Olive Dale to George Beardmore, 4 August 1954
The earliest of Olive’s letters that we have. The scan has been cleaned up to bring out the faint typing.
Transcription
[Typed at the top:] Thank you very much for forwarding the form to the Staffs. Socy. I have heard nothing further as yet; wish you luck with the book.
Telephone: Newcastle, Staffs. 69015
“Kingsley,” 92 Hassam Parade, Newcastle, Staffs.
4th August, 1954.
Dear Mr. Beardmore,
Arnold Bennett business first, of necessity.
I heard from Mr. Bemrose and Mr. Ford that Mr. Swinnerton has declined the Presidency of the Society, and therefore another suggestion must be made.
Mr. Ford has seen the Chairman, Alderman Barks, and he agreed that a meeting might be held on September 24th, [handwritten: not] first preference, to suit me; second preference, September 21st, a Tuesday; but on hearing that you intend to be in the district for Oct. 26th, the Chairman wonders whether you would prefer to leave the Committee Meeting open to round that date. Please let us know if any of these dates would suit you.
I am glad to tell you that Mr. Frank Bell, who used to be the Secretary and a Director (I think) of Brittains Ltd., Paper Manufacturers, Cheadle (also Ivy House Paper Mills, Hanley) enclosing his cheque for 5/- subscription and saying that he was at the old Middle School when A.B. was still there. Mr. Bell is now aged 81, so cannot undertake any active participation, but wishes to be a member. I wrote him a nice letter and asked if he knew any other “old boys” who might like to join. I got another letter from him this morning, saying that most of them had now passed on, and that he himself was one of the members of the Foundation Committee of the Old Medians 60 years ago (or rather over 60 years on referring again to his letter). He also says he knew the Beardmore family fairly well many years ago and wonders whether I am related – I had told him that I took over a man’s job in 1918 at the Ivy House offices, working with his brother, Mr. Ben Bell, and of course I was not married then. However, through him, the Rev. V. G. Aston, the Vicar of Penkhull, has also joined the Society, who tells me that he has been for many years a friend of Mrs. Fanny Scott (Fanny Bennett) the widow of the “Sentinel” Editor; he knew her before she was married and when she attended the Sneyd Church. He officiated at the funeral at Cobridge of Jim Bennett, and preached at the dedication of the Memorial to him 36 years ago. He knew the Burslem Bennetts (though not A.B.) well.
Now, for the Beardmore family. As soon as I saw your papers, I said to myself, “That is Mr. John Beardmore’s writing”; I have a copy of the William Beardmore–Mary Critchlow family notes in his writing which he gave to my Uncle George Beardmore the Registrar when they were having the search in 1905. I note from your sheet that you give Mr. John Beardmore’s father and mother as George Beardmore (1815–1895) = Eliz. Bowyer, son of John b. 1792, whereas on the paper I have he gives –
William Beardmore and Mary Critchlow, marr. Dec. 26th, 1780, died June 11th, 1824, aged 65.
Their sixth son John Beardmore, b. 1792, died 1874 = Eleanor Luckcock, died 1859.
Their sons Thomas and John, both unmarried. Their other son Benjamin Beardmore, died 1890 = H. Thomas, died 1892.
Their daughter H. Beardmore, living 1905. Their son John Beardmore, Hanley (brassfounder), living 1905.
I shall be pleased to see what I can discover farther back in your section of the Beardmore family, but I feel that we must be related to each other, but quite some distance back. I know my own ancestors definitely back for eight generations, and don’t think we overlap by then. However, I have many details of the de Berdmor family (as its original name was) and I will say that we can definitely pride ourselves as descending from a very distinguished family, although the “broad acres” and money has been diminished gradually through large families, sales, etc.
Now, evidently your family would appear in the registers of Alton or Cheadle. The Alton register has not been transcribed, and only commences in 1681 (I think); I shall have to use my influence and drop a few hints with regard to this one being done. The Cheadle register has been transcribed, but not printed, and is deposited at the William Salt Library at Stafford; I shall try to spend a day or so there, but quite expect there will be literally hundreds of Beardmore entries, as I know our ancestors were all round that area, owning the manor of LUTLEY or LYTLEHEY – still known as Littley – from at least 1297 to 1574, when Richard Beardmore sold it. You will see what a task it is when I tell you that I have copied between 450 and 500 Beardmore entries from the Kingsley register alone, from 1561 to 1795, all of these “without benefit of clergy”. If one has to get the Rector’s permission to make an extract, the cost mounts up, so shall have to hope on with regard to Alton. I have a great deal of very interesting information regarding the de Berdmors (Beardmores) who are of Whiston, Ipstones, Kingsley, Froghall, Cheadle, Alton, Cotton, and all round for miles. I am very busy at the moment with various matters, but shall try to see Mr. John your cousin at Burslem. So Mr. John Beardmore, the brassfounder, was your grandfather; from his letters, he was a most interesting gentleman and keenly interested in his family, but does not appear to have any records preceding William and Mary. Did you sign as George Beardmore IV? If you saw my notes, you would think you were George Beardmore XLIV!
Please let us know about Bennett meeting.
Very sincerely,
O. A. Dale
What the letter tells us
The Arnold Bennett Society. Olive and George were both involved in setting up the Society in 1954. Frank Swinnerton had declined to be its President, and Olive was recruiting members, among them an 81-year-old Mr Bell who had been at school with Bennett.
John Beardmore’s papers. George had sent Olive family papers in the hand of John Beardmore, the Hanley brassfounder, which she recognised from the copy he had given her uncle, George Beardmore the Registrar, during the 1905 search (see John’s letters and his pedigree).
A mix-up corrected. George’s family sheet made the brassfounder a son of George Beardmore (1815–1895) and Elizabeth Bowyer. Olive pointed out that John’s own pedigree makes him a son of Benjamin, son of John (born 1792), though she still took him to be George’s grandfather. By her letter of 5 March 1955 she had it straight: the brassfounder descended from William’s son John, and George’s line from William’s son Thomas. George Beardmore (1815–1895) was in fact George’s great-grandfather, through his son John (1845–1908), George’s grandfather, who was the brassfounder’s second cousin.
Olive’s research. By 1954 she had copied 450–500 Beardmore entries from the Kingsley register (1561–1795), and believed the family had held the manor of Lutley (Littley), near Cheadle, from at least 1297 until Richard Beardmore sold it in 1574.