Olive Dale to George Beardmore, 12 August 1967

92 Hassam Parade, Newcastle, Staffs. 12th August, 1967.

Dear George,

I am replying to your letter fairly quickly, as next week I am off with Frank my husband to stay a day or two with my sister, who lives at Walmley, a few miles from Sutton Coldfield. We are getting a day or two off before being snowed under with County Council meetings, evening school, etc. I don’t know whether you know, but I am a member of the Staffs. County Education Committee, being one of the two women “with special knowledge of education” elected by the actual Council (not sitting as Councillors), the other one being a nice youngish woman from Birmingham University. As a result I am on a lot of Committees, Governorships, etc., including Madeley College of Education, Clayton Grammar School for Girls, etc., etc.

Now to business: C/W does mean “Churchwarden”, and I usually copy this if such an entry appears in a Register, as it gives a good idea of the standing of the persons concerned, and also that they are still living at that date, if their date of death should not be known.

(2) Farley is a lovely village situated between Oakamoor and Alton, see attached rough sketch map. One crosses the Churnet at Oakamoor, rises sharply up to Farley, drops down again to Alton Bridge across Churnet, rises sharply up to Alton village and Church. Absolutely beautiful scenery – the Churnet Valley has few equals.

(3) “Critchley” is used in various references; it is only another spelling for “Critchlow” and is probably just the countryway of saying the name. The changes in many names are simply careless or fashionable pronunciations, even “chumley” for spelling “Cholmondeley”.

(4) Dwarfs. I am sorry it is awkward about the owner of the painting; I would have liked to have obtained photographs of it.

The eleven B’s and s’s amused me; I shall now think of them as brandies and sodas.

I return your notes on grandfather John. You will see in the “second coach” Mr. J. Beardmore, (Hanley). Thus if you read the letter carefully, you will see that this is the same old John who was busy with Jeremiah and my Uncle George, but did not get very far in their researches. Your Grandfather John was, of course, of Apsley House, whereas this John sitting with the Rev. W. G. was of Northwood.

Not only the notepaper, but the style and the signature and handwriting shew it to be dear old John (Brassfounder, as I have called him to distinguish him). I will write to ask my cousin Olive if he was unmarried – I rather think so. She told me that he laughingly said he “thought he was descended from a woman”, and I asked, “Aren’t we all?” He was joking that the old William had no father, as John did not know who he was!! He appears to have been rather a “card”!

Now, 1712 or 1713 marked as date of Samson’s death (marr. Ellen Hunt). This is accounted for by the fact that in the old days the years were reckoned from March 25th to March 25th, Lady Day, not Jan. 1st, so in many old registers the dates are written 1712/13 or whatever, so one has to be careful in assessing the right thing, otherwise one might find a child being dated as born before its parents’ marriage, when it was not so.

As I have been so busy tracing other people’s families for them, I have rather lost track of the Beardmores, but by a very “Hodd coin-side-ence” I have been turning out a lot of notebooks, wills, etc., and found two books containing many Beardmore wills, including Edward of Barlaston (by the way, your grandfather’s coffin plate is printed as died 1908, whereas the pencilled note on extract says October, 1909) and many others, particularly sisters Catherine, Mary and bro. Samuel and William, children of your old Wm. marr. 1780.

These confirm, amongst other things, that reference of John (Brassfounder) in letter returned herewith to Thomas Beardmore’s son Robert being “off his head” a bit, as amongst my notes there is the “Oath” taken by ROBERT FRANCIS BEARDMORE the younger, dated 8 November 1920 that his father, ROBERT FRANCIS BEARDMORE the elder, of 127 High Street, Tunstall, a retired Wheelwright deceased, had died on 1 Aug. 1920 at the County Mental Asylum, Cheddleton, a Widower and intestate, “and the son was to administer the estate.
Bond: ROBERT FRANCIS BEARDMORE, the younger, of 127 High Street, Tunstall, in the cty. of Staffs., Schoolmaster; JOSEPH HENRY COLLIS, of Porthill Lodge, Longport, Brickworks Manager; FREDK. WALKLEY, of 130 High Street, Tunstall, Hairdresser.

If you would like me to copy out some of the Wills concerning your people, I will do so when time permits.

By the way, the only thing that has given me pause years ago when searching for old William’s birthdate is that he had no child called either “Robert” or “Grace” whom I assume to have been his parents, nor although there is a William bap. 1759 at Kingsley, son of Thomas and Ellin, does he call a child “Ellen”. The name “Thomas” was very much used at one time. My “lot” had Thomases galore until one dau. marr. Ralph Oakden about 1730, and then I think “thousands” of Ralphs have appeared in all directions; my great-great-grandfather, Ralph was nephew to Ralph Oakden who was perhaps his godfather, and this Ralph had four sons, who each had a Ralph, and so on ad finitum, so if ever you come across a Ralph Beardmore anywhere at all, you can guess there is a relationship to me somewhere.

Did Miss Ruth Bennett ever tell you that her uncle – and yours – Mr. Kennerley, asked her to ring me up and asked me to go to see him at her house, where he wanted to know whether I had traced your family any more; I had to tell him the only “sticker” was the old Wm’s birth. By the way, at Audley churchyard we found two gravestones; one to one of his daughters (or perhaps two – note mislaid for the moment) and his wife MARY, adj. gravestone to their son SAMUEL, but we could not see one to old William. Anyway, the Rector told Frank (my husband) we could examine the Registers anytime if we let him know in advance, but we just have not had the time. I have spent years on these things, at varying costs, but don’t begrudge a penny of it. It has been well-spent for the useful interest it has brought me – also a few nice dollars from America and Australia!

Must get this off now, will write again when time permits.

Best love, Olive

P.S. Thought you might be interested in the enclosed article I wrote some years ago pub. in the “Sentinel”, although no name is attached. The verse I also wrote, which delighted Sir Edric Wolseley when I sent it to him after visiting his house. His predecessor (he is desc. from a brother) Erasmus Wolseley was imprisoned together with my ancestor Edward Thornbury of Thornbury Hall; for hearing Mass in Stafford Gaol when they were finally taken there after refusing to attend the Prot. Ch. they were condemned to death, but reprieved, but the poor old priest was “barbarously murdered” becoming a Cath. martyr. Edward lived another twenty years after this, so was lucky. [In the margin: 1586] I used to correspond with Sir Edric until he died in America.

[Sketch map: the River Churnet, with Farley, Oakamoor, Cheadle, Kingsley, Alton Castle, Alton Church and Alton Village.]