August | 2026 | Past To Present Genealogy

I have had yet another busy month with the Batley St. Mary of the Angels one-place study, both in terms of research, new posts and financially. More about the latter in my Postscript.

With the addition of 14 new posts in July, the Batley St. Mary of the Angels One-Place Study now stands at 482 posts, including lots of new photographs. Two other posts have been updated. Those then are the headlines for the month.

Getting into the details, the first new post is the parish history snippets piece for July 2026. These snippets cover a variety of events and people from the parish from years gone by, and can be found in the Bulletin for Batley St Mary of the Angels and Birstall St Patrick section. Even if you have seen them on the Bulletin, it is worth checking them here as some have links to more detailed pieces I have written.

I have added three posts to the May Queen Section. Two cover the 1930 and 1934 (photo on the left) May Queens. The third post is a follow-up to the 1930 May Queen, and the accident which resulted in her death four year’s later. It includes many names and locations familiar to people living in Batley today.

And finally for this month a further 10 photos have been added to the School Photos section. The overarching subject post has been updated too. Through sharing on Facebook, these photos are bringing back memories, getting people talking and many of the children and teachers have been identified. But if you can help with the others do get in touch, either by commenting on the Facebook pages I’ve uploaded them to (predominantly Batley Photos Old and New and the St Mary’s (Batley) Former Pupils site. Or you can always contact me, details of how are at the end of this post.

Below is the full list of all the one-place study pieces to date. Simply click on the link and it will take you straight to the relevant page. I have annotated the *NEW* and “UPDATED” posts, so you can easily pick them out.

If you want to know the background, and what is involved in a one-place study, click here. Otherwise read on, to discover a wealth of parish, parishioner and wider local Batley history.

Postscript:
I may not be able to thank you personally because of your contact detail confidentiality, but I do want to say how much I appreciate the donations received which have kept this website going over recent years. They really and truly have helped, and I am incredibly grateful for that support. Thank you.

The website has always been free to use, and if at all possible I want to continue this policy going forward. However, it does cost me money to operate – from undertaking the research and writing it up which can be around 20-30 hours a month, purchasing resources and documents, visiting archives, right down to website hosting costs, which given the number of photos I include pushes those costs up. To give some idea of my costs, in terms of actual payments made in July alone I had some major outlays – running to around £1,000. Whilst July was not the norm it really was a huge hit that has made me think if this is sustainable, especially in the current difficult economic climate.

If my website has helped with your family history research, or if you have simply enjoyed reading the various pieces and looking at these photos, please do consider making a donation towards keeping the website up and running in its current open access format. No matter how small it really does help in reducing my own personal financial input, and it would be very much appreciated.

Please click 👉🏽here👈🏽 be taken to the PayPal donation link. By making a donation you will be helping to keep the website online, updated with new pieces, and freely available for all.

As a professionally qualified genealogist, if you would like me to undertake any family, local or house history research for you do please get in touch. More information can be found on my research services page.

Thank you.

Finally, if you do have any information about the parish history, or photos, please do get in touch. This includes for any of the pieces I have already written, as sourcing photos is particularly difficult.

I can be contacted at: pasttopresentgenealogy@btinternet.com

1. About my St Mary of the Angels Catholic Church War Memorial One-Place Study;

Batley’s Public Buildings and Institutions
2. Batley Hospital: The First 50 Years – 1878 to 1928
3. The Early History of Batley’s Public Baths

Batley St Mary’s Population, Health, Mortality and Fertility Information and Comparisons
4. 1914: The Health of Batley School Children Generally, with a Particular Focus on St Mary’s School Children

Batley Statistics and Descriptions – Population, Health, Mortality, Fertility etc.
5. 1914: Borough of Batley – Town Information from the Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
6. Batley and the 1921 Census
7. Batley Population Statistics 1801-1939

Biographies: Men Associated with St Mary’s Who Died but Who Are Not on the Memorial
8. Thomas Gannon
9. Michael Howley
10. Reginald Roberts
11. William Frederick Townsend

Biographies: The War Memorial Men
12. Edward Barber
13. William Barber (Memorial name spelling)
14. Herbert Booth
15. Edmund Battye
16. Dominick (aka George) Brannan
17. Michael Brannan
18. John Brooks
19. Michael Cafferty
20. Patrick Cafferty
21. John William Callaghan
22. Lawrence Carney
23. Martin Carney
24. Thomas William Chappell
25. William Colbeck
26. Michael Cunningham
27. Thomas Curley
28. Peter Doherty
29. Thomas Dolan
30. Thomas Donlan
31. James Edwards
32. John W. Enright
33. Mathew Farrer
34. Thomas Finneran
35. Michael Flynn
36. Thomas Foley D.C.M.
37. Martin Gallagher
38. James Garner
39. Harold Gaunt
40. James Gavaghan
41. Peter Gavaghan (1)
42. Peter Gavaghan (2)
43. Thomas Gavaghan
44. Henry Groark
45. James Groark
46. Michael Groark (also known as Rourke)
47. James Griffin
48. William Hargreaves
49. Michael Hopkins
50. Patrick Hopkins
51. Michael Horan
52. James Hughes
53. Lawrence Judge
54. John Leech
55. Michael Lydon
56. John Thomas Lynch
57. Patrick Lyons
William McManus – See William Townsend below
58. Thomas McNamara
59. Clement Manning
60. Patrick Naifsey
61. Austin Nolan
62. Robert Randerson
63. James Rush
64. Moses Stubley
65. William Townsend, also known as McManus
66. James Trainor
67. Richard Carroll Walsh
68. Arthur William Bayldon Woodhead

Biographies: Those who Served and Survived (this includes a list of those identified to date and who will later have dedicated biographical pages)
69. Patrick Cassidy
70. James Delaney
71. Thomas Donlan (senior)
72. Thomas Gannon
73. Michael Rush

Burials, Cemeteries, Headstones and MIs
74. Cemetery and Memorial Details
75. War Memorial Chronology of Deaths

Guest Contributions
308. Memories of Skelsey Row – by Brian Foley

In the Spotlight: Am Dram, Opera and Concerts
309. 1901 – St. Mary’s Schools’ St. Patrick’s Day Concert
310. 1948 – St. Mary’s Amateur Operatic Society Presents “Our Miss Gibbs”
311. 1952 – The Bohemian Girl, St. Mary’s Schoolboys
312. The St Mary’s Amateur Operatic Society 1950 Production of The Gondoliers
313. The 1951 St Mary’s School Production of Maritana for Fr. O’Brien

Maps and Photographs
314. A Description of the Parish Boundaries
315. Aerial View of St Mary’s Church and the Surrounding Streets
316. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1894
317. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1907
318. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1922
319. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1933

Miscellany of Information
320. A Tale of Three Pigs, a Headstone and The Longest-Lived Parishioner
321. A Bitter-Sweet Remarriage
322. A Colliery Accident with Tragic Consequences
323. A Description of the Parish of St Mary of the Angels in 1950
324. A Grave Disturbance in Batley
325. A Part of St Mary of the Angels in Batley Cemetery
326. A “Peace” of Batley History
327. An Appeal to Ireland to Build a Catholic Church in Batley
328. A Potted Early History of the Irish in Batley, the Building of St Mary of the Angels Church, and the Parish Priest’s Fatal Accident
329. A St Mary’s Parishioner in the Holy Land
330. A St Mary’s School Sensation
331. A St Mary’s School Trip Souvenir
332. Batley’s Secret Irish Society and the Ammunition Seizure
333. Batley St Mary’s First Torchlight Procession
334. Batley St Mary’s Second Torchlight Procession
335. Buffalo Bill and A Right Royal Celebration for Batley’s Schoolchildren
336. “Daddy’s Death and then Triplets”
337. Heritage Impact Assessment: St Mary’s Catholic Primary School and Convent, Batley
338. Hot-Cross Buns and the Yorkshire Tea-Cake Dilemma. Plus A Suggested Meal Planner for Batley Families in 1917
339. Into the Valley of Death – One of the Six Hundred
340. Is Your Female Ancestor Amongst Those Invited to the 1915 Event for Wives and Mothers?
341. “I’ve Done it for Love” – A Batley Murder
342. St Mary of the Angels Catholic Church – 1929 Consecration Service
343. The Consequences of a Refusal to Work in 1918
344. The Controversial Role Played by St Mary’s Schoolchildren in the 1907 Batley Pageant
345. The Deaths of the Smallpox Hospital Caretakers
346. The Debate Over Grave-Diggers’ Holidays
347. The Earliest Published Account of Batley St Mary’s Church and Schools
348. The Great War: A Brief Overview of What Led Britain into the War
349. The Horrific Death of Little Mary Leach
350. The Unholy row between St Mary’s Church and the Batley and Birstall Irish Clubs
351. Thomas Ate My Rat
352. William Berry – A Beautiful Voice Stilled
353. Willie and Edward Barber – Poems

Occupations and Employment Information
354. Occupations: Colliery Byeworker/Byeworkman/Byworker/Bye-Worker/By-Worker
355. Occupations: Confidential Clerk
356. Occupations: Lamp Cleaner
357. Occupations: Limelight Operator
358. Occupations: Mason’s Labourer
359. Occupations: Office Boy/Girl
360. Occupations: Piecer/Piecener
361. Occupations: Rag Grinder
362. Occupations: Willeyer

School Photos *UPDATED*
387. Photo No1
388. Photo No2
389. Photo No3
390. Photo No4
391. Photo No5
392. Photo No6
393. Photo No7
394. Photo No8
395. Photo No9
396. Photo No10
397. Photo No11
398. Photo No12
399. Photo No13
400. Photo No14
401. Photo No15
402. Photo No16
403. Photo No17
404. Photo No18
405. Photo No19
406. Photo No20
407. Photo No21
408. Photo No22
409. Photo No23
410. Photo No24
411. Photo No25
412. Photo No26
413. Photo No27
414. Photo No28
415. Photo No29
416. Photo No30
417. Photo No31 *NEW*
418. Photo No32 *NEW*
419. Photo No33 *NEW*
420. Photo No34 *NEW*
421. Photo No35 *NEW*
422. Photo No36 *NEW*
423. Photo No37 *NEW*
424. Photo No38 *NEW*
425. Photo No39 *NEW*
426. Photo No40 *NEW*

The Families
456. A Death in the Church
457. St Mary’s Schoolboys Wreak Havoc in a Batley Graveyard

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Monthly Archives: August 2026

St. Mary of the Angels, Batley: One-Place Study Update – 1 to 31 July 2026 Additions

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