirmary as an electrician where I stayed until retirement in 2000.I would be please to hear from anyone who remembers me from that period. I have photographs of some of my relations who lived at The Laburnums before I was born (when I have located them). I would be happy to e-mail them to you if they are of any interest to the site. I would be pleased if you could give me any information on these people, Tony, Denise and Linda Spaxman, William Newton, Paul Normanton, Clive Dye, Lorna Peel. 

Best Regards Brian Bower.

Hello Gary

I was trying to find out when the school was built can you help me out thanks

Mike Mulholland

Hi Mike, If you are referring to St Paul's Church of England School on Church street, the school was officially opened in 1871 but the late Rev Boyard Webster noted that some form of unofficial schooling had taken place before this time. I believe that the erection of the school may have started around 1869/70 the same time as the church. Below is an extract from my earlier book Brierley Remembered No 1.

The schools admission registers started in 1873 and the first official entry is one Annie Little - was born 7 February 1868 and started the school in July 1873. It names her father as Joseph Little - Market Gardner. A further entry also shows a H? May Kenyon starting the school in February 1878 and was born 25 April 1866. It names her father as George Kenyon - Farmer. From that date , there is only a further 44 names registered up to 1880, and there is no admission dates to accompany these names. It is interesting to note, that the school was named ‘Brierley Girls and Infants’. The first Head teacher and probably the only teacher at that time was a Miss Fanny Juster. It is also interesting to note that, before Mr E H Hoyland in 1898, all the other previous head teachers (11) were ladies, and that they didn’t seem to stay at the school for much more than one year. I would like to have concluded by stating that the school was girls only in those early years, but evidence in the registers shows that boys did attend at the same time.

Hi Gary,
One of my ancestors apparently lived for a period at Brierley Hall. He is William Bancks (1782-1863), the last to inherit the 200 year Bancks family business of metal working initially at Wigan , and later at Bewdley. I have a lot of the research papers of Rev Charles Gerard Winstanley Bancks of Harley, as he is my great grand father. His research reaches as far back as 688. I would be interested in any links you may know of between The Bancks family and Brierley Hall.
Cheers
Chris Green 

Hi Chris, 

I have written the full history of the present day Brierley Hall along with my good friend Richard Watson. Unfortunately, there was no mention of a William Bancks ever owning or tenanting the property. However, Lindley House which stands in the centre of Brierley was once known as Brierley Hall  before the present Hall was built in 1840. Looking at the dates that William was born and died, it may be this building that he lived in. I am not sure if Richard Watson can help us further on this but I will make some enquires. I will also contact the present owners to see if they can help.

Hello Gary

Regarding the stone post on Barnsley Road opposite Regina Crescent

Thank you for pointing this out to me, here are a few  notes. This a gate post dating from the time when the Barnsley to Pontefract Turnpike road was opened in 1835. The provision of gate posts was part of the work of the road engineers. The bolt was part of the gate hanger. At that time Barnsley Road was called Oak Tree Lane and the field that this post stood in was Oak Tree Close. The post has an Ordnance Survey Bench Mark on it north east face, on a map dated 1907 this is shown as being 277.5 feet above sea level. A similar gate post on the road out of Brierley leading to Hemsworth stands alone on the left of the road, this has a Bench Mark shown on the map as 321.5 feet above sea level.

I Hope this is useful

Richard Watson

Thanks for that Richard. 

Since I received your email I also noticed the same mark on St Paul's Church to the left of the main doors. It was interesting to note that Barnsley Road was known as Oak Tree Lane.

Hi Gaz

long time no see,  good to see somebody's got Brierley on the world wide web. I was in Brierley club the other week and saw the old school photograph with myself on it that you have done. Is there any chance of getting a copy of this photograph and  could you email it me.

Thanks crock  Higgs

Hello Gary,
I found your website as I went on the Brierley website created by my uncle, Richard Watson (your site was shown as a link), so congrats on setting up a great website (for a great village!). I assume you must have heard of the Drapers even though there are less of us still resident there. I don't know if it's just me, but I couldn't click on and see some parts on your website, such as memories, history and photographs, which is a shame because I'd really like to see them.

Keep up the good work.

Regards, Alan Draper.

G'day Gary

Good to see you are getting the website going again, I was trying to talk my Uncle Bill into helping you out or maybe talking to you about him taking it on when he and Yvonne were over here early last year.

Keep up the good work.

Kevin Bates, Adelaide, Australia

Hi Kevin, 

Glad to know you have found the new site. I didn't know Billy and Yvonne had been over to see you. I know if I get stuck I can call on them anytime. I will leave your email address on site for if anyone wants to contact you. Please keep in touch with us all and I would welcome your comments from over the seas when the site is fully up and running.

Hi Gary

I’m just looking at local sites – doing a bit of practice writing websites myself. When will you be putting some pics up.

Paul Tarn

Hi Paul, 

I was searching the web, and found your site... I was kind of excited, but this feeling was soon over come. your site is poo.

Chloe, Brierley I am the human torch... and I almost love you all.

Hi Chloe,