Little London Calling!

 

Little London off Church Street, Bentley 1931

Uncovering the Hidden History of Little London

About a year ago I was asked to look into the history of a mysterious part of Bentley known as 'Little London'. Probably only remembered today by Bentley's older residents, this tiny corner of Bentley now long gone was home to countless families over the time it existed. So, before it slips out of memory completely, here is what I managed to find out about the area and the people who lived there.

Contents

• Finding Little London 
• The Name 'Little London'
• Dating Little London and Piccadilly
• The Houses
• Residents
• Lifestyles
• Length of Residencies
• The Francois Cementation Company
• Expansion
• The Demise of Little London
• Further Expansion
• The Move to Housing
• Skanska
• Piccadilly

Finding Little London

If you wanted to find the site of Little London today you would need to enter the new housing estate of Westongales Way, off Jossey Lane and make your way to the western most point, where the road runs north to south ending in a cul-de-sac at each end. The map below shows its rough location.

Little London location shown in the red box

This wider map of Bentley in 1893 probably better illustrates the location of Little London.

Bentley 1893 with Little London ringed in red

We know where Little London was because many old OS maps have the location marked, and you can even see the arrangement of the houses, as in this map of 1850 below. 

Little London 1850

If we zoom in on this map (below), we can see three blocks, or terraces of houses at the top end marked in bold cross hatching. There then seems to be two rows of allotments either side of a track, where presumably the residents grew their vegetables. The track then turns in a dog-leg, passing more houses, before emerging on to Church Street. The little cluster of houses at this junction were called 'Piccadilly', and there is still a road there today with the same name, which ends in a cul-de-sac.

Little London houses and Piccadilly in 1850

The Name 'Little London'

So where does the name Little London come from? Well, I found nothing definitive, but it does seem that there are a few Little London's dotted around the country and these hamlets often date back to before the 17th century. They may connect to the droving trade which supplied Royal households and lands at the time, hence the London connection. Interestingly, Piccadilly is another name associated with these drovers' roads, which might explain why there is also a Piccadilly in Bentley. With the main London to York road laying close to Bentley it does seem feasible that a drover's road did exist in the area and these names are associated with it.

Dating Little London and Piccadilly

Little London and Piccadilly probably had residents from as early as 1850, with identifiable census records starting in 1851. Of course we can't be totally reliant on these records. Sometimes you find that names like Little London and Piccadilly are often not included by census enumerators, the 1841 census being one example. The same goes for electoral rolls, which may be missing that same vital detail. 

The earliest map to mention Little London is the 1850 edition shown above. So at this moment in time there are no available records to prove the age of Little London. Piccadilly is not mentioned on any maps prior to 1960, although buildings are visible on the old OS maps.

Piccadilly in the forefront with
Little London behind, 1933

Piccadilly can also be seen on this map of 1933 (above). The road in front of the houses in Church Street, off which is a narrow entrance which passes by a terrace of houses and then continues to Little London.

The Houses

Close up view of the houses at Little London in 1933

The photo above, taken in 1933, shows Little London in some detail. There is a block of seven houses at the back, and a further block of two houses facing them across a courtyard. There are some small outbuildings bordering the south and east corner which may be privies or wash houses; just visible in the centre is what looks like a street lamp and a water pump. In front of the courtyard are the allotments and the narrow road down to Church Street.

Nine households are pictured here and according to census records and electoral rolls the houses were numbered 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14. It is possible that there were more houses originally as numbers 1 to 5 are missing. House numbers seem to have been recorded from about 1901 as earlier residents did not have a house number included on their census/electoral records. Historically, house numbering was first introduced in this country in the 1880's, but probably wasn't widely used until later in more rural areas.

Residents

From extensive studies of the census and electoral rolls it has been possible to put together lists of Little London residents from 1851 to 1948. All residents from 1901 onwards have been matched to house numbers, whereas those residents between 1851 and 1901 could not be matched to house numbers. As mentioned earlier the 1841 census does not mention Little London as a place name, so if there was anyone living there at that time it's impossible to identify them. 

The lists are shown in alphabetical order by surname. The next column shows the house number they lived at; unidentified house numbers are left blank. The last column shows the years they were identified living there. Some addresses also show lodgers in residence, these are bracketed in the last column.

Spreadsheets showing each house through time are included at the end of this article.

Residents of Little London 1851 to 1948

Note: The above information is purely from records available at Ancestry.com. Missing or incorrect information is always a possibility which is beyond my control.

Lifestyles

Having found out the names of our Little London Residents the next question is what quality of life did they have? Clues can be gained from examining the kinds of occupations the heads of households had over the decades. By collecting data from the various census records and 1939 Register, we can see how different industries affected the kinds of work available in the area, and how these people lived. The findings are set out below:

1851 and 1861 - all heads of households were listed as farm, or agricultural labourers.

1871 - Five agricultural labourers and four railway workers were listed.

1881 - Census doesn't include the name 'Little London' so households cannot be determined.

1891 - One farm labourer, one shepherd, two bricklayers, and three railway workers.

1901 - One cowman (farm), one general labourer, and one bricklayer's labourer were listed.

1911 - Two farm labourers, one bricklayer, one general labourer, and five pit workers were listed.

1939 - One general labourer, two pit workers, one warehouseman, and one sewerage pump man were listed.

The move from agricultural work to railways and the pit is clear to see, but we can also see from this that the residents of Little London were very much of the working classes. The type of housing in Little London is also very much directed towards the working classes; we only have exterior photos to go on, but thanks to the 1911 census, which asks how many rooms are in the dwelling, further information can be gained.

Residents were asked to list the number of rooms in the house, including the kitchen, but excluding the scullery, landing, lobby, closet or bathroom etc.

Part of a 1911 census

The above image is from the 1911 census of Thomas Auty, the longest remaining resident of Little London between 1901 and 1933. Thomas lived at number six and has stated that his house had four rooms. Interestingly, this is only one of two houses in Little London to have four rooms, the other being number 14; the remaining seven houses were all said to have three rooms in total. 

We can also determine the number of bedrooms in these houses as William Briggs at number twelve states that his house has two bedrooms.

We can conclude from these details that the houses probably consisted of one living area on the ground floor, with two bedrooms on the first floor. The two houses with four rooms probably had a partitioned kitchen area.

Length of Residencies

So, now we have a picture of the houses and the people who lived at Little London, the next question is how long did most people live there? Bearing in mind that these houses were almost certainly rental properties, the lengths of tenancies could vary wildly with most families staying short-term and then moving on, often to find work. 

From the list of residents compiled we can see just how many short and long term residents Little London had over the years from 1851 to 1948.

In total thirty people/families stayed for just one year. Sixteen stayed for two years, while fifteen stayed for three years. Twenty two families stayed between four and twenty years, while just two families exceeded twenty years - The Wards at twenty four years, and the Auty's at thirty two.

The Francois Cementation Company

In 1922 the Francois Cementation Company Limited moved their business from Doncaster's South Parade, to land behind the houses at Little London.

The Francois Cementation Company was established in 1910 by Belgian Albert Francois, who was setting out to improve techniques in the sinking of shafts for coal mines. Starting out in premises at South Parade, Francois went on to patent a cementation technique used in the trenches during World War 1.

It was following this that the Bentley Works were established and the site housed a collection of workshops, machinery and equipment mainly used in the mining industry. The site also included a cricket/sports ground for the workers. Photos from 1933 illustrate the layout and contents of the site.

Bentley Works in 1933 (looking west)

In the photo above, the Doncaster to Leeds railway line can be seen diagonally beyond the buildings. Top left are the remaining houses of Little London, while the whole of the land behind is taken up with workshops and equipment storage.

Bentley Works and Little London in 1933 (looking north)

This photo, taken from another angle shows Little London and the allotments (bottom right) with Bentley Works to the rear and the cricket/sports ground to the centre right.

The entrance to Bentley Works in 1933, off Brustlingholme Lane

Bentley Works was accessed from an entrance on Brustlingholme Lane (now Jossey Lane) as can be seen in the photo above.

Wider shot of Little London and Bentley Works in 1933 (looking north)

This last photo shows a wider view of the whole site. Little London's houses are in the centre with Bentley Works behind. To the right is the end of Church Street and the level crossing leading on to Watch House Lane. Bottom centre is Pipering Lane. Further north is the cricket field (the central oval shape), and then the houses on Jossey Lane; just visible beyond those is Bentley Park.

Expansion

In 1941 the company was renamed The Cementation Company and new offices were built at the site. An additional ten acres of land was purchased on the west side of the railway line, but in accordance with wartime regulations, it was initially planted with wheat. In addition to providing wheat for the war effort, a large part of the Bentley Works was engaged in the manufacture of three-inch mortar bombs.

Cementation advert from the 1950's

Following the end of the war expansion really took off and by the mid 1950's the floor capacity of the workshops had doubled and sadly Little London was no more.

The Demise of Little London

Records of anyone living in the houses at Little London come to an end in 1948. Living next to a rapidly expanding industrial site must have become intolerable following the war, so it made sense for The Cementation to buy up the properties and land for their expansion to continue. 

Between 1948 and 1952 the properties were vacated and The Cementation expanded onto the site. Despite new units being erected the houses were not immediately demolished, although some appear to lie derelict in this photo from 1952.

The Cementation in 1952 with derelict Little London buildings, centre

By 1953 part of the main row of cottages had lost their ceiling joists, although the other buildings appear intact. The photo below shows the back of the cottage row with the pair of cottages facing them.

 

The Cementation in 1953 with Little London fast disappearing

Further Expansion

With wartime food production no longer required, the early 1950's  saw The Cementation expand the works on to the land at the west side of the railway line, off Pipering Lane.  For many years the site straddled both sides of the railway line. 

The photo below from 1952 shows the whole of the site from The Cementation sports grounds on Jossey Lane to the right, and the new works expansion on Pipering Lane to the left. The railway runs diagonally left to right through the centre. 

  

The Cementation works in 1952

The map below shows the site in 1960.

1960 map of the Cementation site

The Move to Housing

In the mid 1990's The Cementation became consolidated to the Pipering Lane site and the land to the east was cleared for redevelopment. This included the sports grounds and Manor Farm in 1997, which had occupied the corner of Jossey Lane for at least a hundred and fifty years.

Manor Farm

A new housing estate was built on the old Cementation/Little London site. Starting in 1995 and complete by 2002, around 288 houses were built, and the roads created were named - Westongales Way, Turnberry Court and Ansult Court. Entry to the estate is via Jossey Lane.

The Westongales estate, Bentley
Google Earth image

Skanska

In 2001 The Cementation became part of Skanska, a Swedish construction and development company, and the site was renamed 'Cementation Skanska'. 

In 2015 the site was transformed into the green facility it is today. Using solar panels and a heating system that uses biomass and waste machinery oil, as well as natural lighting have led to the company having a near zero effect on the environment.

The Cementation Skanska site today

Entrance to Cementation Skanska
Google Earth image

Piccadilly

The only lasting remnant of Little London is the cul-de-sac of Piccadilly, just off Church Street. Containing just two houses now, this small corner of Bentley is the only reminder of a hamlet long gone. 

Piccadilly as shown on a map of 1960

The entrance to Piccadilly viewed from Church Street

Above is a current view of the short road that is Piccadilly today. Interestingly, the house on the left is the only surviving building from the photos of 1933 (see below).

1933 view of Church Street. The house highlighted in red still survives today.

Piccadilly, centre bottom up, shown from the entrance on Church Street
to its end where it meets the Westongales estate. 


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Residents by House Number

The following spreadsheets show the history of each house in Little London through occupation. 

Starting in 1901 when occupiers could be matched to house numbers, and ending in 1948 when records cease. The first two spreadsheets cover house numbers 6 to 9, and the second two spreadsheets cover house numbers 10 to 14.

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And so ends our trip to Little London, hopefully it has provided some information new to you, and when you next find yourself near to Bentley level crossing, you can look out for the street name of Piccadilly and bring to mind a tiny clutch of houses called Little London and its history. Hopefully it will not slip from memory entirely now.

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Aerial photos from the 1930's and 1950's are from the website Britain from Above.

Alison Vainlo 2023

Building Bridges

 

The Mill Stream Bridges

The mill stream which runs through central Bentley has two crossing points, one on High Street and one on Cooke Street. Integrated into the road network, some may not even be aware there are bridges at these points at all. In fact there have been bridges in both locations for a very long time, especially at Cooke Street.

In this article we look at the two bridges in more detail, charting their history and looking at their important role in traffic movement around Bentley.

Contents

• The Mill Stream
• A Tale of Two Bridges
• The Old Stone Bridge
• The New Stone Bridge
• Lasting Bridges

The Mill Stream

There has been a mill stream in Bentley for many hundreds of years. The first corn mill in Bentley, which was on Mill Gate, can be traced  back to at least 1332. It sat alongside a mill pond which stretched out to form a stream or dike, sometimes called a 'Quoit' on old maps. 

The seventeenth century rebuilt Bentley Mill

Later on, Finkle Street and Askern Road (which used to be named Selby Road) were built alongside the mill stream. This is shown on an illustration of the Enclosure map of 1827 below. 

The mill stream, shown in blue in 1827.

Further west the stream ran adjacent to Yew Tree Farm at Rostholme, which is now Bentley Health Centre. Beyond Yew Tree Farm the mill stream continued, as it does today, to join a network of dikes and drains north west of Bentley.

Yew Tree Farm alongside the mill stream

As can be seen from the enclosure map, there was originally only one crossing point over the mill stream, this was at the end of Cooke Street at the junction with the Selby road. The route through Bentley from south to north took a left turn at what is now Chapel Street, then a right on to Cooke Street before joining the Selby road at the mill stream, as illustrated in the map below.

The original main route through Bentley shown in red

Sometime between 1827 and 1850 an extension to High Street (which was known as Doncaster Road) was built. This required a second bridge to be built at the junction with Finkle Street, Arksey Lane and the Selby road (Askern Road). The new road became the main thoroughfare through Bentley, providing a more direct route to villages and towns further north. 

1893 map showing both bridges over the mill stream

 A Tale of Two Bridges

The history of Bentley's two bridges differ quite dramatically from each other, but both have undergone changes over the years to enable them to endure modern day traffic at volumes unimaginable when the mill stream got its first permanent crossing point.

The Old Stone Bridge

It is unclear when Bentley's first stone bridge was built. One can imagine a wooden bridge being the first crossing point for early settlers in the area, but as with most things, something stronger and longer lasting must have been required as the village grew. This illustration (below) is said to be Bentley bridge in circa 1740 however, the artist's addition of rolling hills is either artistic licence, or it isn't 'our' Bentley at all (the jury is still out).

'Bentley Bridge', 1740

 

It isn't until we get to the 1820's that we can be sure what the bridge looked like. Around the year 1822 a new stone bridge was built to replace whatever had stood there before. Very few photos survive today of the 19th century bridge, however, this one (below) from 1910 came from a collection of photos taken by Ernest Goodridge*. It shows a daring Bert Marsh** navigating the mill stream in his canoe and disappearing under the Cooke Street stone bridge. 

Bert Marsh in his canoe under the old stone bridge in 1910

In late 1921 the bridge supports failed following water erosion and the bridge became unusable. The road was closed to traffic for some months while negotiations were undertaken to agree on the cost of repairs.

In the end a contract worth almost £2,000 was given to the Yorkshire Hennibique Co. who had built the concrete headgear at Bentley Colliery.

A new concrete bridge was erected, and a portion of road was widened to improve this previously dangerous junction.

The opening ceremony took place on the 11th of March 1922. The first motor vehicle to pass over the new bridge contained the Chairman of the Bentley Urban District Council, Geo. Ringrose and the director of the contracting firm, D. Jones.

As the car approached the final yard of road the car broke through a white tape. Mr Ringrose alighted, then returned to the centre of the bridge declaring it open.

Following the ceremony, two 10-ton steam rollers were driven onto the centre of the bridge. Members of the Council and others then went below the bridge to see the effect of the weight on the structure.

Recording instruments both at the ends and the centre of the structure did not show the slightest sign of 'give'. The steam engines above were driven backwards and forwards but still the bridge held firm and showed no signs of cracking or breaking.

That concrete bridge is now a century old and stands testament to the foresight of the Urban Council and the ability of the Surveyor, P.G. Woodhall.

Cooke Street bridge in 1995 with the old Methodist chapel in the background

 

*Ernest Goodridge was a Bentley soldier in WW1. For his story go to When Bentley Stars Shine.

**Bert Marsh was a member of the Marsh family of Finkle Street corn mill, he is mentioned in the article When Bentley Stars Shine. For more about the Marsh family go to William Marsh, Son of a Miller, Friend of a President.

The New Stone Bridge

Ironically the new stone bridge at the end of High Street is now the older of the two Bentley bridges following the replacement of the Cooke Street bridge in 1922. 

As mentioned earlier, the extension to High Street was added prior to 1850, so the stone bridge dates from about then. Despite its age it doesn't appear to have suffered the same dramas as its neighbour. The photo below was taken from the Finkle Street side of the bridge in 1910.

The High Street bridge in 1910

There will undoubtedly have been repairs and maintenance carried out on the bridge over the years, but apart from the addition of some metal railings on the west wall, the bridge looks pretty much the same today. The same can't be said of the mill stream though, which is much narrower and more overgrown now.

High Street bridge in more recent times

  

Lasting Bridges

Just as the mill stream in Bentley will always flow through the village, the bridges which cross it will always be there too. Built to last these two bridges should endure for many decades to come, so next time you pass through Bentley, take time to notice the bridges and appreciate what an important role they have had in the long history of the village.

Alison Vainlo 2022 

The Mourning Brooch

 

The Story of the Addy Family 

When I was asked to assist with some research for a forthcoming novel I had no idea what a captivating story it would turn out to be. The Mourning Brooch by Jean Renwick tells the story of the Addy family of Bentley in the mid 1800's. 

Having read the book, I approached Jean with the idea of writing an article which would set out some of the background research to the story, and give an honest review of Jean's work. 

Inevitably, there will be some spoilers included in this article, so the reader may wish to read the book first and then find out more, or they may wish to read the article and then be inspired to read the book. Whichever is the case, Jean's book tells the story of the Addy family in far more detail than I ever could.

Contents

• The Brooch and the Story
• My Part in the Research
• The Addy Family
• Joseph Addy
• Children
• Death of Elizabeth Addy
• A Second Marriage
• Births and Deaths
• Miss Legge's Ladies Seminary
• More Tragedy for the Addy Family
• Maria Cockin
• Mary-Ann Addy Grows Up
• The Willey Family
• Some Willey Family Images
• Marian and John-Henry Marry
• Will Addy
• Hannah-Mary Willey
• Willey vs Willey
• Back in Bentley
• Frannie Grows Up
• Court Papers in the Case of Willey vs Willey
• Response by Godfrey Willey
• Jean Renwick
• Press Release for The Mourning Brooch
• The Mourning Brooch - Review - By Alison Vainlo
• Dedication

The Brooch and the Story

In 1989 Jean Renwick inherited a mourning brooch from her godmother Dorothy Walker, who was descended from the Addy family of Bentley. 

The gold and black brooch (pictured above) contained a lattice of brown and grey hair, and on the back was the following inscription:

Mrs Addy

Ob: Jan: 3rd 1849

AE I: 39 

Reverse side of the mourning brooch with the inscription.
Photo courtesy of Jean Renwick

Intrigued by the inscription and what may lie behind it, Jean decided to investigate the brooch and the mysterious Mrs Addy. 

After many years researching, she managed to track the brooch back to Elizabeth Addy who had died in 1849 leaving two young daughters and a widowed husband. 

With the lives of the Addy family opened up to her, Jean was then able to expand her research to the places they lived, events in their lives, the wider family, and friends whose lives became entwined with their own.  

Already a published author, Jean decided to tell the story of the Addy family in a book. This could have been a straightforward biographical account of the family, but Jean took the unusual step of turning her research into a novel. She took real people and created characters for them, placing them in the real events that shaped their lives. The book does have imagined elements, but the main events are based on fact.

The first part of The Mourning Brooch, Book One, covers the first thirty eight years of the story, up to 1876. The remainder of the story up to World War II will be told in Book Two and Book Three.  

The Mourning Brooch was published by Amazon in September 2021 as a paperback and eBook.

The Mourning Brooch Book Two is available as of the 1st of August 2023, see details at the end of this article.

The Mourning Brooch book cover.
Photo courtesy of Jean Renwick

My Part in the Research

In June 2021 I received an email from Jean Renwick. She had found my blogs and had already discovered some relevant information pertaining to the Addy family from them; however she wanted to pin down just where the Addy's lived. Happily I was able to find that information, and so there followed a series of emails in which I was able to help in other areas. My part in the process was quite small but Jean wrote a lovely acknowledgement to my contribution in the book, which I will treasure always.

The printed acknowledgement to my part in the research.

The Addy Family

For this part of the article I carried out my own research, collected photographs, documents and records based on the information given in Jean's book. The aim here is to corroborate the facts and to publish original images which she could not include in the book.

Joseph Addy

Joseph Addy is the father in the book and is the person who had the mourning brooch made. Joseph was born in Owston, near Askern in 1807 to John and Ann Addy. It is unclear just when the Addy's moved to Bentley, but they were well established in the village by the time we join them in 1838.

Joseph Addy had a farm on Mill Gate in Bentley. This map of 1868 shows the precise location, marked with his name, Joseph Add (sic) (see red boxed area).

1868 Bentley map showing the location of Joseph Addy's farm

  

Enlarged version of the above map to show more detail

Joseph married Elizabeth Hall on the 14th of January 1839 at All Saints Church, Arksey. Elizabeth, born in 1809 was the eldest daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Betsy in the book) Hall, who also farmed in Bentley.

The 1841 census gives a snapshot of the Addy household just two years into Joseph's first marriage.

The Addy's on the 1841 census

Joseph is seen at the top, aged 30* and listed as a farmer. Underneath is his wife Elizabeth, also 30*; after Elizabeth is Joseph's widowed mother Ann, aged 60, and listed as 'independent' (living by independent means). Then there is Dinah Parkin, 15, female servant, Joseph Jackson, 20, Robert Watkinson, 15, and George Simpson, 14, all agricultural labourers working for Joseph.      

*Ages were rounded down to the nearest multiple of 5 for everyone over the age of 15 for the 1841 census only. Joseph's and Elizabeth's actual ages were 34 and 32 respectively.

Children

Joseph and Elizabeth had only two children, Mary-Ann (later known as Marian), who was born in 1843, and Frances (Frannie or Fanny) born in 1848.

Death of Elizabeth Addy

Elizabeth Addy died on January the 3rd 1849, at the age of 39. Her elder daughter Mary-Ann was six years old, and Frannie at about six months old, would never remember her mother.

Elizabeth died after a short illness suffering from erysipelas (a bacterial skin infection), whether it was connected to the birth of her second daughter is not known, but in early 1849 Joseph found himself the sole parent of two young daughters. 

Elizabeth was buried in Arksey churchyard where her grave can be found on the north side of the church.

Grave of Elizabeth Addy

The grave reads as follows:

Sacred to the memory of Elizabeth, the beloved wife of Joseph Addy of Bentley, who died January 3rd 1849, aged 39 years.

Following the death of his wife, Joseph had the mourning brooch made. The gold and black lacquer piece of jewellery contains a lattice of Elizabeth's dark hair interwoven with some of Joseph's own grey hair behind an oval glass front. The inscription is on the reverse of the casing (see photos below).

Enlarged photo of the mourning brooch.
Photo courtesy of Jean Renwick

Enlarged photo of the back of the brooch, showing the inscription.
Photo courtesy of Jean Renwick

A Second Marriage

With only an ageing mother and a house servant to help with the children, Joseph realized he needed to remarry. He did have some other help in the form of Mary Hall, his late wife's sister. Mary, born in 1821 was eleven years younger than Elizabeth and at 28, was a spinster. She was also fourteen years younger than Joseph; however, by the end of 1849 Mary had agreed to become Joseph's second wife.

This decision was fraught with controversy though. Since The Marriage Act of 1835 was passed into law it was illegal for a man to marry his deceased wife's sister. For this reason the pair were forced to marry in a parish where they were not known. They chose to marry in Sheffield and the marriage took place on the 3rd of June 1850.

Once married it was impossible to hide what they had done from the villagers back in Bentley, and the fear of being reported to the authorities hung over them for quite a while.

Births and Deaths

The 1851 census reveals the new dynamics of the Addy family. With Joseph's mother Ann having passed away in August 1850, just two months after his second marriage, the family comprises Joseph, now 41*, Mary 31, Mary-Ann 7, and Fanny (Frannie) 2; then there is a new daughter, Sophia Elizabeth who is one month old. Also listed is a nurse called Elizabeth Mountford, employed to take care of the baby. Then there are the farm servants - Harriot Baldy 22, William Barraclough 35, John Downing 17, and Henry Holmes 15. 

*Joseph's actual age was 44. Mistakes like this, whether intentional or not, are commonplace on old census forms.

Section of the 1851 census for the Addy family

Later that same year Joseph and Mary's baby daughter Sophia Elizabeth died at the age of six months. She was buried close to Joseph's first wife in Arksey churchyard.

In July 1852 Joseph and Mary welcomed a baby son into their family. John Addy was named after his Grandfather and baptised at All Saints Arksey on the 29th of August.

In late 1856 John became ill and died. His death certificate gives the cause as 'low fever and effusion of the brain', which is a complication of scarlet fever. He lost his fight on December the 20th 1856. He was interred in the same grave as that of his sister Sophia three days later. The grave lies close to the north gate in Arksey churchyard.

The grave of Sophia Elizabeth and John Addy

The inscription on the headstone reads as follows:

In memory of two beloved children of Joseph and Mary Addy of Bentley. Sophia Eliza died September 12th 1851, aged 6 months, and John died December 20th 1856, aged 4 years. If faithful here we soon shall leave this world for one above. And with our children ever live in bonds of joy and love. Heaven rejoices - Nature weeps.

Miss Legge's Ladies Seminary

School for the Addy girls was initially at Arksey, where most Bentley children went until the 1870's. 

It is known from the 1861 census that the younger daughter went to a private school in Doncaster so Jean Renwick assumed that the older daughter, Mary-Ann also attended there previously. The school chosen was a Ladies Seminary run by two sisters, Miss Maria Catherine Legge, and Miss Mary Caroline Legge. The two spinsters, who came from the Durham area, had run the school from about 1849. Maria Catherine, aged 39 was the schoolmistress, and her elder sister Mary Caroline, aged 41 taught at the school.

This snapshot of the school in 1851 shows that there were just ten pupils listed at the school and two servants.

1851 census of the Misses Legge's school

The form is quite difficult to read, so here is some of it transcribed:

Maria Catherine Legge - Head - Unmarried - 37 - Schoolmistress - Houghton le Spring, Durham.

Mary Caroline Legge - Sister - Unmarried - 39 - Schoolmistress - Houghton le Spring, Durham.

Isabella Thompson - Assistant - 26 - School assistant - Islington Middlesex.

Mary Addy* - Pupil - 16 - Pontefract, Yorkshire.

Elizabeth Stevenson - Pupil - 16 - Lincoln, Lincolnshire.

Catherine Blythman - Pupil - 16 - Swinton, Yorkshire.

Sarah Dunn - Pupil - 16 - Doncaster, Yorkshire.

Isabella Patison - Pupil - 15 - Newcastle on Tyne.

Mary Wilson - Pupil - 15 - (?) Yorkshire.

Mary Emily Shute - Pupil - 15 - Sedgefield, Durham.

Elizabeth Anne Bulmer - Pupil - 15 - South Shields, Durham.

Clare Unwin - Pupil - 13 - South Shields, Durham.

Alice Dunn - Pupil - 12 - Doncaster, Yorkshire.

Elizabeth Coulthard - Serv - 25 - House Servant - (?) Yorkshire.

Charlotte Green - Serv - 25 - House Servant - Derby, Derbyshire. 

 

*Mary Addy listed above is of another branch of the Addy family, possibly the daughter of Godfrey Addy, Joseph's brother. Girls from various other Addy families were also taught at the school, including the Arksey Addy's.

The school itself was situated at number 17 South Parade. This tall, bow fronted building which is now grade II listed, lies amongst a parade of historic Doncaster buildings built in the Georgian period. This photo shows the area in the early 20th century, probably looking much as it did in The Addy's time. The school building lies inside the black box on the cropped photo for reference.

 

 

A cropped view.

This is how the building looks today.

Image - Google Earth

Frances Addy is named on the 1861 census for the school.

Cropped version

More Tragedy for the Addy Family

In October 1859 Joseph's second wife Mary passed away at the age of thirty eight. Having lost two young children it is possible that Mary never recovered from that heartache and so began a slow decline. She was sent to convalesce with friends in Sheffield where she eventually died.

Her grave at Arksey churchyard lies close to that of her two children.

Mary Addy's grave

The inscription reads as follows:

In memory of Mary, the beloved wife of Joseph Addy, who died Oct 9th 1859, aged 38 years. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord.

The 1861 census shows the much depleted Addy household. Now a widower and with Mary-Ann in a new position following her departure from school, and Frannie still boarding at Miss Legge's seminary, the household consists of just Joseph and two servants.

1861 census

The above census record reads as follows:

Joseph Addy - Head - Widr - 53 - Farmer of 200 acres employing 5 lab[ourers] - Yorkshire, Holme*. 

Mary Hannah Subden - Serv - unmar - 18 - House Servant - Yorkshire, Doncaster.

Harriet Womack - Serv - unmar - 14 - Dairy Maid - Yorkshire, Bentley.

Maria Cockin

Over the years Joseph met and befriended Maria Cockin who lived in Arksey. Born in 1813 in Cantley, Maria, a spinster, was just over six years younger than Joseph and from a well-to-do and respected family.

The pair married at St Phillip's Church, Sheffield on the 27th of July 1861 on the eve of Joseph's 55th birthday, Maria was forty eight.

This rare photo of Maria Addy from the 1860's survives and comes courtesy of Jean Baldwin, a resident of Bentley, who helped Jean Renwick with her research. 

Mary-Ann Addy Grows Up

Around the time that Mary-Ann Addy probably left Miss Legge's school, it is thought that this was when she decided to change her name to Marian, a shortened version of Mary-Ann (we shall call her Marian from now on to save confusion). 

It is not known what Marian did after leaving school but the 1861 census (below) shows her visiting the Hutton family of Kilham Farm in Cantley. Kilham Farm was situated to the east of the village of Branton and can be seen on this map of 1850.

1850 map of the Cantley/Branton area. Kilham Farm lies within the red circle.

 Here is a close up view of the farm.

Kilham Farm 1861 census

The above census transcribed, Charlotte Hutton and Marian Addy in bold type:

Frederick Hutton - Head - unmar - 23 - Farmer 330 acres 7 lab - Yorks, Cantley.

Caroline Hutton - Sister - unmar - 25 - Yorks, Cantley.

Albert Hutton - Brother - unmar - 17 - Ag lab - Yorks, Cantley.

Charlotte Hutton - Sister - unmar - 16 - Yorks, Cantley.

Christopher Hutton - Brother - unmar - 11 - Scholar, Yorks, Cantley.

Marian Addy - Visitor - unmar - 18 - Yorks, Bentley.

Lucy Shillets - Serv - unmar - 18 - House Maid - Yorks, Doncaster.

Mary A McCave - Serv - 14 - Dairy Maid - Yorks, Bentley.

Thomas Teal - Serv - unmar - 21 - Foreman - Yorks, Barnby Dun.

George Hancock - Serv - unmar - 17 - Carter - Yorks, Scaftworth.

James Man - Serv - unmar - 13 - Groom - Yorks, Wadworth. 

This farm and Charlotte Hutton were adopted by Jean Renwick to create a further dimension to Marion's life before marriage.

The Willey Family

The biggest challenge for the author was to devise a means for Marion to meet her future husband, John-Henry Willey. Researching the Willey family brought a wealth of information and Jean Renwick used this to weave a fictional story to bring the couple together.

The Willey family lived at Moor House Farm, East Bierley, near Bradford. The map below shows the location of East Bierley.

East Bierley in the red circle

The maps below show the location of Moor House Farm, which was built in 1632, in more detail.

Moor House Farm ringed in red

Moor House Farm enlarged

The Willey family was comprised of the following:

John Willey (1803-1886) farmer, wool merchant, and head of the household.

Mary Willey (1807-1883) John's wife.

Henry Willey (1826-1827) eldest child, died in infancy.

Charles Willey (1828-1907) eldest surviving son.

Edward Godfrey Willey (1830-1833) third son, died in infancy.

Louisa Willey (1832-1906) eldest daughter.

Elizabeth Willey (1834-1896) second daughter.

Godfrey Willey (1836-1885) fourth son.

John-Henry Willey (1838-1913) fifth son.

Francis Willey (1841-1929) sixth son.

Hannah-Mary Willey (1843-1943) third daughter.

Betsy-Emma Willey (1845-1936) fourth daughter.

Richard Clarendon Willey (1848-1929) seventh son.

Benjamin Willey (1850-1873) eighth son and youngest child.

Although a farming family, the Willey's main income came from their wool business in Bradford with most of the Willey sons joining as soon as they left school.

Some Willey Family Images

John and Mary Willey of Moor House Farm

Clockwise from top: Elizabeth Willey, Francis Willey (later Lord Barnby),
Benjamin Willey, Betsy-Emma Willey

Richard Clarendon Willey

Marian and John-Henry Marry

The wedding of Marian (Mary-Ann on the register) and John-Henry Willey took place at Arksey church on the 26th of September 1863.

 

John-Henry Willey

They made their home at 26 Hanover Square, in the Manningham district of Bradford, close to John-Henry's work in the wool trade.

26 Hanover Square

Their first child, Alfred, was born back in the Addy farmhouse in Bentley in the summer of 1864. Three more children followed in quick succession, Joseph in 1866, Henrietta in 1867, and Ernest in 1868. However, little Ernest didn't survive to see his first birthday and passed away in early 1869.

The 1871 census shows the Willey household at 26 Hanover Square.

John-Henry's business as a wool merchant prospered in the 1860's and he built up contacts and trade within the United States.

Will Addy

Marian wasn't the only Addy to marry a member of the Willey family. William (Will) Addy, Marian's cousin - son of Joseph's brother George - met and married Louisa Willey, John-Henry's older sister. They married at Arksey church in April 1857. Presumably Arksey church was chosen as Will was born in Bentley, his father George having been a butcher there. 

George Addy didn't survive to see his son married, but his mother Hannah did attend. Incidentally, Hannah Addy was originally a member of the Cockin family, a relative of Maria Cockin who married Joseph.

Will and Louisa spent four years in Illinois, in the US, but were forced to return to England at the outbreak of the Civil War.

William (Will) Addy

Hannah-Mary Willey

Jean Renwick gives Hannah-Mary an important role in the story, particularly in bringing together Marian and John-Henry. In real life she grew up to become a large personality and her real story was passed to the author by a descendant living in California.

Samuel Edwards, originally from the Welsh Marches, went out to America and settled in California after travelling from place to place, never remaining in one town for long. He worked in a store for his elder brother who had gone out to the US earlier, during the gold rush. It is not known how he came to know Hannah-Mary. Jean Renwick considers it might be through Louisa and Will Addy who lived in Illinois for a time. However it came to be, he travelled to England in 1864 and met Hannah-Mary who made quite an impression on him. He returned to America and, after travelling to Bradford six more times, finally, in 1875 Hannah-Mary agreed to marry Sam and make her home in the US with him. They married at St Paul's Church in Manningham, Bradford on the 25th of July 1876, then left for Liverpool and the journey to America.

Sam and Hannah-Mary Edwards (nee Willey)

Willey vs Willey

The Willey family faced trying times in the mid 1860's when one of the brothers, Godfrey Willey was petitioned for divorce on the grounds of cruelty, a case which caused a public scandal for the family. 

Godfrey Willey married Sarah Quarmby on the 20th of November 1861 in Huddersfield. The following October their son John was born, although all was not right in their marriage.

Godfrey and Sarah's marriage certificate

By the autumn of 1864 Sarah and her two year old son had left the family home in Dudley Hill and sought refuge with her mother in Huddersfield. 

Early in 1865 Sarah petitioned for divorce, citing cruelty, violence and adultery by her husband as reasons for her case.

Heading from the court minutes document

Despite a change in the law, divorce cases were still relatively rare in Victorian England and not easy to obtain. Sarah employed a firm of solicitors in London as that was where the only divorce court was located. She also hoped to keep the affair out of the newspapers by travelling south, but sadly that was not to be and the Willey scandal was blown open for all to see.

In April 1865 the divorce hearing was heard before a court in London. Following a lengthy evaluation the marriage was dissolved on the 10th of November 1865; Sarah was also awarded costs. Again, the story was widely reported in London and throughout Yorkshire causing the Willey family even more shame. To top it off Godfrey refused to pay the court costs but could not avoid the lawyers for long. In the end he was declared bankrupt and the shame of it all hit the newspapers once again.

Sarah Willey's petition describes the treatment inflicted upon her by Godfrey, who tried to argue that what she said was either untrue or she had condoned it. The petition and Godfrey's response can be read at the end of this article.

To the further embarrassment of the Willey family, Godfrey ended up in the newspapers again when he was charged with the rape of a young woman of 18 in early 1870. He appeared at Leeds Assizes in March of that year but the case was 'discharged' due to a lack of evidence.

Entry from the Leeds Assizes.
Godfrey Willey's entry is highlighted in red

Enlarged section of the above document

Back in Bentley

Life for newly married Joseph and Maria Addy went on as normal in the 1860's. However, by 1865 Joseph faced the prospect of losing his farm as the Cooke family, major landowners in the area, looked likely to be selling most of their land off. 

Joseph found a new farm to rent in Sprotborough, a village just under four miles west of Bentley. The family moved in around 1866.

1854 map of Sprotborough

The 1871 census shows the Addy family settled in Sprotborough. 

1871 census for Sprotborough

Joseph, who is running the new farm, is now 65, and Maria 57. Frannie is aged 22, but life is changing for her too. Alfred Willey is staying with his Grandfather at this time, and three servants are listed, John Bullas, Richard Guest and Henry Pogmore.

Frannie Grows Up

At some stage after leaving Miss Legge's school, Frannie met Joe Mellows, possibly around the time her father was looking for a new property in Sprotborough. Joe worked on his father's farm at High Melton, which wasn't far from Sprotborough.

Eventually Frannie and Joe marry in Harrogate on the fourth of June 1873. It is not known why they married there and not in Sprotborough or Arksey, so Jean Renwick created the only fictional person in the novel to provide a reason. Afterwards they returned to High Melton to live and work at the Mellows' farm until they acquired their own farm in nearby Cadeby. 

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Court Papers in the Case of Willey vs Willey

Petition for Divorce by Sarah Willey
6th January 1865

A number of court documents are available online at Ancestry.com for the case of Willey vs Willey. Above is an image of one of three pages setting out Sarah Willey's case against her husband Godfrey Willey. Below is a transcription of the full document:

In the court for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes.

In the matter of the Petition of Sarah Willey.

I Sarah Willey of number 24 Commercial Street, Huddersfield in the county of York, the wife of Godfrey Willey of Dudley Hill near Bradford in the said county, warehouseman, make oath and say as follows.

1. That I was lawfully married to the said Godfrey Willey on or about the twentieth day of November one thousand eight hundred and sixty one at the Parish Church of Huddersfield.

2. That after my said marriage I lived and cohabited with my said husband at Dudley Hill near Bradford in the said county of York and have had issue of my said marriage one son only who is now alive.

3. That on diverse occasions since my said marriage my said husband has treated me with cruelty by threatening me with personal violence and by striking, kicking and using other personal violence to me.

4. That in about the month of May one thousand eight hundred and sixty two my said husband struck me and knocked me down.

5. That in or about the month of June one thousand eight hundred and sixty three my said husband dragged me by the hair on to the floor and struck me violently with his fist and repeated such conduct to me in or about the month of December one thousand eight hundred and sixty three.

6. That in the month of February or March one thousand eight hundred and sixty four my said husband struck me with a poker.

7. That in or about the month of May one thousand eight hundred and sixty four my said husband struck me with a chair and the same night struck me in the face with his hand.

8. That on or about the second day of the month of January one thousand eight hundred and sixty four my said husband violently kicked me in my legs and body. 

9. That in or about the month of July one thousand eight hundred and sixty four my said husband threatened me with a carving knife and at diverse times subsequently threatened me with personal violence and made use of the most offensive and cruel language to me.

10. That I have been informed and believe that on diverse occasions since the beginning of the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty four my said husband has committed adultery by having had sexual intercourse with several women but the names of such women and the particular places when such adultery was committed are respectively unknown to me.

11. No collusion or connivance exists between me and my said husband with reference to this suit or proceeding nor is my said husband in any way party or privy thereto.

Sworn at Huddersfield in the county of York this sixth day of January 1865 - Sarah Willey (signed)

Before me (illegible sig)

a commissioner to administer oaths in Chancery in England. 

Response by Godfrey Willey

Godfrey Willey's response document
3rd of February 1865

Godfrey Willey's response to Sarah's petition is a short, one page denial. The following is a transcription of the above document:

In Her Majesty's Court for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes.

The       day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty five.

Willey ats. Willey

And the Respondent by John Smale for his attorney says:

1. As to the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth paragraphs of the petition that he denies that he has been guilty of cruelty as therein alleged.

2. And for a further plea to the said paragraphs the respondent says that the petitioner has condoned the said acts of cruelty (if any) in the said paragraphs alleged.

3. As to the tenth paragraph of the said petition the respondent denies that he has been guilty of adultery as therein alleged.

(Signed) - Godfrey Willey

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Jean Renwick

Jean Renwick started creative writing after she retired following a career in public relations, and after she had spent three years attaining a Masters in History of Art at the University of Warwick and in Venice. Since the 1990s she had wanted to write a novel based on a curious brooch, inherited from her godmother, but decided a course in creative writing at the University of Warwick would be beneficial first.

Instead of starting The Mourning Brooch, she opted to write something quite different and so The Mahler Five emerged as her ‘apprentice piece’ and was published in 2016. It is a modern-day psychological drama and very different from the family saga linked to the brooch.

She lives in the West Midlands, within easy reach of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Stratford-upon-Avon with its RSC. As a founding member of Art Friends Warwickshire, she is active in fund-raising for the arts. Originally, she studied as a linguist, so travels mainly within Europe, where she has many friends, having once worked in Switzerland, and she continues to study to improve her German and Italian.

Contact via www.jeanrenwickauthor.co.uk

Copied from Amazon.

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Press Release for The Mourning Brooch

Below is a cutting from the Doncaster Free Press published on the 4th of November 2021.

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The Mourning Brooch - Review

By Alison Vainlo

I must admit that when I got my copy of The Mourning Brooch I thought that my interest in it would mainly lie in the local history aspect of the story, how wrong I was! Even when the story moved away from Bentley I was captivated by the lives of the characters involved.

Jean has done a very clever thing in combining fact with fiction. She has taken people who really existed and examined documentary evidence to build up the story of their lives. 

It reads like any work of historical fiction, but you have to keep reminding yourself that this is fact, these events happened. Yes, the dialogue is imagined, and the characters personalities have been invented, but they have been deftly woven into actual events and the result is seamless. 

I did challenge Jean about the dialogue used in the book. Initially, I felt that the characters used language that was a bit 'posh' for Bentley, but Jean explained that coming from Warwickshire herself, she didn't want to come across as patronising by trying to inject a broad Yorkshire dialect into the book. Instead she took inspiration from Elizabeth Gaskell and made it time appropriate rather than locally accurate. Having had that explained I actually enjoyed the dialogue and found it really easy to read, easier than reading the Yorkshire accent anyway.  

I knew about the Addy family before the book came along, I had seen their names in census records, I had taken photos of their graves in Arksey churchyard, but I had no idea of the detail of their lives until Jean brought them to life.

My active part in the research was quite small, Jean asked for assistance in locating Joseph Addy's farm in Bentley, something I was able to do easily, but it was my blogs that proved invaluable for Jean. She was able to find my photos and transcriptions of the Addy graves, find out about Arksey school, the Plough Inn and various other people and places around the villages from work I had already done. Therefore I am grateful for the mention Jean gives me in the acknowledgements.

All in all then I would highly recommend The Mourning Brooch by Jean Renwick. And the great thing is that this is only part one of the story, Jean is working on the next book right now and I will be happy to let everyone know when it is published.

The Mourning Brooch by Jean Renwick is available to buy in paperback or on Kindle from Amazon. 

Alison Vainlo

2022

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The Mourning Brooch Book Two, Moving On

I am pleased to announce that from the 1st of August 2023 The Mourning Brooch, Book Two, Moving On is available to buy in paperback or on kindle from Amazon. You can find out more about this book from Jean's website, follow the link:

The Mourning Brooch Book Two

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Many thanks to Jean Renwick for her help and assistance in putting together this article, and for allowing me to publish it on this blog.

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Dedicated to the Addy family

The Addy graves in Arksey churchyard

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