Through my research I knew how tough past lives could be. Even in what is regarded as relatively recent British history, people suffered unimaginable hardship. Many died way before their time.
But even I was stunned when I read a 1922 newspaper piece relating to a St Mary’s family living on Ambler Street, in the Skelsey Row area of Batley.
And judging by the national coverage and newspaper headlines, this was a shocking event even by the standards of the day.1
Simon Lyons and Ellen Owens were baptised at St Mary of the Angels within weeks of each other in autumn 1887.
Simon was born, and grew up, in Birstall. He was the only son, and one of three children, of coal miner Martin Lyons and his wife Bridget. Up until 1905 Birstall fell within the jurisdiction of Batley St Mary of the Angels, hence the reason for Simon’s Batley baptism.
Ellen was the daughter of Michael and Mary Owens. She grew up on Ambler Street, in the Skelsey Row area of Batley. Ellen’s father worked as a bricklayer’s labourer, but he died when Ellen was only five. By 1911, five of Ellen’s 11 siblings had also died. Ellen’s widowed mother worked as a rag sorter to support her family, with her children, once old enough, supplementing the household income with their work. By 1901 Ellen was worker as a piecer in a woollen factory, joining together broken threads in the spinning process, and keeping the area clear of waste material. It was a job requiring nimble fingers, and speed. By 1911 she was described as a cloth refiner in a rag mill, sorting and grading the rags which came in.
Simon, who had no occupation recorded against his name in 1901, was a coal miner by 1911.
Simon and Ellen married at St Mary of the Angels on 20 April 1912. In 1921 they were living at 29 Ambler Street. Simon worked as a coal hewer at Soothill Wood Colliery.
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Ellen was a rag sorter for Edwin Talbot’s rag merchant. His Victoria Warehouse was located on Bradford Road, Batley, by the crossroads with Hick Lane and Station Road, and adjoining what was the Victoria Public House (now Mr T’s, one of the scores of nondescript fast food places which dominate present day Batley). She was out of work though when this census was taken, as a result of the coal miner’s industrial action which commenced that spring. Interestingly pit-worker Simon’s entry is not similarly annotated.
Their two-roomed Ambler Street house was also home to the couple’s five children – sons Joseph (7), Martin (4) and John (2); and daughters Norah (6), and John’s twin sister, Mary.
This though is only part of the story. Joseph too was a twin. His sister (the couple’s first daughter named Mary) died on 17 September 1914, age 9 months. A son, James, born in December 1920, survived a little over a month, being buried in Batley cemetery on 17 January 1921. In fact the Batley News of 17 June 1922, along with many other newspapers, states Ellen had in fact given birth to four sets of twins, with three of these children dying.2
In 1922 Ellen was pregnant once again. And yet again it was a multiple pregnancy. But early that year Simon became seriously ill. Too ill to work. It was so serious he was taken to Leeds Infirmary, but they were unable to operate. He was brought back home to Batley, where Ellen devotedly attended him, nursing him day and night during the final stages of his illness, an illness which lasted for 18 weeks.
Simon died on 6 June 1922.3 Two days later, and the day before her husband’s Batley cemetery burial, Ellen gave birth to triplets.
Two of the babies, Ellen and Simon, were baptised privately at home in the immediate aftermath of their birth, because of an imminent danger of their death. This was followed up by their formal baptism in St Mary if the Angels church on 18 June 1922. However, the third child, a girl, did not survive the day according to the press. Other than the plethora of newspaper reports about her birth, there is no evidence of her existence. No baptism, no civil registration records of birth/death, and no cemetery burial entry.4
Thankfully Ellen’s mother was still alive. She was able to step in and care for her deeply distressed daughter.
There was to be no silver lining to this tragic real life tale. On 5 August 1922 baby Ellen Lyons died. Three days later her brother Simon died. The babies were buried in Batley cemetery with no service on the days they died.
Notes:
1. The title of this piece is taken from the Dundee Evening Telegraph of 12 June 1922.
2. There does seem to be a discrepancy with these numbers, and the only children I have identified are the ones I name in this piece.
3. This is the date indicated in newspaper reports, and the Batley St Mary’s burial registers. However, Simon’s death occurred on 7 June 1922 according to the Family Notices section of the 10 June 1922 edition of the Batley News.
4. The implication therefore is this child was still-born and did not initially survive as reported in the 17 June 1922 Batley News.
PastToPresentGenealogy 