The Gisborne Flannel

I was reading the old newspapers and found this short piece regarding the 'Gisborne Flannel' in the Derbyshire Times 24 December 1943. I had no idea what this was but was intrigued by the article and decided to have a quick look.

Apparently Francis Gisborne set up a charity in the 19th century for 'PURCHASING OF FLANNEL AND COARSE WOOLLEN CLOTH YEARLY AT CHRISTMAS TO BE DISTRIBUTED AMONG THE POOR RESIDING WITHIN THE PARISH.'

There are recorded accounts at the Derbyshire record office and Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent record office for different Derby parishes but no mention of any Whittington accounts but obviously Whittington recieved a share of this charitable bequest!

I wonder if anyone knows when this bequest finally ended or if it is still carried out in some form, would be interesting to find out!

FAMILY LINKS

I posted a story about John Bryan who lived in Whittington late in the 19th century, much information supplied by Raewyn Young his great granddaughter.

The story has sparked the interest of many descendants of John Bryan and it has been lovely to see all these family members ‘meeting up’.

It is what I hoped would happen when I started this One Place Study, a resource for people who had ancestors in Whittington many years ago who have never perhaps been able to visit the area, people swapping stories and families finding new information to enhance their family history.

It reminds me that it is important to keep finding information and updating the website with stories about Whittington and its people, and hopefully some other families might find their ancestors originated in Whittington! 

JOHN BRYAN

I was contacted recently by a lady in New Zealand, Raewyn, who had come across the Old Whittington One Place Study website, quite by accident.

Raewyns grandmother was born in Old Whittington and she has supplied me with some family information, and I have managed to find a few records to help her expand her family story.

I am grateful to Raewyn for taking the time to share this information, I love to hear stories about people who lived in Whittington in the late19th early 20th century, and especially to see photos of the people who worked and went to school in the community at that time.

The Bryan family story can be read here https://oldwhittingtonops.com/john-bryan/

Petty Larceny

I am not sure whether it was the mother or the child sentenced to three days locked up! Derbyshire Times and Courier 29th December 1877.

HEADSTONES IN OLD WHITTINGTON CHURCHYARD

I have finally started adding some pictures of gravestones and adding the inscriptions eventually I hope to upload them to one of the commercial sites - Find a Grave etc but for now you can find them here https://oldwhittingtonops.com/gravestones/

The churchyard at Old Whittington is looking really tidy and well kept, the lads doing the tidying up have a made a really good job. Its a lovely place to walk around and look at nature, as well as the gravestones

REPORT ON WHITTINGTON 1874

 I found a report of Whittington in the Derbyshire Times relating to the insanitary conditions in the Whittington area. It doesn't paint a pretty picture of the living conditions in Whittington in 1874. After reading it I understand perhaps why there may have been such a high proportion of infant burials recorded in the St Bartholomews burial register in the 1800's.

My particular favourite is the report on the lodging houses and the sleeping system of the colliers.

The transcript can be read here https://oldwhittingtonops.com/description-of-whittington.../

Commonwealth War Graves week

This week is Commonwealth War Graves week https://www.cwgc.org/our-war-graves-your.../war-graves-week/

I thought it would be a good time to re-visit the lives of some of the Old Whittington men buried in war graves at home and away

https://oldwhittingtonops.com/the-fallen-of-old.../

There are also 16 war graves in St Bartholomews churchyard at Old Whittington.

https://www.cwgc.org/.../whittington-st-bartholomew.../