Hirst/hutchinson 1917 onwards

[MollyC]

Grinder would be an unusual occupation to find at Hartshead/Cleckheaton, which is in the woollen textile district.  It is frequent in Sheffield where edge tools of all kinds were made, and were finished by grinding a sharp edge.  Grinders historically were not long-lived because they developed silicosis by inhaling fragments of sandstone from the grinding wheels.  They were however, among the better-paid workers in Sheffield.  The stone wheels were replaced by carborundum during the 1920s.

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16.0&lat=53.35627&lon=-1.47172&layers=168&b=ESRIWorld&o=100
The "Meers Brook" means (county) "boundary brook", winding E to W across this extract to join the Sheaf in the NW.  Heeley is to the north, Cockayne Place is just south of Meersbrook Park, Norton Cemetery a bit further south.

[heywood]

Perhaps Mary Emma was in service in Cleckheaton area when she married.
You posted Thomas, her father, died in 1899 in Norton/Sheffield so he had no connection to the area.

[MollyC]

It seems she was probably working there, and returned to that area before she died.

[mckha489]

It seems she was probably working there, and returned to that area before she died.

There by 1939

I wonder if she separated from her husband.
He died 1966 in Wales and probate is to someone I think is a niece, although son is I think, still alive at that time and may have died in Cleckheaton. Three lots of supposition! Does that add up to one fact. 

[heywood]

The family were in Brighouse in 1948.

[mmm45]

Thanks for all of these responses

I have been luck enough to become custodian of Harold Hirsts WW1 campaign medals and return them to the town of his birth.

[heywood]

Oh that’s lovely., mmm45.