Mary and Miriam

This is the final post of 2024 and completes the 6th year of this Blog.

The Blog has already featured articles about Charles William Highley from Walsden who was killed in WW1. Type 'Charles William Highley and Mary Carr' in the 'Search This Blog' box to read more about him.

Charles and Mary were married on 20th March 1915, their daughter Miriam was born on 23rd May 1916, and Charles was killed on 22nd June 1917.

The photograph below shows Mary and Miriam. It was obtained by Simon Last and featured in his website 'Charnwood Genealogy'. Simon collects and researches old photographs and postcards and tries to reunite them with a family member if possible.

Mary and Miriam Highley

Written on the back of the postcard
Mary Highley & Miriam
Friend of Grandma's
Great War widow

At the time of the census of 1921 Mary and Miriam were living at 33 Rock Nook, Littleborough. Mary is described as a Cotton Weaver at Sladen Wood Mills, employed by Fothergill & Harvey, Cotton Spinners & Manufacturers, although 'not working' is written alongside her entry in the census.

In the 1939 Register the couple were living at 57 Kinross Street, Burnley. The entry for Miriam's occupation is 'Incapacitated. Unpaid Domestic Duties'.

Miriam died in 1942 aged 26 and was buried in the graveyard at St James's Church in Calderbrook, Littleborough. The site of her grave is shown below but there is no stone to commemorate her.

Mary died in 1972 aged 81. Her death was registered in Littleborough but there is no record of a burial with Miriam at Calderbrook. Charles William's parents John and Mary Ann Bray are buried in the same graveyard.

Ivor John Hiley

 The following article appeared in The Western Mail on 19th December 1918.

Western Mail 19th December 1918
Newspaper image © The British Library Board. All rights reserved.
With thanks to The British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)

Ivor, his wife Maud and daughter Molly were victims of the 'Spanish Flu', a pandemic which spread rapidly at the end of World War 1 and killed hundreds of thousands of people.

Ivor was the son of a butcher in Barry in South Wales. He ran his own drapery business before the War and married Maud Williams in 1912. Their daughter Molly was born 2 years later. Ivor enlisted with the Royal Field Artillery and served in France as a Gunner with the 63rd Division Ammunition Column.

Following research by Steven John of the West Wales Memorial Project, Ivor was accepted for commemoration by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in 2019 just over 100 years after his death, and his name was added to the CWGC website.