Comments 2
SALFORD LOCAL HISTORY

The busy library holds a huge collection of photographs, documents and newspapers relating to Salford's past. See our Contacts Page

Email: local.history@salford.gov.uk

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(Jan 2008) : Chris Chambers writes from Shropshire - Hello Maggie....I wish I had known about your site before...I'm going to join the society in the very near future.
I've been over to Eccles many times over the years in my research. My Mother, her mother and father and grandfather were all born in and around Eccles. The family seemed to have owned most of Irwell Grove, my Uncle built Buxton Street....the family name was Haigh and they were, on my grandfather’s side, Quakers, marrying at and attending the Friends Meeting House.....Alfred Pearson had a wine shop in the middle of Eccles which I think is now or was a carpet warehouse.... I have lots of documents relating to property owned in Monton Road. The Haighs were carters in Timothy Street before it was cleared. I have a picture of the yard.

I could go on, but I'm sure you’ve heard it all before. The reason I'm writing to you is to see if you know where I might find Police Records for the area. I'll tell you why......My grandfather had two brothers, Charles and Wilfred. My grandfather was Leonard High, born circa 1889. Wilfred was a naughty boy at least he was not a good Quaker. One night in 1912 he got drunk in Eccles and hit a policeman. My family were a well known, well connected and respected family in Eccles and a deal was done with the police. On the guarantee that Wilfred was to be sent to Canada all charges were dropped and he was packed off. I only know this from going through my grandfathers diaries at the time and there is a reference to 'Wilfs mistake' Weeks later he was packed off from Liverpool to Quebec. He was only 20. There is a lot more attached to the story, that’s perhaps for another day, but is there any way that I could get more flesh on the bones of this episode? I have started to write a story around this event and I need to know more of the circumstances.

If it were feasible I'd love to come up to Eccles and share my stuff with your members if anyone is interested. There are family connections with the Mitchells in Patricroft that started an engineering works, the Vulcan Works (?)..my grandfather was apprenticed to Walkers etc.

Any help would be appreciated, we only live in north Shropshire, so it's not too far! With Regards

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(Nov 2007) : John Ditchfield writes from Somerset - Browett & Lindley, of Sandon Engine Works, Patricroft, built many impressive stationary steam engines, some of which have survived in museums around the world. There is (or there was a year ago!) an impressive Victorian industrial building in Clifford Street, Patricroft, which I suspect is the Sandon works. However, I don't have access to any relevant maps or other information to confirm this

I wonder if anyone has any information confirming the location of the works please?

Many thanks,

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(Nov 2007) : Pat and Roy write from Lancashire.
Hello Maggie - I live in Lancashire ( though I was born in Eccles) and have been travelling to Manchester once a month to meet up with a lady I have met while I have been researching my family tree. We share the same 3X Great Grandfather John Rowbottom (1802). The name has changed many times over the years and now seems to be Rheubottom though this is mostly in the Eccles area.

The reason for my mail is that we are finding it very hard to read the Parish Records, many are water damaged but quite a few have what looks like theatre ticket left in the books also blank paper , obscuring the pages. We wonder if the Heritage Society could approach the Manchester Library with the aim of getting them to re scan.

I would be grateful for a reply and wonder if anyone has heard of our Rheubottoms