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In 1900 the opening of the mine at Silverwood was to
make the largest impact in the history of Thrybergh, and change a large part
of the local scenery, it brought people flooding into the area from far and
wide. If you imagine the scene without the houses in the photo above then
you have a fair idea of how Thrybergh was before 1900. The once quiet tranquil little hamlet became a bustling community of
Miners and Steelworkers, and saw the introduction of the railway passing
through the heart of the new Thrybergh. The greenery had been turned to
grime overnight. |
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Over the next ninety years the Silverwood tip was to
grow and bury beneath it what was once a beautiful part of the area,
including what we knew as Dingle Dell, known for its bluebell flowers.
The first workers to start employment at Silverwood were the pit sinkers,
men who specialized in the excavation of mine shafts.
In 1901 James Ball a Pit Sinker age 35 was living at Thrybergh with his
family. James was born in Bristol Gloucester. Back in 1881 James was living
with his unmarried sister at 11 St Luke St Bristol St Philip Jacob Out,
Gloucester, and had presumably lost his parents. The family is listed as
follows
Jane Ball Head U Female 18 Keynsham, Somerset, England Ticketer At Stay
Factory
Sarah A. Ball Sister U Female 16 Bristol Stitcher At Stay Factory
James Ball Brother U Male 15 Bristol Printer
Public Records Office Reference RG11 Piece / Folio 2499 / 96 Page Number 36
James married a girl named Blanche from Totley Derbyshire around 1892. James
and Blanche then moved several times before coming to Thrybergh, I presume
that James helped in the sinking of several Mines in South Yorkshire. 1892
found him in Jump near Elsecar where their child Jessie Ball was born. In
1894 the family had moved to Barnsley where their daughter Hannah Ball was
born. By 1897 the family were found in Morley Yorkshire and Minnie Ball was
born there.
Thrybergh had a new Police Constable by the turn of the century who was
Francis Eke of Wooddalling, Norfolk, England who had previously been a
Police Constable at nearby Rotherham
Living in Thrybergh at the turn of the century were Charles Butler a
Colliery Screenman age 47 born in Thrybergh. Ellen Butler age 44 born at
Wainfleet Lincolnshire .
Clement Butler age 2 born in Thrybergh. William Butler age 33 born at
Ravenfield working as a Groom Domestic. Catherine Butler age 5 born at
Thrybergh Dorathy Butler age 7 born at Tickhill Yorkshire. Ellen Butler 26
born at Upper Haugh Yorkshire.
Charles Drabble age 9 born at Thrybergh. Charles Drabble an Engine Man age
54 born at Thrybergh. Charles Drabble age 64 a Farm Bailiff born at
Attercliffe Yorkshire. Edwin Drabble age 1919 born Thrybergh employed as a
Stationary Fireman. Emma Drabble age 36 born at Bourton Warwickshire. Ernest
Drabble age 9 Months born at Thrybergh. George Drabble 5 born at Thrybergh .
Mary Drabble 62 born at Woodsetts Nottinghamshire. Rebecca Drabble 26 born
at Thrybergh. Sarah Drabble age 31 born at Maltby Yorkshire. Sydney Drabble
6 born at Thrybergh. William Drabble age 3 born at Thrybergh.
Down at the Blacking Mill on Hollings Lane in 1901 was Leonard Turner age 33
born in Thrybergh Corn Miller Farmer, and his son Edwin Turner age 7 born in
Thrybergh.
Local Farmers included Arthur Walker age 21 born at Thrybergh Farmers Son,
William Walker age 25 born at Thrybergh Farmers Son
William Whitaker age 39 born at Thrybergh and his wife Amy Whitaker age 35
born at Wadworth Yorkshire. Arthur Whitaker age 7 born at Thrybergh Farmers
Son. Cyril Whitaker age 3 born at Thrybergh Farmers Son. John Whitaker age 9
born at Thrybergh Farmers Son
John Fullerton a Vice Admiral R N in 1901 was listed as age 60 born at
Thrybergh Yorks and was living at Hamble Le Rice Ent Southampton with his
wife Ada Fullerton age 58 born in Simla India. At the same time a John
Fullerton age 6 born at Thrybergh was living at W R Kirk Smeaton By 1901 the
Dodd family had arrived in Thrybergh. Walter Dodd and his family had been
living at Ravenfield in 1900. Walter Dodd was age 29 born at Laughton
Yorkshire and was a boiler fireman. His wife Ada Dodd age 21 was born at
Potter Hill Yorkshire. Their daughter Gladys Dodd was only 6 months old and
was born in Ravenfield
In 1908 the Dabbs family moved to Thrybergh, the ancestors of our Intrepid
photographer Jonathan. Previous to arriving in Dalton this family with a
tradition of coal mining were listed as below.
1901 census
Robert Dabbs 44 Worcesters Yorks Wombwell Coal Miner Hewer Below Ground
Ellen Dabbs 44 Worcesters Yorks Wombwell
Oliver Dabbs 16 Yorks Wombwell Yorks Wombwell Trammer C Below Ground
Janey Dabbs 9 Yorks Wombwell Yorks Wombwell
Milly Dabbs 11 Yorks Wombwell Yorks Wombwell
Nellie Dabbs 19 Yorks Wombwell Yorks Wombwell
Oliver Dabbs 16 Yorks Wombwell Yorks Wombwell Trammer C Below Ground
Robert Dabbs 26 Worcesters Yorks Wombwell Coal Below Trammer Below Ground
Thomas Dabbs 6 Yorks Wombwell Yorks Wombwell
1881 census below
Robert DABBS Head M Male 22 Dudley, Worcester, England
Coalminer
Ellen DABBS Wife M Female 22 Dudley, Worcester, England
Robert DABBS Son Male 6 Dudley, Worcester, England Scholar
Sarah Ann DABBS Son (Daur) Female 4 Dudley, Worcester, England Scholar
Rose DABBS Daur Female 2 Jump, York, England
Dwelling 23 Milton Sq
Census Place Wombwell, York, England
Public Records Office Reference RG11 Piece / Folio 4607 / 92 Page Number 54 |
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From 1900 onwards people were moving into the area
from far and wide but some of the families were already established in the
Village. Living at no 3, Lambert s Cottages, the Willert family had moved to
Thrybergh from Tansley in Derbyshire around 1890, by 1901 the family was
listed as
Frederick Willert aged 47 born in Tansley Derbyshire and was a General
Labourer, and his wife Teresa Willert aged 39 born in Brackenfield
Derbyshire their children were
Edith Willert age 13 born in Tansley Derbyshire
Edward Willert age 21 born in Lea Derbyshire working as a Navvy
Elizabeth Willert age 5 born in Thrybergh Yorkshire
Fanny Willert age 8 born in Thrybergh Yorkshire
George Willert age 10 born in Thrybergh Yorkshire
Gertrude Willert age 6 born in Thrybergh Yorkshire
Robert Willert age 12 born in Tansley Derbyshire
Rose Willert age 3 born in Thrybergh Yorkshire
Sarah Willert age 17 born in Delthie Derbyshire
Thomas Willert age 19 born in Lea Derbyshire working as a General Labourer
William Willert age 22 born in Brackenfield Derbyshire working as a Banksman
at a Pit
1910 A Mass centre opened from St Bede's Church Rotherham in the mission
room, at Dalton Brook. In 1911:the Catholic Parish was founded then the
school chapel opened.
Thrybergh had a few Royal visits over the years, in 1912 8th July King
George V and Queen Mary visited Silverwood, during the visit the Queen had a
ride on a Railway Trolley belonging to the Midland Railway.
Between 1900 and 1910 the old pit houses were constructed on Oldgate Lane,
also Thrybergh School and St. Peters Church.
In 1914 War was declared and hell reigned on Earth. Effects of the great War
Quite a few local people emigrated over the years like the Tradewell's of
Dalton who departed for Canada in the early part of the twentieth century.
The Tradewell's were well known Joiners in the area and today in Canada the
Tradewell's are still carrying on the tradition of the family trade.
In 1923 the war memorial was constructed by Dalton Main Collieries to
remember the 312 miners who died in service during the first world war.
Many of the families in the area like my own, were quite large like that of
Tom Weaver who lived on Vale road opposite the Fullerton Hotel in the
1930's. The family consisted of 3 sons and 7 daughters, One of the family
Lilly Weaver married Walter Windle of Kilnhurst in 1937.
Some families came and then moved away from the area like the Bragger
Family, Alfred Bragger arrived around the turn of the century and married
Mabel Rogers they had several children who were sons Joseph, Alfred,
Tommy, and Bill. Sisters Caroline, Hilda, Mabel, and Joyce. Like most
families of the time tragedy was no stranger, Mabel Rogers died when
daughter Joyce was a baby, and son Joseph was eight years old It is
believed that this was the second marriage for Mabel who had lost her first
husband in the first World war. After the death of Mabel, Caroline the
eldest daughter took over the responsibility of being Mum to her younger
siblings. The family eventually moved to Sheffield. Today 2004 two of
Joseph's daughters can be found in Italy and the U.S.A.
Roy Nixon recalls I lived in Thrybergh during the early 1940s. My
Grandmother lived at 33 Whinney Hill. She was called Mrs. Burgin. The houses
then were two up and two down. The fronts faced Whinney Hill, the backs had
a midden and an outside toilet. Mr. Burgin, who I never knew, was my fathers
stepfather. He was a timber contractor to the mines, and he forced my father
to leave school at 12 (1917) to work down the pit. My father had to crawl
into worked out seams to recover still useable timber, so that it could be
used again. Later on he became a pony driver before joining the army (Duke
of Wellingtons). I used to go to school in Thrybergh. The school was on the
right hand side at the top of Whinney Hill. There were shops before the
school, a Co-op I think. I remember taking my Grandmothers radio
accumulators to the shops there for re-charging.
Down the bottom of the hill was a Police Station and some more shops, one of
which was the barbers. In Dalton Brook was a little cinema which was known
as the Bug Hut.
I had an Uncle and cousins that lived further up Thrybergh in East Vale
Drive.
Before we left Yorkshire, we had to move up to Silver Street. The second
house up from the bottom. We lived in two of the rooms and a family called
Liston lived in the other two. Two things I always wanted then was to be
like all the other boys, and have my hair shaved off with just a fringe in
front. Also to wear clogs with the iron on the bottom. My mum would not let
me have either.
Lovely memories of those far off days.
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