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Schofield
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John Schofield Snr. was a coal miner and lived in Pendlebury on the outskirts of Manchester. His son, John Schofield was born in Pendlebury in 1848.
John Jnr. was also a miner and in 1883 John was living in Castleford, West Yorkshire. On 13th October that year he married Eliza Davies (maiden name Inman) at Pontefract Register Office. Eliza was a widow with two daughters Ann Edith Davies aged 7 and Jane Ellen Davies aged 5.
By 1885 John and Eliza had moved to Low Valley, Wombwell, Barnsley, and had three more children,
Alice (1885) Emily (1886) John Thomas (1888) Ethel (1894)
Ethel was born in Crigglestone, Wakefield in 1894. At this time Seth Inman (brother of Eliza) kept the Station Hotel at Crigglestone and it is possible the family was staying there.
By 1901 the Schofield family had moved to 103 Railway Terrace, Copley, Nr. Halifax. Copley was a small village built by the local mill owner with terraces of back to back houses. It is possible that the Schofield family were attracted by work for all the family and a house provided.
Eliza was again widowed when John died early in 1901. The family now worked in the local Woollen mill John Thomas was 13 in 1901 and worked as a doffer. (a labourer who keeps the spinners and twisters supplied with fresh cones or bobbins and removes same to next process)
In the summer of 1901 Edith Davies, the half sister of John Thomas, married George Dilley. Edith and her three year old son Frank sailed from Liverpool to Boston USA on 3rd April 1908 on SS Saxonia. It is presumed that George emigrated earlier.
On 19th April 1909 John Thomas Schofield sailed from Liverpool to Boston USA on SS Cymric.
On 16th June 1910 Alice Schofield, sister of John Thomas Schofield, and Lucy Ellen Greenwood of St. Stephen’s Street Copley sailed for Boston USA on the SS Saxonia.
John Thomas Schofield and Lucy Ellen Greenwood were married on Monday 27th June 1910 in Fitchburg Massachusetts. Among the witnesses were Alice Schofield, Edith Dilley, George Dilley and their son Frank (approximately 6 years old).
Doris May Schofield was born in Fitchburg Massachusetts on 11th October 1911
Extracts from the Order of Service of the marriage of John Thomas and Lucy Ellen
Click to enlarge
John Thomas and Lucy Ellen then moved to Manitoba, Canada and ran a successful business with three Timber and Hardware Stores They had two more children, Jack 3rd March 1916 and Allan Hugh 3rd September 1919.
John Thomas died of Tuberculosis on 16th June 1920. Although the death certificate gives his age as 36 according to all other records his was only 32. After the death of their father Doris aged 9 and Jack aged 6 were sent back to England alone to be looked after by relatives. They sailed on the SS Megantic in September 1921. Doris described how they had their own food for the train journey from Canada to the port (possibly Boston) and labels and tickets pinned on their coats. They were met at Liverpool but I understand the relatives had very little notice of their arrival and she told me how she remembered sitting on the quayside and officials speaking to them before their relatives arrived.
Doris went to live with her Auntie Annie (sister of her mother Lucy Ellen) and her husband William Crowther. It was not an ideal arrangement as Annie and Willie were childless and did not particularly want children. Doris went to All Saints Church School, Skircoat Green, and was then apprenticed at Wadsworth, Furriers, Rawson Street, Halifax which later became Harveys Department Store. Doris was an excellent Dressmaker and when Auntie Annie died in 1934 Uncle Willie bought Doris a top of the range Singer Electric Sewing Machine so that she could sew at home and keep house for him.
.Jack went to live with the Shaw family in Copley. The Shaw family were not blood relatives but Natalia (Tilly) Greenwood (sister to Lucy Ellen) had married Walker Shaw after the death of his wife leaving him with two young children. The adjacent link tells more about the Shaw family.
On 7th June 1935 Doris May Schofield married Hubert Bottomley at St Stephen’s Church Copley. Lucy Ellen Schofield (Doris’s mother) had recently returned from Canada with youngest son Allan. On the morning of Doris’ wedding Lucy Ellen married Uncle Willie at Halifax Registery Office. This arrangement gave Lucy a home and Willie a housekeeper.
Lucy Ellen died on 3rd June 1964. Doris and Hubert lived at 72 Gibraltar Avenue, West End, Halifax for the whole of their married life. They have two sons.
Hubert died 23rd July 1970 aged 60. Doris died 2nd April 1995 aged 83.
On 7th June 1935 Doris May Schofield married Hubert Bottomley at St Stephen’s Church Copley. Lucy Ellen Schofield (Doris’s mother) had recently returned from Canada with youngest son Allan. On the morning of Doris’ wedding Lucy Ellen married Uncle Willie at Halifax Registery Office. This arrangement gave Lucy a home and Willie a housekeeper. Lucy Ellen died on 3rd June 1964.
Doris and Hubert lived at 72 Gibraltar Avenue, West End, Halifax for the whole of their married life. They have two sons.
Hubert died 23rd July 1970 aged 60. Doris died 2nd April 1995 aged 83.
