RootsChat.Com

Yes, I have all that, and more. Thanks. I have 'Family Historian' on my computer, and my husband
has it on his computer, too. It's brilliant. I shall make sure that the information you have given
concurs with what I have. If, in the future, you wish, or need, to go further back, then help is here
and you just have to ask.
P

Hello, Dennford ... and thank you, once again for your email.

Good to know that you were in the nearby City of Leeds, last year. I'm amazed that you don't think it has changed that much, though - I used to work there, firstly at Geo. Bray at Blackman Lane, Leicester Place, a good walk from the University, subsequently down on Meadow Lane, near Leeds Bridge at a Glass Merchants, Thomas Bennett & Sons, then at Thorn Security (Burglar Alarms etc.)
not far from the Dark Arches, and then at Department of Employment opposite Quarry Hill Flats, having transferred from that same department in Wakefield. I also worked in the City at a Solicitors, Reed, Hind, Stewart and, also, as a temp at the Leeds Stock Exchange. All these might, or would, have been interspersed with other jobs some of which, now I'm in my dotage, I can't recall.

Michael was at H M Customs & Excise for many years, in the city first, and then they relocated to Peter Bennett House, LS16, the Lawnswood area of Leeds. The building was so named because Peter Bennett was killed whilst doing some investigative work to do with drugs, I believe.

Neither of us has been back for many years, I suppose primarily because of my lack of mobility and we find that, now we are amongst the old, unwashed, unfettered by employment and supposedly, idle rich, we can get most things closer to home.

We have snow today, and thank the Lord it was good and dry and sunshine yesterday for our trip to see my ailing cousin, Christine, in the midlands. We have just been to collect our two Labradors from kennels, and thank God for our Yeti 1.2 TSI.

I'm not saying it was an arduous trip, but the kennels are, of necessity, quite a way off the beaten track, along a windy and narrow dirt road bordered by fields. When they built the A1M they also built a bridge to facilitate access, but made the approach to that damn thing, twisty and turny and on an incline. You should have seen Hettie the Yeti purposefully inching her way along it and she's only 1.2 TSI but what a great heart she has. Coming down was like being on the Cresta Run ... I think our Magnus thought he was going to slide into the front, but thankfully, we are good owners and have a cage for the dogs in which they travel.

I'm now going to go on to the Yeti forum and rub the noses of those who go to great expense with 4 x 4 Yetis and tell them how amazing ours performed. No doubt some well meaning bloke, and
there are a few who are apt to get up one's nose on that forum, will be berating me for having
dared to enter into their world - do I care, not a bit. I don't often post because apart from myself,
and Suzz, a lady living in Australia and a Yeti owner, the others are men, knowledgeable about the
internal combustion engine - I just drive it!

Still snowing, so now apart from Michael walking the dogs, we are cosy and warm in our small, but nicely decorated and furnished, detached home. You probably appreciate the cooler spells that you might get out there in Australia, much as we, here, appreciate some warmer days - you can't have it all, can you?

Kind regards

Pauline

Oh, please forgive me, those of you who have been accessing and posting on this site for a number of years. I seem to type out my message and then, getting my fingers in a twist, lose everything from the screen. It might be that, by some quirk of fate, my messages have got through - I doubt it, though. So here goes, for the third time!

Dennwood - and I'm only saying that because, to all intents and purposes, you have been active or posting at the most recent date. Please accept my apologies if you are unable to help.

Someone on the site was asking about a marriage of Henry Deakin and Sarah Hudson - my great great grandfather and grandmother. I have a copy of their marriage certificate in my possession.

Henry was one of the deputies killed on 2nd October 1886 at the Pope and Pearson Colliery (Silkstone Seam) in Altofts, West Yorkshire. My grandfather, Alfred, was one of the son's of Henry
and Sarah, and my late mother, Lily, along with Clarence, George and Mary (all deceased) were
Alfred's children with Hannah Maria Brain whom he married on 25th December 1899 in St Mary Magdalene Church, Church Road, Altofts.

Henry and Sarah Hudson were married on 18th October 1857 at The Parish Church, in the Parish of
Eyton (could be Eyton on the Weald Moor) in the County of Salop (and old name for Shropshire).
Both were unmarried at the time and living in Trench (don't know where that is). Meshech Deakin was Henry's father, a collier, and Jeremiah Hudson was the father of Sarah, also a collier.
The curate was R G Mead, and witnesses were John Newman and Ann Owen. Henry signed and
Sarah added her mark.

I have some other information about the tragedy from another relative, Clare, whose grandmother was Elizabeth Bednall (nee Deakin) and my grandfather's sister.

Also of interest, might be something relative to the Hudson family. There was a murderer called John George Haigh who, according to my late mother, lived in Pope Street (yes, the Pope Street named after the owners of Pope and Pearson Colliery, and there is a Pearson Street in the village)
in Altofts. Sarah Deakin, nee Hudson was, I believe, a relative of Haigh as his mother was a Hudson prior to her marriage to Haigh.

Haigh was convicted of the murder of Olivia Durand-Deacon, although he did confess later to having murdered another 8!! He had been very bright as a boy, attending Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Wakefield, a chorister at the Cathedral there and an organ scholar.
I have some other information and press cuttings about him, too.

I also have information about Teddy Deakin (stage name of Horace Bednall). He appeared with Margaret Lockwood and Billy Dainty, to name but two well-known celebrities, and he was also a
dancer, pianist, musical director and Pantomime Dame!!

If you are able, by whatever means, to forward on some of this information, that would be very
kind. I also give permission for you to divulge my email details so that any interested parties
can make contact.

I live in the village of Altofts, with Michael, my 67 year old husband (I'm 73 next month) and our two Yellow Labrador dogs, Poppy and Magnus. The colliery site was just down the road - perhaps about half a mile or a little more. I am happy to try to answer queries or do some investigations on behalf of interested parties, should they so wish.

I'm hoping that, this time, I don't get my fingers in a knot and that this email will be read.