Category: Uncategorized

Scottish Ancestors

Sometime in the early 1870s James Paul stepped out from the family home at 21 Clyde Street (now Abercromby Street), Calton, east Glasgow for pastures new. He was 18 and listed his occupation as Paper Box Maker. What spurred James on we can only speculate: a family row, adventure or bettering his position? Crowded House… Continue reading Scottish Ancestors

Private Cyril Thorp 1899-1918

Cyril is my first cousin, twice removed – my Great Grandfather’s brother’s son, my Grandfather Tom Thorp’s cousin and contemporary of a similar age. Both grew up Wadsley, Sheffield. Cyril was killed on or around 25th April 1918, aged 19, somewhere in the Ypres Salient probably a casualty of the German Spring Offensive, (possibly the… Continue reading Private Cyril Thorp 1899-1918

Mary Jane Thorp 1830 – 1901

At the age of 24 in 1855 Mary Jane gave birth out of wedlock to William, and became a single mother in Victorian England. Author’s at the time such as Elizabeth Gaskell in her novels Mary Barton (1848), and Ruth (1853), described the precarious, fragile, frightening and unfair situation in to which, so called “fallen… Continue reading Mary Jane Thorp 1830 – 1901

William Thorp

Ex-GN Ivatt N1 0-6-2T's at Bradford Bowling Junction Locomotive Depot 9459 and 9479 were two of the many N1 0-6-2T's then used for various local services from Bradford Exchange, to Halifax, and Keighley. Photo: Ben Brooksbank Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike license 2.0.

“FATAL ACCIDENT AT BOWLING – At a quarter to five o’clock yesterday morning an accident occurred in the shed of the Great Northern Railways Company, in Essex Street, Bowling, which resulted in the death of a fireman name Wm. Thorp, aged twenty five who resided at 90, Prospect Street, and was employed by the company.… Continue reading William Thorp

Sarah Ann Bolton (nee Thorp)

Sarah Ann Thorp was the second child of Henry Thorp and Ann Senior born 4th August 1825. Her Baptism is recorded at All Hallows, Kirburton, Yorkshire. Henry and Ann were married 14th November 1824 at St Peter’s, Huddersfield. Kirkburton was most likely the family home of the Seniors: Ann, her mother was Baptised at All… Continue reading Sarah Ann Bolton (nee Thorp)

Holy Trinity Thorps

Tracing the family line before Robert Thorp, Henry Thorp’s father and my 4th Great Grandfather has proved near impossible. James, my father, hit this particular brick wall early in the quest to find the family roots. I’m now in the process of exhausting various strategies to make some concrete connections back in to the 18th… Continue reading Holy Trinity Thorps

George William Fynn’s War

Britain declared war on Germany at 19:00 UTC on 4 August 1914 (effective from 11 pm), following an “unsatisfactory reply” to the British ultimatum that Belgium must be kept neutral.  On 7 August Lord Kitchener made his first appeal for 100,000 new recruits.  A month later on 4 September George William Fynn (21 years and 355… Continue reading George William Fynn’s War

Mary Cooper (1893 – 1971)

Mary Cooper was a working class Victorian who gave birth to 8 children, outlived 2 husbands and lived through 2 world wars. Mary was born in Wakefield, West Riding of Yorkshire 20 July 1893 to Thomas and Elizabeth Ann Cooper both of Darlaston, Staffordshire.  Her father, brothers and husbands were coal miners (sometimes soldiers); her… Continue reading Mary Cooper (1893 – 1971)