I have often been sorry that neither of my grandmothers left any account of their lives and times. History at first hand would have been so interesting. I hope that the following story will please my grandchildren, and possibly theirs, who knows!
My mother, Jessie, was the youngest of seven children born to Joseph and Annie Sands. They lived in Chorlton-On-Medlock, a district of Manchester. Joseph was an Irishman, an engineering fitter by trade, he worked in a factory at Milnrow. When he was young, Joseph’s hair was red and on occasion his temper was fiery too! It was a comfortable home though, they always had good food and were well dressed, quite an achievement in those days.
Mum was born in 1892, two brothers, James and Joseph were already married by this time. Mum’s two sisters were Anne and Edith, Anne was eight years older than Mum, and Edith four years older. They went to Cavendish Street School and I should think that the education they received was pretty good for the times. When they left school they went to work in small sewing factories. The one my mother worked in was called ‘Clitheroe’s’, it was run by the owner and Mum always spoke quite happily about her time there. Silent films or the theatre were the main forms of entertainment . Films were always accompanied by a pianist who played according to what was being shown, sad and doleful if the scene was tragic, fast and exciting if someone was being chased! It was not unusual for patrons to be given their money back, and the cinema closed on winter nights as it became impossible to see the screen for the thick yellow fog which had crept in from outside. People used to walk along the streets with lighted candles, no battery torches then!
Eventually, Anne and Edith were married, Anne to Tom Hutcheson, and Edith to Jason Shaw, Jason came from Dudley and his father was a chain maker. When war was declared in 1914, Tom went into the navy, Jason was not fit for active service and worked on the Railway.
In 1915 Mum met Arthur Rosson, he was in the ‘Cyclist Corps’ with the 66 East Lancs. Regiment. They were undergoing a period of training at Ardwick Barracks, that is how he came to be in Manchester.
John Henry Rosson, Arthur’s father, married Annie Bourne, both came from Burslem. John Henry’s father had been brought up in some style at Arclid Hall, but what happened in between I do not know. I should have been more curious when I was young! I do remember a firm of solicitors sending for my father sometime in the late nineteen thirties, he went off in a state of some excitement because the letter mentioned it was to his advantage to attend. When he arrived there, he found all the members of his family who could be traced , including the many cousins from Sandbach. The young solicitor who greeted them had a sorry tale to tell. It seemed that my Grandfather’s brother, Uncle Will, from Sandbach, and the senior partner in the firm of solicitors had been hand in glove together and between them had had almost the entire amount of money left by my Great grandfather. It had originally been a few thousands, in fact quite a small fortune in those days. Dad and his brothers and sisters each received five pounds! The cousins from Sandbach did not receive anything, Dad said that when they were children they all had wonderful times at Uncle Will’s, lavish parties and presents, not surprising There may be some interesting facts about the Rosson family in the records at Astbury church.
John Henry and Annie had seven children, two of whom died in infancy, leaving Albert, Annie, Arthur, Florence and Elisabeth in that order. Grandad Rosson had several horses and carriages, an early taxi service, in fact. He had been trained as a baker but must have rejected that in favour of the horses, though he always did the cake and biscuit making at home. I have heard Dad say that in 1904 the first car appeared in the village, and, of course, after that horses as a means of transport were on their way out. Grandad did not take kindly to the idea of ‘horseless carriages’ and eventually the horses were sold and he bought a shop and house in Lawton Road and started in business as a greengrocer.
To get back to Arthur and Jessie, my Mum and Dad, they were married at Chorlton-On-Medlock Registry Office on December 2nd. 1916. Dad was in the 66 East Lancashire Cycling Corps, attached to the South Wales Borderers. The cyclists had to take messages, or ‘dispatches’ as they were called, from one part of the fighting to regiments in another sector. It sounds fantastic now, but this is, in fact, what they did. Dad never talked much about his army experiences but he did admit to some nightmare rides through unfamiliar French countryside which was often pitted with shell holes, and this was mostly in darkness, not even a light on the bike! However, in 1918 the Armistice was signed and Dad, in company with the other lucky ones, was eventually demobbed.
He got a job as gardener to a Colonel Birley in Knutsford. A house was provided so they considered themselves very lucky. I was born in this house, 173, Mobberley Road, on August 1st. 1920. Unfortunately, in 1921 the Colonel died, and the two unmarried daughters sold the house to be converted into a school, we were without a house or job. We went briefly to stay with my mother’s parents, and Dad was given a job by my Uncle, Tom Hutcheson, husband of Mum’s elder sister, Anne. Tom had a property repairing business in Manchester and easily found work for Dad. We also got a house to rent in Slater Street. When we had been there a short time, Dad had a dreadful accident, he was looking over the shoulder of another workman who was putting a screw into a lock when the screwdriver slipped and jabbed Dad in the eye. He was rushed to Manchester Eye Hospital where the most delicate operation was carried out, seven stitches were put into the pupil of his eye. After a fortnight of what must have been agonising waiting, the bandages were removed and he could see! Anyone who doubted the truth of the story could see the pupil which had been stitched, it was oblong instead of round!
After this I suppose that Dad decided that life in Manchester was not for him. I believe that he hated the city, having been used to fresh clean country air. About this time, Grandad Rosson wrote to say that a caretaker was needed for the Tennis Club in Alsager. The courts were in Sunnyside, and the job was keeping them marked and mown. Dad got the job and from then on, for several months he cycled to Manchester after he finished work on Saturdays and cycled back again very early on Monday mornings.
Eventually he got a house to rent at 16 Shady Grove, and we moved there in October 1924. I do vaguely remember going that first day. There were thick clumps of Michaelmas Daisies flowering at the side of the house and we had home cured bacon for tea. The house consisted of a fairly large kitchen, pantry, living room and front room, a nice light hall, the front door had glass panels and a fanlight. Three bedrooms completed the inside. Outside was a wash house, a coalhouse and a toilet. The garden had about seven apple trees, gooseberry bushes, raspberry canes and a damson tree. The rent for all this was eight shillings per week, the rates were about Five Pounds per year! Of course, it must be remembered that wages were low, I have heard Mum say that the Tennis Court job brought in about £1 per week, and Dad did odd gardening jobs to make about another 10 shillings.