Brian Elliott - Aspects of Barnsley 7: Discovering Local History

by

Brian Elliott

Welcome to the seventh book in the Aspects of Barnsley series. Once again, our contributors (seven of them new) have written and compiled an interesting and varied collection of articles, produced at a time when a great deal of rethinking is taking place about the future of our historic town. For some people, the word historic may seem an odd appellation for a place such as Barnsley but the considerable volume of work which has now accumulated, some eighty articles, does much to document and celebrate the history of our town and neighbourhood.

Regular contributor Melvyn Jones opens the present volume with a most appropriate and fascinating subject, exploring the ancient place-names of Barnsleys Metropolitan Borough. Mel rightly says that our area rings with the names of history, skilfully taking us through some 2,000 years of name-giving, explaining origins and the evolution of many local places. The editors chapter on medieval Barnsley offers some insights into a somewhat neglected area, making use of on the ground evidence, maps, aerial photographs and some new documentary sources.

Well-written autobiographical and reminiscence pieces are always welcome additions to the series and this volume contains several excellent examples. Roy Portman describes his working life at one of Barnsleys former engineering works: Needhams, once world-famous for making colliery pulley wheels. The article is enhanced by some of Roys superb photographs. Many of us will remember the taxi rank that once stood at the approach to the Exchange Railway Station and adjacent to Barnsley Bus Station. Mike Stringer, writing from Billericay, Essex, not only describes his fathers taxi business but also writes evocatively about his own early life in Barnsley during the 1950s. Colin Taylor is an even more distant writer, living in the USA, and his affectionate memoir relating to family, places and events in Smithies and Barnsley, set mainly during the inter-war period, is extremely clear.

Margaret Mann provides us with interesting descriptions of Canon Sorby and several characters and personalities of old Darfield whilst Barry Jacksons exploration of pre-1960s Monk Bretton is based on a recorded interview with one of its most colourful village characters: Mr Johnny Weston. I will never forget chatting to Johnny about the history of Monk Bretton when I was a teenager. He showed me around the village, pointing out and explaining many historic features, and then we went to his garden where, under an old pear tree, he told stories and anecdotes about the village and its characters, and of course talked a great deal about his love of cricket. Barry has produced a superb tribute and a most interesting description of an old Monk Bretton that has unfortunately just about disappeared.

John Goodchild continues to support the Aspects series, using source material from his unique Local History Study Centre at Wakefield. For this volume we benefit from Johns well-known interest in coal mining history. His essay on the Edmunds and Swaithe Main collieries, based on an even more detailed research paper, provides new material concerning that busy industrial area to the south of the town. Johns short piece on schoolmaster Charles Ward of Darton Grammar School, also reminds us of the Victorian practice of presenting illuminated addresses to individuals in recognition of service and achievement.

In the same genre as diaries, school log books are a fascinating source of information, relating to both personal and official life. What makes John Brooms selections from the Royston Secondary School log books so special is that they relate to the formative years of the school during the 1930s and continue into the difficult wartime period. There are of course many former pupils who will find Johns meticulous research of considerable interest. When I began teaching at the school in the early 1970s one of the most experienced staff was Mr Arthur Wilson who, apart from war service, had taught at the school since its foundation in 1934.

Norman Ellis began collecting postcards more than thirty years ago and has carried out a great deal of research and writing, due to his interest in subjects and themes such as transport, collieries and West Riding towns and villages. It is very pleasing to receive a contribution from him on Barnsley, illustrated with some wonderful photographic images from his extensive collection.

Transport, albeit short-lived, is the subject of Richard Buckleys essay on the Dearne District Light Railways. Using original source material from Sheffield Archives, he helps us to appreciate some of the complexities and indeed the eventual demise of (apart from modern developments) the last complete tramway opened in the UK.

Wharncliffe Books, an imprint of Pen & Sword Books, continue to be generous in commissioning the Barnsley volumes and also for helping me develop the entire series which now extends to more than twenty UK locations and about thirty-five titles. Recent or forthcoming new Aspects of areas include Teesside, Lancaster, Calderdale, North Lincolnshire and Chesterfield. Many thanks are due to Charles Hewitt and his small team at the Drill Hall, Eastgate Barbara, Paula, Rachael, Sylvia, Paul, Roni, Jon, Mattie, Michelle, Jonathan and Kate for their continued encouragement, advice and hard work. Lastly and by no means least, my sincere thanks to all the contributors and to all our loyal readers.

1. W HATS IN A N AME ? T HE A NCIENT P LACE -N AMES OF B ARNSLEY M ETROPOLITAN B OROUGH

by Melvyn Jones

THE BARNSLEY AREA rings with the names of history the River Dove, Barnsley itself, Dodworth, Darfield, Grimethorpe, Elsecar, Gunthwaite, Cheapside, West Gate (in Monk Bretton) Blucher Street, Peel Street names covering at least 2,000 years of name-giving in the area covered by the metropolitan borough. And the tradition has continued in more recent times with residential expansion, but this time just to confuse us we now have whole estates such as the Athersley South estate full of names from the Peak District such as Bamford Avenue, Buxton Road and Peveril Crescent and Athersley North full of names from Nottinghamshire such as Beeston Square, Bramcote Avenue, Laxton Road.