Contents

Bastardy Order

A Farmers Daughter

Thomas Hammerton Barnes

A Domestic Servant

The Move to Walkley

Grandchildren

From Clogs to Clogs?

Elizabeth Barnes of Waldershelf

Elizabeth Barnes, the mother of Thomas Hammerton Barnes was born in Bradfield, Yorkshire in 1833 [1] .She was the only daughter of William and Mary Barnes [2] . 

William married Mary Stocks, but they seem to have had a rocky start to their marriage. They were married in Sheffield on the 10th September 1828 [3] .The marriage was witnessed by George Thompson and Joseph Hudson. Only Joseph was able to sign his name but this is probably to be expected in an isolated rural community almost two hundred years ago. It might be significant in some way that they were married in Sheffield rather than locally.

Bastardy Order

William and Mary must have had a few early rows because on the 5th January 1830, a bastardy order was served on William Barnes for the daughter of a Mary Ollerenshaw, born on the 7th November 1829 [4] . This means that William was playing away games only a few months after his marriage to Mary Stocks. William was required to pay two guineas for the lying-in (the confinement) and 10s. 6d. for preparation of the Order. The child is thought to have ended up in the Work House, supported by William to the tune of 2s. a week and by Mary Ollerenshaw for 1s a week. It also looks as though this Mary Ollerenshaw was either very gullible or well ahead of her time in that this child she had with William Barnes was her second illegitimate child. Only two years earlier, a separate bastardy order had been served on the 26th August 1828 against a George Bills for another daughter of Mary Ollerenshaw born on the 18th July 1828. Perhaps this first illegitimate daughter also began life in the Bradfield Parish Workhouse which was located directly opposite the Old Horns pub in High Bradfield.

Mary Ollerenshaw may have later married William after the death of his first wife Mary Barnes nee Stocks [4a] . A Mary Ollerenshaw married William Barnes on 17 June 1835 in Sheffield. Given the bastardy order, it is highly probable that William Barnes was finally making an honest women of Mary Ollerenshaw. If so, it is highly probable that Elizabeth Barnes was born in 1829, the illegitimate child of William Barnes and Mary Ollerenshaw. If she had been named Elizabeth Barnes Ollerenshaw may have dropped the last name as many illegitimate children did later in life. If this is correct, Elizabeth Barnes certainly had an extremely difficult start in life, being raised in a workhouse for her first six years. It is unlikely that she would forget that experience.

Elizabeth and her parents had been living at Waldershelf Farm for some time and certainly since 1841 [5] . Neither Waldershelf the area nor Waldershelf the property now exist but one kilometre to the East of Bolsterstone is ‘Walders Low’.

Remains of Waldershelf in 2009

The farm called Waldershelf overlooked Ewden Beck and was located about half a mile west of what is now Ewden village. In 1881, Waldershelf Farm was occupied by the Kay family who were farmers but by 1901, the Ibbotson family were in residence and the head of household was a labourer in a stone quarry and this might be connected with the construction of the Broomhead and More Hall reservoirs. The house still existed in 1906 but was soon to disappear. It was located close to what is now the north-east tip of Broomhead Reservoir, completed during the 1920s and officially opened in 1928. Just off the small road that runs from New Mill Bridge up to Yew Trees Lane and beyond the reservoir embankment is a level glade in the woods where a rubble pile of sandstone blocks could be found in 2009i. This is probably what is left of Waldershelf Farm and the woods in this vicinity have no doubt grown substantially since the reservoir was built. Waldershelf Farm was certainly a short distance roughly due South of Yew Tree farm, which still exists, but the steep hillside means that any dwelling would be located where the angle eased towards the original valley bottom.

The farm called Waldershelf overlooked Ewden Beck and was located about half a mile west of what is now Ewden village. Two kilometres to the south of Waldershelf is a farm called White Lea and this was occupied by a John Barnes with his wife Ann Grayson and their ten children - five sons and five daughters. By 1841, this family had moved to Bytholmes Farm, also known as Bitholmes Farm, which is also nearby, three kilometres to the north-east [6] . John Barnes would have been ten years older than William and they could well have been brothers with their father also called John Barnes. It seems likely but has not been confirmed that William Barnes was related to this family. If so, William Barnes would be the son of John Barnes and Sarah Charlesworth of Waldershelf [6a] .

A Farmers Daughter

Life as a farmers daughter cannot have been easy for Elizabeth. Especially as the only child of William and Mary, she would have been expected to help from an early age. This would also have included curing meat, and butter and cream making as well as baking bread and other general household chores. The cost of employing day labourers on a farm would have been fairly expensive, about two shillings a day in 1832. If the Barnes family had employed servants, a man servant would have cost about ten guineas a year in 1793, and a female servant five guineas. The advantage of a large family for a farmer meant that labour costs could be kept to a minimum and profits to a maximum. Elizabeth's father, William Barnes, would have been hard pushed to farm his thirty-six acres without additional help. These would have been long working days for the young Elizabeth, from six am to six pm in the summer, and eight am till dark in the winter.

The ridges of sandstone forming Hunshelf and Waldershelf were covered by a thin layer of clay soils, so were never particularly fertile. The resulting poor agricultural yield provided only subsistence for the scattered farms which comprised this Manor of Bolsterstone. It is therefore highly likely that the Barnes family also were involved in additional occupations to make ends meet. Often smallholders would spin and weave pieces for the local chapmen, or in the Sheffield area it is highly likely that William Barnes was involved in piece work for the metal industry. It is not certain whether William Barnes held the land at Waldershelf in freehold, or whether he was a tenant farmer. However, farming such a small piece of land he would be barely making ends meet. It is significant that William Barnes was not recorded as a voter in the elections of 1841 and 1848, which indicates that his income was less than £10 a year and he was not a freeholder of property worth at least forty shillings a year.

Elizabeth may have fraternised with the young farmers in her local community and worked permanently on her fathers farm, or she may have begun working as a domestic servant at around twelve years old to help eke out the family income. She may have combined this with being a 'farmers daughter', as she was called in Bradfield in 1851. In 1852 a John Barnes was recorded as a farmer in Bolstertone. Her father was recorded as a farmer in Bolstertone in 1849 and 1856 and in Waldershelf, Bolsterstone in 1857 in the local business directories.

Thomas Hammerton Barnes

However Elizabeth spent her early working years, by the age of twenty-three she was back at home and gave birth to her only son Thomas Hammerton Barnes. Thomas was christened in Bolsterstone four months after his birth on the 14th June 1857 - as Thomas Barnes, not as Thomas Hammerton Barnes [7] . It is highly probable that Elizabeth named her son Thomas after his father and it is highly likely that a Hammerton was Thomas's father. In a small rural community it is difficult to know what Elizabeth would have to deal with, having an illegitimate son. Elizabeth never married, and having Thomas out of wedlock in mid-Victorian Britain may have damaged her marriage prospects greatly. Elizabeth may have been involved in a relationship where she was betrothed and expecting marriage. It is possible that her betrothed, called Thomas Hammerton, died unfortunately before they could commit to the relationship. There is a Thomas Hammerton who dies in the quarter of December 1856 who may have been the father.

In 1861 Elizabeth, and her four-year-old son Thomas, still lived with her parents William and Mary Barnes, at Waldershelf. William Barnes was recorded as a farmer in Bolsterstone in the 1862 Directory. The farm covered some 36 acres, but he was now sixty-six years old and must have been finding it difficult to keep the farm going. Five years later, William Barnes died aged 75 on the 12th May 1866 at ‘Moor Hole’ [8] .At the time of his death, he was still described as a ‘Farmer’ which may be connected with the cause of death given as ‘Decay of Nature’ and this might translate best as ‘worn out’. The death was witnessed by his wife Mary who could still not manage to write her own name. ‘Moor Hole’ could be a location which no longer exists in the area to the South of Ewden Beck, around Broomhead Moor, where a number of settlements carry similar names. It could also be a corruption of ‘More Hall’ which still stands, close to Manchester Road where Ewden Beck meets the River Don. Of course, the lower reservoir in the valley is called More Hall Reservoir.

A Domestic Servant

The death of William Barnes must have hit Elizabeth really hard. Elizabeth was a young unmarried woman with a four year old son and an ageing mother. It is therefore no surprise that Elizabeth and her family left Waldershelf, although the farm was still being worked. By 1871, Mary Barnes had moved to 56 Town End, Bolsterstone, with her fourteen-year-old grandson Thomas Hammerton Barnes [9] .The house was probably a farm cottage belonging to Samuel Fox, a steel manufacturer, who lived at Town End House. In 1842, Samuel Fox had taken over an old cotton mill built in 1794 on the former Stocks` land and developed it into the steel-works which brought prosperity to the district. Initially he used the water-power which had been running the nearby Hunshelf corn-mill and the mills at Deepcar, but he soon learned to exploit the coal-seams in that hillside as machines were developed which used steam-power. Samuel Fox patented the paragon umbrella frame in 1852, and also made crinoline steels to support the new fashionable dresses. In 1860 Samuel Fox even established a factory at Amiens in France to manufacture umbrella frames. Thomas is described as a scholar in the 1871 Census, which may indicates a degree of wealth in spite of the constrained circumstances of the family, but he may have worked part-time for the Samuel Fox's businesses.

In 1871 Elizabeth was still unmarried and residing with the Kenworthy family at Henholmes Farm [10] .She was a servant, presumably living with and working for this farming family. Although the farm at Henholmes would seem small to Elizabeth, with only twelve acres, it is possible that John Kenworthy, head of the household combined his smallholding with another occupation such as masonry. Indeed in 1851 John Kenworthy had been recorded as a mason in the household of his mother Hannah who was recorded as the 'farmer' at Henholmes. This may have meant that the bulk of the work on the smallholding would have been undertaken by John's wife Sarah, the fifteen-year-old 'general labourer' Joseph Roebuck, and Elizabeth. Having worked as a farmer's daughter, there is no doubt that Elizabeth knew the meaning of hard work. It is unlikely that Elizabeth would have earned more than £5 a year for this work, and it is remarkable that her mother Mary Barnes does not appear to be earning a living in Bolsterstone. It is possible that she was the recipient of a small annuity.

The Move to Walkley

At some point in the 1870's, Mary Barnes, Elizabeth Barnes and Thomas Hammerton Barnes moved to the Walkley area of Sheffield. Thomas worked initially in the offices of Mr. R. Fairburn, Solicitor and again, this indicates a level of education not enjoyed by many.

In 1881, Elizabeth was living at 36, Carr Road in Walkley, aged 48, with her mother Mary Barnes, and her son Thomas. Mary Barnes,aged 75, was identified as the head of the household and also as an 'annuitant' which means she was in receipt of a pension. Elizabeth Barnes was described as a 'housekeeper' and Thomas was working as a ‘Commercial Clerk’ [11] . This was most likely with Messrs. Butcher based at the Rutland Works where he soon rose to the position of 'manager'. By 1876, W. Butcher and Son had moved on to 41 Eyre Street where they operated as ‘steel converters, refiners and manufacturers [12] .

Mary Barnes died on the 18th February 1882, aged 79 [13] .The cause of death was given as ‘senile decay’ or more colloquially ‘old age’ - as with her husband. Thomas was the informant, and it may be the case that Elizabeth was distraught with grief. Elizabeth was only 49, but with an illegitimate son, and no siblings, life may have been difficult for her. Her mother Mary Barnes had been an ‘annuitant’ in 1881, but this may simply have mean that she was being cared for by her daughter and grandson. It seems unlikely, given her history, that she was wealthy but the possibility remains that Elizabeth and Thomas inherited some funds [14] . Elizabeth, the doting mother, may have given whatever she inherited to her son to kick-start his career. Elizabeth’s parents, William and Mary Barnes, are buried together in the graveyard of the Parish Church of St. Nicholas, Bradfield.

In 1884, Elizabeth still lived at 36 Carr Road with her son Thomas Hammerton Barnes. However, by June 1885 Thomas had moved to Belle Mount in the Nether Hallam area. Belle Mount is where Thomas was living in 1885 when, on the 3rd June 1885 Thomas married Elizabeth Parker, thus giving to his wife the same name as his mother [15] .

Grandchildren

Elizabeth's son Thomas and his new wife moved to a large, stone-built, double-fronted detached house in Walkley, following their marriage. The house at 186, Slinn Street, Walkley, was only a mile or so away from the relatively humble terrace house at Carr Road. In 1885, it would have been a recent or new construction with extensive surrounding gardens and an entrance on the corner with Western Road. Fairly recently, two modern houses have been built in what would have been the gardens to either side of the house which is now called Steel Bank House after the immediate area, known as Steel Bank. Apparently, it has also been known as Arundel House. It is not certain whether Elizabeth moved in with her son and his new wife on their marriage, or whether she remained at Carr Road in these early years.

Elizabeth must have been overjoyed to see her first grandchild arrive in 1886. James Parker Barnes was born on 5th March 1886 at 186 Slinn Street [16] . Elizabeth may have joined the family at this time to help care for the new infant and the no doubt exhausted mother. As a former domestic servant she may have been able to keep in check the odd household servant they no doubt had in a substantial property of this nature, and no doubt befitting Thomas Hammerton's new status. By the late 1880s, Elizabeth Barnes had probably moved into Rivelin House with her son and his family. This was a substantial detached property set in 13 acres of park and gardens, with workers cottages attached. This would certainly have been a huge move for a former domestic servant, and child of the workhouse, and it is difficult to know how she would have taken to this new position. It is possible that Elizabeth acted as a nurse-maid for the young James Parker Barnes and made it easier for Thomas and his wife to take part in the social activities that they would have been involved in.

However, she would not have been the sole matriarch in the household. Her son Thomas's mother-in-law Mary Parker also joined the family unit at Rivelin House. Elizabeth and Mary may have both been committed to providing a happy household for their children, or they may have been engaged in deadly rivalry for supremacy in the Rivelin household. Elizabeth, with no siblings and no parents living would have had nowhere else to go; Mary Parker was widowed, having lost her husband in 1883, but she had a son and an extended family of her own.

Whatever her relationship with her in-laws, Elizabeth would have been extremely proud in 1889, when Thomas was elected to represent the Handsworth Electoral Division of the West Riding County Council [17] . As a county councilor, he would have had to have been a man of property. He was returned unopposed because a Mr. B.J. Young withdrew his candidature at the last moment. In the next year Thomas also became a guardian for the Stannington Ward of the Wortley Union [18] . The Wortley Board of Guardians met on a fortnightly basis and in 1890/91, Thomas put in 20 attendances out of a maximum of 26. At one meeting in April 1890 and perhaps reflecting his Methodism, Thomas seconded a motion that the officials of the workhouse be paid £4.00 per annum in lieu of beer but this motion was lost on the vote [19] . At the same meeting and also of interest, a decision was made to appoint Dr. Edwin Whitfield Dawson Kite of Home Lane as the medical officer for the district.

However, perhaps Elizabeth Barnes' proudest moment would have been seeing her son accepted in 1890 as one of the founding members of the Glen View Mission Chapel, and a trustee. Her daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Barnes nee Parker, laid a foundation stone at the Glen View Mission Chapel on 4th April 1890. Inscribed on the east wall of the chapel are the names of five women, one of whom is Elizabeth Barnes.

Elizabeth's joy would perhaps have been complete on seeing a new addition to the family in 1890 when her only granddaughter Mary Isabel was born on the 6th September 1890 at Rivelin Glen [20] . However, within seven months, on the 4th April 1891 Mary Isabel passed away and Elizabeth would have had to follow the tiny coffin to burial, just as the daffodils were blooming and spring was arriving [21] . Mary Isabel died of bronchitis, probably bronchial pneumonia, at the family home, Rivelin House. This would have been a terrible time for Elizabeth and her family.

From Clogs to Clogs?

In addition, Elizabeth's son Thomas's business was doing badly, very badly. The precise cause of subsequent failure of the business is not known but this was variously put down to a decline in trade, falling prices, bad debts, under-capitalisation and 'other adverse circumstances [22] . Thomas had invested considerable amounts of his own capital into the operation and he was seriously in debt. The scale of the debt was enormous and had perhaps accumulated over a number of years and would equate to todays values as between £1.5 and £2.0 million pounds in debt. Whether Elizabeth was aware of the extent of her sons troubles, is not known, but she would perhaps have sensed the tension in the family. On 11th February 1892, there was an announcement that this business could not continue and should be liquidated.

On returning home from a meeting on the 8th February 1892, Thomas suffered what was said to be a 'complete collapse of the mental system' and for the next eight days, he lost the power of speech, stayed in bed and was effectively unconscious. Elizabeth must have been beside herself with worry. Dr. Dawson Kite attended to Thomas but this was to no avail and Thomas died during the night of Tuesday, 16th February 1892 [23] . He was only 35 at the time, had been married six years and his son, James Parker Barnes, was five years of age [24] . Thomas died of ‘Cerebral Softening’ and ‘Cerebral Effusion’, probably a‘brain haemorrhage’. It would seem that Thomas was not attended by either his wife or his mother on his deathbed as the informant of Thomas’s death was Samuel Wooding, one of the servants. Perhaps Elizabeth was too stricken with grief to report his death, and that was left to the only adult male of the household.

Elizabeth must have joined her son's funeral cortege from Rivelin Glen at 1pm on Saturday, 20th February 1892 to St Nicholas graveyard, High Bradfield, some five kilometres away. The mourners included a deputation from the Handsworth Division of the West Riding County Council as well as family and friends. This deputation consisted of Mr. J. Siddall and Mr. W. Pye who bore a letter from a Mr. J White, secretary to a meeting which passed the resolution … 'That this representative meeting hereby regrets the loss it has sustained by the death of Mr. T.H. Barnes and respectfully tenders its sympathy and condolences with Mrs. Barnes in her bereavement'. Perhaps Elizabeth found some consolation in this message, but she must have found the occasion very difficult.

There is no obvious gravestone for Thomas Hammerton Barnes in St. Nicholas's graveyard, beyond one very simple headstone with the inscription ‘TB’, yet undoubtedly Elizabeth knew where her son was buried and would have often paid her respects [25] . The day after Thomas's death, a receiving order was made in the Sheffield Bankruptcy Court on a creditors' petition which had been submitted on the 12th February. Thomas died intestate which is surprising given his former wealth [26] .Very quickly, by July of 1892, the house had been sold. Benjamin Greaves became the owner.

Following Thomas's death, nothing is known, so far, of what life had in store for Thomas’s mother who was approaching 60 years of age when her son died.

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