RootsChat.Com

Hanes Teulu thank you so much. Also Maddys 52 great stuff. Really helpful. Thank you everyone.

Oh, if anyone has or knows of a photograph of Byron Street from before the houses were knocked down or even of a photo of the area where this accident took place I would be really interested.

Thanks also Gan Yam. You help me with every query I put up and it is mutely appreciated. I had to research what a Mill Race was. Every day is a school day.

You might already have this which is an ariel view of Byron Street and the surrounding area. Byron Street is the street to the side of the building with the black at the bottom and white at the top.  This is a pub called the Joiners Arms, known locally as the Blue Lugs, and is still open and trading today. https://cumbriaimagebank.org.uk/frontend.php?pos=1&action=zoom&keywords=Ref_No_increment;MATCHES;(^|%20+)ct17738($|%20+)&continueUrl=ZnJvbnRlbmQucGhwPyZrZXl3b3Jkcz1hbGwlM0JNQVRDSEVTJTNCJTI4JTVFJTdDJTVCJTVFYS16QS1aJTVEJTJCJTI5Qnlyb25fU3RyZWV0JTI4JTI0JTdDJTVCJTVFYS16QS1aJTVEJTJCJTI5JmFjdGlvbj1zZWFyY2g=

and this one you can just about see one of the houses in Byron Street.  This was taken during the floods in 1925, but the area has been flooded again since then, the worst being 2005 and 2015

https://cumbriaimagebank.org.uk/frontend.php?pos=2&action=zoom&keywords=Ref_No_increment;MATCHES;(^|%20+)ct30436($|%20+)&continueUrl=ZnJvbnRlbmQucGhwPyZrZXl3b3Jkcz1hbGwlM0JNQVRDSEVTJTNCJTI4JTVFJTdDJTVCJTVFYS16QS1aJTVEJTJCJTI5Qnlyb25fU3RyZWV0JTI4JTI0JTdDJTVCJTVFYS16QS1aJTVEJTJCJTI5JmFjdGlvbj1zZWFyY2g=

This link below is a photo of where the incident likely took place.  This is the Little Caldew where the brewery used to be.  Just after the white and red modern building is a bridge/road to cross the mill race and probably the bridge mentioned in the article.  To the back of this area is Milbourne Street and the large chimney is Dixon's Chimney, at one supposed to be the tallest structure in Europe.
https://s0.geograph.org.uk/photos/98/76/987670_2455bd18.jpg

When I started researching OH's family tree, an unusual name popped up in his tree which I thought I'd seen before.  On checking I discovered that OH and I share a 2nd cousin, but we are not related to each other.

The other coincidence is my neighbour of over 30 years turns out to be my 4th cousin!

Just to add to all the ideas Goggle search has this to say

"In the 1939 Register, "W. A. S" likely refers to Women's Auxiliary Service, which was a part of the civil defence services during World War II. The register includes various abbreviations to denote different roles within institutions, with "W. A. S" being one of them." 

That makes sense, especially now when I look at the names. 

My MIL was adopted in 1930.  I have her adoption certificate and her original birth entry definitely still appears in the indexes.  I also have the original court order for the adoption and this gives the reference in the birth indexes to  the original birth entry. 

Was he legally adopted and if so could the legal paper work still exist somewhere?   Also are you sure  that the birth name that is  know is correct eg, he may think his name was "John" at birth, but could it have been James John and maybe appear in the indexes as James J making it hard to find.