LANCASHIRE FAMILY HISTORY AND HERALDRY SOCIETY

Rossendale Branch Newsletter April 2009

Coming Events

LFHHS Annual Dinner

Friday 5th June 2009

This year the Society’s Annual Dinner is being hosted by the Fylde Branch. Details in your February "Lancashire" magazine.

LFHHS AGM & Conference

Saturday 6th June 2009

The Society AGM, this year will held at St. Cuthbert’s Church, Lytham Road, Preston PR2 3AR. This change of venue has resulted in reduced costs for the AGM & Conference.

There will be three speakers at the Conference.

DAVID LAMBERT speaks to the title: "In the Name of God – Amen." Wills and probate records explained.

JOHN MARSDEN whose talk is: "A History of Cremation" Significant milestones in its development and acceptance.

PETER MARSHALL speaks on: "Heraldry from Hatching to Despatching" Funeral Hatchments described and explained. The Conference with Buffet Lunch is £12. The Conference without lunch will be £5.

"Working Ways"

Friday 17 April at 7.30pm at Goodshaw Baptist Church

A local history talk and picture show by Kathy Fishwick, will take a look back at the development of industry and transport in Crawshawbooth and Goodshaw. It provides an opportunity for those new to the area to learn something of its past, and for long term residents to enjoy a little nostalgia. The talk will be followed by a supper. Admission is free and everyone is welcome.

Research and Advice Sessions at Rawtenstall Library

every Tuesday 1.30 – 3.30

The Rossendale Branch continues to hold regular Research and Advice Sessions at Rawtenstall Library. We have a group of members who are on hand to assist members of the public. We also, when time permits, do simple look-ups for LFHHS Society members who are not able to attend the library in person. Please note we do not have library access to the 1911 census.

The Society’s Pedigree Database

now available on CD

CD010: Pedigree Population Database

£4.50 (Plus p&p; UK £0.85; Overseas £1.95)

The CD contains a list of all the people in the Society's pedigree database and is in searchable Acrobat (pdf) format. The database contains over 2,700 pedigrees and 80,000 individuals that have been submitted over the past 30 years. Every named person in the database is listed together with the five main events of their life - birth, baptism, marriage, death and burial. Not all these events will be listed if they were not known when the pedigree was submitted.

The CD can be obtained from: Sales, LFHHS, 2 Straits, Oswaldtwistle, BB5 3LU. Pleases makes checks payable to LFHHS; credit card forms can be downloaded from www.lfhhs.org.uk/ccform.htm

NB: The Society's CDs are now Vista compatible.

Rossendale: News Notes and Queries

Our speaker this month is Stephanie Bridge, one of our own branch members. Next month we have Jim Halsall, who on his last visit captivated us with slides of the Ribble Valley prior to WWI. I am sure the second part of his talk with be equally entertaining.

I am now running short of members’ items and articles for the newsletter. If you have any enquiries or information on the area, please do let me have them.

Stonefold War Memorial; World War 2

As a result of my article in the Rossendale Branch Newsletter early last year, on the First World War Memorial, I received a good response and have been contacted by the relatives of 3 of the men listed on the memorial.

I have now more or less completed my research on the men whose names appear on the memorial for the Second World War at St. John’s Church, Stonefold.

Unlike the War Memorial for the First World War, which listed 34 men who had died, the Second World War memorial had only a handful of names by comparison. Only ten men from Stonefold Church died during the Second World War. Out of these ten, four of the men had been killed in accidents and not in action – Kenneth Hobson and Wilfred Kavanagh were killed in motor accidents and John Illingworth and Keith Rodgers were killed in flying accidents.

Plans for a memorial for the Second World War victims began in 1950 when the following appeared in the Parish Church Council Minutes - 26 April 1950

"Mr Hoban reported that the plan of the War Memorial had been submitted and was awaiting reply. The Prayer Desk (memory of Keith Rodgers) was completed and was ready for use when Church was reopened for services."

1 June 1950

Moved and seconded "that the Vicar write to Advisory Council stating that the inclusion of Rank & Regiment to the names on the proposed memorial would be advisable as the present one contained their Rank & Regiment."

Also in October 1949, Keith Rodgers’ mother offered the donation of a Prayer Desk in memory of her son, to Stonefold Church. Affixed to the desk was a small three inch square brass plate with the following inscription –

"In Memory of Sub-Lieutenant Keith Ashworth Rodgers R.M.C.R."

The following article appeared in the Haslingden Observer on 7 April 1951

"Their names will live"

The Rev. F. J. McBride on Sunday dedicated a marble tablet to the memory of 10 men who gave their lives during the last war. The tablet was unveiled by Coun. J. Illingworth, a member of the Parochial Church Council.

The names recorded on the tablet, which will be placed underneath the existing memorial: Joseph Altham; Harold Bordycott; Jim Cockerill; Kenneth Hobson; John Holden; John Illingworth; Wilfred Kavanagh; Jack Lambert; Keith Ashworth Rodgers and James Wolstenholme.

(Note – there is no mention in the above article as to which church the memorial belongs!)

As I was only researching 10 men it has been easier to obtain photographs of the graves and names on memorials of these men and also photographs of the men were easier to come across. I have visited the graves of 6 of the men, those being.

France - Bayeux War Cemetery – Harold Bordycott, James Cockerill, John Holden.

Austria - Klagenfurt War Cemetery – Wilfred Henry Kavanagh

England - St. John’s Stonefold Churchyard – Kenneth Hobson, John Illingworth,

and Rochdale Crematorium – Keith Ashworth Rodgers

I have managed to obtain photographs of the graves of the others with the help of a couple of friends but more importantly from the Commonwealth War Graves Photographic Project. This group is aiming to obtain photographs of all the Commonwealth War Graves, which is a massive project but copies of photographs are available for a small fee. Their web site is www.thewargravesproject.org.uk. If the person you are looking for is not indexed on the site they will go to the cemetery and obtain photos especially for you. This was particularly useful as two of the soldiers, Joseph Altham and Jack Lambert were buried in Italy.

I have also managed to obtain photographs of 6 of the men. The Haslingden Observer provided a good source for these photographs but special thanks must go to Jackie & Raymond Ramsbottom for supplying a photo of Raymond’s uncle, Jim Cockerill.

It was interesting to note that only 3 of the men were married – Harold Bordycott, Keith Ashworth Rodgers & James Wolstenholme and only one of them had children and so finding direct descendents was relatively easy.

If anyone would like further information about these men or can supply me with any information or photos, please contact me at jeanharrison18@yahoo.co.uk

You will find more information on St. John’s Stonefold and its war memorials on our website by looking under "Haslingden" churches.