The Pighills Barraclough Connection

The Pleasant Christmas Card

2011-12-27T14:19:00.001-08:00

Along the etheric miles, through the doorways of time, DNA coming and going, but the bond there on the Astral Plane still strong no matter how many earth years pass, the noble Ancestors bring human people forward once again to bridge the gap of passing years, so that family groups that were physically related in the past but lost touch can be physically reunited once more, in whatever way is comfortable for them to get to know other family bonds once more.

A simple Christmas card is like a doorway through time, bridging the gap of very many years so that what was before, is once again, but in another time. That is one aspect of genealogy that is pleasant, the people who want more than to just add another notch to their family tree, are always the best.

Bravo!

Remembering The Fallen

2011-11-13T17:20:00.001-08:00

I have just finished reading a book called 'In Pale Battalions' by Robert Goddard. We are all supposed to think how glorious are the Men of War, proud in their uniforms, haughty in their regiments, fine upstanding men and women. But the only reasons there are wars is because of governments struggling for domination and power. The propaganda of war is that it is noble, but the people who started the wars are ignoble, greedy cowards, yella-bellies the lot of 'em. Get the masses to do their dirty work and pretend its as graceful as a war ballet of Swan Lake.

Far better that those men and women grew up and grew old, than being blown to pieces on the battlefields. Such phrases as 'Nuke 'em high' are awash with the blood of useless governments and greedy men in buttock straining trousers bandying words whilst sitting on benches of red and green.

We held our own Remembrance Ceremony early on Sunday morning, supporting our Worshipful Ancestors, if not the thing that caused them to have to be remembered in this way in the first place...

Peter, Hannah and Breaks Barraclough

2009-03-13T21:41:00.000-07:00

12 Clayton Lane, Bradford 14 (centre image)

Peter Barraclough was born in Wibsey, Bradford, Yorkshire in 1821. He married a girl called Hannah. Breaks Barraclough was the son of Peter and Hannah Barraclough. He was born in Wibsey, Bradford, Yorkshire in 1842. By the age of 60, in 1881, Peter Barraclough lived at 12, Clayton Lane, Clayton, Bradford. He was a woolcomber.

In 1913, Breaks Barraclough lived at Highfield House, Ramsden Street Littletown Liversedge (now demolished). His profession is listed as 'War Dresser'. He supplied material for military uniforms and also sold cloth. His son, Fred Barraclough was 24 at the time of his marriage to Mary Dowson in 1913. They married at St John's Parish Church, Cleckheaton. Fred worked as a travelling salesman for his father's drapery business.

One of the Barraclough relatives had emigrated to Australia. There were also other Barraclough relatives, an uncle Victor and an uncle Vernon.

Fred Barraclough and his wife Mary began married life in 1913, at 45 Brook Street, Cleckheaton, Yorkshire, in the Kirklees District, now governed from Huddersfield. The family has very strong roots in the Kirklees area, dating back to the 19th Century. The Barraclough family's roots in Bradford can at the time of writing be traced back almost 200 years.

Also in 1913, Arthur Barraclough was born at 45 Brook Street, Cleckheaton, Kirklees, in the Spenborough area.

In 1914, World War I began. Fred Barraclough became a heavy artillery (heavy battery) gunner, in charge of a huge wheeled, horse drawn cannon. The 'big guns', one of the most dangerous military positions in the war.

The Heavy Batteries of the Royal Garrison Artillery (courtesy www.1914-1918.net)

On August 2, 1918, just over three months before the end of the war, Fred Barraclough was killed in Salonika (now Thessaloniki) Greece. Gunner Barraclough, the writer's grandfather, is buried in the Karasouli Military Cemetery, Thessaloniki, with full military honours.

'We are the Champions, my friend and we'll keep on fighting...' - good on you, Grandad.

Fred Barraclough CWGC Certificate

2009-03-08T00:35:00.001-08:00

Introducing a further strand in this series of sites:

The Dowson Parkin Connection

James Douglas Hill (JD)

2007-12-21T17:13:00.000-08:00

James Douglas Hill or (Jadey) as he was known was a serious boyfriend of Sheila Walker who later became Sheila Barraclough. They knew each other from their days at Belle Vue School in the 1930's when JD would film people with a movie camera coming up the snicket from the school's then location as he was always interested in film long before he ever became famous.

Sheila Walker could easily have become 'Mrs Hill' as JD was besotted with her and asked her to marry him whilst both were still quite young. James Hill wrote a poem for Sheila Walker and gave her a brooch which she later gave him back when they had a tiff. The couple were too volatile together for the relationship to work and both parted.

Doctor John MacRae, originally form the Outer Hebrides of Scotland was a close friend of Sheila Walker's since arrivng in Bradford with his sister to practice medicine in the 1930's. Although Sheila saw him as a close friend, she did not have the same feelings for him as he did for her. Doctor John MacRae had a practice down Whetley Hill in Bradford. He married a Nursing Sister. He offered to leave his wife for Sheila and as a consequence his wife tried to commit suicide. When Dr MacRae died in 1979 Sheila's daugher sent money to a charity on his behalf. John MacRae upheld his Outer Hebrides roots to the last. Sheila never regretted marrying Arthur Barraclough although she was always popular with men because of her understanding and kindness.

Cleckheaton South

2007-11-08T17:52:00.000-08:00

Arthur Barraclough would have seen the sign posts for Cleckheaton South (pictured) and Cleckheaton Central railway station when he was little. The line was closed many years ago, probably a victim of the Beeching Axe. Lord Beeching authorised the closure of many small stations in the UK which began in earnest in the early 1960's. A sad loss to non drivers and eco-warriors alike. Amazingly, it was easier for non drivers in the UK to get around 100 years ago than it is today, as they used small urban train stations, now long gone in favour of the petrol guzzling car. Except, not everyone drives, or has a car.

The Internationals

2007-10-15T16:42:00.000-07:00

Arthur Barraclough was known as 'The Mex' (The Mexican) by his comrades in the RAF during World War II. This was because of his black hair, brown eyes and Mediterranean appearance. It was widely believed that Arthur Barraclough had Hispanic ancestors that accounted for his colouring and fiery temperament. He refused to obey orders in his British regiment and no amount of punishment could make him do as he was told. In the end, the British washed their hands of him and Arthur Barraclough was seconded to an Australian regiment where rules were more lax and he could have more free reign on his ideas. Arthur Barraclough henceforth served as an Australian Corporal. He kept his Australian 'Bush' hat, in his garage at Thorn Lane, Haworth Road, Bradford, for the rest of his life.

Very much later, his daughter chose to cross many boundaries of friendship. She had many Arabic Muslim friends, some of whom attended her wedding in July 1982.

Aunty Louie

2007-10-13T16:22:00.000-07:00

Mary Barraclough (nee Dowson) had two sisters, Alice Oliver of Fartown, Huddersfield, and Louise Parkin (known as Louie). When I was little, Aunty Louie brought the writer a toy tiger as a present. Aunty Louie and uncle Will lived at 'Camden' College Avenue, Maidstone, Kent. Uncle William Parkin had received an OBE for his work at the Patent Office.

Richard the Pilot

2007-10-13T16:11:00.000-07:00

The writer's second cousin named Richard was an RAF pilot. Richard, known as 'Dick', was on a mission when his plane disappeared during World War II. He was never found. Richard was from Fartown, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. The writer's family has strong connections to Huddersfield and Kirklees dating back well over 100 years.

Fred Barraclough

2007-10-10T20:34:00.000-07:00

Fred Barraclough was the writer's grandfather. He was the son of Breaker Barraclough, of Highfield House, Littletown, Liversedge, WF15. Breaker Barraclough was a 'War Dresser', presumably providing uniforms for the military. He was also a cloth merchant and Fred (his real name, not Frederick) Breaker's son, worked as a salesman for his father's company.

In 1913, Fred Barraclough married Mary Elizabeth Dowson, her family, having left Nottingham, were then living at Coach Lane, Cleckheaton, Kirklees. Mary and Fred had a son, Arthur, born in October, 1913. Fred left Highfield House and went to live with his wife at 45, Brook Street, Cleckheaton, where Arthur Barraclough was born. At the time of the marriage, Fred was 24 and Mary was 21. Arthur later recalled seeing his father, as a child of four, going through the gate and looking back for the last time, he never saw his father again.

Fred was a member of the Royal Garrison Artillery and was in charge of one of the heavy recoiling horse drawn guns, like cannons, seen in very old films of the first World War. The squad was in the front line, its casualties always were going to be very heavy. We honour Fred Barraclough in this blog. He was killed on August 2, 1918, around three months before the end of World War 1, brave to the last.

Fred Barraclough

George Dowson

2007-10-10T19:55:00.000-07:00

George Dowson was the son of Eliza Louisa Dowson and Coachman George Dowson. He was the writer's great uncle. George was born at an address in Carleton Road, Worksop, Nottingham in 1894. He later lived at 20, Howard Park, Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire. He was killed in 1915 whilst serving his country in the 1914-1918 War - World War 1. We honour him by mentioning him here in this blog. People tend to forget that their easy lives may not have been possible if many others had not laid down their own lives for their country Great Britain, in World War 1 and 2. They fought for freedom, the freedom which many never have lived to see, but others now profit richly from the fruits of these brave soldiers labours and from the sacrifice of their very lives, but is Armistice Day really enough to compensate for such a mammoth sacrifice and should not people be forced to remember that in spite of their mobiles, iPods, computers and the like they owe a gigantic debt to British soldiers of Century 20 AD who lost their lives for the freedom of those who live in Britain today.

George Dowson

The Late 1960's (The MG)

2007-10-05T13:27:00.000-07:00

Peter Barraclough bought a spanking new MG 'Midget Gem' in 1968. It had one of the new 'illuminated number plates.' Before that all number plates were black. The little car, registration AWU 1G, was so low it was like sitting on the floor getting to it. Peter Barraclough would drive it up and down the motorway from Bradford to London but he had a problem, lorry drivers would get the low slung car in between them and play games with it, speeding up and braking, so that the tiny car would nearly go under the back of the front lorry when it braked. This silly, irresponsible game was particularly dangerous in foggy motorway conditions. Today, such drivers would be caught on speed cameras but in those days it was not the case. Even back then they should probably have been reported to the police. The trendy two seater became a dangerous attribute as Peter Barraclough had to travel from Bradford to London and vice versa very frequently. One day he set off for London in dense fog and the Vicar of St Martin's Church, in Haworth Road, Heaton, Bradford, who was a regular visitor at the home of Peter Barraclough's parents at that time, burst in to tears at the thought of the treacherous journey that Peter Barraclough had set out on in his tiny car in pea soup fog back to London. He arrived safe and sound and rang that evening, much to everyone's relief.

Three Sons of the Family

2007-09-30T11:28:00.001-07:00

Margaret Walker of Duchy Drive, Heaton, Bradford, married Ronald Pighills of Heights Lane, Bradford, in 1937. They had two boys, John Stephen Pighills known as 'Steve' and Nicholas David Pighills, now of Hallow Bank, Kentmere.

Margaret Pighills known as 'Biddy' was a nurse at the main hospital in Kendal and later worked at 'Brockholes' Visitors Centre in the Lake District.

John Stephen Pighills married Norma of Liverpool, in the mid 1960's and at the turn of the 1970's they had a daughter, called Andrea. Steve and Norma went to live in Sedgley near Dudley, in the Midlands, before eventually retuning to his beloved Kendal.

Nicholas Pighills was an artist of repute, painting broody pictures of his beloved fells, he drove around in an old post van with no back doors, also owning a motor bike on which he once chased the local farmer's bull. He was an archetypal hippie with a girlfriend called Lisa, but he later married an American woman with a degree from the University of Boston and went to America, before eventually returning to Hallow Bank, his beloved home. He had a house with a bathroom in the garden and Panther motorbikes in the lounge. He shipped a vintage Bentley to America and sold it.

Peter Barraclough attended Belle Vue Boys School in Bradford, before following his Uncle Ronald Pighills into the Civil Service. He married Susan Penelope Herity in January 1971, at Idle Parish Church, Bradford. They had two children, Johanna Elizabeth Barraclough born July 1975, and Louisa Jane Barraclough, born March 1978.

Peter previously had a girlfriend who broke his heart, called Cathy in the 1960's (Cathy's Clown) and he later went out with London model Cilla and Nursing sister Rosalind, before marrying his match in Susan, an atheist who was also an audiologist. A very 'hard headed woman', he loved her short hair and tall willowy figure.

Most people don't know that when he married, he lived on the ninth floor of a tower block of council flats at 'Knightswood Towers' West Bowling, Bradford (later demolished). At the age of 26, Peter Barraclough bought a four bed house at the prestigious Fyfe Grove in Balidon, and became a member of Baildon Round Table with other notables of the time, such as Willie Clarke, of Clarke's engineering, who was a good friend of his. Friends would offer him the use of their Rolls Royce's and Lamborghini's for his free use. Peter was a much liked, very popular man.

Peter Barraclough moved around with his job, living in Rayleigh, Essex, at one time and at another sharing a flat in King's Road, Chelsea, London. After a stint in Leeds which cost him his health - he got pneumonia at the age of 33, after playing squash twice a day and fell walking at weekends. Consequently, he took a pay cut to move to Windermere.

The photos show Peter Barraclough (dark hair and glasses), Stephen (standing), Nicholas (sitting in white shirt next to his then American wife), Susan is in blue dress with Johanna and Lousia Barraclough, who were children at the time of their aunt's marriage to Roger Dale in 1982, when these photos were taken. Elizabeth Wendy Hammill (nee Barraclough), of Drighlington, near Leeds, is seen in the pink dress with the children.

See the Barraclough Almanac

and The Walker Hornshaw Connenction