Tag Archives: genealogy

St Mary of the Angels, Batley: One-Place Study Update – 1 to 30 November 2025 Additions

Posted on December 1, 2025 | Leave a comment

November 2025 was a busy month for the Batley St. Mary of the Angels One-Place Study. Four new posts were added, bringing the total number to 419. I also gave two talks about the early history of the Irish in Batley and the parish – one via Zoom to the Society of One-Place Studies; the other in-person to Batley History Group. If you missed them, I will be repeating the Irish and St. Mary’s talk next year with bookings already made for it, along with my other talks.

To start off with, I wrote a light-hearted piece about Buffalo Bill and A Right Royal Celebration for Batley’s Schoolchildren, a celebration in which the children of St Mary of the Angels participated. I describe, and include a photograph, of the special commemorative medal presented to all the schoolchildren, so that if you have one in your family you can identify it and know more about its history.

In a change of tone, with November being the month of Remembrance, one of the new posts was about James Edwards, one of the parishioners commemorated on the parish’s World War One War Memorial.

In the May Queen section I have added a piece about the 1952 ceremony when Patricia Anne Cain was the May Queen (as shown in the photograph to the left). It includes names of many others involved in the procession that day, which was a historic one in terms of its format that year.

The final post for the month was the parish history snippets piece for November 2025. 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.

Below is the full list of pages to date. I have annotated the *NEW* posts, so you can easily pick these out. Click on the link and it will take you straight to the relevant page.

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.

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.

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

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. Reginald Roberts
10. William Frederick Townsend

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

Burials, Cemeteries, Headstones and MIs
72. Cemetery and Memorial Details
73. War Memorial Chronology of Deaths .

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

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

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

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

The Families
398. A Death in the Church
399. 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, Family History Talks, Genealogy, Great War, History, Home Front, In Memoriam, Ireland, Local History, Local History Talks, Occupations, One-Place Study, Remembrance, Roll of Honour, Schools, St Mary's RC Church, Talks, The Great War, War Memorial, WW1, WW2, Yorkshire

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

St Mary of the Angels, Batley: One-Place Study Update – 1 to 31 October 2025 Additions

Posted on November 1, 2025 | Leave a comment

Because of work commitments, during October 2025 only one new post was added to the Batley St Mary of the Angels One-Place Study, bringing the total number of posts to 415.

This new post was the parish history snippets piece for October 2025. 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 of the reason for the lack of additions this month is because in November and December I’m giving a series of talks to various organisations. These include an online talk on 11 November 2025 to the Society of One-Place Studies about the early history of the Irish in Batley, and the parish of Batley St Mary of the Angels up until around the 1880s. This is restricted to members of the Society. However, on Monday 24 November I will be giving more or less the same talk at the Batley History Group meeting in Batley Town Hall. This starts with refreshments at 7pm, with the talk commencing at 7.30pm. It is open to both members (£2) and non-members (£4). So, perhaps I will see some of you there. More details about this, and Batley History Group’s other meetings in 2025/26 can be found here.

*James Harkin, Batley’s 1st Catholic Mayor*

I also have a special thank you this month for someone who has sent me a lovely letter and some photos of James Harkin, Batley’s first Catholic mayor – one of which is included in this piece. I don’t have her contact details to thank her personally, so hopefully she will read my thank you here.

Below is the full list of pages to date. I have annotated the *NEW* posts, so you can easily pick these out. Click on the link and it will take you straight to the relevant page.

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. Reginald Roberts
10. William Frederick Townsend

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

Burials, Cemeteries, Headstones and MIs
71. Cemetery and Memorial Details
72. War Memorial Chronology of Deaths .

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

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

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

Ocupations and Employment Information
342. Occupations: Colliery Byeworker/Byeworkman/Byworker/Bye-Worker/By-Worker
343. Occupations: Confidential Clerk
344. Occupations: Lamp Cleaner
345. Occupations: Limelight Operator
346. Occupations: Mason’s Labourer
347. Occupations: Office Boy/Girl
348. Occupations: Piecer/Piecener
349. Occupations: Rag Grinder
350. Occupations: Willeyer

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

The May Queens of Batley St Mary of the Angels
397. 1922 May Queen: Phyllis Doyle
398. 1923 May Queen: Katherine Phillips
399 1925 May Queen: Agnes Judge
400. 1929 May Queen: Mary Collins
401. 1931 May Queen Ceremony: Theresa Judge
402. 1932 May Queen Ceremony: Agnes Kilgallon
403. 1933 May Queen Ceremony: Winnie Colleran
404. 1939 May Queen Ceremony: Kathleen Gooder
405. 1940 May Queen Ceremony: Sheila Rowan
406. 1941 May Queen Ceremony
407. 1950 May Queen Ceremony: Catherine Heaps
408. 1951 May Queen Ceremony: Mary Harkin

World War Two
409. World War Two Chronology of Deaths
410. Thomas Egan
411. Michael Flatley
412. Frank Higgins
413. Edward Lynch
414. William Smith
415. Bernard Stenchion

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Posted in 19th Century, 20th Century, Ancestry, Batley, Birstall, Catholic, County Mayo, Family History, 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 19th Century, 20th Century, Ancestry, Batley, Catholic, County Mayo, family history, genealogy, History, Local History, Occupations, One-Place Study, Parish History, Schools, War Memorial, WW1, WW2, Yorkshire

St Mary of the Angels, Batley: One-Place Study Update – 1 to 31 May 2025 Additions

Posted on June 1, 2025 | Leave a comment

May 2025 marked a milestone for the Batley St Mary of the Angels One-Place Study, with it hitting 400 posts during the first week of the month. By the end of May 2025 five posts had been added across a range of topics, bringing the total number of posts in the study to 404.

Below is the complete list of all the St Mary’s posts published up to the end of May 2025, including links to them, with those new and updated posts signposted so you can easily locate them.

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.

That milestone 400th post was a description of the parish of St Mary of the Angels in 1950, a post which for some will bring back memories. This is in the Miscellany of Information section.

With May 2025 marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day, I added a new World War Two biography, that of Bernard Stenchion. His death, in June 1945, illustrates that although Victory in Europe was celebrated on 8 May 1945, for some this was not the end of the War, while for many other parishioners the war had already irrevocably changed their lives.

*The 1950 May Queen Catherine Heaps (L), with Moya Hill, the 1949 May Queen (R)*

It also seems appropriate that in May two new May Queen pieces were added – about the 1923 May Queen Katherine Phillips, and the 1950 May Queen Catherine Heaps.

The fifth new post this month was the parish history snippets pieces from the May 2025 bulletins, and this can be found in the Bulletin for Batley St Mary of the Angels and Birstall St Patrick section.

Below is the full list of pages to date. I have annotated the *NEW* and *UPDATED* ones, so you can easily pick these out. Click on the link and it will take you straight to the relevant page.

Finally this month, I wanted to let you know that I will be giving at the Batley History Group meeting on 23 June 2025 all about the early history of the Irish in Batley and the parish of St Mary’s up to the 1880s. If you want to attend that meeting, it is in the Council Chamber of Batley Town Hall, with refreshments served from 7pm and the talk starting at 7.30pm. All are welcome, and the cost is £2 for members and £4 for non-members. It would be great to see people there.

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👈🏻 to 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. Reginald Roberts
10. William Frederick Townsend

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

Burials, Cemeteries, Headstones and MIs
71. Cemetery and Memorial Details
72. War Memorial Chronology of Deaths .

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

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

Occupations and Employment Information
340. Occupations: Colliery Byeworker/Byeworkman/Byworker/Bye-Worker/By-Worker
341. Occupations: Confidential Clerk
342. Occupations: Lamp Cleaner
343. Occupations: Limelight Operator
344. Occupations: Mason’s Labourer
345. Occupations: Office Boy/Girl
346. Occupations: Piecer/Piecener
347. Occupations: Rag Grinder
348. Occupations: Willeyer

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

The May Queens of Batley St Mary of the Angels
390. 1922 May Queen: Phyllis Doyle
391. 1923 May Queen: Katherine Phillips *NEW*
392. 1931 May Queen Ceremony: Theresa Judge
393. 1932 May Queen Ceremony: Agnes Kilgallon
394. 1933 May Queen Ceremony: Winnie Colleran
395. 1939 May Queen Ceremony: Kathleen Gooder
396. 1940 May Queen Ceremony: Sheila Rowan
397. 1941 May Queen Ceremony
398. 1950 May Queen Ceremony: Catherine Heaps *NEW*

World War Two
399. World War Two Chronology of Deaths
400. Thomas Egan
401. Michael Flatley
402. Edward Lynch
403. William Smith
404. Bernard Stenchion *NEW*

Leave a comment

Posted in 19th Century, 20th Century, Batley, Birstall, Catholic, County Mayo, Family History, Genealogy, Great War, History, Home Front, Ireland, Local History, Occupations, One-Place Study, 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, St Mary's, The Great War, War Memorial, WW1, WW2, Yorkshire

St Mary of the Angels, Batley: One-Place Study Update – 1 to 30 April 2025 Additions

Posted on May 1, 2025 | Leave a comment

April was a particularly busy month for the Batley St Mary of the Angels One-Place Study. It included the addition of a new subject heading, along with eight new posts, bringing the total number of posts to 399. One other post was updated.

Below is the complete list of all the St Mary’s posts published up to the end of April 2025, including links to them, with those new and updated posts signposted so you can easily locate them.

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.

The new section added in April was one about the May Queens of the parish. I am trying to identify as many of them as possible, with a piece dedicated to each year. To date seven years have been added to this section, 1922, 1931-1933, 1939-1941.

The final addition this month is in the Bulletin for Batley St Mary of the Angels and Birstall St Patrick section. It is the piece covering the parish history snippets included in the parish bulletins during April 2025.

I have also added a further update to the World War Two introduction page.

Below is the full list of pages to date. I have annotated the *NEW* and *UPDATED* ones, so you can easily pick these out. Click on the link and it will take you straight to the relevant page.

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👈🏻 to 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. Reginald Roberts
10. William Frederick Townsend

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

Burials, Cemeteries, Headstones and MIs
71. Cemetery and Memorial Details
72. War Memorial Chronology of Deaths .

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

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

Occupations and Employment Information
339. Occupations: Colliery Byeworker/Byeworkman/Byworker/Bye-Worker/By-Worker
340. Occupations: Confidential Clerk
341. Occupations: Lamp Cleaner
342. Occupations: Limelight Operator
343. Occupations: Mason’s Labourer
344. Occupations: Office Boy/Girl
345. Occupations: Piecer/Piecener
346. Occupations: Rag Grinder
347. Occupations: Willeyer

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

The May Queens of Batley St Mary of the Angels *NEW*
388. 1922 May Queen: Phyllis Doyle *NEW*
389. 1931 May Queen Ceremony: Theresa Judge *NEW*
390. 1932 May Queen Ceremony: Agnes Kilgallon *NEW*
391. 1933 May Queen Ceremony: Winnie Colleran *NEW*
392. 1939 May Queen Ceremony: Kathleen Gooder *NEW*
393. 1940 May Queen Ceremony: Sheila Rowan *NEW*
394. 1941 May Queen Ceremony *NEW*

World War Two *UPDATED*
395. World War Two Chronology of Deaths
396. Thomas Egan
397. Michael Flatley
398. Edward Lynch
399. William Smith

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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

Scottish Baronial Families, 1250-1750

Posted on April 18, 2025 | 1 comment

What family historian isn’t a bibliophile? I’m no exception to the rule, living by the principal “A house isn’t a home without at least one bookcase for every room”.

I love exploring a multitude of family and local history topics, so it was a pleasure to be introduced to a new subject – the baronial system in Scotland, as covered by David Dobson in his book Scottish Baronial Families, 1250-1750. Published by the Genealogical Publishing Company, this paperback runs to 199 pages.

It opens with a brief summary of the feudal governance system introduced and used by Scottish monarchs, at the heart of which was the administrative unit of a barony. Headed by a baron, who in effect was a crown vassal, it was a system which operated until 1747 when the British government curtailed their powers with the Heritable Jurisdiction Act, their response to Jacobite rising of 1745-46. With Baronial responsibilities extending to the tax collection, supplying of men for military purposes, as well as jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters, and the baron’s principal seat of authority being the caput, in terms of English equivalent a baron was something akin to a Lord of the Manor.

The introductory section also explains the difference between barons and the noble rank of baronet, the latter created in 1611 by King James VI¹ as a way of fundraising, along with promoting the Plantation (organised colonisation) of Ulster, and settlement in Nova Scotia. These are also featured in the book.

Next there is a simple one-page bibliography, which acts as a very basic proxy for specific source citations.

Before getting into the meat of the publication, there are seven images. Whilst they are captioned, I would have found it helpful to also have an accompanying page number to link them to the specific section in the book.

We then come to the main body of the book. Drawing mainly on the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland, this is an alphabetical listing of the Scottish Baronial families – covering in total around 1,000 Scottish baronies and baronetcies. And whilst the listings are dominated by men, there are also a smattering of female holders. The listings detail the families, plus when, where, and by who, they were granted their baronies/baronetcies. Some have additional information. The pieces range from a couple of sentences, to – in some cases – upwards of a page for those families with multiple grants, or where there is extra details.

The book concludes with a select listing of Scots-Irish baronetcies established in Ireland and in the New World.

It is a book to dip into for reference, rather than one to read from cover to cover, and it acts as a concise introduction to the subject. Personally, as part of this reference material, I would also have found a place name index useful, in order to link locations to baronies. But there’s no doubt this is an impressive starting point and companion book for researchers and local historians investigating these families.

The book was published in 2024, ISBN 9780806359748. For ease I’ve attached the purchase links for both Amazon and Genealogical.com

Full disclosure: I received a free copy of the book from Genealogical.com in return for a honest review. I have expressed my truthful opinion in the above review.

Footnotes:
1. King James I of England, although it was not until 1707 that new baronets were established under the United Kingdom.

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Posted in Books, Family History, Genealogy, Local History, Review, Scotland

Tagged Books, family history, genealogy, Local History, Review, Scotland

St Mary of the Angels, Batley: One-Place Study Update – 1 to 28 February 2025 Additions

Posted on March 1, 2025 | Leave a comment

The number of posts in the Batley St Mary of the Angels One-Place Study creeps ever-closer to the 400 mark. The three new posts added in February 2025 brings it up to 386. One of those posts is a result of my February visit to the Leeds Diocesan Archives, and hopefully in the coming months more pieces will follow on from my finds that day. Two other posts were updated.

Below is the complete list of all the St Mary’s posts published up to the end of February 2025, including links to them, with those new and updated posts signposted so you can easily locate them.

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.

The first piece arising from my Diocesan Archives visit is a description of the parish boundaries given by Fr, Lea in 1918. It is interesting because of the changes which have taken place in the intervening period, with streets appearing, and other landmarks vanishing.

The second piece is about the deaths of the husband and wife Smallpox Hospital caretakers within days of each over the Christmas/New Year period of 1921/22. Again there is additional interest here for people who might remember the old Smallpox Hospital, and the separate Infectious Diseases Hospital which later became Oakwell Geriatric Hospital.

The final addition is in the Bulletin for Batley St Mary of the Angels and Birstall St Patrick section. It is the piece covering the parish history snippets included in the parish bulletins during February 2025. There are some additional links here to fuller pieces I’ve written about some of these snippets.

As for the two updated pieces, one details more parishioners who served in, and survived, the First World War. The other is an update to A St Mary’s Parishioner in the Holy Land, which covers a physical attack he sustained whilst there.

Below is the full list of pages to date. I have annotated the *NEW* and *UPDATED* ones, so you can easily pick these out. Click on the link and it will take you straight to the relevant page.

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👈🏻 to 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. Reginald Roberts
10. William Frederick Townsend

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

Burials, Cemeteries, Headstones and MIs
69. Cemetery and Memorial Details
70. War Memorial Chronology of Deaths .

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

Maps and Photographs
304. A Description of the Parish Boundaries *NEW*
305. Aerial View of St Mary’s Church and the Surrounding Streets
306. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1894
307. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1907
308. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1922
309. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1933

Miscellany of Information
310. A Bitter-Sweet Remarriage
311. A Colliery Accident with Tragic Consequences
312. A Grave Disturbance in Batley
313. A Part of St Mary of the Angels in Batley Cemetery
314. A “Peace” of Batley History
315. An Appeal to Ireland to Build a Catholic Church in Batley
316. 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
317. A St Mary’s Parishioner in the Holy Land *UPDATED*
318. A St Mary’s School Sensation
319. A St Mary’s School Trip Souvenir
320. Batley’s Secret Irish Society and the Ammunition Seizure
321. Batley St Mary’s First Torchlight Procession
322. “Daddy’s Death and then Triplets”
323. Heritage Impact Assessment: St Mary’s Catholic Primary School and Convent, Batley
324. Hot-Cross Buns and the Yorkshire Tea-Cake Dilemma. Plus A Suggested Meal Planner for Batley Families in 1917
325. Into the Valley of Death – One of the Six Hundred
326. St Mary of the Angels Catholic Church – 1929 Consecration Service
327. The Consequences of a Refusal to Work in 1918
328. The Controversial Role Played by St Mary’s Schoolchildren in the 1907 Batley Pageant
329. The Deaths of the Smallpox Hospital Caretakers *NEW*
330. The Earliest Published Account of Batley St Mary’s Church and Schools
331. The Great War: A Brief Overview of What Led Britain into the War
332. The Unholy row between St Mary’s Church and the Batley and Birstall Irish Clubs
333. Thomas Ate My Rat
334. William Berry – A Beautiful Voice Stilled
335. Willie and Edward Barber – Poems

Occupations and Employment Information
336. Occupations: Colliery Byeworker/Byeworkman/Byworker/Bye-Worker/By-Worker
337. Occupations: Confidential Clerk
338. Occupations: Lamp Cleaner
339. Occupations: Limelight Operator
340. Occupations: Mason’s Labourer
341. Occupations: Office Boy/Girl
342. Occupations: Piecer/Piecener
343. Occupations: Rag Grinder
344. Occupations: Willeyer

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

World War Two
383. World War Two Chronology of Deaths
384. Thomas Egan
385. Michael Flatley
386. William Smith

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Posted in 19th Century, 20th Century, 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

St Mary of the Angels, Batley: One-Place Study Update – 1 to 31 January 2025 Additions

Posted on February 1, 2025 | Leave a comment

2025 got off to a great start for the Batley St Mary of the Angels One-Place Study, with the addition of five posts which cover a varied mix of the history of the parish and its people. It brings the total number of posts to 383. One other post was updated.

Below is the complete list of all the St Mary’s posts published up to the end of January 2025, including links to them, with those new and updated posts signposted so you can easily locate them.

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.

Two new War Memorial biographies were added, those of Harold Gaunt and Thomas Dolan. The former covers a lesser known aspect of military service. The latter includes some cherished photos, used with the family’s permission. I also identified more parishioners who served in, and survived, the First World War. That list has been updated.

The Bulletin for Batley St Mary of the Angels and Birstall St Patrick section, has one addition. This is the piece covering the parish history snippets which were included in the parish bulletins during January 2025 – one of which may be rather surprising but reflects commonly held initial world attitudes to someone who turned out to be a monster.

It also links to the one of the two new posts in the Miscellany of Information section. One is about a former parishioner who played an unexpected and significant role, bringing him into contact with people across the world. The other post is a topic I never thought would be covered in the St Mary’s One-Place Study. Given this month, on the 27 January, we commemorated World Holocaust Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration camp complex, it serves as a timely and important reminder.

Below is the full list of pages to date. I have annotated the *NEW* and *UPDATED* ones, so you can easily pick these out. Click on the link and it will take you straight to the relevant page.

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👈🏻 to 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. Reginald Roberts
10. William Frederick Townsend

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

Burials, Cemeteries, Headstones and MIs
69. Cemetery and Memorial Details
70. War Memorial Chronology of Deaths .

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

Maps and Photographs
304. Aerial View of St Mary’s Church and the Surrounding Streets
305. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1894
306. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1907
307. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1922
308. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1933

Miscellany of Information
309. A Bitter-Sweet Remarriage *NEW*
310. A Colliery Accident with Tragic Consequences
311. A Grave Disturbance in Batley
312. A Part of St Mary of the Angels in Batley Cemetery
313. A “Peace” of Batley History
314. An Appeal to Ireland to Build a Catholic Church in Batley
315. 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
316. A St Mary’s Parishioner in the Holy Land *NEW*
317. A St Mary’s School Sensation
318. A St Mary’s School Trip Souvenir
319. Batley’s Secret Irish Society and the Ammunition Seizure
320. Batley St Mary’s First Torchlight Procession
321. “Daddy’s Death and then Triplets”
322. Heritage Impact Assessment: St Mary’s Catholic Primary School and Convent, Batley
323. Hot-Cross Buns and the Yorkshire Tea-Cake Dilemma. Plus A Suggested Meal Planner for Batley Families in 1917
324. Into the Valley of Death – One of the Six Hundred
325. St Mary of the Angels Catholic Church – 1929 Consecration Service
326. The Consequences of a Refusal to Work in 1918
327. The Controversial Role Played by St Mary’s Schoolchildren in the 1907 Batley Pageant
328. The Earliest Published Account of Batley St Mary’s Church and Schools
329. The Great War: A Brief Overview of What Led Britain into the War
330. The Unholy row between St Mary’s Church and the Batley and Birstall Irish Clubs
331. Thomas Ate My Rat
332. William Berry – A Beautiful Voice Stilled
333. Willie and Edward Barber – Poems

Occupations and Employment Information
334. Occupations: Colliery Byeworker/Byeworkman/Byworker/Bye-Worker/By-Worker
335. Occupations: Confidential Clerk
336. Occupations: Lamp Cleaner
337. Occupations: Limelight Operator
338. Occupations: Mason’s Labourer
339. Occupations: Office Boy/Girl
340. Occupations: Piecer/Piecener
341. Occupations: Rag Grinder
342. Occupations: Willeyer

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

World War Two
380. World War Two Chronology of Deaths
381. Thomas Egan
382. Michael Flatley
383. William Smith

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The Complete Guide to FamilyTreeDNA

Posted on January 23, 2025 | Leave a comment

This is the book I wish I’d had nine years ago when dad and I tested with FamilyTreeDNA. It is now proving invaluable in helping me finally navigate our tests in an informed way. I’ve also been reminded about biobanking which means, even though dad died a few years ago, I can upgrade and expand his tests – and crucially know how to understand and make best use of the results.

Written by DNA expert Roberta Estes, who you may know as the author of the DNAeXplained blog, it is 247 pages packed with information to help you choose which FamilyTreeDNA test is right for you, and to ensure you get the most out of your test results. Those pages run to 11 chapters, walking you through the types of tests, who they are relevant for, along with their various associated tools.

Whenever I see a book review, I always want a run-through of the contents to see if what’s covered is of interest to me. After all, I need to make sure I’m spending my money wisely. So I’ve listed the chapters, and included the page numbers, to give an idea about what is covered, and the depth devoted to each broad topic.

Chapter 1: Types of Testing – Y-DNA, Mitochondrial DNA, Autosomal DNA, and X-DNA. Pages 6-10.
Chapter 2: Setting Yourself Up For Success. Set-up preparations to help get the most from your test. Pages 11-23.
Chapter 3: Y-DNA – Your Father’s Story. A detailed explanation of test options and goals, which shows how to use your results. Pages 24-96.
Chapter 4: Mitochondrial DNA – Your Mother’s Story. It explains the goals of this test, covers matches, what they mean and how to take those further. Pages 97-131.
Chapter 5: Autosomal DNA – The Family Finder Test. Probably the best-known test type, with matches to all family lines. Pages 132-172.
Chapter 6: X Chromosome – Described as your secret tool that’s included with Family Finder, it shows how this can be used. Pages 173-186.
Chapter 7: Ethnicity – My Origins. How this is calculated, the caveats around it, plus ethnicity chromosome painting. Pages 187-206.
Chapter 8: Advanced Matching. A useful, and often-overlooked, filtering tool. Pages 207-208.
Chapter 9: Finding, Joining and Utilizing Projects. An overview of various DNA projects, what to expect when joining one, and the benefits of getting involved. Pages 209-217.
Chapter 10: Third Party Tools. Covers Genetic Affairs and DNA Painter. Plus creating a powerful DNA Pedigree Chart to weave the various tools together. Pages 218-224.
Chapter 11: Creating Your Step-By-Step Roadmap. A useful bullet-point roadmap summary of all the various FamilyTreeDNA tests and third-party tools. Pages 225-230.
Glossary. This explains in straightforward terms the sometimes daunting vocabulary associated with DNA testing. Pages 231-247.

As you might have spotted from the above, there’s no index. This is a potential drawback, because it is less easy to home in on a specific issue. The chapters though are divided into bite-sized chunks, which are outlined in the chapter sub-headings and these sub-headings might, in some instances, act as a proxy index.

Throughout the book, there are plenty of graphics to help illustrate and explain, and there are also handy associated tip boxes.

Understanding DNA testing can be bewildering, and there is no doubt that this is a book which requires concentration. But it does help explain a complex subject, and makes it more accessible to those of us with less grounding in science.

The Complete Guide to FamilyTreeDNA is published by Genealogical Publishing Company, and is available in eBook, non-colour paperback and colour paperback formats – so there are a choice of reading options and price points.

Be aware, there are pros and cons with each.

I have the full colour paperback version of the book – something I welcome, given the number of charts and diagrams, the meaning of which might get lost in the black/white/grayscale paperback. But the colour paperback version does cost more, and price is an important consideration. Checking the Genealogical.com website, there is a free colour supplement download available for selected pages, so this could provide a workaround for the non-colour paperback. And the eBook is in full colour.

I personally prefer a physical book, as best suited to my reading and learning style. The drawback of the paperback format is the absence of footnote hyperlinks to take you directly to the DNAeXplained website references. I imagine you’d get that with the eBook version.

My edition was published in August 2024, ISBN 9780806321400. I’ve attached the Amazon link, and also the Genealogical.com link for all versions.

My conclusion. If you have invested in testing with FamilyTreeDNA, I’d say it is worth the extra outlay on this book, to make sure you’re getting the most from your results.

Full disclosure: I received a free copy of the colour printed paperback book from Genealogical.com in return for a honest review. I have expressed my truthful opinion in the above review.

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Posted in Books, DNA, Family History, FamilyTreeDNA, Genealogy, Genetic Genealogy, Review

Tagged BookReview, Books, DNA, family history, FamilyTreeDNA, genealogy, Genetic Genealogy, Review

Your Personal ‘House Through Time’ Experience

Posted on January 2, 2025 | Leave a comment

If A House Through Time has piqued your curiosity about your own home and its previous residents, why not make this the year to find out more?

I can unveil the mysteries of the history of your house, discover more about those who have also called your home theirs and the events which influenced their lives, all interwoven with tales of their triumphs, alongside sensitive handling of the more challenging times they may have faced.

I will place your home within its local history context, often integral to shaping the stories of those who lived there. Viewing your home through the lens of local, and even national, history will help you see it in an entirely fresh light, giving you a new appreciation of its place in the history of your local community.

Through my meticulous, professional research, drawing upon a wide range of sources including archive-only material, the rich and colourful tapestry of the lives of those who have left their invisible footprints in your home will be once more brought to light. As an experienced researcher, I really can breathe life into the history of your home.

Whatever the house style or era, a professionally researched and written house history is a wonderful talking point amongst family and friends. It is a fabulously unique house-warming gift to treasure. It can also be a real selling point if you do eventually wish to move on.

*Edwardian, 1930s, Victorian and older – a whole range of house ages and styles can reveal fascinating backstories*

Don’t just take my word for it. Here’s the feedback from two of my recent house history clients.

Jane has gone above and beyond in producing a written account of the history of my house. It really was like having my own personal “A House Through Time” researcher. I am amazed at what she discovered, both about the history of the house and those who lived in it. CI, UK

We finally moved in and I gifted the [house history] book to my wife. She loves it. She hasn’t read it all but now she knows the names of all the ghosts she can hear. Thanks again. BK, UK

If you want to discuss the various options about engaging me to write the history of your home, please do get in touch via email at: pasttopresentgenealogy@btinternet.com.

This includes if you are undertaking your own house history research but live a distance from the West Riding Registry of Deeds, and would like me to undertake look-ups on your behalf there.

Alternatively, you can access me via my Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives (AGRA) profile, which can be found here.

House history is just one of the research services I offer. I also undertake family and local history research, ranging from individual document look-ups and archive visits, to brick wall busting, and multi-generational family trees or full family histories. I can also be engaged as a speaker, with my list of current talks here. Contact details for all these services are as above.

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Posted in AGRA, Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives (AGRA), Family History, Genealogy, House History, Local History, Professional Researcher, Talks

Tagged AGRA, Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives (AGRA), family history, genealogy, House History, Local History, Professional Genealogist, Professional Reseacher, Talks

St Mary of the Angels, Batley: One-Place Study Update – 1 to 31 December 2024 Additions

Posted on January 1, 2025 | Leave a comment

The final month of the year brought seven new posts to the Batley St Mary of the Angels One-Place Study, bringing the total number to 378. In addition to the seven new posts, four more were updated.

This update contains the list of all the St Mary’s posts published up to the end of 2024, including links to them, with last month’s new and updated posts signposted so you can easily locate them.

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.

Two new War Memorial biographies were added, those of James Gavaghan and Michael Hopkins. I also updated Thomas Donlan’s biography as a result of the James Gavaghan research. I identified more parishioners who served in, and survived, the First World War. That list has been updated.

And the final additions for the year are in the During This Week newspaper section, with four new pages added covering the editions of the Batley News published December 1918. I have accordingly updated the surname index to these During This Week newspaper pieces, so you can easily identify newspaper snippets relevant to your family.

Below is the full list of pages to date. I have annotated the *NEW* and *UPDATED* ones, so you can easily pick these out. Click on the link and it will take you straight to the relevant page.

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👈🏻 to 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. Reginald Roberts
10. William Frederick Townsend

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

Burials, Cemeteries, Headstones and MIs
67. Cemetery and Memorial Details
68. War Memorial Chronology of Deaths .

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

Maps and Photographs
302. Aerial View of St Mary’s Church and the Surrounding Streets
303. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1894
304. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1907
305. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1922
306. Batley St Mary’s – Map Published in 1933

Miscellany of Information
307. A Colliery Accident with Tragic Consequences
308. A Grave Disturbance in Batley
309. A Part of St Mary of the Angels in Batley Cemetery
310. A “Peace” of Batley History
311. An Appeal to Ireland to Build a Catholic Church in Batley
312. 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
313. A St Mary’s School Sensation
314. A St Mary’s School Trip Souvenir
315. Batley’s Secret Irish Society and the Ammunition Seizure
316. Batley St Mary’s First Torchlight Procession
317. “Daddy’s Death and then Triplets”
318. Heritage Impact Assessment: St Mary’s Catholic Primary School and Convent, Batley
319. Hot-Cross Buns and the Yorkshire Tea-Cake Dilemma. Plus A Suggested Meal Planner for Batley Families in 1917
320. Into the Valley of Death – One of the Six Hundred
321. St Mary of the Angels Catholic Church – 1929 Consecration Service
322. The Consequences of a Refusal to Work in 1918
323. The Controversial Role Played by St Mary’s Schoolchildren in the 1907 Batley Pageant
324. The Earliest Published Account of Batley St Mary’s Church and Schools
325. The Great War: A Brief Overview of What Led Britain into the War
326. The Unholy row between St Mary’s Church and the Batley and Birstall Irish Clubs
327. Thomas Ate My Rat
328. William Berry – A Beautiful Voice Stilled
329. Willie and Edward Barber – Poems

Occupations and Employment Information
330. Occupations: Colliery Byeworker/Byeworkman/Byworker/Bye-Worker/By-Worker
331. Occupations: Confidential Clerk
332. Occupations: Lamp Cleaner
333. Occupations: Limelight Operator
334. Occupations: Mason’s Labourer
335. Occupations: Office Boy/Girl
336. Occupations: Piecer/Piecener
337. Occupations: Rag Grinder
338. Occupations: Willeyer

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

World War Two
375. World War Two Chronology of Deaths
376. Thomas Egan
377. Michael Flatley
378. William Smith

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Posted in 19th Century, 20th Century, Batley, Birstall, Catholic, County Mayo, Family History, Great War, History, Home Front, 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, History, Home Front, Local History, Occupations, One-Place Study, Schools, St Mary's RC Church, WW1, WW2, Yorkshire

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