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Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

G'day

I've got a family photo and can't identify many of them. I'd like to post it and see how many people I can get identified.

Can you please advise how I can post the photo?

It was taken in Sheffield around early 1900's. Photo was taken in their yard. Couple of chaps are in a uniform.

cheers
Leisa

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Leisa, if you send me the photo I shall get it on the forum straight away.
Regards, Dave

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Hi Leisa,

I was just about to say that Dave T. is very helpful at doing this but, he got there before me.

Regards,
Marlene C.

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Dear All, here is the link to Leisa's photo:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/j0wcbasb4f3vtga/The%20Clan.jpg?dl=0


Leisa, please tell us what you know.
In particular can you positively identify anyone on the picture? The more the better.
Can you save us time by filling in the family tree background?

My initial thought is post WW1.(ladies hair styles, though I am no expert)
The Uniforms are identical and one is Sergeant and one is corporal. Looks like a dress uniform rather than combat.
What are the apparent "medals" around the necks of 2 of the ladies. Anyone any suggestions?
I see a few buttonholes. Was this a wedding ?
Dave

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Dave,

I and my family only know a couple of people in the photo so was advised to post here and Ancestry and see if we can find out other names.

Woman on far left seated with a baby is my Great Grandmother Ellen Eliza Harrop nee Silvester 1872 - 1948


Little girl 4th from the right is my grandmother Ellen/Helen Maude Harrop aged 3 or 4.

Also in the row are a couple of her sisters and her sister Cissie we think is middle row far right standing.

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Leisa, first I have checked the hair style and it is earlier than I said, It is Edwardian.
Charles Harrop married Ellen Eliza sylvester in 1894 sheffield.
They had Cissy Alma in 1895, Dorothy in 1897, Ellen Maud in 1899 and Amy in 1901.
I cannot find any other children. Are you aware of others?
Presumably Charles Harrop is on there and presumably the baby on Ellen's knee is Amy.
Will need more ifamily info. Why did you include the name Barnsley? Where do they fit in please.
The 2uniformed men must be regular army since this predates Ww1. Need some family names to go on.
Dave

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

G'day

The names are families who are related to each other. Given it looks like there is 3 generations there it's likely those names belong to the people there.

My tree is on Ancestry and I have their births and deaths on the tree.

We only know a couple of them in the photo and as I said Cissie is a guess.

Charles Harrops parents were Henry Harrop and Elizabeth Barnsley (Barnsley Tools)

Ellen Eliza Silvester's parents were Alfred Silvester & Eliza Kezia Condon

This is why we think those 3 families could be in the photo.

Harrop children:
Cissie Alma B 1895
Dorothy B 1897
Ellen Maude B 1899
Amy Silvester B 1901
Muriel B 1903
Jessie Anne B 1905
Constance Vera B 1907


Charles Harrop siblings:
Sarah B 1861
George B 1862
Jessie B 1865
Arthur B 1869
Maurice B 1871
Charlotte B 1875
Flora B 1877
Harold B 1879
Bernard B 1882
Emma B 1885

Ellen Eliza Silvester siblings:
William B 1874 D 1874
Harry B 1876 D 1876
Ada B 1877
Florence B 1877
Beatrice B 1880
Martha B 1882
Harry B 1882 D 1882
Alfred B 1884 D 1918
Annie B 1885
Mabel B 1887 D 1887
Charles B 1889



cheers
Leisa

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Leisa, thank you. Will take a look at those.
Have you looked at the back of the photo to see if there is any info there. Is it possible to get a clearer image please?
Dave

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Nothing on the back of the photo. I took a photo with my camera as the photo hangs on my lounge wall.

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Hi Dave & Leisa,

Looking at the 1911 census I note that Flora Loiusa is married to Robert Watkinson who is a POLICE Sergent (Sheffield City).

Looking at the 1901 census I see that Robert & Flora are living in Rockingham Sq along with a number of other Policemen or Firemen.

Leisa do you have any certificates?
Do you know where Charles & Ellen Eliza were married.

They seem to be in the Nether Hallam area of Sheffield. I have found two baptisms so far for Dorothy & Jessie at St Bartholmews in our database. Jessie's mother is a Nellie???
Have a look at it please.


Elaine in Ottawa.

I wonder as Robert is in the middle of the picture was it a celebration party on a promotion or as the babies are also there could it be a christening. They all look very smart.

The Barnsley family I see where a very affluent family. George left 14,000 pounds in
1874. File manufacturer & Steel refiner.

Instant Messenger: Skype

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Leisa,
Have you noticed that the girl front far left looks like the one 4th from right? Also both those girls and the one standing far right have identical ribbons in their hair. It looks like they may have been got ready by the same mother.
If that is right then we have the four sisters . And we can date the photo to 1904 plus minus 1
I cannot think of a reason why the Harrops family and the Sylvester family would get together in about 1904. The usual reason for 2 families to be together would be wedding. Therefore I suspect that this is likely to be a wedding of either a Harrop or a Sylvester in about 1904. The only one that fits is Arthur Harrop marrying Alice Annie Spick in Q1 1904.
I suspect that if you follow up all the siblings and parents of Charles Harrop and all the parents and siblings of Alice Annie Spick you will see if they fit the overall picture, in terms of number of boys and girls and unmarrieds and ages.
In particular you should find possibilities for those 2 youngest babies. Could they be siblings (twins?), one with mother, one with father? It needs a bit of work on several marriages and births, with some help from censuses.
Dave

Edit just seen Elaine's brilliant reply. That also fits perfectly with the same scenario.

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Just to add a little more to my theory........

WATKINSON, Margaret Mary (of 26 Haworth St, born -~-00).
Baptised 1897-12-22, by at St Philip's, Shalesmoor.
Parents name(s) are Flora Louisa & Robert (Police Constable).

WATKINSON, Robert William (of Matilda Street, born 0).
Baptised 1864-10-03, by ~ at St Mary's, Bramall Lane.
Parents name(s) are Sarah & John ().

I believe John is a Silversmith.
You can check and see if he is listed on the Apprenticeship Index over to the left.

I believe I also spotted a Stephen Watkinson who was also a police constable baptizing a child in our database.

I am surprised I am not turning more baptisms up for these children.

What name do you have your tree listed as.... on Ancestry. Leisa

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Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Elaine,
I think you are on to something. However, from GRO Flora Louisa Harrops mother maiden name was Giles, not Barnsley.
The Flora Harrop mmn Barnsley married a Howard (Free BMD) and their children are shown in GRO.
Dave

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Hi Dave,

We/I know its the right track because.

WATKINSON, MARGARET MARY HARROP
GRO Reference: 1897 D Quarter in ECCLESALL BIERLOW Volume 09C Page 399

I will wait until Leisa gets back to us. Its no good spending hours searching
PRs and census if she has already done that.


Elaine.

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Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Adding to my last mail.

I think the photo was taken about 1901.

If & I say if the two main people were Robert Watkinson and his wife Flora Louisa nee Harrop. I would like to speculate that their three daughters are either sitting on the parents knees with Margaret Mary sitting to the right of her father.

They would be Mary Margaret Dec qtr 1897 EB 9c 399
Maud Dec qtr 1898 Sf 9c 483
Flora Beatrice March qtr 1900 Sf 9c 502

Dorothy Mabel was born Dec qtr 1902 Sf 9c 529.

Flora Beatrice died Sep qtr 1906 Sf9c 286 aged 6.

Could there also be an older brother of Roberts behind him (Arms crossed)
Two over to the left from him could that be a much younger brother. OR son of the chap with his arms crossed.


Dave I can't see any medals where are they. I can see two chokers which would be a narrow ribbon with a locket hanging at their throats. Is that what you are looking at?

Elaine.

I must admit when I first looked at this photo what went through my head was a Methodist gathering of some sort.

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Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Elaine, the things I referred to as medals are the things on the shoulders of several of the women coming down in a V shape at the breast. A couple of the m look as if they do not join in a V. I have the impression it may be of religious significance
Dave

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

I remember seeing a photo once before of ladies wearing sashes and it was something to do with the Temperance League.

Flora Louise I believe has a fob watch on her right breast.

Elaine.

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Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

G'day

My tree is called Gomer Family Tree on Ancestry. It's public too.

Thank you for your educated guesswork and it appears you may have isolated a few of them. My intention is to seek people who know who any of the people are or have photos of any of them who would be willing to share with me.

I'm working my way replying to your questions :-)

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Elaine,
Flora Louisa Harrop was born in 1877 and was the daughter of the Roman Catholic Joseph and Marguerite (nee Giles). Her baptism at St Marie is on this site.. She is not part of the Harrop Barnsley family
A different Flora Harrop was also born in 1877 and she was daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (nee Barnsley). Her baptism is on this site. She is the Flora who is referred to by Leisa as part of her Harrop Barnsley family.
Flora Louisa married Robert Watkinson
Flora (mmn Barnsley) married a man called Howard..

Leisa, may I suggest that you and I are both wrong about the identification of Cissie. That girl standing on the right is too old. I would like to suggest that Cissie is the one on (our ) right of the young boy on the front row. I also note that she has the same ribbon.
The photo is somewhat out of focus so I am struggling to pick out the three generations you referred to. Is it possible to get a clearer picture please? Alternatively can you please indicate which people are of the older generation. It would also be useful to if you could point out the teenagers (other than the two obvious ones of the boy in the middle and the girl standing far right)

Regardless of the occasion, looking at only the Harrop family, we would expect to see:
Sarah Elizabeth (1861),her husband George Hudson and their children Ethel (1887), Mary Alice (1888), John William (1890), George (1890), Charles (1892), Ernest (1896), Anne (1898)
George (1862)
Jessie (1865) and her husband surname Llewellyn and their children Elsie (18956 and Constance (1901) (1901)
Arthur (1869) and his wife Alice Annie Spick
Charles (1872) , his wife Ellen Eliza your g smother, and children Cissie(1895), Dorothy (1897), Ellen Maud (1899), Amy (1901)
Maurice and maybe his partner
Charlotte (1875) And her husband Charles Furness.
Flora (1877) and her husband Albert Howard and children Marion (1901) and Lottie ((q1 1904)
Harold(1879)
Bernard(1882)
Emma (1885)

That seems to account for almost all the younger children, but where are those teenagers?
Dave

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

G'day Dave

We are guessing at the family names.

Only older person we know is my great grandmother who is on the chair middle row with a kid on her lap. That's Ellen Eliza Silvester.

We were only guessing at who Aunt Cissie is because she has a long face. Ellen Maude and the others were rounder in the face.

I had thought Elaine was wrong because I had Flora married to a bloke named Howard.

cheers

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Elaine

that's right about the Barnsleys. George Barnsley had a huge factory and a couple of Barnsleys were Master Cutlers.

George Barnsley Tools - factory is derelict now but when I was there last week they have been doing some work there and I think they put in home units.

cheers

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Dave,

My Arthur died in 1901. So the Arhur with Spick wife is not mine.

I have a few certificates on my tree I think but none I've needed to obtain as yet.

Which ones are you after?

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Elaine

Charles and Ellen Eliza were married in the parish church now cathedral in Sheffield on 30/1/1894.

I have no baptism records for any of the Harrop girls.

cheers

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Sorry Elaine I don't think that's right. On the wrong track.

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Ok Leisa, thanks. That eliminates Arthur. Do you know what happened to George Barnsley Harrop. I cannot find a marriage. I have a death in his 70s if I am right.
I am working on the principle that you need to trace people who have photos of their ancestors who are on that picture. Those people alive today will be descendants of those children on the picture. Those descendants will, like you, be grandchildren of those small children. They could be anywhere in the world.. Therefore, if we can identify the names(without necessarily identifying them on the picture ) we may find people who have them as ancestors. Unfortunately they are almost all girls so that just makes it more difficult, but not impossible.
I have already identified one person, almost by accident. 10 years ago I contacted someone on Genes Reunited about one of our common ancestors in Sheffield. She allowed me to see her tree at the time. It turns out that in her tree she also has Henry And Elizabeth and some of those children I named. You may be able to contact her. I shall not name her on this forum. I shall send you a private email with those details.
Dave

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Hi Lisa,

I believe what is happening here is you have two Harrop family lines mingling.

Are you sure that George Barnsley is part of your family line as you have stated?

I will look at your tree and see what I can see.

Dave I dont agree with you with what Lisa has given us. BUT I will check it out on her tree and see where I can find she has deviated.




Elaine.

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Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Hi Dave,

Have checked Leisa's tree out and I agree with her to Henry Harrop born 1839.

I had not gone any further.

Where I deviated was with Flora. Daughter of Henry.

Harrop, Flora (of Blake St, born ~).
Baptised January 13, 1878, by James Russell, Vicar at St Philips Church, Shalesmoor.
Parents name(s) are Elizabeth & Henry (Manager).
Note:

Flora Louisa I now believe is the daughter of George Harrop.

So will leave you and Leisa to have fun.

Elaine in Ottawa.


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Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Leisa, I have sent you 3 names to try to contact. Please let us know if you have any joy.
I am certain Elaine is right about the police uniform. Find the one with the baby and you will be able to identify a lot more on the picture. I shall leave the picture live for a while in the hope that someone comes forward.
Dave

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Got your email Dave. I'm checking with family because I think 1 of them is on Genes United.

1 name is on Ancestry so will write to him.

As stated previously I'm hoping of finding descendants on this website because my family is unable to identify any of them beyond the sisters and their mother. None of us can work out which one is the father LOL.

cheers

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

just an idea but will leave it for you to check out....do you know when certain people died and if so did they leave a will? Might lead you to who is who and keep on the right track. John

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Leisa, I have gone back to square one on this and believe I can see how we can take a step forward.
Two pieces of detailed info would help.
1. I know Amy Harrop was birth registered in Q1 1901. Do you know her birth date (or at least the birth month) of Amy Harrop?.
2. As I already said the image is not very clear. There are 4 babies being held on knees. Can you see on the original whether or not the furthest right of those babies is wearing shoes?

Both Elaine and I have really caught the bug on this one.
Dave

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

G'day

No wills for the Harrops.

I've decided the bloke behind Ellen Eliza is her husband Charles Harrop. So the bloke in the middle that looks a lot like him could be a brother.

Interesting how many of the women have the same hair do.

All the kids in the front have shoes on.

Maybe all the kids with hair ribbons are the Harrop girls?

Looking at original photo (which has names written on the actual photo) We have Ellen Eliza holding Connie. In front of her on the ground is Amy move 3 kids along and we have Jessie being held by god knows who. Next is Dorothy and then Ellen Maud.

Still cant work out which one is Cissie (4 years older than Ellen Maud).

Cissie has to be one of the 2 girls between the boy and Jessie. All the other girls are too old to be Cissie.


Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Leisa, great that you found some names on it. That is already a step forward.
You just pitched an enormous curve ball. Did not know about Connie That changes everything, and makes more sense with regard to the dress and hair styles.
The reason I wanted AmyS birth date was to date the photo? Now need Connies birth date, or at least month and year. Do you have that please?
Back to the drawing board. Watch this space.
Dave

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Hi Leisa,

"Looking at original photo (which has names written on the actual photo) We have Ellen Eliza holding Connie. In front of her on the ground is Amy move 3 kids along and we have Jessie being held by god knows who. Next is Dorothy and then Ellen Maud."


As both grandmothers are called Ellen Eliza which one are you referring too?

Elaine.

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Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Elaine

Only 1 is Ellen Eliza Nee Silvester Harrop

The others are Eliza and Elizabeth.

Eliza Condon
Elizabeth Barnsley


Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Dave

no I don't.

She does appear on the census that year though.

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Dave has been in contact with me re the birth date of Connie.
Here she is on the 1939 register.

20 Carterknowle Road, Sheffield.
Chas. Harrop, D.O.B. 25 Oct 1872, Tool Warehouse manager, married.
Ellen Harrop, D.O.B. 9 Nov 1872, domestic duties, married.
Dorothy Harrop, D.O.B. 11 Oct 1897, ? drapers.
Amy Fletcher, D.O.B. 8 Feb 1900, Mothers help.
Harry Hocknall, D.O.B. 23 Mar 1909, Transport worker, married.
Connie Hocknall, D.O.B. 11 July 1907, domestic duties, married.

Moira.

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Moira, that is brilliant. Connie has been positively identified by Leisa as the baby on the left . I am certain that baby is at least 6 months old and less than 18 months old (little hair and no shoes so not yet walking).
We can definitely date the photograph to 1908. That makes much more sense from the viewpoint of the hairstyles and dress style.
Now we try to find the uniformed man with the baby.
Dave

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Dave & Moira

Connie's date of birth is 11 July 1907. Cousin confirmed photo taken in 1908.

Amy's date of birth is not confirmed. Born in 1901 and appears on census 1901 aged 1 month.

cheers

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Liesa sent me a much clearer copy of the picture.
Here is the link to it

https://www.dropbox.com/s/phqkxygub7oepjc/20170921_214903.jpg?dl=0

it is my understanding that she took it from its frame to get a clearer picture and discovered that all but one of her family members were identified in handwriting on the picture.You can see this on this improved picture
She would still like to know who the many others were, and what was the occasion.

Leisa, I believe the standing girl far right is also identified, very faintly, with the word Cissy. Also if you look carefully at the hand positions you will see that Jessie is being held by Dorothy.

Can anyone suggest what the apparent uniform is on several of the girls particularly on the right side. Is it Nurses uniform, or are they servants perhaps?

Dave

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Hi Dave,
I would respectfully disagree that the young ladies to the right are nurses. As an old school nurse, albeit not as old as this photo, and a Canadian nurse at that, I am certain that no respectable nurse of that era would pose in a formal photograph without her cap and apron. Even in the early days of my career, a nursing cap was an essential part of the uniform and identified not only that you were a nurse, but where you trained as a nurse. I will suggest that one of the young men in uniform is Albert Henry Foweather. Charles Harrop's sister Sarah Elizabeth Harrop married Albert Foweather, see parish records on this site, and they had 3 daughters and 2 sons. Albert Henry (1882),Jessie Elizabeth (1885), Ethel Greaves (1887), May (1893)and Frederick (1896). Some of the young ladies on the right may be these young ladies as they would have been in their late teens or early 20's when this photo was taken and were still single. Albert Henry Foweather was married to Beatrice Barber in 1906 and he was a police constable. They had 2 daughters at this time: Jessie (1906) and possibly Elsie born in the fall of 1908 so not sure if she had arrived yet when this photo was taken.
Helen C.

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Helen, absolutely fantastic. That is the big breakthrough. It fits perfectly because it not only explains the police uniform but it also explains why he, not the mother, is holding Elsie . His wife imust be holding holding their older child. That means the lady on his right as we look must be Beatrice his wife and on her knee is 2 year old Jessie.
If we have Elsie's baptism record, we have the exact date of the photo..

That opens up new avenues for search. Is the other uniform Albert's brother?
Who is the other baby , who must have been born in 1907. From the Barber side? .That will identify its mother.
There must be members of Beatrice Barber's family, Her parents? If still alive.
Three of the girls on the front row are likely to be Constance May Llewellyn (7), Marion Howard (7)and Lottie Howard (4), maybe the others are from the Barber side.
A lot of loose ends to tie up. Who wants to join in , or does Leisa want to do it herself.

Over to you Leisa

Dave

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Thank you Helen,

FYI Jessie Foweather was born 13.4.1906 would have been aged 2 or approaching 2 when photo was taken. Have no idea on the month the photo was taken.

Elsie Foweather was born 16.9.1908. Question is policeman Foweather holding a 2 year old or a wee baby?

I can confirm Alberth Henry Foweather was a police man after leaving the army.

cheers

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Hi again,
In pointing out that Albert Henry Foweather was a police officer, I hope I'm not sending you off down a false path. Albert could be the uniformed gent seated in the front row or he could be the uniformed gent in the back row. I do feel that correctly identifying the uniformed gent in the front row is key to solving what the occasion is and who the people around him are. Notice that he is the only man seated and he is seated front and center. If he weren't central to whatever this occasion is, then as an officer and a gentleman, he would be standing to the back or to the side with the other fellas and one of the ladies who is standing behind him, would be seated. Initially I had thought that this gentleman and the lady immediately to his right, were a couple and that the babies they are each holding were twins. However, Albert Henry and Beatrice Foweather did not have twins and for that matter, I can't see any Harrop twins registered either. I would lean more to the idea that Beatrice is the lady immediately to his left with the child on her lap being 2 year old Jessie Foweather. However, this raises the problem of who are the 2 infants, one in the arms of the officer and one in the arms of the lady next to him. Infants do not have the muscle tone to hold their head up independently until at least 3 months of age. Both of these infants are clearly holding their heads up on their own so they are both between the ages of 3 months and 12 months. If Elsie Foweather was born Sept. 16, 1908, then the earliest she would have been holding her head up would have been mid Dec. 1908. You have already stated that this photo was taken in 1908, but if Elsie is the infant on the officer's knee, then the only time this photo could have been taken would have been the end of Dec. It does not appear from the attire of all in this photo, that the photo was taken outside in Dec. So possibly the photo was taken earlier in 1908, and Beatrice is still pregnant with Elsie. But that still leaves the question of who are the babies being held by the man and woman in the center of the photo. There still is not enough information to positively identify who this man is.
I admit I am a real dinosaur when it comes to social media, but maybe you need to attempt to contact any Foweather or Harrop families still living in Sheffield via Facebook or Twitter. A simple Google search of either name in Sheffield, reveals at least 2 Harrop's with telephone numbers listed in Sheffield, there are at least 7 Foweather's on electoral roles for Sheffield and several mentions of Facebook postings by Foweather's and Harrop's with Sheffield in the text. If worse comes to worse, try phone or regular mail. There is an entry on Rootschat forum dated 2014 from someone also researching this Foweather family, perhaps you could contact them and collaborate. I'll keep looking into this as time allows, but I'm afraid that's all I have at the moment.

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Following on from Helen's weather reference, 1908 was a record year for the lateness of snow in the south of England. There were very heavy falls in late April and there were very deep frosts in the north.
Is it my imagination or are there traces of snow or ice on the wall tops in the background of the picture, and on the bush at the back, left of centre?
If the front policeman is married to the lady to his right (left as we look at it) then their two children must have been born in very quick succession.
Dave

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

New proposal:
Charles Harrop's brother, Bernard Harrop born 1882 was in the military. I don't have access to FMP to see his service record. But he seems to have enlisted about 1900. In 1901 he is in Cheriton, Kent. There are several newpaper reports of Corporal Bernard Harrop being involved in action in Koonstad, South Africa. He then became dangerously ill with "enteric ?" in Apr. 1902 and was presumably sent home. He married Florence Lucy Bond in 1905 in Canterbury, Kent and they had 2 children 13 months apart. Flora Jessie Harrop born Nov. 7, 1906 in Kent and Bernard Harold Harrop born Dec. 30, 1907 in Kent. By 1911, Bernard along with Florence Lucy and children are posted to India. They returned to live in Sheffield. Bernard became a postman and was very involved in bowling in Sheffield but died age 48 in 1930 and was buried in Crookes Cemetery. His widow never remarried and was buried with him in 1974 age 91. I propose that the uniformed gent in the front row is Bernard and the lady to his right is Florence Lucy. Bernard Howard is the infant that Bernard is holding as he would have been old enough to hold his head up by the spring or summer of 1908, and Florence is holding Flora Jessie who would be around 16 to 18 months of age. I would suggest that the family gathered for this photo prior to Bernard and family being posted to India. If that is so, then all the people in this photo should be Harrop's or Silvester's as Florence Lucy's family were in Kent. If you agree with this then my suggestion would be to try to contact the descendants of Bernard Harrop to see if they have photos to corroborate my theory. Flora Jessie married Arthur Bridges in Sheffield in 1933 and died in 1998. She had 2 sons born in 1936 and 1945 who may still be living. Bernard Howard married Eileen Butcheer in 1937 and died in 1991. He had 5 children, 3 sons and 2 daughters between 1941 and 1953, the one daughter's burial is on this site. Bernard Harold also served in the army in 1927. Just a guess, but possible that Bernard Sr. died at such a young age due to whatever illness had struck him down in 1902. Can any one explain the difference between a military uniform and a police uniform? That may help with confirming this gentleman.
Helen C

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Helen, wow.
On close inspection the 2 uniforms are definitely military and almost identical. The only difference being the front one is sergeant and the back one corporal. There have never been corporals in the police. Also a policeman in those days would have had his number printed around his collar.
So the policeman was a red herring. -Albert Foweather must be there in civvies.
It looks like a large number of the people can now be pretty certainly identified from age, family likeness and association with the people around them. They are all Bernard's siblings and their families, with the possible exception of Charlotte Furness Nee Harrop and her husband Charles and their son Charles (who was born in Plymouth in 1898).
There still remains an extra family with matriarch seated probably third from left , her husband probably third from left behind her and a group of people , mainly female, at the right side, including the couple at back right.
Who is the second uniform?
I suggest he is brother at arms with Bernard, is unmarried and he is also going to foreign climes. Therefore his family is also in the gathering. They are the ones displaying the strange neckwear.

Dave

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Leisa,
Do you know who wrote those names on your photo? There is clearlly something not right. In 1908 Maud was 9 years old and Amy was 7 years old. The girl labelled Amy looks a lot older than the one labelled Maud. Also the child labelled Maud is clearly much younger than 9. The names of G dad and G ma would indicate that the person who wrote them was either one of your parents or one of your uncles or aunts. If that is the case then they should be right , having seen their grandparents grown up., so they would recognise them. However they would be guessing about the children because they would have only seen them grown up, not as babies.
Dave

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Dave

Great Grandmother Harrop told a great grandchild the photo was taken in 1908.

A granddaughter of Ellen Eliza Harrop nee Silvester wrote the names on the photo.

I had thought it was earlier than 1908 because my grandmother Maude looks much younger than 9.

A cousin and I have been looking at uniforms and we are of the view that the middle bloke can't be a policeman because he does not have a number on his collar.

Dragoons is a possibility because we had Harrops in the Dragoons.

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Leisa, thank you.
I am sure the ids written for the children are wrong. I think only the one for Jessie is correct
I think you will find that Cissy 13 and Dorothy 11 (standing) are the 2 obvious sisters at the right hand side. That makes Ellen Maud 9 the one at front left (currently labelled Amy).
Dave

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

David,

Disagree without a doubt that is Maud - When I saw the photo without names written on it, I immediately recognised my grandmother. No mistaking her.

If anything the date may be wrong.

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Leisa,
I have to say I do not understand how any grandchild could recognise their grandmother as a baby, unless they have a photo of that baby positively identified. I remember showing my grandchildren photos of me age 4, in my aunt's arms, and me at 10 in a group of 10 year old boys. None of my 5 grandchildren could pick me out, and when I told them they did not believe.Do your cousins agree?

Dave

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Leisa,
Helen has done a superb job in proving beyond doubt that your photo was taken in mid 1908 by demonstrating that Bernard Harrop (Sergeant) and his wife with their two young babies must be the couple at centre. They are a perfect fit. I can now provide much more evidence and identify the second uniform and more besides.
Your picture has 40 individuals visible.
In 1908 the following list of Harrop and extended families were the only ones alive.
It is a list of 39 people. That is close to 40.

Sarah Elizabeth Foweather (Harrop) 47 Husband Albert 47
George Barnsley Harrop 46
Jessie Llewellyn (Harrop) 43 Husband William 47
Maurice Harrop 37 Wife Kate (Maxfield) 32
Charles Harrop 36 Wife Ellen E (Sylvester)36
Charlotte Furness (Harrop) 33 Husband Charles 37
Flora Howard (Harrop) 31 Husband Albert 32
Harold Harrop 29
Bernard Harrop 26 Wife Florence Lucy (Bond) 25
Albert Foweather 26 Wife Beatrice (Barber) 23
Emma Harrop 23 23
Jessie E Foweather 23
Ethel Foweather 21
Arthur S Foweather 19
May Foweather 15
Cissy Harrop 13
Elsie May Llewellyn 12
Dorothy Harrop 11
Charles E Furness 10
Ellen Maude Harrop 9
Amy Harrop 7
Constance Llewellyn 7
Marion Howard 7
Muriel Irene Furness 7
Muriel Harrop 5
Lottie Howard 4
Jessie Harrop 3
Jessie Foweather 2
Connie Harrop 1
Florrie Jessie Harrop 12-15 months
Bernard Harold Harrop 3-6 months

Because of the varied ages and genders we can pretty certainly identify a large number of the people in your photo.
There are 8 couples on the list and we would expect that the older ladies would be in more sombre attire (which at the time would be defined as old fashioned) because they had spent much of their lives in the Victorian era.
There are 8 couples on the list, and on your photo there are 7 clearly defined ones.
The 3 older seated ladies must be (from l to f) Ellen E Harrop (you know), Jessie Harrop, and Sarah E Foweather (the matriarch) Each has their husband just behind and left (Charles Harrop is tall).
The reason I say Sarah E is the right hand of the 3 is because her son Arthur (19) is behind her and next to his father.
Maurice and his wife Kate are right behind Bernard and Florence. Maurice is younger, tall like his brother Charles and has similar features.
The other 2 couples (back left and back right) must be Florence and Flora. Not sure which way round but someone may be able to decide based on the different ages of their husbands.
The tall man alone very back left is clearly George Barnsley Harrop, features, tall, and dressed similar to his brother Charles. The lone man centre back must be Harold Harrop (or possibly Albert Foweather Junior)
So what are we left with?
The lady seated right with the older baby on her knee must be Beatrice Foweather with her 2 year old.
The three ladies in a triangle back left and the young lady to our right of Maurice must be the 3 Foweather girls and Emma Harrop. I will let you decide based on age.
The two girls at the right side, one seated and one standing, are clearly sisters so must be Cissy and Dorothy Harrop.
Now we have the 10 children across the bottom. I shall let you decide which are the 4 Harrop sisters, the 2 Llewellyn sisters, the two Howard sisters and the Furness girl, sister of Charles Furness seated left

That means we have identified 38 people on the photo using the list of relatives. But there were 39 on the list. Either Harold Harrop or Albert Foweather junior (policeman) is missing. If Albert was there, surely he would be behind his seated wife? Why would he not be there? Because he was on duty? I suggest that Albert was there, and he was taking the photo. You said that there are no photographer marks on the back. That would imply a private photo. Who is more likely than a policeman to be practiced in using a camera, and be able to borrow a good one?
So who is left? The second uniform (at the back, corporal), the older lady standing, second right from Maurice. Who are they? There are no more family members left?
To get to this venue the Furness family of four have travelled from Blackpool (Charles was Manager of the tram system). Not a big journey by train.
But Bernard and his wife and their two tiny babies have travelled from Canterbury,. changing trains in London and probably Birmingham. That would be logistically impossible if they travelled alone. All the baggage, breast feeding, holding the babies,
to name but a few problems. No mother would let that happen. There must have been both male and female company with them.
If we look at Florence Lucy’s family we discover:
Her parents Arthur Joseph Bond and Lucy A Williams married in Canterbury in 1879 and their first daughter was born in Q4 1879. In the 1871 census Corporal Arthur Bond (28) and his wife Lucy are housed in family quarters in a very large barracks in Kent. Florence Lucy was born a couple of years later and another girl later. Arthur J Jr was born in 1887 near Canterbury. By 1891 they are no longer with the military.
However more children follow and, in early 1900 a son is born and registered as Henry George Mafeking Bond. This was a serious military family.
In 1908 Arthur J Bond Junior was 21. He must be the 2nd uniform. And the extra lady? His mother or his sister (I favour mother on perceived age). They must have travelled from Canterbury to Sheffield with the couple and their babies to alleviate the enormous logistical problems on the journey.
I cannot find absolute proof of Arthur’s army career. However I note that he has disappeared from the family in 1911 and there is no sign of him in the country. There is an Arthur J in Kent in the 1939 Register. His birth year is one year out. Was he military? Who has access please?

That is it. Everything fits together very neatly.
If you still wish to find descendants, I suggest that you follow all the identified young people forward then try to contact them through trees or social media (as Helen suggested for the Foweathers). Clearly just putting the photo up on this site has not found anyone. It will take harder work than that. Unfortunately, apart from Arthur Foweather and Charles Furness they are all girls (2 Howards, 2 Llewellyns, 1 Furness, 3 Foweathers and Emma Harrop) (I assume you are already in contact with the descendants of your (Sylvester) Harrops.
Good luck with it. It has been an interesting exercise.
Dave

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Good sleuthing Dave and Helen.


Elaine in Ottawa.

Instant Messenger: Skype

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

One final piece of evidence:

http://www.britishempire.co.uk/images4/7dg1907b.jpg

The link will take you to a photograph of the NCO group of the 7th Dragoon Guards.
The photograph was taken in 1907 in CANTERBURY
Dave

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Hi David,
You suggested to Leisa that she could try to find a descendant of people in the photograph.
I am a descendant and the original photograph was given to me by my Aunt Jessie – centre front row. I passed the original to Leisa but have retained a copy myself.
My mother was Connie and is seated on her mother’s knee at the left-hand side of the photograph. Her mother’s name was Ellen Eliza Harrop (nee Sylvester), and her husband Charles is behind her. These, of course, are my grandparents.
At grandmother’s feet is Amy Sylvester Harrop, and to the right passing three children we come back to Jessie Harrop and next, supporting her, is her sister Dorothy – the only blonde amongst the seven sisters. Next is Leisa’s grandmother Maud Helen and then Muriel Harrop. The eldest sister, Cissie Alma, is the child standing at the extreme right of the picture.
Also in this photograph, but unfortunately I can’t remember where, is Ada Sylvester, my grandmother’s sister. It could be the one sat on the right with Cissie’s hands on her shoulders.
My Aunt Jessie gave me the original photograph over twenty years ago and pointed out the relevant people.
My mother Connie told me that the two men to the right of Charles Harrop were two of his brothers. However, I cannot swear to this.
Finally, I am sure that this photograph was taken in the spring of 1908 as my mother was born on 11th July 1907.

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

Hi
I am helping my Nanna follow up on some family history.
Her name is Patricia. And Cissie is her mother. I am unable to see the picture.

Re: Barnsley, Harrop & Silvester/Sylvester families

I've replied to you via your email.
cheers