Crowthers, Leeds, Stainburn sq, Publican

[benny9]

Hi to all,

Terry and I found a Sarah Denison and a Robert Turner married Rothwell I think 1835. This could be our gal. I looked in the indexes around that time for any other Denisons but no luck. I know from the census that Robert worked on the railway so they could have moved around a bit. The censuses also don't agree on the ages of Sarah and Robert. There is also a William Denison living with them and he is handicapped. Why is he on the return as Denison and Sarah Ann as Turner. Maybe Robert did not want his name to a handicapped kid. Sarah Denison might have married in another place other than Leeds first.

BEN

[benny9]

Hi again,

How is this for a theory, I have just been looking on the IGI site and come across a Sarah Ann Turner father Robert and Mother Sarah. She is entered as Born 1829 christened 1835 lindley cum quarmby. Could this be our Sarah Ann born out of weddlock and then when mum and dad are married then christened? BEN

[PaulSlo]

Hello everyone.
         Here's a photo of Henry (Harry) Crowther senior - my Grandad. He was the youngest of Willie and Maggie's children (1902 - 1967) and was the first of them to die. I think I recall my Dad saying that at the funeral, Uncle Ben (one of the other siblings) said that it's always the youngest who die first.
         The photo is a detail of a larger group, and was provided by Gary Murphy. I imagine that it was taken around 1961.
         I don't look anything like my father's family - my dubious looks are inherited mainly from the mother's side. That being said, a few years before he died, my Dad looked at me from the other side of the room, and said that for a moment he thought he'd been looking at his Dad.
        There may be a specific reason for this. I have a curious unconscious mannerism - a kind of mild facial grimace that I pull in odd moments when I'm concentrating, or have just finished doing something. I suspect that Grandad Crowther did this as well - maybe it was that the grimace that caught my Dad;s attention. I wonder if anyone else has noted similar behavioural 'tics' in their family...
          Best wishes,
          Paul

[PaulSlo]

Actually, I just realised that the message I just posted contains a puzzle. Surely John Crowther - the elder brother of Henry - must have died first. Geoff, when did your Grandad die? In fact do you know what line of work he was in? Henry was a baker first, then worked in a sawmill for most of his life - apart from the second world war, which I detailed in an earlier post.
               Paul

[Geoff Crowther]

Hi Paul
My Grandad John (the eldest) died in 1968. I have vague memories of his funeral; I was 15. Other than the info you've passed on about Harry, I've no idea about any of the other siblings.
John was a dustcart driver for Leeds City Council before he retired.
Don't know about any other employment (must ask my Dad) except that he went to France in WWI handling heavy horses.
Oh, and he spent some time travelling with the fairs.
Lovely photo of Harry.
Cheers
Geoff

[benny9]

Hi Paul that photo is great. Has a look of my grandad although I have no pics of him I have a dvd of various weddings etc it has a few good shots of him. BEN

[GLM66]

Hi everyone,

Just thought i would give my thoughts on the Turner/Dennison saga,
I think that Robert Turner was Sarah Ann's stepfather but she must have been only a few years old when her mother Sarah married? Robert Turner, which would explain why she used the name Turner because it was all she ever knew, but her biological father was Robert Dennison.

William Dennison the son, must have been of an age to remember his father Robert Dennison so he was resistant to taking the name Turner.

[PaulSlo]

Hello again!
                      I attach a picture of my paerents wedding in 1951, at St. Mary's Church in Middleton Leeds. My sister was married in the same church, and my maternal grandparents are both buried there.
                      From the viewer's position, my maternal grandparents are to the left, and the Crowthers to the right. I'm posting this because of my mention of the slight 'grimace' in a previous post. Grandad Crowther is doing it a little in this shot.
                       Best wishes,
                       Paul

[PaulSlo]

PS. Apparently, at the wedding, grandad Crowther caused  a little unease amongst the maternal grandparents through breaking into the following song at the wedding reception

         'There's an old mill by the stream,
          Nellie Dean.
          Where we used to sit and dream,
          Nellie Dean.' etc...

There, you can't say we don't have a bit of culture on this thread !
                          Paul