Category Archives: Local History

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

Posted on August 1, 2026 | Leave a comment

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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Posted in 19th Century, 20th Century, Ancestry, Batley, Birstall, Catholic, County Mayo, family history, Genealogy, Great War, History, Home Front, In Memoriam, Ireland, Local History, Occupations, One-Place Study, Remembrance, Roll of Honour, Schools, St Mary's RC Church, The Great War, War Memorial, WW1, WW2, Yorkshire

Tagged Ancestry, Batley, Catholic, County Mayo, family history, genealogy, Great War, History, Home Front, Ireland, Local History, Occupations, One-Place Study, Schools, St Mary's, The Great War, War Memorial, WW1, WW2, Yorkshire

St. Mary of the Angels, Batley: One-Place Study Update – 1 to 30 June 2026 Additions

Posted on July 1, 2026 | Leave a comment

With the addition of 12 new posts in June, the Batley St. Mary of the Angels One-Place Study now stands at 468 posts, including lots of new photographs. One other post has been updated. Those are the headlines for the month, which also included me giving a talk about the early history of the parish and Irish migration to Batley for Wakefield Family History Society.

The first new post is the parish history snippets piece for June 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.

One post has been added to the In the Spotlight: Am Dram, Opera and Concerts section, with part of programme from this production pictrured on the left.

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 to keep this website going. They really and truly do help. Thank you.

The website has always been free to use, and I want to continue this policy in the future. 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 does add up). In the current difficult economic climate I do have to consider if I can afford to continue running it as a free resource, especially given this reduces the amount of time I devote to client work.

If you have enjoyed reading the various pieces, and would like to make a donation towards keeping the website up and running in its current open access format, 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 and freely available for all.

Thank you.

Finally, if you do have any information about, or photos of, parishioners from the period of the First World War please do get in touch. It does not have to be War Memorial men. It could be those who served and survived, or indeed any other men, women and children from the parish.

I would also be interested in information about, and photos of, those parishioners who were killed in World War Two, or others from the parish who undertook any war service and survived. This can be as broad as serving in the military, or work in munitions factories, the Land Army, even taking in refugees. This is an area I’m looking to develop in the future.

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

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

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” *NEW*
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

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 *NEW*
408. Photo No22 *NEW*
409. Photo No23 *NEW*
410. Photo No24 *NEW*
411. Photo No25 *NEW*
412. Photo No26 *NEW*
413. Photo No27 *NEW*
414. Photo No28 *NEW*
415. Photo No29 *NEW*
416. Photo No30 *NEW*

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

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Posted in 19th Century, 20th Century, Ancestry, Batley, Birstall, Catholic, County Mayo, family history, Genealogy, Great War, History, Home Front, Ireland, Local History, Occupations, One-Place Study, Remembrance, Roll of Honour, Schools, St Mary's RC Church, The Great War, War Memorial, WW1, WW2, Yorkshire

Tagged Ancestry, Batley, Birstall, Catholic, County Mayo, family history, genealogy, Great War, History, Home Front, Ireland, Local History, Occupations, One-Place Study, Remembrance, Roll of Honour, Schools, St Mary's, St Mary's RC Church, The Great War, War Memorial, WW1, WW2, Yorkshire

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

Posted on June 1, 2026 | Leave a comment

May has seen the Batley St. Mary of the Angels One-Place Study surpass the 450 post mark, with the addition of 14 new ones this month and plenty of accompanying photographs, which I know are proving to be of great interest. Two other posts have been updated. In fact, by the end of the month the total number of posts stands at 456.

The first new post is the parish history snippets piece for May 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.

Two posts have been added to the In the Spotlight: Am Dram, Opera and Concerts section. A cast photo from one of these productions is on the left.

The May Queen section has been updated, and a new post added about the 1949 ceremony, the first date the end of the Second World War.

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.

If you have enjoyed reading the various pieces, and would like to make a donation towards keeping the website up and running in its current open access format, 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 and freely available for all.

Thank you.

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

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

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. 1952 – The Bohemian Girl, St. Mary’s Schoolboys
311. The St Mary’s Amateur Operatic Society 1950 Production of The Gondoliers *NEW*
312. The 1951 St Mary’s School Production of Maritana for Fr. O’Brien *NEW*

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

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

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

School Photos *UPDATED*
386. Photo No1
387. Photo No2
388. Photo No3
389. Photo No4
390. Photo No5
391. Photo No6
392. Photo No7
393. Photo No8
394. Photo No9
395. Photo No10
396. Photo No11 *NEW*
397. Photo No12 *NEW*
398. Photo No13 *NEW*
399. Photo No14 *NEW*
400. Photo No15 *NEW*
401. Photo No16 *NEW*
402. Photo No17 *NEW*
403. Photo No18 *NEW*
404. Photo No19 *NEW*
405. Photo No20 *NEW*

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

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Tagged Ancestry, Batley, County Mayo, family history, genealogy, History, Home Front, Local History, Occupations, One-Place Study, Schools, St Mary's RC Church, War Memorial, WW1, WW2, Yorkshire

St. Mary of the Angels, Batley: One-Place Study Update – 1 to 30 April 2026 Additions

Posted on May 1, 2026 | Leave a comment

April has been an insanely busy month for the Batley St. Mary of the Angels One-Place Study, with the introduction of a new history topic, and a record 12 posts added, with a further three being updated. It brings the total number of posts to 442.

The first new post is the parish history snippets piece for April 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.

The second new post is one in the Miscellany of Information section. It is one I have been working on for several months. I discovered a list of women who were invited to tea by the Mayor in 1915. They were the wives or widows of men serving in the military, or widowed dependent mothers of those men. Organised by location, because the list covered the whole Borough of Batley, I have spent ages trying to work out which ones were St. Mary’s parishioners. I have highlighted these in bold in the post, but I have retained the names of all the women invited. It is a fantastic piece of history because it covers women on the Home Front, who are often overlooked. It is also a way to identify men who served and survived, and – as I have also found – men who died but were not commemorated on the church or even town War Memorial, because the families had moved.

This leads on to the three updated posts – Cemetery and Memorial Deaths, War Memorial Chronology of Deaths, and Biographies: Men Associated with St Mary’s Who Died but Who Are Not on the Memorial.

But the big news for April is I am immensely grateful to have received a large donation of St. Mary’s school photographs. The exact years are unknown, and the children are unidentified, as is the case with people on many older photographs. I think it is sad, seeing rows of faces, but with no idea who they are. I always wonder if they might possibly be related to my family, and I know this is something many others wonder too. They also bring back memories, and get people talking. So I’ve added a School Photos subject area, and over the course of the coming weeks and months I will be adding them here in the hope that people may recognise themselves, or relatives, and be able to put names to faces. In turn, I will add those names to the posts so there is a permanent record. The response has been amazing in the short time since the, so far, 10 photographs have been uploaded. Many children and teachers have been identified, and their names are now included. But if you can help with the others, or the ones I add in future, please let me know. I do share them on Facebook, so commenting on those posts is an option. Or you can always contact me, details of how are at the end of this post.

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, including one in April, to keep this website going. They really and truly do help. Thank you.

If you have enjoyed reading the various pieces, and would like to make a donation towards keeping the website up and running in its current open access format, 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 and freely available for all.

Thank you.

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

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: Those who Served and Survived (this includes a list of those identified to date and who will later have dedicated biographical pages) *UPDATED*
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 *UPDATED*
75. War Memorial Chronology of Deaths *UPDATED*

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. 1952 – The Bohemian Girl, St. Mary’s Schoolboys

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

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

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

School Photos *NEW*
384. Photo No1 *NEW*
385. Photo No2 *NEW*
386. Photo No3 *NEW*
387. Photo No4 *NEW*
388. Photo No5 *NEW*
389. Photo No6 *NEW*
390. Photo No7 *NEW*
391. Photo No8 *NEW*
392. Photo No9 *NEW*
393. Photo No10 *NEW*

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

The May Queens of Batley St Mary of the Angels
422. 1922 May Queen: Phyllis Doyle
423 1923 May Queen: Katherine Phillips
424. 1925 May Queen: Agnes Judge
425. 1929 May Queen: Mary Collins
426. 1931 May Queen Ceremony: Theresa Judge
427. 1932 May Queen Ceremony: Agnes Kilgallon
428. 1933 May Queen Ceremony: Winnie Colleran
429. 1939 May Queen Ceremony: Kathleen Gooder
430. 1940 May Queen Ceremony: Sheila Rowan
431. 1941 May Queen Ceremony
432. 1950 May Queen Ceremony: Catherine Heaps
433. 1951 May Queen Ceremony: Mary Harkin
434. 1952 May Queen Ceremony: Patricia Anne Cain
435. 1953 May Queen Ceremony: Mary O’Connor

World War Two
436. World War Two Chronology of Deaths
437. Thomas Egan
438. Michael Flatley
439. Frank Higgins
440. Edward Lynch
441. William Smith
442. Bernard Stenchion

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Tagged Ancestry, Batley, Catholic, County Mayo, family history, genealogy, History, Home Front, Local History, Occupations, One-Place Study, Schools, WW1, WW2, Yorkshire

New Talk for 2026/27

Posted on April 27, 2026 | Leave a comment

I’m delighted to announce I have added a new talk, all about the Brontës, and tips for finding your family history connections to the famous literary family. I presented this talk for the Society of Genealogists in April 2026, and it will be available for other organisations to book from June 2026.

It is far more than a family history talk. It is also ideal for those wanting to know more about the Brontës, and those with an interest in Brontë-linked local history – in particular in West Yorkshire.

The talk was inspired by the hype around the 2026 film adaptation of Emily Brontë’s dark, Gothic literary classic, Wuthering Heights. This resulted in a new generation of tourists descending on the village of Haworth, keen to find out more about these world-famous sisters, and wanting to carve out their own slice of Brontë magic. But as this talk will demonstrate, family historians can also channel into the Brontë family’s lives and literature, seeking their own Brontë connections and research inspiration. Packed with Brontë family details, and local history links too, my talk will give you some ideas of how, and where to look.

I am immensely proud of where I come from, my area’s Brontë links, and all things Brontë, so l look forward to sharing this passion. I might even let you in on my quest to find my links to this amazing literary family. And you never know – as a result you may have ideas and inspiration to see how your family history might be connected too.

Available in-person or online, to enquire about booking this talk contact me at pasttopresentgenealogy@btinternet.com

For details of all my talks click here.

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Posted in Brontë, family history, Family History Talks, Genealogy, Local History, Local History Talks, Talks, Yorkshire

Tagged Ancestry, Brontë, Brontë Family, BrontëSisters, family history, Family History Talks, Local History, Local History Talks, Talks, Yorkshire

A Brontë Experience Not To Miss: The Brontë Birthplace

Posted on April 2, 2026 | Leave a comment

*The Famed Fireplace – Photo by Jane Roberts*

If you’ve followed my blog you will know I occasionally write about aspects of Brontë family history. Well, this post is about the very spot which marks the genesis of these literary geniuses.

It is the exact house in which, between April 1816 and January 1820, Charlotte, Patrick Branwell, Emily Jane and Anne Brontë were born. Oral tradition is that their mother, Maria, gave birth to at least one of her children in front of the parlour fireplace, a fireplace which still exists today. This house is remarkable in being the only place which can literally call itself The Brontë Birthplace.

*Welcome to the Brontë Birthplace – Photo by Jane Roberts*

Their parents Patrick and Maria, along with their older siblings, Maria and Elizabeth, moved here in May 1815 when Patrick took up the position of curate in the West Riding village of Thornton. It remained their home until May 1820 and Patrick’s Haworth appointment. Later Patrick Brontë said of Thornton “My happiest days were spent there.”

The house is a must-visit for anyone with an interest in the Brontë sisters, the history of English literature or indeed every-day period buildings. David Sillito, the BBC’s Arts and Media correspondent, summed up its unrivalled historical significance as “The most important literary birthplace anywhere in the world, with three of the world’s most famous authors born there.”

*One of the Downstairs Rooms – Photo by Jane Roberts*

Not only can you wander round the various furnished rooms and soak up the atmosphere, but you can sleep in the very bedrooms the Brontë family slept in over two centuries ago. For any Brontë aficionado that is an unmissable experience.

Located at 72-74 Market Street, Thornton, West Yorkshire, this Historic England Grade II* Listed Building’s pivotal position in Brontë history has long been recognised. It did at one point briefly become a museum, but it has also served as a butcher’s shop and restaurant over the years.

Ambitions around its long-term preservation were expressed as long ago as 1911. This ambition finally came to fruition on 15 May 2025 when Her Majesty Queen Camilla performed the official opening. But that does not do justice to the community aspects behind it, including crowdfunding efforts, and almost 800 people contributing to a share scheme to directly invest in preserving this piece of Brontë history for future generations. These fundraising methods, alongside traditional grants including from Bradford City of Culture 2025, enabled a Community Benefit Society to acquire the building in March 2024. The Brontë birthplace is the epitome of community activism perpetuating cultural heritage on behalf of the nation.

*One of the Limited Edition Brontë Beam Artworks – Photo by Jane Roberts*

Between acquisition and the opening, the building was lovingly, and sympathetically, restored, and is packed with period features and furnishings. As part of the process, one of the original beams which could not be used, was salvaged to create a limited edition series of framed artworks available to purchase, thus helping with running costs and giving Brontë enthusiasts the opportunity to own their own piece of Brontë history. 240 were created, and they have proved so popular only a few remain. For more details, including how to bag one of the last pieces, click here.

A Brontë Birthplace visit has been on my to-do list ever since I heard about plans to open it to the public. I finally ticked it off this February (2026), booking one of the guided tours. I highly recommend this option, especially for a first visit. It was information-packed, with plenty of time for questions along the way too. I enjoyed it so much that I revisited in March, on a self-guided wander round the house, immersing myself in the surroundings and absorbing the calm, peaceful atmosphere.

I definitely intend revisiting, including hopefully for an overnight stay.

*Brontë Birthplace Bedrooms – Photos by Jane Roberts*

There are three rooms to choose from, appropriately named Charlotte, Emily and Anne, depicted above. Charlotte is the biggest room. When the Brontë family lived here this was divided into two rooms – Patrick’s dressing room, and the bedroom where the children slept. So yes, you can actually sleep in the same room as the famous sisters! The room named Emily was Patrick and Maria’s bedroom – as someone on our visit quipped, the room in which the sisters were conceived! The smallest room is Anne. All sleep up to two people, and are en suite.

*The Brontë Birthplace Entrance – Photo by Jane Roberts*

The cultural space also contains an intimate cafe in which to relax, contemplate, chat, soak up the atmosphere and see that famous fireplace which witnessed the arrival into the world of babies who would take the literary world by storm.

Step outside and there’s even more Brontë history to explore. There’s the ruins of the Chapel of St. James, better known as The Brontë Bell Chapel, a late medieval church rebuilt in 1612 and again in 1818 under Patrick Brontë’s curacy. This was where the five youngest Brontës were baptised. The baptismal font is one of the artefacts on view in a Brontë exhibition in the 1870 replacement church of St. James across the road.

*The Bell Chapel Ruins – Photos by Jane Roberts*

As Thornton is a little over six miles from Haworth, the iconic town typically associated with the Brontës, it is easy to combine a visit to both the Brontë Birthplace, the Bell Chapel, Haworth Parsonage and the Church of St. Michael and All Angels for a cradle-to-grave Brontë day out.

For more details about the Brontë Birthplace, including opening hours, booking and events information, click here.

If that has piqued your interest in Brontë family history, I will be giving an online talk on 25 April 2026 for the Society of Genealogists about Brontë Connections for Family History. More details can be found here, with the Society of Genealogists booking details here.

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Posted in Books, Brontë, Haworth, Local History, Talks, Yorkshire

Tagged #BradfordCityOfCulture, #JaneEyre, #LiteraryHistory, #Thornton, #WestYorkshire, #WutheringHeights, Brontë, Brontë Family, BrontëCountry, BrontëSisters, Haworth, LocalHistory, Yorkshire

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

Posted on April 1, 2026 | Leave a comment

March has been an exciting month for the Batley St. Mary of the Angels One-Place Study, with the introduction of a new history topic. But before I get to that, here is the numbers update.

Three new posts were added during the month, bringing the total number of posts up to 430.

The first new post is the parish history snippets piece for March 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.

But – drum roll – the big news is I’ve added a new subject area.

Over the years the parish has been noted for its outstanding theatrical productions involving many parishioners, and providing entertainment for many more. This major area of parish life deserves to be covered in the parish’s history, so I’ve set up a new subject area called In the Spotlight: Am Dram, Opera and Concerts. The first two posts have been uploaded, covering events in 1901 and 1952. These pieces are packed with names of those involved. I’m hoping to include many more productions in the coming months. If you have any information about any you would like including in future please do get in touch. Photographs would be appreciated too – including of those involved as well as programmes. I can be contacted at pasttopresentgenealogy@btinternet.com

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 already received to keep this website going. They really and truly do help. Thank you.

The website has always been free to use, and I want to continue this policy in the future. However, it does cost me money to operate – from undertaking the research to website hosting costs. In the current difficult economic climate I do have to regularly consider if I can afford to continue running it as a free resource.

If you have enjoyed reading the various pieces, and would like to make a donation towards keeping the website up and running in its current open access format, 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 and freely available for all.

Thank you.

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

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) *NEW*
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

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 *NEW*
310. 1952 – The Bohemian Girl, St. Mary’s Schoolboys *NEW*

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

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

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

The May Queens of Batley St Mary of the Angels
410. 1922 May Queen: Phyllis Doyle
411 1923 May Queen: Katherine Phillips
412. 1925 May Queen: Agnes Judge
413. 1929 May Queen: Mary Collins
414. 1931 May Queen Ceremony: Theresa Judge
415. 1932 May Queen Ceremony: Agnes Kilgallon
416. 1933 May Queen Ceremony: Winnie Colleran
417. 1939 May Queen Ceremony: Kathleen Gooder
418. 1940 May Queen Ceremony: Sheila Rowan
419. 1941 May Queen Ceremony
420. 1950 May Queen Ceremony: Catherine Heaps
421. 1951 May Queen Ceremony: Mary Harkin
422. 1952 May Queen Ceremony: Patricia Anne Cain
423. 1953 May Queen Ceremony: Mary O’Connor

World War Two
424. World War Two Chronology of Deaths
425. Thomas Egan
426. Michael Flatley
427. Frank Higgins
428. Edward Lynch
429. William Smith
430. Bernard Stenchion

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Tagged Ancestry, Batley, Catholic, County Mayo, family history, genealogy, History, Home Front, Local History, Occupations, One-Place Study, Schools, War Memorial, WW1, Yorkshire

Online Talk in April: Brontë Connections for Family History

Posted on March 9, 2026 | 2 comments

A quick heads up for an online talk I will be giving via the Society of Genealogists on 25 April 2026. Don’t switch off at this point if you’re not a member – it is open to anyone.

If you follow this blog, or any of my online social media accounts, you will know I live in an area packed with Brontë history, and I’m a frequent visitor to Haworth and other Brontë linked sites.

Well, I’m delighted that I’ve been asked to give an online talk all about exploring Brontë Connections for Family History.

Here’s the blurb about it, to give you some idea of what I’ll be covering:

The latest film adaptation of Emily Brontë’s dark, Gothic literary classic, Wuthering Heights, has triggered a fresh wave of Brontë-mania. A new generation of tourists are descending on the village of Haworth, keen to find out more about these world-famous sisters, and wanting to carve out their own slice of Brontë magic. But family historians can also channel into the Brontë family’s lives and literature, seeking their own Brontë connections and research inspiration. Jane’s talk will give you some ideas of how, and where to look.

Those all-important booking details are here.

I’d love to see you there, as I’m immensely proud of where I come from, my area’s Brontë links, all things Brontë, and I might even let you in on my quest to find my links to this amazing literary family!

You never know, as a result you may have ideas and inspiration to see how your family history might be connected.

2 Comments

Posted in Ancestry, Brontë, family history, Family History Talks, Genealogy, Haworth, Local History, Talks

Tagged Brontë, Brontë Family, family history, Family History Talks, Haworth, Talks, Wuthering Heights, Yorkshire

St. Mary of the Angels, Batley: One-Place Study Update – 1 to 28 February 2026 Additions

Posted on March 1, 2026 | Leave a comment

February has been a particularly busy month for the Batley St. Mary of the Angels One-Place Study, with five new posts. This brings the total number of posts up to 427. Three more were updated.

This month’s additions and updates included one new War Memorial biography, that of the first Peter Gavaghan to be killed in the war (his cousin also named Peter died later on, and his biography was added some time ago). Both men’s biographies can now be found in The Biographies: War Memorial Men section.

Several more men who served and survived were identified, and this page has been updated. Their biographies will follow in due course.

Someone from the parish who died but is not on the church War Memorial has been identified, Michael Howley. I have added his biography to the section covering Men Associated with St. Mary’s Who Died but Who Are Not on the Memorial, and that overall page has been accordingly updated too. I have also updated the War Memorial Chronology of Deaths page, to include him.

There are two new posts in the Miscellany of Information section. One deals with the horrific, but all too common, circumstances surrounding the death of a child in the 19th century. The other concerns three pigs, a headstone and a long-lived parishioner.

There is also the parish history snippets piece for February 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. One is an amazing piece connected to The Beatles and a circus! 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.

Below is the full list of pages 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.

If you have enjoyed reading the various pieces, and would like to make a donation towards keeping the website up and running in its current open access format, 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 and freely available for all.

Thank you.

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

Biographies: Men Associated with St Mary’s Who Died but Who Are Not on the Memorial *UPDATED*
8. Thomas Gannon
9. Michael Howley *NEW*
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) *NEW*
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

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

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

Maps and Photographs
309. A Description of the Parish Boundaries
310. Aerial View of St Mary’s Church and the Surrounding Streets
311. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1894
312. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1907
313. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1922
314. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1933

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

Occupations and Employment Information
348. Occupations: Colliery Byeworker/Byeworkman/Byworker/Bye-Worker/By-Worker
349. Occupations: Confidential Clerk
350. Occupations: Lamp Cleaner
351. Occupations: Limelight Operator
352. Occupations: Mason’s Labourer
353. Occupations: Office Boy/Girl
354. Occupations: Piecer/Piecener
355. Occupations: Rag Grinder
356. Occupations: Willeyer

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

The May Queens of Batley St Mary of the Angels
407. 1922 May Queen: Phyllis Doyle
408 1923 May Queen: Katherine Phillips
409. 1925 May Queen: Agnes Judge
410. 1929 May Queen: Mary Collins
411. 1931 May Queen Ceremony: Theresa Judge
412. 1932 May Queen Ceremony: Agnes Kilgallon
413. 1933 May Queen Ceremony: Winnie Colleran
414. 1939 May Queen Ceremony: Kathleen Gooder
415. 1940 May Queen Ceremony: Sheila Rowan
416. 1941 May Queen Ceremony
417. 1950 May Queen Ceremony: Catherine Heaps
418. 1951 May Queen Ceremony: Mary Harkin
419. 1952 May Queen Ceremony: Patricia Anne Cain
420. 1953 May Queen Ceremony: Mary O’Connor

World War Two
421. World War Two Chronology of Deaths
422. Thomas Egan
423. Michael Flatley
424. Frank Higgins
425. Edward Lynch
426. William Smith
427. Bernard Stenchion

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Tagged Ancestry, Batley, Catholic, County Mayo, DNA, family history, Family History Tips, genealogy, Great War, History, Home Front, Ireland, Local History, Occupations, One-Place Study, St Mary's, The Beatles, The Great War, War Memorial, WW1, WW2, Yorkshire

Details of My Family and Local History Talks for 2026-2027

Posted on January 4, 2026 | 3 comments

If you are looking for a family or local history speaker during 2026 and 2027, here are the details of my current and upcoming talks:

Charles the Pigeon and a Yorkshire Spy.
Local Links to the Lusitania.
A Site with a Deadly History – The White Lee Explosion of 1914. UPDATED FOR 2026 – available from October 2026.
The Early History of the Irish and Batley St. Mary of the Angels. This is the first of three talks about my one-place study.
The Batley St. Mary of the Angels War Memorial – the Sacrifice of a Yorkshire Catholic Parish in the First World War. NEW FOR 2026 – available from November 2026, this is my second one-place study talk.
The People of the Parish – Parishioner’s Tales from my Batley St. Mary of the Angels One-Place Study. NEW FOR 2027 – available from February 2027, this is my third one-place study themed talk.
Tips for Researching Your Great War Ancestors/First World War Rugby League Players.
How to Research Your Family Tree.
Brontë Connections for Family History. NEW FOR 2026 – available from July 2026.
From Body Snatched to Brush-Makers and Child-Stealing Chimney Sweeps. Tales from my Family History. NEW FOR 2027 – available from April 2027.

In terms of regions covered, the first three talks have a distinctly Yorkshire flavour. My three St. Mary’s one-place study based talks look at various aspects of my Batley study, intertwining the Irish and Yorkshire character of the parish. The seventh talk is tailored around rugby league players killed in the First World War from your locality. The eighth talk is about family tree research in England and Wales generally, and can be geared around research tips for Yorkshire ancestors. The ninth talk focuses in detail on one specific family history record set, the census of England and Wales. The tenth talk will be predominantly Yorkshire-based, but covers other areas in the north of England too.

All the talks run to 45 minutes, with time for questions afterwards. However if you require a shorter or longer talk, these generally can be accommodated depending on topic.

More details about each talk are below. But if you need more information, including around costs and to enquire about making a booking, please contact me at: pasttopresentgenealogy@btinternet.com

Charles the Pigeon and a Yorkshire Spy.

Charles the Pigeon and a Yorkshire Spy is the story of an unsung Yorkshire hero, living behind enemy lines and carrying out works of espionage and sabotage during World War One. His adopted pigeon Charles played an important part in these wartime exploits. Their daring deeds are more like a boy’s adventure story than real life. But this is a true tale of wartime courage, and one which deserves wider telling.

To enquire about booking this talk contact me at pasttopresentgenealogy@btinternet.com

Local Links to the Lusitania.

Local Links to the Lusitania focuses on people with Yorkshire connections on board the Cunard liner, torpedoed and sunk off the Irish coast on 7 May 1915. The sinking did not affect only the rich and famous. Many ordinary Yorkshire people, including from the Heavy Woollen District and areas more generally around the former West Riding, were involved. This talk provides context to the sinking and explores some of their stories.

There is a possibility this talk can be tailored to your local area.

To enquire about booking this talk contact me at pasttopresentgenealogy@btinternet.com

A Site with a Deadly History – The White Lee Explosion of 1914.

The Home Front: the White Lee Explosion of 1914 is a talk based around the events of December 1914 when a devastating explosion, caused during the manufacture of picric acid for the war effort, took place at White Lee. It resulted in deaths and injuries, as well as damage across a vast area of Batley, Heckmondwike and the Spen Valley. It is an event often overlooked because of later explosions in Yorkshire at Low Moor and Barnbow. This talk aims to provide more information about this Heavy Woollen District incident, the forerunner to the later explosions. The talk will explore the unlucky history of the site, as well as the events on the day and the aftermath.

To enquire about booking this talk contact me at pasttopresentgenealogy@btinternet.com

The Early History of the Irish and Batley St. Mary of the Angels.

This is the first of my one-place study talks, and it covers the history of the Irish in Batley and the Catholic parish of Batley St. Mary of the Angels until circa the 1880s. It investigates what a one-place study is, why I embarked on one, why I chose this particular study, as well as my findings – including the Irish migration angle, how they were received locally, the building of the church, all with a focus on ordinary parishioners.

To enquire about booking this talk contact me at pasttopresentgenealogy@btinternet.com

The Batley St. Mary of the Angels War Memorial – the Sacrifice of a Yorkshire Catholic Parish in the First World War.

The second of my Batley St. Mary of the Angels talks is about the War Memorial which provided the catalyst for my one-place study. The Memorial commemorates 72 parishioners who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the First World War, and my talk will give some overall context to their backgrounds, the branches of the military and the regiments in which they served, as well as picking out some of the individual stories.

To enquire about booking this talk contact me at pasttopresentgenealogy@btinternet.com

The People of the Parish – Parishioner’s Tales from my Batley St. Mary of the Angels One-Place Study.

My third Batley St. Mary of the Angels one-place study talk looks at some of the ordinary people from the parish across the decades who have some surprising, if not extraordinary, life tales. They illustrate the amazing richness of working-class local history which a one-place study can unearth – stories which often undeservedly get overlooked, with the focus history inevitably tends to place on the more illustrious middle-class townsfolk.

To enquire about booking this talk contact me at pasttopresentgenealogy@btinternet.com

Tips for Researching Your Great War Ancestors/First World War Rugby League Players.

Based on my groundbreaking book The Greatest Sacrifice: Fallen Heroes of the Northern Union about rugby league players who died in World War One, the talk investigates the stories behind some of the men. It is also packed with tips for researching your own Great War Army ancestors. For local history groups, I can drop the family history research tips aspect, and base the talk solely about the players.

To enquire about booking this talk contact me at pasttopresentgenealogy@btinternet.com

How to Research Your Family Tree.

This talk will help those embarking on their family history journey, but it will also provide useful reminders and advice for those who have already started out on their ancestral adventure. In this talk I will guide you through building your family tree. I will cover the basics to help you start your research on the right track, give you lots of tips, help you avoid those all-important pitfalls, and provide ideas for taking your research further. If required, I can slant this talk towards Yorkshire ancestral research.

To enquire about booking this talk contact me at pasttopresentgenealogy@btinternet.com

Brontë Connections for Family History.

This talk, which was commissioned by the Society of Genealogists and presented for them in April 2026, is far more than a family history talk. It is also ideal for those wanting to know more about the Brontës, and those with an interest in Brontë-linked local history – in particular in West Yorkshire.

It was inspired by the hype around the latest film adaptation of Emily Brontë’s dark, Gothic literary classic, Wuthering Heights. This resulted in a new generation of tourists descending on the village of Haworth, keen to find out more about these world-famous sisters, and wanting to carve out their own slice of Brontë magic. But, as this talk will demonstrate, family historians can also channel into the Brontë family’s lives and literature, seeking their own Brontë connections and research inspiration. Packed with Brontë family details, and local history links too, my talk will give you some ideas of how, and where to look.

To enquire about booking this talk contact me at pasttopresentgenealogy@btinternet.com

From Body Snatched to Brush-Makers and Child-Stealing Chimney Sweeps. Tales from my Family History.

Available from March 2027, this talk will cover some surprising tales from my family tree, and shows working class ancestors are far from boring.

To enquire about booking this talk contact me at pasttopresentgenealogy@btinternet.com

For more details about these talks, including costs, and how to book one, please contact me at: pasttopresentgenealogy@btinternet.com

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Posted in family history, Local History, Local History Talks, One-Place Study, Talks

Tagged family history, Family History Talks, Local History, Local History Talks, One-Place Study, Talks

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Category Archives: Local History

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Details of My Family and Local History Talks for 2026-2027

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