Tag Archives: ancestry

Darwen in Victorian Times – Desperation, Poverty, and Family Resilience

The late 1870’s are the most desperate of times for the Atherton family. Central Darwen either side of the main road is home to hundreds who slave day after day, hour after hour in the dark satanic mills of East Lancashire. Water Street and the area around it is the home of the Athertons until a breakout from the area in the 20th Century. In our cossetted lives it is difficult, impossible really, to fully comprehend what these people went through in those times.

Alan – A Young man lost at Salerno 1943

After the death in 1919, at a time when John Atherton was away on service as an army driver, of his young son Roger it took some time for him to come to terms with his son’s death. On his release from the army John settled back with Sarah in the family home in BuryContinue reading “Alan – A Young man lost at Salerno 1943”

A Young Man prepares for War

Young Roger Orrell is a handsome man by any standards. Had he been born somewhere else but close to the mills of East Lancashire then his film star looks would have meant a more lucrative career than being a labourer in the local paper mill. At the outbreak of the Great War Roger is 20Continue reading “A Young Man prepares for War”

A Young Man prepares for War

Young Roger Orrell is a handsome man by any standards. Had he been born somewhere else but close to the mills of East Lancashire then his film star looks would have meant a more lucrative career than being a labourer in the local paper mill. At the outbreak of the Great War Roger is 20Continue reading “A Young Man prepares for War”

Football Star in Victorian Lancashire, a tragedy and a mystery

John Richard Parker or Johnny Parker to give him his footballing or soccer playing name was my great grandfather. I knew him as a rather dapper gentleman, never appearing without a tie or his walking cane. He had a presence, a man who filled the room even though he was in his late 80’s whenContinue reading “Football Star in Victorian Lancashire, a tragedy and a mystery”

Spanning the Generations back to Victorian Times – my Ancestry link to the past

This is quite a photograph in the context of my family history research. It is also notable this week in that the central characters, my parents, celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary. In the current covid-19 situation it was not possible to travel north to see them but for them this was another happy milestone inContinue reading “Spanning the Generations back to Victorian Times – my Ancestry link to the past”

Football Star in Victorian Lancashire, a tragedy and a mystery

John Richard Parker or Johnny Parker to give him his footballing or soccer playing name was my great grandfather. I knew him as a rather dapper gentleman, never appearing without a tie or his walking cane. He had a presence, a man who filled the room even though he was in his late 80’s whenContinue reading “Football Star in Victorian Lancashire, a tragedy and a mystery”

Discovering my family in Victorian Preston Lancashire

This photo always intrigued me. It was in a collection that once belonged to my great grandfather John Richard Parker who was from Preston. He was a notable footballer in the 1890’s and had a good career as a mill manager. He was an active participant in local life including the Preston guild. The photosContinue reading “Discovering my family in Victorian Preston Lancashire”