Journal

While researching the previous article I re-examined the marriage certificate for William Henry ASHFORTH and Ellen TOMLINSON. I had been unable to fully decipher the witnesses' names, yet I am aware sometimes knowing the names of witnesses can provide a breakthrough in research brickwalls. With this in mind I took another look at the witnesses' names:

I have always been convinced Thomas Mars??? Sanders is in fact Thomas Marsden Sanders. With this in mind and realising Thomas Marsden would not occur very frequently I ran a few searches. Eventually I found for the Sheffield region a single birth and a single marriage for one Thomas Marsden Landers. This is almost certainly one of the witnesses at William and Ellen's marriage.

Albert Allen BARLOW was the son of Henry BARLOW and Harriett BARLOW (née Harriett ALLEN) sister of my great grandmother Ziller JACKLIN (née Ziller ALLEN). Albert Allen Barlow was born at Elkesley, Nottinghamshire; Harriett and Ziller were born at Little Gringley, Nottinghamshire.

Click here to view the details on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.

My mother identified this photograph as Frank ASHFORTH. Frank was an uncle to William Henry ASHFORTH 1896-1916, my grandfather Ernest ASHFORTH's brother. William Henry ASHFORTH 1896-1916 was killed in action, 1916, France, during World War I. The reverse of this photograph / post card reveals it was sent from Frank S ASHFORTH to his nephew and my great uncle William Henry ASHFORTH 1896-1916. Click here to view the reverse side of this photograph. Click here to view my previous post regarding William Henry ASHFORTH 1896-1916.

What I hadn't realised was that Frank also died in action in France during World War 1. I was searching on the name "Frank Ashforth" when I came across an entry on a 'pay to view' military genealogy website. The entry was simply:

In this photograph my grandfather Ernest ASHFORTH is in his element; in a pub, with a pint of beer and no doubt in his pocket a still smouldering pipe. My grandmother Emily ASHFORTH (née Emily BELLAMY) is wearing one of her collection of fur coats, with just a whiff of mothball.

Shortly after Ernest died I recall driving to Emily's flat in Langsett Close, Sheffield in order to take her for a day out in Derbyshire. In the early nineties fur coats had moved into the realm of not being 'politically correct' though I doubt Emily was even aware of the term. Long before she opened the flat door I could smell the mothballs. On opening the door, there she stood, resplendent in fur coat and carpet slippers.

No point arguing, carpet slippers are comfortable and she is not changing into shoes!