RIGHT, A New Book For Barlick

[Tizer]

Thomo, excuse me butting into your topic with something not directly related to Barlick but it is related to soldiers and memorials and I think you'll like the photo. It's the memorial to Harry Patch, 1898-2009, `The last fighting Tommy', who died at the age of 111. It stands outside the museum in Wells, Somerset, facing Wells cathedral and the stone is the same Doulting stone used centuries ago to build the Cathedral.

[Stanley]

Nice memorial. It's power lies in its modesty. Love the little posie of flowers. Too many memorials are ostentatious and smack of triumphalism.

[Tizer]

The use of Doulting stone is appropriate in several ways. Besides it being the material used to build most of Wells Cathedral it's local (from Doulting Quarry near Shepton Mallet) and Harry was a Somerset man, born near Bath. His father was a stone mason. It's a high-quality dimensional stone, fitting for a high-quality man, a limestone formed in the Jurassic era about 170 million years ago, in the time of the dinosaurs. I think Harry would have approved!

[PanBiker]

A nice memorial and fitting also that it mentions all the other young men who lost their lives. The way it is worded covers combatants from all sides of the conflict.

[Thomo]

Flogging through the research for this turns up some sometimes odd and maybe trivial stuff, and I have just come across this. Anyone who has ever watched to the TV programmes about "Sharpes Rifles" and other adventures starring Sean Bean will remember that Sharpe was a Yorkshireman, and Duke of Wellingtons man. A local man was called before the court in the early 19th Century at York, his name Was George Sharpe, a veteran who had served in India, China, Gibralter and Portugal amongst other places. I wonder????

[PanBiker]

Interesting Thomo, there is a very good Wikipedia Article on the Sharpe fictional (Novel Series) by Bernard Cornwell here.
Who knows where he got his inspiration from although the Sharpe we know via the TV played by Sean Bean is woven so well into famous historical battles (and his part in the outcomes) that without him we would probably all be speaking French or some other foreign tongue if that version of history is to be believed.

[PostmanPete]

Anyone who has ever watched to the TV programmes about "Sharpes Rifles" and other adventures starring Sean Bean

Slightly off topic for a moment, Peter - Did you ever see Sean Bean in Barlick when he used to be a regular visitor to number 138 near you? I spotted him a couple of times whilst on delivery along there.

[Thomo]

After the many distractions of the past few months, the book is once again under way, the first pages have been printed off and put in their binder, the first chapter is written and will be printed next. I still do not have a title however, any suggestions? winner gets a free copy!

[Thomo]

This weekend has seen some major developments in this project, first I dragged out of storage an older keyboard, this one is faster than the one that I have been using of late and has "touch sensitive " keys plus an extra row of command buttons. Next came a virtual gold mine of new information that I can access without having to flog through endless pages to find what I need. This afternoon I have added a second complete computer setup that can run older programmes and so now I can work without consant shifting from what I am doing to the information that I have stored on discs or taking notes on paper, it will also aid in the graphics department as the second comuter is compatible with my old graphics tablet. Recently I added a new printer to the main setup, this has touch screen controls and separate cartridges for colours, and boy is it fast, thank you Hewlet Packard. One thing that I miss is my Flight Simulator, it used to be a source of light relief, but there is no room for it at present. Onwards and upwards.

[Thomo]

I have just completed the chapter of the book that concerns the loss of the Rohilla. It spans 22 pages with the details of the men who died and the 12 rebuit pictures of them, also included is the full local press report of the tradgedy, now back to 19th Century and some more research.

[Thomo]

Progress is steady now that I have finally got a system going that is easier and quicker. The19th Century is done and I am now at 1915, only seven more names to research. Yesterday I came across a very interesting one: Private William Lister, he served with the "Dukes" and was killed in July 1915, whilst looking at his background, the site I was using Flagged up his documents. But these were not his WW1 docs, it turned out that he was a member of the Cadets here from 1908 -1911, he would have known my Father. It didn't end there either as the site also flagged up the William Henry Lister in my own family. This W H Lister was an alderman of Blackburn, he had been schooled by my Great Great Aunt, Elizabeth Walsh whom he later married, my G G Aunt was the soldiers Great Grandmother. Copies of the docs have gone off to the Dukes Regimental Museum at Halifax. Right now back to work!

[Thomo]

Despite numerous other things to be done, I am still making progress and have just finished with 1915 at page 56. Finding the information on some of the men has already proved to be a big challenge, for example:- The last man to be killed in 1915 was simply listed as G. Eastwood, just as it appears on our War Memorial, and that was it, no service No. or regiment, just a date of death and where he is buried. However, patience prevailed and revealed that he was in fact:- Luther George Eastwood of the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, Service No. 20453 and born in 1882 at Monks Cottages Bethesda St, Barlick. Luther is a Germanic name, and just like my Great Uncle, who was christened Angelo Wilhelm Walsh, later to become Angelo Walter, the Luther would have been dropped. So now its back to editing, and re-read to see if I like the way it appears.

[Thomo]

I have just arrived at the middle of 1916 bookwise, page 74. There is now some truly interesting stuff floating up to the top of the research pond.

[Thomo]

I am now at page 85 in the book, August 1816 and have found a few updates for CPGW. BUT I STILL DO NOT HAVE A TITLE!! "Barnoldswick, the town and its contribution to conflict" is one idea I had, or just plain; "Barlick, and its contribution to conflict" is another". Atkinson used "Barlick" so it may work, yet I am not sure. Thinking caps on please!! Interesting from my point of view is that I have already found two men who came here to work at Wilkinsons Boat Yard at Salterforth as Barge Builders. One from Liverpool and the other from Worsley. There are also Painters, Plasterers and Builders, it was not all about cotton.

[Thomo]

The 1916 chapter is finished at page 96, the total of names fully researched to date is 86. 1917 will be a long hard slog as many more men from Barlick died in that year than any other, 116. Working in chronological order reveals many things that alphabetical order does not, the names that are missing from the memorial start to appear frequently at the end of 1916. Also when looking at the mens families I am starting to see the names of people who I remember from my youth and who were friends of my parents. The next task is to update the various parts of the database and then take a break to print off the 96 pages that are completed.

[Thomo]

The long slog through 1917 is underway, 26 done, 90 to go and now at page 118, still in April. Even with the information in abundant supply on't web, double checking everthing takes up much time and I get days when my eyes feel like the proverbial piss holes in the snow, sorting the wheat from the chaff is not easy.

[Thomo]

It is 98 years today since what was possibly the most iconic football match of all time took place. This was not a contest between two teams of overpaid posers, but a gesture of goodwill between two enemies, in "No mans land" in a battle zone. The validity of what was supposed to have taken place has often been questioned, but thanks to the Antiques Roadshow a letter has come to light where a soldier who was present at this event, has written home about it, I understand that it is now safely lodged in the Imperial War Museum, this was of course Christmas Day 1914. The book is now in September 1917 and at page 154, amongst today well received presents was sufficient paper to make a good quality hard copy and a back up supply of ink for the same. Another welcome gift from the Memsahib was a bottle of Woods Rum, my cup runneth over, but not a drop will be spilled.

[Thomo]

The progress is slow but sure, and now at page 170, the end of October 1917. This must have been one of the worst months for Barlick with the loss of 20 Men, many of whose names are on the Tyne Cot Memorial, there are 17 more to research yet for 1917. Next comes 1918, and afterwards I will produce a set of statistics ie, how many on which memorial, the worst affected street and family, the numbers in each regiment involved and so on. Soon I will begin producing an updated hard copy, this will provide the statistics as I print off each page, it also gives me a chance to edit each page and do a final check as I go along. It is interesting work, and at times difficult in respect of incorrect information, fortunately, local knowledge helps me to get it as near right as is possible. As I go along I am also passing updated info to John Richardson of CPGW, and I will be ever grateful to that team for loading their entire database onto my PC. I still do not have a title for this book and am open to suggestions. Onwards and ever upwards.

[Thomo]

I have just completed the 1917 chapter at page 180. It is time now to print off a revised hard copy, and at the same time extract the information for a statistics section to come after 1918. 114 men from Barlick died in 1917 making it the worst year off all. In 1918 there were 99 casualties, 7 after the 11th of November, so back to work, service the printer and shift the progress to discs and hard drive No2.

[Thomo]

A taste of the start of 1918:-

Page 182.

THE HEADLINES OF 1918.


January 8th - 'Fourteen Points' for peace announced by President Wilson.
January 25th - Food rationing introduced in Britain and the health of the nation improved!
March 3rd - Treaty of Brest-Litovsk signed by Russia and Germany
School leaving age raised to 14.
March - Moscow was declared the new capital of Russia instead of Petrograd.
March 31st - German offensive launched breaking all allied lines.
Stonehenge was presented to the nation.
April 1st - Royal Air Force formed in Britain (combined the Royal Flying Corps with The Royal Naval Air Service)
April 21st - Manfred von Richthofen (The Red Baron) was shot down and killed.
June - British marines seized Murmansk to stop the port falling into German hands.
July 16th - Tsar Nicholas II and his family murdered in Russia.
August 2nd - Allied troops landed in Archangel to support White Russians.
August 8th - Allied counter offensive launched on Western Front.
Spanish Flu sweeps through France and Britain 2000 per week were dying in London and more Americans died from Flu than in battle!
October 3rd - Damascus taken by Arab forces under T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia)
German High Seas Fleet mutinies.
October 31st - Germany appealed for an armistice.
November 11th - Germany signed armistice with Allies at Compiègne the guns fell silent at 11am; End of 1st World War Ten million people had died, nearly 1 million from Britain and her Empire and "the lost generation" was a familiar phrase.
December 28th - First women voted in UK (over 30); Lloyd George's government re-elected.
Charlie Chaplin stars in Shoulder Arms.
In USA daylight saving time was introduced.
George Gershwin had his first hit with Swanee.
Wilfred Owen dies, aged 25.
Lloyd George's coalition government is returned to power in British general election.

[Thomo]

The recent question about a WW1 Military Medal winner on another topic has set me thinking. After the long chapters about the casualties of the war I was going to write about the Men and Women who went from Barlick to serve and came back. But this was going to be limited as I only know of a few, Family members mostly and their friends. In the small hours of last night I had an idea about how I could gain this information without having a name to go on, today after shopping I tried it and it worked, nearly 700 names covering both World Wars, so what may have been a short chapter of maybe 10 pages, I am now looking at at least 50 for WW1 and a good many for WW2. This project is growing, the problem is that time is ticking away if I am to meet the deadline of May next year.

[Thomo]

Current research has turned up some interesting stuff. The first was Moreland Arthur Hoyle of the Cornmill Family, the second was Edwin Leeper, the Son of a Barlick Draper and one of nine boys. Before joining the Army he helped is Father, George in the family business on Skipton Road, and then I recalled seeing this:-

[Thomo]

Having managed to return to this work at last, and at page 200, I am going to re-do this topic under the heading:- Barlick, a small towns contribution to conflict. Again, over and out.

[Thomo]

This topic has been replaced by:- "Barlick, a small towns contribution to conflict".

[Wendyf]

Just a spammer Thomo.