I was touched to be given Elsie’s sewing table and sewing tins when she died. She was a prolific needlewoman and I remember the hundreds of times I saw her peering over an embroidery or tapestry frame. For a long time all her haberdashery supplies were left as they were, in my sewing cupboard. There was a huge tangle of embroidery threads in tins and bags and I’ve finally got round to sorting and tidying them. As I unwrapped the many ‘leftovers’ which she preciously saved for other projects, I unravelled the scraps of paper she’d wrapped them around. They date from 1938 to late 1950s (I’m guessing, from the design of the gas advert). The W. Ryan mentioned in the British Legion is William Ryan, Elsie’s dad. I’m still working through the threads, there may be more treasures to uncover yet…
Victorian necklace: silver with red glass droplets. This belonged to Annie Forsyth, mother of Arthur Mulligan and grandmother of Janet. Annie gave it to Arthur’s wife Elsie, who gave it to Janet, who gave it to me. We think it’s the only thing left of Annie’s possessions that have remained in the family.
I remember playing with this as a little girl when I tipped out mum’s jewellery boxes, I had no idea it was so special. I’m filled with warmth to have it in my hands and know of its roots. I can’t help but wonder what sort of life Annie might have had, to have owned such an item, and what occasions she might have worn it for.
I was struggling to read a surname on my grandmother’s (Lily Entwistle, nee Pope) birth certificate. It was the maiden name of her mother. Probably family members already knew it but I needed it pretty swiftly so turned to the web. I know twitter has it’s skeptics, but it’s been invaluable for me. It’s helped me with research, meet people at conferences, given me new contracts, and helped me recruit people for work I’ve been managing (for starters).
So, as a shot in the dark I posted a picture of the writing I was struggling with - above. Within two minutes two people gave me the same interpretation, which enabled me to Google that name along with some other details I already knew, and hey presto! Up came some local parish records from St Bartholomew’s church in Great Harwood.
So Lily’s mother; my Great Grandmother; was Ellen Jane Curtis. Not only that, the records gave her, and her husband’s addresses and occupation at the time of their marriage, and the names, addresses and occupations of both of their fathers. So I’m delighted with that breakthrough.
Here’s the information I found, for your interest:
Marriage: 23 Dec 1899 St Bartholomew, Great Harwood, Lancashire, England
William Thomas Pope - 19 Labourer Bachelor of 5 Grange St Clayton le Moors
Ellen Jane Curtis - 19 Winder Spinster of 13 Cross Gate
Groom’s Father: Peter Pope, Labourer
Bride’s Father: Joseph Curtis, Drawer in
Witness: William Curtis; Elizabeth Wilkinson
Register: Marriages 1897 - 1900, Page 68, Entry 136
The information, and much more of this sort, was found on Lancashire Online Parish Records. What an amazing website it is.
The text on the back of this picture says it’s HMS Cerion. However a bit of research showed that no such ship existed. A bit more research and it turns out most likely to be the HMS Ceylon.
This is my grandma Elsie Mulligan (nee Ryan). Arthur, her husband, as we know, was in the navy and this website explains that the HMS Ceylon ventured to Scapa Flow on Orkney. We did already know Arthur traveled there whilst in the Navy so it makes sense that it was actually the HMS Ceylon she’s aboard here. I’ve emailed the founder of the website to see if he or any of its associated members could verify this, though it seems very probable anyway.
The caption on the photo says she was about to go into the boilerhouse, which explains the ‘scrubs’ and surely the job of the wife of a Navy man was to smile and lift the spirits on rare ventures aboard. But I wonder, really, how happy a young woman, whose husband is off to war, standing under two overbearingly large canons, could be. The more I discover about her, the more I see what incredible inner strength she had.
The HMS Orion at Suez in 1943.
My mum (Janet Ryan) recently wrote this about grandad (Arthur Mulligan) and his connection to the ship…
“…During the war he was called up to join the Royal Navy. My father was soon promoted to Lieutenant Instructor, and on HMS Orion he served in the Mediterranean where his maths and astronomy were invaluable as he was called on when enemy mines were spotted as he could easily calculate the distance speed and direction which the warship Orion must navigate to avoid the mines: I understand from an aunt that he had little sleep during this time. He was also at Scapa Flow ( Orkney ), fortunately not when the U boat entered unseen. He taught navigation at Greenwich and at Portsmouth”.
I remember being told about this by mum once, I must have been young because the explanation I got, was that his job was to drive ships at night using the stars instead of a map.
Quick apologies for a very quiet blog of late. I am still collecting documents, objects, stories etc. The only delay is due to lack of time, and lack of images to go with the many excellent stories that have come in. If you have a story to send me, please do - if you have an image that would go with it - even better! Mum (Janet Ryan) sent me an article she wrote about her dad, Arthur Mulligan, something of a local character, much known, loved and respected by all accounts. I’ll come back to that another time but it reminded me of something else I’d come across about his role in setting up Nelson’s Gramophone Society…
* “Although the present society dates its foundation from October 1950 there had been an earlier gramophone society in Nelson of which little is known apart from the fact that, like its successor, it met in the Borough Café. We don’t know when that society started but we do know when it ended. The advent of the wireless as a new source of music in the home (and of the cinema as another challenger in the entertainment field) caused its membership to dwindle to a point where the society was no longer viable and, towards the end of 1925, the founders conceded defeat, held a final meeting and disbanded.
For the next 25 years there was no gramophone society in Nelson. By 1950, however, radio was no longer a novelty and interest in music on record had revived, boosted by the release in June that year of the first LPs from Decca. Alec Croasdale’s record shop (which stood on the corner of Every St. and Pendle St.) was a favourite hang-out for record enthusiasts and three of these were the founders of the new Nelson Gramophone Society. Their names were Edgar Kay (who had been a member of the old society), Alan Robinson and Arthur Mulligan; names which may be familiar to many older residents of Nelson and district.
Dressmaking
Lily / Grandma talked to me about these certificates one time.
She could talk for England but I never saw it that way, I could have listened to her for England too. One of the many occasions I wish I’d been able to record it as I don’t remember nearly enough of what she said. Other than she saved up to go to these classes. And she went every week in the evening for three years. I can’t help but notice the years on these. She just finished her 3rd year in time. A couple of years later and WWII would have halted it all in its tracks and her life could have turned out very differently.
I know how proud she was of her sewing skills and rightly so, though she would have never said they were anything special. It was more the gift of making things for other people she was proud of, the contribution to family.
It was the thread (no pun intended) that ran through her life. Her work in textiles was something she shared with Grandad over the years. I know she worked as a pattern cutter for Marks & Spencer for a while. And her love of sewing was also her way of thrifting and making presents for generations upon generations of her friends and family.
Sadly it was also one of the things that frustrated her most as she became older, that her eyes weren’t good enough to sew when she wanted to, nor her fingers steady enough to thread a needle…
It was also the thing that bound me to her inseparably. My first memory of craft is sitting with her teaching me to sew a small felt teddy bear when I was maybe 5 or 6. I remember her words “it should be just as neat on the back as the front” and use them as my bible even today.
There is a poem written by a friend of mine that she says I can have to give to Grandma. You can read it *here*
This time something on the Entwistle side.
One of Lily / Grandma’s treasures, given to me Christmas 2007.
At the time we thought it was the only thing remaining with her maiden name, Pope, (though now I know otherwise, more on that another day).
It has slide out rulers on each side in centimetres and inches. I didn’t expect to see centimetres on something of that age. It also has a secret pencil drawer underneath and a slide out section.
And the most beautiful floral decoration. As far as I can work out it’s about 1930-32, but perhaps you know more definitely?
Nelson Grammar School.
Also written on the back something I couldn’t make out - clublands? newlands?
I can identify Janet (mum) (top row middle); Sylvia, Elsie and Arthur (bottom row, right hand side all together) and Janet’s best friend Dorothy (middle row, second from right).
Mum went to Nelson Grammar School (later Walton Lane High School, now Pendle Community High School). Dad went there too. And Arthur taught there. I’m not sure but I assume he taught maths.
Maybe around 1961 though I don’t know. I wonder what the club or group was, and the occasion for the group photo. And why Elsie / Grandma was part of it too since she didn’t work there, but did accompany Arthur / Grandad on lots of his trips to all sorts of places.
Arthur & His Mother. I don’t know her name, or what year this is.
I’d guess by the dress it might be early 1940s, though Arthur (Grandad) has no decoration of his outfit so maybe it was earlier. Or maybe this was his shore leave suit? Or perhaps you only wore all the badges and whistles on special occassions?
I do know Arthur was in the Navy and worked on large naval ships. I have photos of these to add another day. I know he was (amongst other things) an astronomer and navigated using the stars during wartime, as many naval crew did, so as to avoid drawing unnecessary attention. He also taught other crew how to do this.
It was only when I saw this photo today that I realised I don’t know much, if anything, about his mother (my great-grandma). If anyone knows anything about her please add your story in the comments below.
