Emails 16 Aug 2009 17:06 Iona Bratby writes: I have just been looking at your photo 571 of Reginald and Florence Bratby with great interest. My great grandfather was George Bratby, Reginald's brother and George's son John was my grandfather. George was a joiner and married Ada Houson from Horncastle Lincolnshire and they ended up living in Brightside Sheffield. His son John was a foreman at British Steel in Sheffield. I have managed to trace the family further back just through census etc but to see a photograph really helps bring it to life so many thanks for sharing it!! Yours sincerely Iona Rodger (nee Bratby) 6 Apr 2008 10:56 Rosemary Gray writes: Hello John- What wonderful news! I can confirm that Selina Bratby married Francis Statham- and clearly Clare is presenting some exciting information in relation to the picture.Please tell her that I would love to know more! Especially if she has any information about the rest of the Bratby clan. My mother says that Ernest and Maggie continued to be friendly with the Bratby family for many years. My father was especially fond of his cousin Maggie. By coincidence it also appears that they were both neighbours of my mothers eldest sister Francis and her husband Frank Ford they lived in Starkhomes- in the 1930s and 40s. Frank Ford was well known as a local newspaper reporter- on what was then I think ,The High Peak News.He trained his dog to carry his copy down the hillside to the station - to have it put on the train ,I guess , to go to Buxton. kind regards Rosemay Gray 4 Apr 2008 19:18 Claire Naden writes: Dear John I've enjoyed your website for many years, it has been a great help with my family tree in Matlock. I saw your photo number 571 Reginald and Florence Bratby wedding, I am descended from Reginald's sister Selina who married Francis Clay Statham. I haven't looked though all our photos properly but I think I recognise a couple of people on the wedding photo. The man in the bowler hat on the left I think may be Ernest Statham my great grandfather, he was Reg's nephew and would have been 19 years old. I usually recognise him by a 'teddy boy' quiff hair do which the hat hides unfortunately. The girl in white between numbers 10 and 9 looks very like his sister Maggie, she would have been 12. Would you be able to pass this on to Rosemary Gray? Francis Clay Statham was (I think) an interesting man, he was the manager of the High Tor Pleasure Grounds. I've been meaning to write about him for a while, my grandfather who died a few years ago in his 90s had many stories and photographs. Would you be interested in this for the website? Regards Claire Naden 5 Mar 2008 15:57 Rosemary Gray writes: Dear John- The first wife of Joseph Brown was Sarah Ann Brown as you discovered. The 3 Brown children were Emma b1884. Ada b1887 , and John Henry b 1890. The girls must be 2 of the bridesmaids on the wedding picture- and the boy is clearly the little feller in the front row.I know Joseph Brown died leaving Annie Marie a widow for the second time. But have no information about the Browns other than that.If the boy lived - he would have been of age to be in the forces in W.W.1. Annie Marie moved to Chapel en le Frith after 1916 or so. One of my fathers older brothers- Alfred Bratby- used to live with her as a lad-so my mother says- there being little room for 4 boys in the lodge at Bank Hall. Thank you very much for your extra work. The pix of my Grandfather as a boy appears to have been taken in 1880. It really is quite creepy isn't it how computer enhancement can bring these old pictures! to life!The originals are rather faded especially the wedding photos. Kind regards and thanks for your interest, Rosemary Gray 5 Mar 2008 07:08 Rosemary Gray writes: Dear John .... However in answer to your question re predigree. Reginald Charles born in 1874 was the youngest child of George Bratby (from Western underwood)and Mary Bratby. His siblings were; Selina, John Henry.and George. The parents of Florence Emma Hall were; Gamaliel Hall the son of Gamaliel Hall and Hannah Wildgoose, and Annie Marie Allen- who was the daughter of George Allen - described as ' a confectioner' of Wirksworth. Their wedding was hard to find because they married at Wormhill parish church on 22 May 1871, Gamaliel was then a signalman at Wormhill. He died in 1880 aged 32 years of TB. At his death in Cromford he was described as 'Railway Station Master' on the death certificate. Annie Marie was left with three little children Florence Emma, Frederick and Bert. She went to live with her Aunt -Sylence Allen (sister of George-Allen) who ran a laundrey in Cromford. (Sylence and her neice Emma Allen are both buried in Wirksworth parish churchyard .) Later in the 1890s Annie Marie re- married to a widower -Joseph Brown who in turn had three children- Emma, Ada and John Henry. I have no information as to what happened to the Brown youngsters- and I am curious about them. No one in my fathers family ever ever mentioned them! As for the picture of the wedding - Annie marie and Joseph Brown and children were all living with the young married couple at the house in Chapel Hill at the time of the 1901 census. Annie Marie is the woman next to the bride in the photo. Peering over the brides shoulder is Ann Hall nee- Taylor wife of Frederick Hall(in the cap) brother of Florence Emma. The two little boys at the front (seated ) are Frederick Hall aged 5 ,and Albert Ernest Hall aged 3 - the children of Ann and Fred Hall. Florence Emma lived until 1962- her youngest child Thomas ,who was born in 1911, was my father. I attach also a very old picture of Reginald Charles Bratby as a boy- with I think his older brother John Henry (Born 1860). Kind regards Rosemary Gray. 20 Feb 2008 11:55 Rosemary Gray writes: Dear John, Thanks for your e- mail-I am pleased you are using the the pictures- the two little people in the front row are both boys by the way, the children of Flo's brother Frederick Hall and his wife Anne. This couple are just visible in the doorway to the right of the brides' head- Anne looks a mite disapproving- he is wearing a cap. I can remember them both very well from my childhood in the 1940s and 50s. As for the wedding of Gamaliel Hall and Annie Marie Allen- that was at Wormhill parish church on May 22 1871. He was described as a 'Railway signalman', at that time. The witnesses were Gamaliel Hall- drayman- and George Allen confectioner. His shop was in Wirksworth I think- and his sister was Sylence Allen .She is easily traceable - even down to her gravestone inscription, because of her unusual name . However I had to trace some of the following information back via B/M/D certificates. Gamaliel Hall died in Cromford On 30th Oct 1880-at which time he was described on the death certificate as , 'Railway station master', he was 32 years old. He left 3 little children- Florence, Frederick and Albert Hall. His widow, Annie Marie , then went to live with her Aunt Sylence Allen who ran a laundry in Cromford along with her neice Emma Elizabeth Allen (1853-1894 ) Later Annie Marie married a widower who had 3 children- a Mr Brown. They are all on the wedding picture. I believe Annie Marie to be the woman wearing a big hat standing next to the bride. The 1901 census shows the Browns and the young Bratbys all living at the house in Chapel Hill. This was no doubt a short term arrangement as Reginald Charles was a very ambitious man. He soon was employed as Gardener by a wealthy lady - a Miss Smth of Bakewell. They had a large tied cottage and there he remained until WW1. He then went to work in Chapel en le Frith for the Scott family at Bank Hall. Incidentally I have been given amazing movie footage of life at Bank Hall in the 20s and 30s. The Scotts were early home movie buffs! The film was supplied to me by the current owners of Top Lodge, they having aquired it from the Scott family. I had hoped to catch the odd glimpse of Reg on the footage - but alas not a sign! He died in 1936 before my parents were married- and some years thus before I was born. Now sorry to have run on ! As for the real family tree stuff- some is not yet complete- or at least not checked I will let you have a draft soon when I have orderd it a bit ! Kind regards Rosemary Gray. 19 Feb 2008 13:01 Rosemary Gray writes: Dear John, I have learned so much about my fathers family from your site- thank you so much- it is a marvellous piece of work! Here are a couple of family wedding pictres from 1901. They were taken outside what was then number 6 Chapel Hill , Cromford- where my Grandparents Florence Emma Hall and Reginald Charles Bratby lived .The house is easily identifiable from the unique doorway and it is remarkably unchanged, even the cobbles and the iron railings are still in situ! Florence Hall was the daughter of Gamaliel Hall- who worked at the station but who died at an ealy age of TB. The Bratbys eventually went to live at the top lodge, Bank Hall, Chapel en le Frith where my grandfather was Head Gardener. sincerely Rosemary Gray

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